dangers of reclast

jenj770

All medications come with side effects. Here are just a few mentioned for Reclast: Diarrhea; dizziness; headache; mild bone, joint, or muscle pain. I think your own research would be beneficial and help you to decide if you want to go forward.

Jen

tomatojuice

Hi Betty! I don't know your age , or your bone density scores, so it is difficult for me to offer alternative suggestions. If you could post these, it would be helpfull to me and others on here. I was dx in 2006 with a -3 in the limbar spine. Which meant I had osteoporosis. After researching biophoshates I decided no-way was I going to take one. Reclast is a biophosphate. And it must be one powerful one, since it is given once a year. I could not chance the side effect of necrosis of the jaw, since I was having many dental problems. Besides that I have heard nothing but bad stories of esophageal problems and muscle pains. Also biophoshates stay in the body for ten years. Maybe someone on here will come along who has taken it. And I suppose there are some who take it, and are fine.I chose to start an exercise program, of basically just walking 3 or 4 times a week, calcium citrate(citracal). a better diet, and strontium citrate. It worked just fine for me. I no longer have osteoporsis, but was able to reverse it to mild ostepenia. No biophosphates neccessary. I have also read that these drugs don't really produce strong bones anyway. They make brittle bones. Oh yes, I am 60 years young. I hope that your bone density problems are not much worse than mine were, and that you are able to choose other alternatives. There is also a very good book to read"The Myth of Osteoporosis". It may be of help to you.

Betty35

Betty35

Thank you so much for your info. I am 74 and my bone density score was 2.6 I am thinking of trying something else and not go the reclast route.

tomatojuice

Hi Betty..So glad to hear you going to give something else a try. Why a doctor would give this kind of drug to someone 74 who is just a smidgen over the line of osteopenia. There are much younger people on here who would love to have a bone density score of 2.6 That is not to say you should do nothing. Make sure you get your calcium(preferably citrate), vit d, boron, zinc, and magnesium. You could buy Citracal Plus(it's a good combination.). Also a multi-vitamin. Eat plenty of greens-spinach,broccoli etc. Avoid soy-it stops the body from absorbing minerals. And some sort of exercise. Walking is best, but if thats not for you ..weight lifting is even better. They did studies in old age homes with people in their eighties and nineties and found that just sitting in a chair and lifting light weights 1lb. 2lb and 3lb weights increased their bone density. Look on line ..you will find how to use weights. You only need to do it 3 times a week for 10 or 15 min. I am sure with a little exercise you can increase your bone density. oh Also avoid lots of sugary things, especially soda. Green tea is a nice alternative...it is high in antioxidants. You can sweeten it with fruit juices. I make a big jar and put it in the fridge every other day. Believe me you are not going to break all of a sudden. I have a bone density now of 2.2, and I jog and go to a gym and do all sorts of exercise. The only major thing to avoid is stretching. Always bend from the knees. And try not to stretch up to reach for things. Use a step stool. Yes our bones change as we age, but so does everything else. Its natural. And also from what I hear the Dexa cannot really determine the actual strength of your bones, only the density. If you don't want to invest in weights from a sports store, you can use soup cans. The best of luck to you.

Betty35

Thank you so much for your reply.I have decided to wait on taking the reclast and trying more exercise. I do take calcium, vit. D, multi. So maybe if I do more exercise it will help too. I do exercise some but not enough. I have RA and take so many meds already and do not want to add more to the list. Thanks again for your advice. It helped so much.

montesflus

TOMATO JUICE:

I have a quick question for you. When you mentioned to avoid ''stretching'' - what particular kind of stretching did you mean? I usually stretch my arms over my head upon awaking in the morning and turn my neck around, in rotation, and it releases my tight muscles.

Hope you're doing ok,

Monte

tomatojuice

Hi Monte... I guess what I mean is quick stretching done without awareness. I also stretch after my aerobic walking workouts. But at these times I am also doing proper breathing and my knees are always slightly bent. I then raise my arms up and stretch as I inhale, and lower my arms as I exhale. At these times my feet are also slightly parted. The form and the breathing create a relaxed body. I have always felt safe doing this type of stretching. I would not consider doing many of the stretches associated with say yoga. I seem to have read somewhere along the way that for women with osteo of the lumbar spine that certain exercises that involve stretching were not a good idea. I think what is meant is bending too far backwards, or lying on the floor and bringing your legs up over your head. Yoga incorporates alot of these types of stretches. I am not saying yoga in itself is bad. There are special yoga classes here in NY adjusted for people with Osteo.