My bones are getting worse

I'm currently on Boniva and I take my daily calcium plus vitamin D but I feel that my bones are getting worse. I never had any broken. But I started noticing that my spine cracks when moving around. A couple of days ago my neck and head starting cracking! Also legs and other bone parts are cracking. I'm really scared because I had to do steroid enemas the other week because I had mucus. I'm so frustrated and I feel that there is nothing I can do to halt the bone loss.

Maybe not AS bad but surely is a contributor. I'm not touching oral pred ever again.

Your cracking joints really don't have anything to do with your bone density.

Have you had your bone density measured? Is it time to check again?

Just adding on to the suggestion to exercise. Just jumping up and down every day on carpet for 10-20 times adds bone density. They also sell one-person "mini-trampoline" bounces if you tend to get shin splints, saves your knees.

Jumping rope is also good for bones and cardiovascular. Little cost involved but work up to the jump rope, whew it takes coordination and stamina.

I started playing pickleball again to lose weight and improve cardio because weights weren't helping my cardio or weight loss, running is good for bones if you don't over it.

I have some bone cracking (spine mainly) but didn't think it was bone loss.

Andrina said: Knowing that the cracking could be something else scares me even more. What is a good doctor to go to with this problem?

In all honesty, I really think that creaks and cracks mean very little about bone health. I have had spine and joint problems for thirty years and the worse they get, the quieter they are! I am being treated by gynocologist for osteoporosis. I think many people are treated by their primary doctor. My gyno has a bone scan in his office so thats easiest. Either could arrange for another scan to check on your bones.

Even though I am old, I am pre-menopausal and quite fit so I cried all afternoon when I found out I had osteoporosis so I really understand at least some of the worry of you are feeling. Chances are you are going to be alright! If it helps at all my mother has had quite bad osteoporosis for over thirty years and is now in her 80's and is very active and fit and has never had a broken bone.

Cracking joints is not bad and does not point to any particular problems in your bones or in your body: www.hopkinsortho.org/joint_cracking.html

In my opinion you shouldn't take Bonivo or any other medication meant to increase bone density without having a diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis and having your bone density measured. My OB/Gyn measured my bone density 8 years ago and then my rheumatologist measured it again a couple of years later. It's not a complicated test.

I have awful cracking and it has been going on for ages. I always figured it was just from getting older. I had it going on before I ever took prednisone and it's gotten worse as I've gotten older. I am sure the pred didn't help AT ALL. I also have really weak ankles lately. I am worried it is something worse than the neck cracking but I don't have time to do anything about it at the moment. I know I really need a bone density scan. Sounds like we both do. :(

kazbern said...
Cracking joints is not bad and does not point to any particular problems in your bones or in your body: www.hopkinsortho.org/joint_cracking.html

In my opinion you shouldn't take Bonivo or any other medication meant to increase bone density without having a diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis and having your bone density measured. My OB/Gyn measured my bone density 8 years ago and then my rheumatologist measured it again a couple of years later. It's not a complicated test.

I forgot to mention. I had two dexa scans and I had low bone density. I was prescribed Boniva by an endrocrinologist.

NSSG Lets go together haha

Joanna I hope you're right.

Thanks all

maybe you should try enteragam for uc - it's a bone extract so it may be good both for bones and uc

Andrina said...

Way to scare me. Thanks. So I've been doing it wrong the whole time? What about algaecal? Is that recommendable? It has K2 in it with calcium and vitamin D.

I just stated the facts, and frankly, the blatant facts should be known rather than sugar coated warnings.

AlgaeCal, looks a good supplement but the supplement maker needs to study bone business. Vit K and D are very little amount per dosage form, and you need boat load of Vit K2, primarily because of IBD. This supplement doesn't take this point into account. You can supplement the same ingredients separately at higher amounts, less Calcium but more Magnesium. Avoid carbonate form of Calcium. I haven't looked into the best forms of Calcium, so look into it, but pretty sure carbonate is not one of them.

I was prescribed Boniva by an endrocrinologist

First of all get your blood levels of vitamin D checked. The 800 IU in the Algaecal may not be enough for your general health, much less than also strengthening your bones. After checking blood levels I need to take 5,000 IU per day to reach an optimum level. Many on this forum need to take much more. Blood measurements should help you to find an optimum amount.

Guardian and Delta are right about K2 needed to direct your calcium into your bones, as opposed to hardening your arteries and soft tissues, and forming kidney stones. The label on your Algaecal says you are only getting 63 percent of the normal daily requirement. But I am sure your requirements are much higher.

The boron is good but again you may need more than 1.5 mg, maybe at least double that. Actually vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and K2 are not that expensive to be taken separately. Most people eat enough phosphorus, it is the calcium and magnesium that most of us are deficient in. And vitamin D and K2 is needed by calcium.

You may want to research silica and strontium for bone regeneration. Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis saw significant reductions of up to 43% in the risk of hip fractures over a period of five years with strontium.

While you are asking your doctor about strontium and silica you may want him to reconsider the Boniva. Or maybe just get a 2nd opinion. Some say that Boniva prevents your body from recycling old bone. So on an X-Ray it appears that you have a lot of bone mass, but in reality your bones are becoming old and decrepit.

This is just a theory. Don't go against your doctor's advice but do some research yourself and please get a 2nd opinion.
articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/21/osteoporosis-prevention-and-treatments-exposed.aspx

I've read that calcium citrate is pretty good”

I was always a firm believer that magnesium supplementation is important and that most people are deficient. And some say that balancing it with calcium helps prevent calcium to form kidney stones, etc.

But I also have ulcerative colitis and magnesium prevents constipation. Think “milk of magnesia”. Since getting UC, I reluctantly cut back on my supplementation to about 300 mg/day because more will bring on diarrhea. But mag really is important for your bones and general health. I think of all the forms of calcium and magnesium, the calcium citrate and magnesium citrate are the forms that most encourage diarrhea when overdosed. But you can look that up yourself.