<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

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*After I was diagnosed with osteopenia, my doctor put me on
Miacalcin<http://senior-health.emedtv.com/miacalcin/miacalcin.html>
® nasal spray (calcitonin salmon nasal
spray<http://senior-health.emedtv.com/calcitonin-salmon-nasal-spray/calcitonin-salmon-nasal-spray.html>).
It was a long time ago (maybe 15 or more years) and I'm a man, but it did
the job. I used it for about six years but my bone density stats returned to
normal. The doctor's thoughts were that a nasal spray would save my gut any
further distress. I wasn't bothered by any side effects and it seems a lot
safer than the oral treatments.
    Once I got my bone density back up, with the gluten free diet and fairly
regular calcium supplements my bone density seems to be holding steady.*

I was diagnosed with osteopenia at age 56 - 14 years ago.  My doctor kindly
told me I had the spine of an 80 year old!  When I had back surgery
(unrelated to the osteopenia) 10 years later, the surgeon came to me the
next day to say what beautiful bone I had.  My surgery was done as an
emergency in South Africa and I told the surgeon I had been on strontium and
he said that they use it all the time there.  My daughters asked me to write
what I had done and what worked.   Incidentally, my husband who is very
active was also diagnosed with osteopenia and we had him tested for gluten
intolerance and also put him on strontium and he reversed it.

   1. Have a blood test to determine whether your vitamin D level is
   adequate.  It is now known that we need higher levels (600 IU daily rather
   than 400 IU) than previously thought and that the lack of vitamin D is an
   important factor in bone loss as it is needed for mineral absorption.
   Because of the concern about skin cancer and use of sunscreens many people
   are not getting enough vitamin D – so much so that rickets is now appearing
   in the United States.


   1. Take calcium citrate + magnesium citrate in a ration of 2:1.   Citrate
   can be taken on a full or empty stomach and is absorbed by the spine whereas
   carbonate is not.   Split the dose so that you are not taking more than 500
   mg. total at any one time.   Make sure one of the doses is at bed time as
   that is when the greatest bone loss takes place.   Do not take it within 2
   hours of taking thyroid medication as it will interfere with its
   absorption..


   1. Take Strontium ranelate.  See  document below.  This should be taken
   on an empty stomach and two hours apart from the calcium.  When I told my
   surgeon here that I had been taking it, he said they use it regularly in
   South Africa.   I had an increase of 7% in my spine over 2 years when I
   started the strontium.

This sounds complicated, but the way I work it is I have my thyroid
medication on waking.  At lunch I take Cal-Mag + D. (250 mg. calcium, 125
mg. magnesium, 200 IU Vitamin D) Mid afternoon, I take 2 capsules of 227 mg.
strontium. Supper and bedtime, I take an additional cal-mag.

   1. Look into natural progesterone cream.  For more info –
   www.johnleemd.com or read “What Your Doctor Won’t Tell you about
   Menopause” by Dr. John Lee.    When I started using it, my bone mass
   increased dramatically.    I have it prescribed by my GP – 3% progesterone
   in a glaxal base – and compounded at a local compounding pharmacy or one can
   buy Pro-Gest on line.   Wild yam cream is not the same thing.    I put ¼ tsp
   on the inside of my arm or leg morning and evening alternating sites to
   increase absorption.   It is advised to have 5 day break each month.



*New Research Shows Strontium Supplements Build Bone*
*By Robert Gottesman, M.D.*

New and exciting data has been released about a very promising nontoxic
treatment for osteoporosis: the naturally occurring element strontium.
Strontium lies directly below calcium on the periodic table of elements and
that makes calcium, strontium and magnesium (which is just above calcium)
all in the same chemical family. They are all naturally occurring metals
with a 2+ valance that readily form into stable salts like calcium citrate,
magnesium citrate and strontium citrate. They also form carbonates,
sulfates, lactates and others. A recently published paper in the New England
Journal of Medicine (NEJM) (1/29/04) suggests that it maybe at least as good
a treatment for osteoporosis as currently available therapies including
Fosamax (alendronate), Actonel, (risedronate), Evista (raloxifene ),and the
newest treatment, the injectable parathyroid hormone Forteo
(teriparatide)....
The positive effects on bone were dramatic. The lumbar spine, for instance,
increased 8.1% in bone mineral density (it actually increased 14% but the
authors corrected that number downwards for comparison because small amounts
of strontium get deposited on the surface of the bone and strontium is more
dense than calcium). This increase in bone density compares favorably with
the alternative treatments such as Fosamax (6.2%), Actonel (5.9%)Evista
(2.6%) and the parathyroid hormone (9% at 20 months More importantly, the
authors note that strontium has both anabolic (bone building) effects and
anti-resorption (anti-depleting) effects and therefore works differently
than any of the other available agents. Unlike Fosamax and Actonel, which
work strictly by decreasing bone resorption, strontium increases bone mass.
Fosamax and Actonel merely thicken the old bone. Furthermore, fracture rates
of the spine are reduced 41%, again favorably comparable to the
pharmaceutical agents. In women over 70 years old, data shows that hip
fractures are reduced by 36% and vertebral fractures are reduced by 59%.....

*A Few Caveats in the Use of Strontium*
Although strontium seems to be a remarkably benign supplement, there are a
few guidelines to follow to maximize its benefit:

   1. Calcium should not be taken simultaneously with the strontium since
   the calcium dramatically decreases the absorption of the strontium.
   2. It should not be used as a treatment in children since it can alter
   the architecture of rapidly growing bones.
   3. Traditional bone mineral tests like the DEXA will give artificially
   high results since strontium is much denser than calcium and a correction
   will need to be factored in.
   4. As with all of the pharmaceutical agents, the long term safety of
   administration of strontium is unknown, but thousands of women have now
   taken it over the last decade.
   5. Strontium is not a “magic bullet” and a comprehensive approach to
   regaining bone strength is still optimum. Other modalities of bone support
   include calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin K, progesterone, estrogen (in
   small amounts), testosterone (if necessary) and weight bearing exercise.

*Robert Gottesman, M.D. is a practicing clinician in Santa Ynez, California
who has been using natural hormones in his practice for many years. He has
contributed greatly to Dr. Lee’s work over the years. He can be contacted at
* [log in to unmask]

*Editor’s Note:* Ask for strontium supplements at your local health food
store or look for them on the web. One brand name by Advanced Orthomolecular
Research out of Calgary, Canada is called Strontium Support, which contains
720 mg per capsule.

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