Boniva - Anyone taking - Advice needed

My DEXA scan came back showing some signs of bone loss so my doctor has put me on Boniva.

I began doing some reading on this medicine and, to be quite honest, it scares the crap out of me.  I have no intentions of taking this medicine unless I can get some positive feedback.

Everything I have read is negative. 

Flu symptoms, acid reflux, bone and joint pain are just among a few of the negative symptoms people are reporting.

Is anyone here on this stuff, and if so, how are you doing with it?  Would you recommend it or should I continue to decline taking it?

Any advice would be so tremendously appreciated.

Thank you!!!

I don't know about the Boniva.  Just wanted to remind you to make sure you're taking your calcium citrate (not carbonate) and that you're keeping your vitamin D level up (it needs to be at least 80 to prevent bone loss) to prevent further bone loss.

Thanks Kelly!

I have made the decision to be much more conscientious about making sure I'm getting my calcium and Vitamin D.   While I am very careful during the week to make sure I take all my vitamins because I schedule them into my work day, I admit that I am lax on the weekends and often do not take my vitamins as I should.

With regard to the Vitamin D.  Is there any particular type I should be taking with regard to what is better absorbed?

Again, thank you so much for all you do to keep each of us healthy.  You truly are a Godsend...

DEB

Yeah, it needs to be D3, not D2, and dry, not in oil.  Most over the counter vitamin D is D3 anyway, but check to make sure.  "Dry" just means a dry tablet or a capsule with powdery stuff inside, not a softgel with oily stuff inside.

Again, thank you for the information.  Sometimes I feel so clueless with all of this vitamin stuff and am always quite amazed by your knowledge.  I wish we could do a Vulcan mind-meld.  LoL

Thank you Kelly...

I see an Endocrinologist and have for years.  She does my DEXA scans in her office and has a highly skilled technician from a Osteoporosis Center.  From what was explained to me, you have a 5 year window with these drugs to get optimal treatment, so if you treat too soon they wont give you the most benefit.  So, there are certain factors you must take into account?

Are you pre or post menopausal?  If you are still getting your periods, then you can still treat yourself with high doses of calcium and vitamin D.  Once you hit, menopause, then the bone loss increases and then you need to take other things into account.

Do you osteopenia or osteoporosis?  If you have osteopenia then again, you can still still treat with calcium and vitamin D while at the upper end of osteopenia if you are progressiving the lower end of osteopenia and post menopausal then you can start treatment.
If you have Osteoporosis - then you need to start treatment because you are serious risk for bone loss and fracture.

There are several treatments and for us - because of risk of ulcers and reflux - the IV"s and new Injections are a better options.  I am not familiar with all of them, I am only familiar with IV Reclast as that is the one my Endocrinologist and Hematologist both use.  It is quick, takes 20 minutes and you are done for 1 year.  Yes, you can have some flu like symptoms the first time you take it but I know 4 people that got it and all felt fine.  You do need to have a normal calcium level to get it and it is preferred to have a normal D level - atleast 30.

I recommend you go get a consultation with an Endocronologist or if you have a Osteoporosis center near you

Wow, you just taught me a while lot. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I am post-menopausal, having gone through menopause in my very early 40's. 

My doctor did say I have Osteopenia and not Osteoporosis.  She also indicated that it was relatively mild at this point.  As a result, I'm thinking I'll give it a year of increased calcium, weight bearing exercise, and vitamin D see if there is an improvement on the next test, or do you think I should be more aggressive as a result of the post menopausal status?

Again, I cannot express how grateful I am for the time you took to provide such valuable information.

Thank you...




 

You are very welcome.  I also went through menopause in my 40's but my mid 40's.  I woke up from my RNY with my period and that was it, never had another one again.  Prior to that, I was only having them about 2 or 3 times per year for about 4 or 5 years.  Finally at 46 everything stopped.  That was 2008.

I have been getting DEXA's since I am 35 in 1997(both parents have osteoporosis)  and all was great.  Jump ahead 10 years to my preop.  My DEXA in 2007 was great, my DEXA in 2009(post op) was still good but not as good.  Then in 2011 is when everything went south.  Osteopenia in my hip and wrist - borderline spine but endocrinologist said I have so much arthritis in my spine that the calcium deposits are being read as bone, when it really isnt' bone - so the reading isn't really accurate.

She told me that I am not bad enough to treat yet with Reclast, so that I need to treat with calcium and D. She checks my calcium, D and PTH regularly.  I just had it done this week to see how  I am doing.

You have to be very good with your vitamin D - taking dry D3 to keep your levels up around 80-90, you don't want them going over 100 though, I ended up with kidney stones when they went greater than 150  - too high to  measure, but 80-90 is perfect to protect our bones.  Down at 20 is what eats away at our bones.

Again, thanks for all the info.  I cannot tell you how rewarding it is to have people who will take the time to let others know that they matter.

I am awaiting the results from my blood test, so will hopefully have a better idea what my Vitamin D level actually is when that test comes back.

Hope all is well with yours as well.

My husband suffers with rheumatoid arthritis, though it's not severe, so I really feel for you if this is going on in your spine.  There are days he really suffers just with his fingers so could not imagine how painful it must be to have it in your spine...

Take care of yourself, and please know that there is one old broad down here in Florida who is appreciating the heck out of you.

Thank you...