<<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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