Question:

Heidi: If you cannot walk, try swimming.  It has always been my intention to start swimming but the pool is quite far away and to have to drive there three times a week would be a royal pain in the posterior. However, I have been told that WARM WATER swimming is very good for arthritis sufferers.  You are boyant in the water, thus not putting any pressure on joints etc. and exercising muscles and moving joints at the same time.   They have plans to open a YMCA near here but not until at least 2 more years.   Jeannette

Response:

Thank you – your information has indeed been helpful. I do have a concern regarding my mother as it would seem she has become anemic (don’t know her exact counts, but 6 months ago they were normal) so I have a concern about her stomach and what 70 mg of Fosamax given at once would do, in addition she likes her ETOH a little too much. So this may not be ideal for her. Should find out results of repeat labs today, perhaps Actonel will be better choice for her when it comes out. Thanks – Toni

Response:

 my mother who has osteoporosis saw her physician yesterday and was told a "newer version" of Fosamax was due out on the market – one that would only need to be taken once a week instead of daily. Anyone hear of this?

Hi Toni: I am takine a 40 mg dose twice each week. This is typically how fosamax is prescribed for Paget’s disease. My Rd said that the research shows that this is an effective way of taking the fosamax. For me it works well; I’ve been taking it Wednesday and Sunday. The problem in taking it on a workday is that I also have to take prevacid. Spacing the drugs could present a problem. It’s not so bad on Sunday when I don’t go to work. Rose

Response:

Hi Toni, good to see you on the board. johnie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thank you – your information has indeed been helpful. I do have a concern regarding my mother as it would seem she has become anemic (don’t know her exact counts, but 6 months ago they were normal) so I have a concern about her stomach and what 70 mg of Fosamax given at once would do, in addition she likes her ETOH a little too much. So this may not be ideal for her. Should find out results of repeat labs today, perhaps Actonel will be better choice for her when it comes out. Thanks – Toni

Response:

Hi Toni, good to see you on the board.

Ditto! You were missed Toni! ~Krissy Akron, Ohio http://arthritisinsight.com

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Ditto! You were missed Toni! ~Krissy Akron, Ohio http://arthritisinsight.com

Thanks Krissy Toni

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Hi Toni, good to see you on the board. johnie

Thanks johnie Toni

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Thanks Rose your information has been helpful – Toni

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Kathy — something else has just occurred to me. I think Evista is suppose to be prescribed after menopause although I am taking now before I reach that magic code for menopause vs perimenopause. I had been on pred. for so long that my internist decided it would be for the best. Could be that RD’s are just not looking through the GYN’s window of tricks if you get what I am trying to say. That, and Evista is the newer of the two. I’m 52 this summer. How old are you? Did your RD prescribe or a different doctor? Caroline – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – No one else has responded, so I guess there aren’t many prednisone takers out there who are taking these preventative bone-thinning drugs. Kathy Kathy — anymore responses? Maybe Dr. Susan.  BTW, my RD didn’t prescribe the Evista, my general internist did. She said she was looking at the whole picture which is after all her job. <g Caroline I posted a message last week and can’t find it on the board.  I did receive a response from two ladies, and I appreciate their input.  I’m wondering, however, if anyone else is taking these products or others to prevent bone loss/thinning while taking Prednisone? Thanks, Kathy

Response:

I used to swim laps regularly, before I went back to work.  I just simply do not have the time available when the pool is open for laps.  My RD also said that swimming would not help my bones.  That’s why she wants me to walk. Heidi – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Heidi: If you cannot walk, try swimming.  It has always been my intention to start swimming but the pool is quite far away and to have to drive there three times a week would be a royal pain in the posterior. However, I have been told that WARM WATER swimming is very good for arthritis sufferers.  You are boyant in the water, thus not putting any pressure on joints etc. and exercising muscles and moving joints at the same time.   Jeannette

Response:

Hi Kathy,          I was on high doses of prednislone to treat my RA and then the doses were increased to 60mg pre day when I developed vasculitis.The steroids gave me cataracts and osteoporosis and I too was prescribed fosamax.I took it for a few weeks but it was such a fag to take,half an hour before the rest of my medication or before food and it gave me considerable gastric discomfort so I stopped it.I paid extra attention to my diet and took weight bearing excersise as often as I could [swimming is good general excersise but no good for Osteo P .A recent scan showed that I was still osteoporotic but the bone density has improved greatly. Best Wishes Pete * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping.  Smart is Beautiful

Response:

Hi All,  I for one just had my yearly scan and had a 3% improvement and had a 4% last year.  I can guarantee that a cal-pill a day/vit-D does help a person to hold their own with bones loss but I have stopped taking prednisone on a daily basis. Just my story. Harv – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Kathy, I’ll bet the majority of the ASAers are taking calcium with Vit. D for sure for our bones along with many other vitamins and minerals.  I do and like I told you before, I am on HRT.  We are all quite aware of what Prednisone does to our bones and so are the drs.  Many of us have bone scans done periodically etc.  I think we are all concerned about the same issue.  Don’t know why you have not received many responses.  Jeannette

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My RD wants me to take calcium and vit. D supplements for a year or two and then do another DEXA scan to see if it’s helped or not.  She also wants me to walk a lot.  I personally think that’s somewhat unrealistic for me.  I know I should, but really have so little time and energy.  My feet are also involved. Heidi – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – No one else has responded, so I guess there aren’t many prednisone takers out there who are taking these preventative bone-thinning drugs. Kathy Kathy — anymore responses? Maybe Dr. Susan.  BTW, my RD didn’t prescribe the Evista, my general internist did. She said she was looking at the whole picture is is after all her job. <g

Response:

Hi Toni, Good to see your name back on the boards. Proctorand Gamble has just gotten FDA approval for a 5 mg version of Actonel (Risedronate). This drug has been approved previously in a 30 mg dose for the treatment of Paget’s disease.  It is an antriresorptive drug, another in the bisphosphonate family, similar to Fosamax and Didronel, as well as to Aredia(palmidronate). The preliminary data that were submitted to the F.D.A. show that it is efficacious in decreasing the incidence of spinal fracture in post menopausalosteoporosis and it is also approved for glucocorticoid induced osteoporosis. In the studies and in its previous use in Paget’s, it appears to have less gastrointestinal toxicity than Fosamax.  I should note that the problems with Fosamax did not really surface until after the drug was approved and many more individuals used it.  So I think we have to be careful and see what side effects turn up with increased use now that this drug is available. Like other bisphosphonates, it is poorly absorbed and should be taken on an empty stomach with a glass of water.  However, unlike Fosamax, it can be taken two hours after a meal and two hours before the next meal, for example, at 3 pm. I wrote a prescription for it yesterday but the pharmacy called me and asked me if I wanted the 30 mg dose, as they had not yet heard of the 5 mg dose.  So it may take a while to reach your pharmacy.   I haven’t gotten any samples yet which is always a good indicator of whether the drug hasreached pharmacies. I am even personally thinking of switching from the Fosamax I take for my osteoporosis to Actonel myself because of itsgreater convenience. Now with regard to once weekly dosing, some physicians are using the 30 mg Actonel in once a week dosing, based on preliminary studies but it has not been approvedyet as a once a week regimen.  Merck also has Fosamax in trial for once a week dosing but this has not yet been approved either.  As bisphosphonates linger in bone for a long time, there is no theoretical reason why once a week dosing may not work – the trick is whether one’sstomach or esophagus will tolerate 70 mg of Fosamax! The final bisphosphonate choice for some is off label use of intravenous palmidronate which is approved for Paget’s as well as hypercalcemia.  This is given every three months intravenously and is well tolerated and in my opinion is a good choice for patients who cannot tolerate either estrogens, Evista, other bisphosphonates orally or calcitonin or who continue to lose bone on the above meds. Hope this is helpful. DrSusan – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi Kathy – I was on Fosamax for about 1 1/2 yrs while taking Prednisone. Would say it worked as my Dexascan was good. But I was having lots of problems w/my stomach including a falling hemoglobin and hematocrit – so I stopped it, along w/stopping my NSAID and a bunch of supplements. After a period of Prilosec twice a day the stomach improved and while I have resumed an NSAID (Vioxx) and some supplements I haven’t resumed the Fosamax. And am still on Prednisone. Interestingly enough my mother who has osteoporosis saw her physician yesterday and was told a "newer version" of Fosamax was due out on the market – one that would only need to be taken once a week instead of daily. Anyone hear of this? Her MD also increased her dose of Fosamax telling her to take it only weekly and that taking it this way was equivalent to this "newer version." I haven’t had the chance to research this yet, but was wondering if anyone else heard of this? Toni

Response:

I posted a message last week and can’t find it on the board.  I did receive a response from two ladies, and I appreciate their input.  I’m wondering, however, if anyone else is taking these products or others to prevent bone loss/thinning while taking Prednisone? Thanks, Kathy

Response:

Kathy — anymore responses? Maybe Dr. Susan.  BTW, my RD didn’t prescribe the Evista, my general internist did. She said she was looking at the whole picture is is after all her job. <g Caroline – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I posted a message last week and can’t find it on the board.  I did receive a response from two ladies, and I appreciate their input.  I’m wondering, however, if anyone else is taking these products or others to prevent bone loss/thinning while taking Prednisone? Thanks, Kathy

Response:

No one else has responded, so I guess there aren’t many prednisone takers out there who are taking these preventative bone-thinning drugs. Kathy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Kathy — anymore responses? Maybe Dr. Susan.  BTW, my RD didn’t prescribe the Evista, my general internist did. She said she was looking at the whole picture is is after all her job. <g Caroline I posted a message last week and can’t find it on the board.  I did receive a response from two ladies, and I appreciate their input.  I’m wondering, however, if anyone else is taking these products or others to prevent bone loss/thinning while taking Prednisone? Thanks, Kathy

Response:

Kathy, I’ll bet the majority of the ASAers are taking calcium with Vit. D for sure for our bones along with many other vitamins and minerals.  I do and like I told you before, I am on HRT.  We are all quite aware of what Prednisone does to our bones and so are the drs.  Many of us have bone scans done periodically etc.  I think we are all concerned about the same issue.  Don’t know why you have not received many responses.  Jeannette

Response:

No one else has responded, so I guess there aren’t many prednisone takers out there who are taking these preventative bone-thinning drugs. Kathy

I must have missed the first post.  I’m taking fosamax and pred.  What do you want to know? Anne It’s only with the heart that one can see clearly.  What is essential is invisible to the eye.          from The Little Prince

Response:

Hi Kathy – I was on Fosamax for about 1 1/2 yrs while taking Prednisone. Would say it worked as my Dexascan was good. But I was having lots of problems w/my stomach including a falling hemoglobin and hematocrit – so I stopped it, along w/stopping my NSAID and a bunch of supplements. After a period of Prilosec twice a day the stomach improved and while I have resumed an NSAID (Vioxx) and some supplements I haven’t resumed the Fosamax. And am still on Prednisone. Interestingly enough my mother who has osteoporosis saw her physician yesterday and was told a "newer version" of Fosamax was due out on the market – one that would only need to be taken once a week instead of daily. Anyone hear of this? Her MD also increased her dose of Fosamax telling her to take it only weekly and that taking it this way was equivalent to this "newer version." I haven’t had the chance to research this yet, but was wondering if anyone else heard of this? Toni

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