Biophosphanates and ADR or fusion

[sahuaro]

Maria recently posted a wonderful review article about treatments for osteopenia/osteoporosis which indicated that biophosphanates actually make bones more brittle and talked about taking a vacation from them after 5 years of use.
I have been taking Actonel for about that long now for osteopenia which is present in my hip but not my spine. I have had some but not dramatic improvement in my bone density measures with the drug and exercise, and my cervical ADR is looking fine in X-rays, so I am wondering if it is time and if it would be safe to take a vacation.
Does anyone here with fusion or ADR take biophosphanates and if so, have you been advised to take a vacation from them?
Any thoughts on this?

Thanks.

[ans]

Bayla, does this same hold re: brittle bones for Forteo? If not, maybe a consideration? Best, Allan

[sahuaro]

I went back to the article Maria posted and yes, Forteo builds bone rather than inhibits resorption. However, it is only recommended for severe osteoporosis.
I think it's very iffy about whether I even need to be treated and I am also on hormone replacement treatment, including estrogen, which should be protecting my bones. With all that I am doing--calcium, vitamin D, Actonel, estrogen, exercise on the positive side--I think I have reached my maximum effect. The one major negative is smoking (okay, okay, no comment).

My PCP actually called me today to discuss a "plan": he indicated that he has seen regression in bone density as soon as 2 years after stopping biophosphanates, which was startling to hear. The plan right now is to keep taking the Actonel until I can totally quit cigarettes and then take a vacation from it. It will be interesting to hear what my gynecologist says.
And I will also ask Dr. Regan for his opinion since he actually drilled into my vertebra!

[ans]

I'm glad you're following up on this. My doc said you need a -2.0 bone density for insurance to pay for Forteo. You're doing almost everything right. I'm gonna get an appt. with Regan. This time, if you're in LA, we must meet!@

Be well, careful of those desert washes. Hope there's lotsa snow on Mt. Lemmon and the other mtns.

ans

[Maria]

And my bone density got worse. It went from t -2.2 to t -2.6 in the lumbar spine.

I have a family history of osteoporosis so I shouldn't have taken the drug vacation but I felt the drug was bothering my GI tract and tried to get my PM on board with moving to Forteo before a test indicated this decrease in BMD but she stalled and said we had to wait until I got another test and then it would have to be significantly worse re my BMD before I could take Forteo re criteria for which it was presribed and paid for by insurance.

So in my case it appears that's what a vacation of a year did for me...

[ans]

Oh no. Were you on proton-pump-inhibitors Maria as they can cause low bone density. Sorry to hear this. - ans