I'm so glad you brought that up didn't know you have been on that.
All my Drs. and Bob's Spine Dr. believe it or agreed on something,
which is a miracle in itself, no Fosamax. Well all of them to many
serious side effects. Fosamax is very bad for people with certain
heart conditions. And not everybody knows they have the heart
problem. It was so odd to hear this from 4 different Drs. They all
reccomended high does of calcium,vitamin D and Magnisium also
a lot of green leafy vegetables.

The Spine Dr. said a lot of people see these ad's on TV and think or
lead to believe these are miracles. Yes they say the side effects at a
fast pace at the end. He really feels they can do damage.This does
bother me,1 don't thing i've ever heard 4 Drs. agree on the same thing.

You are a very brave lady,You do your homeword and in retun we benefit
from it. Thank you so much.. Sue

I have never been real enthused about the osteoporosis drugs out there. My family history of osteoporosis is very strong. My mother, who became very inactive, had a hysterctomy, refused HRT (prior to fosamax) lost about 6 inches in height. She now had pretty bad Alzheimers, so we dont really know how much pain she is in, but she denies it if we ask....on the other hand she doesn't know who we, her kids are.

You have to weight bear to prevent osteoporosis, and you need adequate intake of not just calcium, but vit. D and other minerals...It is good to take a balance.

Weight bearing can be as simple as walking a few miles even if painful, and lifing soup cans in the kitchen. A good clinical exercise specialist or physical therapist can help with exercises. They are essential. I know, that I at times have not followed thru as well as I should have, but something is better than nothing. Also, have your gait analyzed, in case you need orthotics...also that needs to be done every two years.

I stuck with an estrogen patch, very low dose, but that works OK for me, it isn't for every one....I have not had a bone density since my go around with IV steroids back in the fall of 2005, but I am not going back on them unless it is a matter of life or death. I dread having the bone density scan. I feel like I can't take any more bad news.

My gastroparesis will likely prevent me from taking any fosamax like drug as well.

Drugs are often dumped on the market too fast, especially if there is a market for them, and then other drugs which are potentially life savers for orphan diseases sit on the shelf because there isn't money to be made.

Men get osteoporosis too, but at a later age. Osteoporosis is more common in people who weigh less than 127# that sounds so specific...127!

This is one issue that speaks to pain control....if you don't have good pain control, you can not be active. I don't care if it takes morphine to keep some one upright and walking around, it is justified. When adequate pain meds are withheld and people become immobile, osteoporosis and pathological fractures occur, and this is devastating. I brought this up to my physician, and have had fairly good luck with pain control, although, I don't require morphine... yet. Without pain meds that work, whatever they may be for your specific case, discuss your immobility with the doctor, and make sure you get help, before disability increases.

I am wondering if there are any class action suits on the alendronates?

Knowing what to do is tough. We are all looking for breakthrus and ways to alleviate suffering, and sometimes, what gets recommended to us only contributes to suffering....It is a really hard road to travel.

Speaking of interventions to alleviate suffering....there are morphine pumps...I know they have a lot of downsides and contraindications, but some spinal patients have had good luck with them. It won't work for me, but maybe some of you could benefit, just be very very informed before you make any decisions. Consider all the downsides of spinal intrusion.

I just saw my feldenkrais person, and told her about the recommendations and my worries. She had referrals to people who specialize in bone "Bones for Life" a subgroup of practitioners with her training, and a machine the WBV which is supposed to stimulate bone growth.

But the most interesting comment she had was why get surgery like they suggest when I could just continue to wear a brace? If the brace works from the outside, why not use it for life?

This is a good thought. I'm going to stay with it for a bit.

I have often wondered about a brace myself. I bought a pretty expensive 'support' and you can melt this piece of plastic to conform to your spine...I just haven't gotten around to it....I didn't have a professional look at it though, and I am sure a PT might have some ideas.

I really should inquire about having a PT eval regarding something like that.

Great tip, thanks...It might really help. A brace might beat surgery for you, and gives me some hope that I can get some relief from my dessicated disc thingie too.

I'm trying to take a step back from Friday's doctor's appointment and my latest education from the web regarding fosamax. I feel I got myself too upset, and funny, it was one of those things where the more I learned the worse I felt.

So, I'm wearing a brace and it definitely helps the pain. Definitely. The person who fitted me in the surgical supply store said that the cloth braces with laces are better than the plastic molded ones because the molded ones tend to ride up, and the support is needed low down. It's pretty comfortable, just ugly. Plus, with only one prescribed and gotten, it gets ratty before I wash it, and it's looking a bit tattered. I think getting a couple more and dying them red or black would do me better!

Second, I spoke with another doctor today who said maybe somebody could just scrape the vertebrae up a bit again, like when it was initally done, and off fosamax, and maybe on Forteo (I'd have to check this out but they do seem to think that this one helps grow bone the correct way), I could fuse without having another major op.

I've an appointment with a bone specialist, but not until late June.

There's good evidence that vibration grows bone, and that exercise sets up vibrations which set up electrical fields, or something like that, that stimulates osteoblasts. So there seems to be a connection between why exercise helps and why the electric stimulator works. But also, doing exercises on a vibrating platform the VBV, seems to be the best for promoting bone health.

"Bones for Life" seems a good group.

I'm stressed out, and taking a step back.

My brace is cloth, with a pocket to add this plastic molded device if I want it, just over the low thoracic-lumbar region...the cloth support covers the whole thoracic and lumbar region. I bought the cloth support first, then later thought maybe I needed the plastic, but you are probably right...it probably feels pretty uncomfortable and could cause skin injury.

I do feel better when I use it, I just hate getting all fixed up in it...mine has velcro...it is super duper velcro and it doesn't move at all, but yours sounds like a better brace than mine. Mine wasn't cheap...I think over a hundred bucks, plus $35 for the molded plastic piece which I still have in its package...only problem is my brace has these shoulder harness pieces that after a while hurt my shoulders too...but it beats going without.

I don't want to make light of the issue, but doesn't this all sound like the CORSETS of the late 1800's-early 1900's? Without the velcro, of course.
NOW GUYS! NO JOKES HERE! THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF! It's a middle-body equivalent of a knee imobiliser! Can anyone here really say they are comfy? Doubt it.
I mean, fabric, eyelet ties, the equivalent of 'stays', WHO CARES IF IT WORKS?

I think there are some class action suits about Fosamax and others 'hatching' -not enuf evidence in yet to create fear and discontent? [check out www.breastcancer.org to see if there are...those ladies are ON TOP OF IT ALL!]

I do recall my endo mentioning Forteo...and similar alternatives, but, I've got to wait & see if my stuffing my face w/MANY extra otc supplements mite do the job...tests to follow next week, week after results...maybe? Sigh!

I do know many cancer folks take such treatments/therapies, either during or because of chemo and rads....Seems that what can kill the goose, also does in the gander to many with many conditions/issues...compounded by other treatments or meds meant to do us GOOD but not knowing any of the peripheral 'other things' that make current things, more, well complicated?

This whole thing mite be useful or totally useless, but the Fosamax issue IS going on for those with other conditions....I'll check out what there is between epilepsy [meds], Fosamax and bone loss as well, I'm not unselfish here, I may be facing major molar removal in the future.. I for one, do NOT want my jaw disintegrating on top of other stuff? Maybe this is one of those...we'll know once we 'Get in there' moments.. I sure don't want to find out THEN?

Hugs Liza Jane, you've LOTS to cogitate on... - j

cycleops---Yes, there are many suits against Merck for fosamax. When you google fosamax, the lawyers sites are prominently placed.

Glenntaj: I have an EBI stimulator, and insurance paid for it. They are apparently used to accepting insurance as payment in full, becaue they haven't bothered me particularly about the copay. I got one bill for a copay and reminded them they told me not to worry about paying for it, and I've gotten no more. I don't know much about the electric current or electricity in general, just that there were studies on it which made me optmistic. You might pubmed on bone growth stimulators AND fusion, or bone growth if you're interested.
I've never heard of ultrasound being used.

Dahlek: The corset is actually incredibly comfortable. It's huge and encasing, and if there were no velcro, very victorian. But I can see how they LIKED wearing these things---you can just let go and let the stays do the work of holding you up. I'm going to see if there's a corset shop which has something similar but prettier.


Forteo: I've been hearing more about this--just another doctor saying, Maybe you should be on Forteo, has anyone suggested it? So I have an appointment with a bone doc in June.