<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
>>
>> hello, List
>>
>> Because there has been so much discussion about Fosamax and similar
>> drugs, I thought my recent bone density results might be
>> interesting to some on the list.
>>
>> Backstory: when I was dx in 1996, my bones (like those of most
>> celiacs) had been compromised and I had osteopenia. Also, I was
>> going through menopause, a time when many women experience bone
>> loss. On top of that, I am in the high-risk group: thin white
>> female w. family history of osteoporosis.
>>
>> I took calcium supplements, off and on.....mostly off, I have to
>> confess. I am not good at big pills or regular pill-taking. All
>> this time, I was a diligent exerciser, as I continue to be.
>>
>> Osteopenia turned to osteoporosis. My extraordinarily good
>> gynocologist tried a few other things when I resisted Fosamax.
>> Troubling side-efx 86'd those strategies.
>>
>> A year passed, and I capitulated to the Fosamax. Hated it, and am
>> suspicious of something that retains bone but makes them more
>> brittle. Nevertheless, I stuck with it for a year to 18 mos. In
>> April of 2007 (many months after I'd stopped the Fosamax), a bone
>> densitometry showed bone gain. I was out of osteoporotic territory.
>> I said it was exercise and Caltrate w. D; gyn. said gently, "maybe
>> we have to give a little credit to the Fosamax."
>>
>> Now to the recent results:
>>
>> In May of 2009, not having taken Fosamax or really much calcium for
>> all that time, the gain continues! Left hip: 11.5% increase (still
>> osteopenia). Lumbar spine: 6.9% gain (bone density now normal!).
>> Only the left femoral neck shows no significant change (osteopenia,
>> still), but I think a 30 year-old neck injury has something to do
>> with that. (not sure....just guessing.)
>>
>> So what accounts for the improvement? I eat a lot of cheese and
>> yogurt, but that's not nearly as much calcium as the recommended
>> supplement. Regular exercise continues, notwithstanding an article
>> a year or two ago by Jane Brody of the New York Times. She quoted
>> new research showing that weight-bearing exercise does not build
>> bones. No one knows exactly why exercise corresponds with fewer
>> fractures; could be because it improves strength and ability to
>> catch ourselves when we stumble or fall, thus reducing potential
>> damage.
>>
>> I am wondering if maybe, after years on the GF diet, my body has
>> gotten so much better at absorbing minerals and etc. that the bones
>> are benefiting. There's always the possibility that the test is an
>> anomaly; most of us and most doctors these days attribute great
>> specificity to treatments, tests and etc. that are really just
>> blunt instruments.
>>
>> Has anyone else had a similar experience? I'd love to think my bone
>> gain is thanks to ever-better absorption, and is good news for us
>> all.
>>
>> best regards,
>> Mary B.
>> NYC
>>
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