The first thing to remember is that after you take a bisphosphonate you have to remain upright for at least 45 minutes. The reason for this is that the pill can cause severe ulcers of the esophagus. Another rare complication is osteonecrosis of the jaw. This serious complication affects the jawbone and may follow some type of a dental procedure. It is highly recommended that you stop the bisphosphonate for at least 2 weeks prior to any dental work. Recent reports indicate that bisphosphonates can also cause fractures in the thigh, sometimes in both legs. These fractures are extremely painful and the pain may radiate to the groin and genital area. Sometimes these fractures are tiny but often the entire pelvic bone can disrupt. To limit these side effects, the use of bisphosphonates for more than 5 years is not recommended. Now that you know the real facts, the ultimate decision to take the drug depends on you. Do not listen to the hogwash your doctor says that you must be on these drugs. Talk to people who have used the drugs and always get a second opinion. Finally bisphosphonates are very expensive.
Bisphosphonates have to be taken for a very long time. Even though doctors do not say it outright, the treatment is for at least 2-5 years. The reason is that once you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, you need to take these medications continuously. If you stop taking the medication, the bone thinning will continue. The bisphosphonates have been hyped up a lot but you have to know some facts. The drugs can prevent bone thinning and strengthen bone, but that does not mean you will not develop fractures. If you suffer a hard fall, your bone can still break. Secondly these medications have serious side effects like esophageal ulcers and jaw bone necrosis. Thirdly these medications are exorbitantly expensive. If you want to avoid taking these pills for life, change your life style. This means regular walking, eating calcium-fortified foods and not smoking.
Osteoporosis can affect any bone but most commonly affects the lower back. People who have severe osteoporosis should avoid high impact exercises such as sprinting, jumping, lifting weights or leaping. If you have osteoporosis, you definitely should not ski or bungee jump.
The best and safest exercise is walking at least twice a day. Swimming is another great exercise and while yoga is also a good exercise, some positions may cause intense pain and discomfort. It is recommended that one perform at least 30 minutes of exercise twice a day. The major emphasis is to enjoy the exercise so that you will continue them. If you feel pain during exercise, then you are over doing it.
Remember if you have osteoporosis, you also do need to take at least 1 gr of calcium/day, eat a healthy diet, do not smoke and stay away from cola beverages. Speak to your doctor about osteoporosis medications – these medications do help strengthen the bone but do not always prevent the fractures.
