Posted 6/10/2009 10:32 PM (GMT 0)
do your research before you take anything on any doctors recommendation. here is flip side to fosamax.
all from mercola.com (take the time to read them all and then check up on any of it and ask your doc. a good patient is a well informed patient)
The drug alendronate has been reported to prevent osteoporosis in younger postmenopausal women with nearly the same effectiveness as hormone therapy. The studies were funded by Merck & Co., a Rahway, New Jersey-based pharmaceutical manufacturer.
The New England Journal of Medicine (1998;338:485-492)
Annals of Internal Medicine (1998;128:253-261, 313-314)
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
Dr. John Lee is the physician who wrote "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about PRE Menopause" He is very strongly opposed to the use of Fosamax, and I could not agree with him more on this issue. It is interesting that Merck, the manufacturer of Fosamax, funded both of these studies and both appeared in two well respected medical journals the same week.
Fosamax is in the same chemical class (phosphonate) that is used in the cleaners used to remove soap scum from your bath tub. This is a metabolic poison that actually kills the osteoclasts. These are the cells that remove your bone so your osteoblasts can actually rebuild your bone.
It is quite clear that if you kill these cells your bone will get denser. What these studies do not show is that four years later the bone actually becomes weaker even though it is more dense.
This is because bone is a dynamic structure and requires the removal and REPLACEMENT of new bone to stay strong. Fosamax does NOT build ANY new bone. The true solution, as I have reviewed in previous newsletters, is to go on natural progesterone. One can review Dr. Lee's book for more information.
Progesterone is the only substance that I know of that will actually increase bone strength and density. It does this by serving as a growth promoter for the osteoblasts, or the cells that build bone. Of course, it would be wise to have the other basics in place such as adequate amounts of calcium, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D and copper, in addition to exercise and avoidance of items that will damage bone like soda pop and sugar.
This is one of the main reasons you will not find studies published on natural progesterone as it is a natural substance which can not be patented and no huge amounts of profit can be realized.
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Preventing Steroid-Induced Osteoporosis
Steroid hormones, like prednisone, have revolutionized the management of many illnesses, reducing morbidity in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and mortality in other diseases such as asthma. However, they have many side effects, one of the most troubling being osteoporosis. It is interesting that the way they destroy bone density is by impairing the cells that build bone (osteoblasts). These are the same cells that natural progesterone builds up.
The articles in this week's New England Journal attempt to support the use of medications like Didronel and Fosamax to prevent the bone loss while on steroids. What they don't explain is that these drugs are metabolic poisons that kill the cell that remove your bone. They are diphosphonates which is the same material that is in products to remove soap scum from your bathtub. Any crstalline structure, like bone or steel, will weaken with time. The cells that remove the bone are an important part of the strategy to rebuild the bone to have strong bone. If it is not removed, although it will be denser, this bone will actually become weaker and more susceptible to breaking.
If you know anyone on Fosamax you would serve them well by encouraging them to stop that poison and immediately switch over to natural progesterone. This can also be used for males. The dose does have to be decreaed though to about 5 mg per day. I have successfully used that intervention for males with M.S. who have had to be placed on large doses of prednisone.
N Engl J Med 1997;337:382-387,420-421
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Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ) is becoming so common, as are prescriptions for Fosamax, that dentists are now referring to it as “Fossy Jaw.” Essentially, the condition causes your jaw bone to rot and decay -- quite ironic considering the drugs are primarily taken by people looking to strengthen their bones.
Bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax and Boniva, are problematic because they stay in the bone indefinitely and may upset the cell balance, disrupting the process by which jaws regenerate and remove unhealthy bone.
It’s not surprising that Merck may have known about the risks of Fosamax and intentionally tried to keep them under wraps; they did the same thing with their tragically dangerous painkiller Vioxx.
I warned about the dangers of Fosamax nearly a decade ago, and it still makes no sense to take an osteoporosis drug that can literally kill your jawbone.
What can you do to strengthen your bones safely and naturally?
* Maintain a healthy balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fats in your diet
* Eat according to your nutritional type. This will ensure that you’re getting enough nutrients for your bones, and will correct your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
* Consider supplementing with vitamin K, if you are not getting enough from food alone. Vitamin K serves as the biological "glue" that helps plug the calcium into the bone matrix.
* Get enough vitamin D, ideally from proper amounts of sun exposure. Vitamin D builds your bone density by helping your body absorb calcium.
* Exercise. Studies show that exercise is just as important to your bone health as eating a calcium-rich diet.