Cholesterol and bone density

I know alot of you are young with no medical issues. My doctor always wants me to take the meds for both of these issues. The meds for both scare me.
Are any of you dealing with these conditions and if so do you treat with the traditional medicines or some natural alternatives.

Hi,

I deal with the bone density issue. I don't have big problems at this point, but I have taken prednisone off and on for 10 years and that can have horrible effects on the bones. I absolutely refuse to take any of those "bone building pills" as I believe they simply build thick brittle bones--like chalk. They can also have terrible effects on the digestive tract and jaw. So far I've done well with a calcium apatite supplement with added vitamin k and strontium among other things. I also highly recommend you have your serum vitamin d level tested. Mine was low so I also take a vitamin d3 supplement daily.

The cholesterol stuff is very scary as well. Those side effects are mean. I don't have problems with cholesterol, but I've heard of folks having success using various supplements such as red yeast rice, gugulipids, fish oil, etc.

I would be happy to help you choose some products. Just PM me if you'd like some help.

Good luck!!!

C

I have bone loss due to years of corticosteroid use. My last Dexa scan was about 5 years ago, so I'm due for another one, but back then I had Osteoporosis in my hips and Osteopenia in my spine. I'm 33, the test was done when I was 28. I also have low Vit D levels, so that's probably not helping matters any. I wouldn't be surprised if I have Osteoporosis in both now, especially since recently I've been having pain and limited range of motion in my neck, and my xrays show degenerative bone loss in some of the vertebrae in my neck just below my skull. They didn't put me on any medications yet, other than some calcium chews.

I actually just had my vitamin D checked....only in the 20's. So I am on daily calcium w/ vit D, vitamin D, B12 and a weekly prescription of Vit D.

I have to have a bone scan too. Can you lower it by diet? I am always leary of pills also. There are foods out there that lower your cholesterol. Just google it. I have high c also, but my good is in the 60's which, my dr. said is almost unheard of high. But I still worry about my LDL. I just try to avoid all red meat. We have been eating tons of veggies. No more ground beef, just ground turkey.

I am 58 and am trying to get my body in better shape. I know how you feel. I think though that high chol can be hereditary. ugh. Darned genes!

But you can find tons of info on the web. Darn, I can't think of that food that is known to lower high c.

I will look for it.

The Mayo Clinic has good information. www.mayoclinic.com, or just google "foods that lower cholesterol" its right there.

I was diagnosed with osteopaenia (precursor to osteoporosis) two years ago. My doctor started me on Fosamax. I took it once a week for about a month or so. Within the first week, I started having bad chest pains and tightening in my chest. And my jaw started to ache badly. It got so terrible that I ended up in the ER one night with suspicions of a heart attack. Keep in mind that this whole time, I was walking 5 miles a day and exercising.

After a lot of tests, including two different kinds of stress tests, the doctor said that the heart attack symptoms and the intense jaw pain were due to Fosamax. He had found it difficult to believe that it was heart-related, simply because I was exercising regularly and because I was 54 at the time....although women of any age or shape can have heart attacks.

He told me during the stress test that the most common things with Fosamax are heart attack symptoms. And jaw pain. And sometimes joint issues, too. My own doctor had told me that, so I rather figured it was due to the drug. Anyway, I quit taking it; it wasn't worth all the hassles. And I would never advise anybody to try it....nasty stuff. To this day, I still have jaw pain issues and my dentist says it's from the drug.

OTOH, my MIL has been taking Fosamax for over 10 years with absolutely no trouble.

I take 1200 mg of calcium, 2000 IU of Vit D-3 (to help with the calcium absorption), and 250 mg of magnesium (calcium can cause constipation and did with me....the magnesium helps with the constipation) every day. While the osteopaenia hasn't gotten any better in those two years, it hasn't gotten any worse either.

Weight-bearing exercise is the best thing you can do for osteopaenia.

As for cholesterol issues, if it's not genetic, you can adjust your diet. Lower your calories and eat lots of the dark orange and green veggies. Instead of white potatoes, eat sweets or yams. Broccoli, kale, spinach, etc. Skim milk, egg whites instead of whole eggs. Lots of high-fiber foods and whole wheat foods. More grains, less starch. Prepare your own foods. Stay away from eating a lot of meat....chicken, turkey or pork is far better than beef, as long as you trim the fat. Cut back on fats and use olive oil. Meatless meals once or twice a week. And exercise....simple walking is great for those with high cholesterol. DH has high cholesterol and it's an ongoing struggle for him. He didn't want to take any statins, so his doctor talked with me about changing his diet. It has dropped from a high of 242 to right around 202...and his doctor says it's mostly from changing his diet. We can't seem to drop it any lower than that, unfortunately. And it really is a struggle for him as he's a sweets hound; he loves cakes and cookies.

i started taking flaxseed capsules because they keep the bad cholesterol in a liquid state instead of hardening the arteries. but it's got to be coldpressed flaxseed, not hotpressed.

My MIL has osteoporosis and is doing the Boniva treatments. She was only diagnosed with that in the last year I think. She was at the osteopenia (I think that's what it's called, the level before actual osteoporosis) level for some time before that. She watches her diet much more carefully to eat foods that are supposed to help; but I honestly don't know exactly what. We live in a different state so I only get to see her in person a few times a year at the most. It kind of scared me when she told me that she had that. She seems so young to have it. I know she wasn't getting the meds she should have before this. My FIL was laid off a few years ago so they had to purchase their own insurance and it was quite expensive for the meds she needed. I think it being pre-existing didn't help but the change in diagnosis actually did help her get her insurance to cover it.

ETA: My MIL is able to excercise at the university gym in town. She and my FIL sign up to take a course (free because of their ages) and it gives them access to the gym and pool. Last fall MIL took a Fitness Walking class! FIL likes the ones that actually make you study. Haha.

Originally Posted by blueyedgirl5946

The meds for both scare me.
...do you treat with...some natural alternatives.

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If you are serious about this I suggest booking an appointment with a naturopathic doctor (ND).

Originally Posted by cococat

If you are serious about this I suggest booking an appointment with a naturopathic doctor (ND).

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I am very serious about this. I live in a very rural area and two hours away from a city. There are no naturopathic doctors.

Sorry you are going through this.
Then you have to drive and/or consult via phone or email.
I would not let two hours stop you from getting the care you want

Have you seen this article? Long and Short of Calcium and Vitamin D

The new daily recommendations for calcium and vitamin D, issued in November by the Institute of Medicine, have left many people wondering whether they are getting enough, or perhaps too much, in their diets and supplements.
The institute’s expert committee, which included bone specialists, concluded that most people don’t need supplements of these critical nutrients and warned of serious health risks from the high doses some now take — including kidney stones and heart disease linked to calcium supplements, and the very falls and fractures that vitamin D is meant to protect against.

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Originally Posted by cococat

Sorry you are going through this.
Then you have to drive and/or consult via phone or email.
I would not let two hours stop you from getting the care you want

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I appreciate your input. Maybe you didn't understand my post. There are no naturapathic doctors in the city two hours away. I looked for them and the closed one is six to seven hours away. I doubt any of them would consult by email or telephone without some personal office contact.