medication-induced osteoporosis and calcium/vitamin D

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dash21
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medication-induced osteoporosis and calcium/vitamin D

Post by dash21 »

If a long-term medication is finally leading to osteoporosis, and 2000-5000 IUs of vitamin-D are recommended to offset or fight the onset of the condition- including daily calcium supplements- is that the only course available?

Or is there a natural way to battle the problem?
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Oscar
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Re: medication-induced osteoporosis and calcium/vitamin D

Post by Oscar »

Of course RRM is our resident osteoporosis expert, but in any case we believe that excessive consumption of calcium actually causes osteoporosis (see: http://www.waiworld.com/waisays/disease ... rosis.html), so taking calcium supplements would then only worsen the problem.
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RRM
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Re: medication-induced osteoporosis and calcium/vitamin D

Post by RRM »

Usually, osteoporosis caused by long term medication (eg corticosteroids) is due to elevated levels of osteoblast cell death.
They prescribe vitamin D because it is a standard prescription for osteoporosis.
Unfortunately, there are different types of osteoporosis due to a change in definition.
In the classic definition, osteoporosis was about porous bones due to exhaustion of the bone-recovery cells (osteoblasts).
They changed it into a bone mineral density below a given level,
and the latter may be caused by a number of causes whcih effects are all readily reversed.

For example: if you really consume too little calcium (which is very hard) or too little vitamin D (which is easy given the absurd 'normal'levels), then the resulting decrease in bone mineral density may be labelled 'osteoporosis'.
But technically, it is just a decrease in bone mineral density that is readily reversed.
Not a 'disease' or affliction.
You may compare it to a loss of muscle mass due to immobility.
Readily reversible. Not a disease.
Similar to the 'osteoporosis' in astronauts, due to a lack of burdening of the bones.

In my view, that is not really osteoporosis. Just temporary low bone mineral density.
Sufficient, normal levels of gravity and food will solve that all.
And drugs and extra calcium or vitamin D will do so much more rapidly.

Now to the 'real' osteoporosis, such as drugs-induced osteoporosis.
In this case, often the cause is a die-off of osteoblasts.
Osteoblasts create the matrix upon which calcium may precipiatate.
Without that matrix, there is nothing to precipitate on, and extra calcium is of no use at all.
What you need, is a recovery of the osteoblasts population.
What you need is: no more drugs killing osteoblasts.
Low levels of calcium and vitamin D to minimize the stress on both osteoblasts and osteoclasts (dietary calcium increases osteoblast and osteoclast activity, to be able to store that extra calcium temporarily).
Instead of wasting osteoblast function on temporary calcium storage, you need to allocate all available osteoblast on (slow) structural recovery of your bones.
So, just enough calcium and vitamin D to accomodate that recovery.
Any elevation above that minimum only triggers and supports the temporary storage of that extra calcium.
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Oscar
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Re: medication-induced osteoporosis and calcium/vitamin D

Post by Oscar »

Wouldn't the eating of egg yolks cover both cases?
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Re: medication-induced osteoporosis and calcium/vitamin D

Post by RRM »

Yes, any moderately low-calcium (and moderate vitamin D) diet would do that.
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