@MezaJarJarBinks Thank you for sharing your detailed information. I really appreciate it. I have opened the webpages you referred me to, and I’ll read them later tonight. Hopefully they’ll help me become more involved on Inspire.
Interesting that you’ve probably suffered bone loss from all the other medications you take. That may have affected me as well over the years; who knows. I’ve been on so many meds for so long; way more than both of my parents combined. Because of all of the Aleve I take for back pain and overall chronic pain, I have been taking Prilosec/Omeprazole for about five years. As I understand it, of the PPIs, Prilosec is one of the least bad in terms of side effects. I hope so. Interesting that the physician who initially prescribed Prilosec to me, as well as the rest of my physicians, including the one who diagnosed me with Osteopenia, never mentioned that Prilosec may cause bone loss.
I try to remember all of the potential side effects for all of the meds I take, and I reduce the meds I take by about half a couple of years ago. But then I added a couple. I’m thinking now maybe I should possibly create a spreadsheet of all the medications I take and all of their potential side effects, so I’m not always having to look them up over and over again and can instead just refer to my spreadsheet. Then again, having to look them up over and over again means that I’m getting the latest information. But if I have my spreadsheet, when I experience a side effect, such as constipation, I could go look at my spreadsheet to see which medications cause constipation, and I would have realized that it’s been calcium for me all along. Or, if I experienced heart palpitations, I could look up which medication is known for causing heart palpitations as a side effect.
I do think I’ll wait to start the K2-M4 and K2-M7 until I can hopefully convince an Endo to run the bone marker tests you mentioned; thanks for the tip. I’m sorry it sounds like your Endo doesn’t treat you with respect you deserve.
Thank you for your advice about Strontium Citrate. That’s another of the things I had read that could be helpful, but wondered about.
Thank you for your advice about constipation medication and water because since I’m typically trying to avoid consuming liquid because of incontinence, when I have taken those conspiration meds, I now realize I have not been drinking enough water with them, which could explain why some of them don’t always work for me. You may have saved me a trip to the hospital with your advice about psyllium! I like Miralax if I have the time for it to work but if I’m feeling way too backed up, I may go for a strong Dulcolax suppository.
It’s nice to hear that somebody else has rotten teeth and would avoid the osteoporosis medications for that reason. My oral surgeon told me it would be more beneficial for my overall health to take the Rx bone meds than to worry about my jaw, but I’m not so sure. I mean, his assessment would behoove his practice: if I had that jaw problem because I took the bone RX medications, it’s his office I would be referred to for treatment! I think I’ll try to do what you did, which is to ask every doctor and nurse for their advice about those hardcore prescriptions.
As for Potassium Citrate, it’s good to know something is out there that can help reduce the likelihood of having kidney stones. I’m keeping these emails in my medical file for future use as well
I’m positive you’ve had more, and much tougher, medical trials than have I. Too bad you probably won’t be alive when I’m 76 because then we could really make an accurate assessment of whose life was harder, lol! Ultimately, let’s just say we’ve both suffered way too much! We’ve both had multiple, complex, chronic conditions for a long time - diagnoses and expenses that many people never experience one of in their entire lifetimes.
The important thing is that we’re not alone in our suffering, for we know one another thanks to the NAFC and Inspire. I mean, I feel completely alone medically with my friends and family; none of them can relate to even one of my conditions - yet. I think they may be able to with time and aging. For instance, I was first diagnosed with cancer when I was 39, and nobody from my high school reunion had it yet by then. But now several have even died from cancer.
One of the problems between my ex-husband and I was he thought medical conditions were all in the head and “mind over matter.“ Well, now he’s dying of rectal cancer that has spread all over his body, and he hasn’t been able to control it even with chemo and radiation, let alone his mind. We’re still good friends and confidants so I’m dreading the loss of him, but when he was initially diagnosed, part of me thought, “Now it’s finally your turn, you insensitive bastard!” He was so mean to me about my own medical conditions. Now he *knows* they’re real, and they’re in charge! It’s been somewhat of a relief to finally know somebody my own age who has had cancer.
Anyway, thanks to this forum, I *know* I’m not alone with medical suffering, and that keeps me safe through my more lonely, suicidal moments.
I’m filled with courage when I read what others have suffered through. I don’t belong to any other medical forums for my other conditions, though I’m sure they would also help me - I would never have enough time for that amount of a male in reading! It’s just that I feel like I receive enough love, support, and understanding here that I don’t need to belong to other forums, though I will become active on Inspire because bones are a major big deal during our existence.
Thank you again for your support
