Pharmaceutical companies are constantly trying to outdo each other and to come up with new patentable drugs for diseases that already have existing drug treatments.. A good example of this is teriparatide, or Forteo in the US (Forsteo abroad), a new class of osteoporosis drug known as anabolic agents. This daily injectable drug was approved by the FDA in 2002.
Forteo is an incomplete synthetic or man-made form of the human parathyroid hormone (PTH). You see, human PTH has 84 amino acid residues but teriparatide has only 34. Teriparatide has become the osteoporosis drug of choice mainly for patients who can’t tolerate bisphosphonates, have failed to improve with bisphosphonate therapy, or suffer from extreme bone loss.
As touted on the drug’s insert, Forteo “increases bone mineral density and bone strength.”
Many unanswered questions
But the puzzling catch with Forteo is that the way in which it works remains a mystery. This is openly acknowledged by its maker, pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company. The drug’s brochure states that “the role of PTH in control of bone mass is still not really understood” and that “intermittent spikes of PTH, such as given by daily injection, will cause more increase in bone formation than in bone resorption… This has been shown in rats.”
Unfortunately, what has also been shown in rats is the development of osteosarcoma, a lethal bone cancer caused by an abnormal proliferation of osteoblasts or bone-forming cells. Below, I quote again from Eli Lilly’s pamphlet (https://pi.lilly.com/us/forteo-medguide.pdf):
“During the drug testing process, the medicine in Forteo caused some rats to develop a bone cancer called osteosarcoma. In people, osteosarcoma is a serious but rare cancer. Osteosarcoma has been reported rarely in people who took Forteo. It is not known if people who take Forteo have a higher chance of getting osteosarcoma.”
Because of this serious side effect risk, Forteo is prescribed for a maximum of two years. This is as close as one can get to playing Russian roulette! Who would trade a potential fracture for the awful risk of acquiring a lethal cancer? And as if this were not enough, teriparatide has a long list of nasty side effects such as joint and chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, esophageal problems, nausea, and vomiting. Plus having to inject oneself subcutaneously each and every day is most certainly no picnic.
Exorbitant price tag leads to exorbitant profits
The unanswered questions don’t seem to hamper Forteo’s skyrocketing success. According to drug-industry analysts, an estimated 600,000 prescriptions were written in 2005, which generated more than $350 million in revenue. And in 2008, Eli Lilly reported $778 million in sales. (https://newsroom.lilly.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm?releaseid=362195).
Indeed, the future looks bright for Forteo. As predicted by Pharmacor’s June 2009 osteoporosis report, by 2018 Forteo sales may reach close to the $2 billion mark.
One easy way to explain these numbers is Forteo’s exorbitant price tag. It costs nearly eight times as much as bisphosphonates, running up a tab of about $6,700 a year. That’s a pretty high cost for a drug whose mechanism is not even remotely understood!
Doctors ignore ignorance?
Another puzzling aspect of this drug is that while doctors openly admit their ignorance regarding how it works, they choose to prescribe it anyway.
Dr. Roberto Pacifici, head of the division of endocrinology at Emory University School of Medicine, comments that “…how intermittent treatment (with teriparatide) works has remained a mystery”. (https://whsc.emory.edu/home/news/releases/2009/09/bone-building-hormone.html).
This is clearly a rather unusual and perplexing situation to say the least.
And it sounds like a job for Agent 4T0…
Mission: Impossible
Remember the TV series with this name? I used to be a big fan of Mission: Impossible. Each episode began with secret recorded instructions to the brave agents describing a very complex and often dangerous mission. The agents could decide whether to accept the mission or not. Of course, the fearless members of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) never walked away and in the end, always succeeded. But here's what happens when a reluctant osteoporosis drug is the agent chosen for the mission… Read my Mission: Impossible spoof below:
“Good morning, Mr. Paratide. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, comes from the top boss, Big P.”
“You can call me Terry… What is my mission?”
“First, from now on your new name is Agent 4T0. Your mission is to strengthen this patient's bones and report back to us detailing exactly what you did. And you have to report back to us fast, 4T0. Time is running out.”
“Well, I may be able to strengthen the bones, but I have no idea of what I'm doing! Big P knows that we've been trying to find out without success. I need written instructions!”
“You’re the ACTIVE INGREDIENT, for crying out loud! Plus Big P has given you a team of helpers…”
“What… you mean the Inactive Ingredients? I don’t see how glacial acetic acid, sodium acetate, mannitol, metacresol, and hydrochloric acid can help me. They’re INACTIVE, remember?”
“Stop acting like a coward, 4T0. Here’s a little secret for you: metacresol is highly flammable and poisonous – even lethal in the right dose. It can help you solve this mystery if anyone gets in your way. So get creative and solve it once and for all.”
“I’m not a fighter! I’m just a synthetic wannabe, I don’t know what to say…”
“Remember our motto: Ignorance is Strength. You don’t have to know anything… nobody has to know anything… that’s our strength, 4T0. Big P’s survival depends on ignorance. Just invent something and Big P will make sure that everyone will take our word for it.”
“Yes, I know that's the way we've been operating in the past, but now people are waking up real fast…Why me, why me?”
“This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.”
“Oh, nooooooo!”
So there you have it.
Were you prescribed Forteo? Even if you weren't, please share your experiences, thoughts, and comments with the community below.
this is a very scary info. my rheumatology md friend has indeed prescribed me to take this injections for a total of 2 yr. period.
thank God I didn’t make it to his office.
Thank you for the information on Forteo. I definitely can not tolerate Fosamax and I am in the “1%” that Boniva did not help. Thank you Vivian for all the research you have done. I am currently following your save our bones since I quit the Boniva on February 1st. I especially like the exercises which I do in the warm water pool because jumping on land is not recommended due to osteoarthritis of both knees ( one has been replaced) and due to back problems as well.
Don’t know what to do. My doctor prescribed Forteo, but I refused. I have taken it 4 years ago and had terrible head ache. My spine is collapsing, have 6 fractures already. What is left for me to do? Will there be anything for me? I am a 73 old female.
I need help.
After my recent done density scan both my endocrinologist & my primary doctor said I must take Forteo daily shots. They were very insistent & my primary actually said that if I did not she would drop me as a patient. She said performance based criteria were coming in & she didn’t want me to ruin her score as I will surely be a “bad outcome”. I refuse to comply & am at present without a primary. She said no doctor will take me as I won’t do what they say. This is very disturbing.
There are MANY doctors who will care for you even if you refuse to take the “osteoporosis miracles.” I have refused and my doctor encouraged me to research options and get back to her. I did and she listened and then studied up herself. Some doctors (often women doctors) will listen and learn.
right, i found another doctor whoismuch more reasonable and will even make house calls once in a while.
Sounds like a doctor you DON’T need. Look around.
This is not a doctor. First do no harm, that means to the patient, not to the doctor per se. It seems these MDs are egomaniacs and if you fail to do what they say they drop you. My mother has a bed sore nd the MD said “oh it’s infected” and prescribed and anti-biotic. it gave her awful side effects. I took her off it, it turns out it was a quinolone-type antibiotic called Leviquin. Don’t ever take it!! So he dropped her as a patient because i took her off that poison Levequin and so who needs him anyway. (my mom;s 88 and I am her caregiver) Let me tell you, it;s not easy! She was never on any medsbut still has osteoporosis pretty bad. I fear for myown future! I started juicing in the 80s and i hope it has helped me!
I’ve been taking Forteo for over a year with no side effects. However, I will be glad when this second year is over.
so happy to hear no side effects for you but how is your bone density and why will you be glad when it’ over????
i had my first dexa scan when i sustained a stress fracture in my foot, im 57. i was told by the doctor i needed to start taking fosamax because the test showed i had osteoporosis, i was in shock. i went on line to check out what info i could on my problem and also the drugs for it, i was in shock again. the drugs are more dangerous then the problem so i told my husband it wasnt going to happen. i got your book, it has changed my whole life around for the better. im now in charge of my health. i stopped smoking i lost 20 pounds and i now eat more fruits and veggies and i work out with weights and ive learned yoga stretching…im also taking the recommended vitamins and coq10, and i feel in 2 years when i get another dexa scan my t scores will be better , thank you !
I am so glad that I read up on Forteo before taking it, know the Dr. wasn’t very happy with me but it is my body! Also went off Fosamax, fractured my hip and taking it for quite a few years, it happened while walking in the garage, I did not fall as I was right beside my car. Understand that after 5 years this can happen as it reverses itself.
I injected myself with Forteo for 18 months. Then, I had a bone density test and my osteoperosis was worse than it was before I did this expensive treatment. Now my doctor wants me to take either Bonive or Fosamex. I haven’t yet given in.
I began Forteo in early this year. The “natural” methods were not working for me. I had a hip replacement last summer and after that my spine collapsed and is now bulging. My other femur is in trouble. What could I lose? The daily injections are not a problem. The needle is so short and so fine that it neither hurts nor draws blood. Yes, it is expensive and only partly covered by some insurance. Next month a new bone density test will be done to see if anything has improved. I wish it wasn’t synthetic but for years I refused Fosamax and its sisters and the once yearly Reclast didn’t make sense to me. I only learned about Forteo last year. Also, I refused to take hormone replacement therapy when they tried to prescribe it many years ago. I am now 74.
Cecile
I will follow your updates with interest as I also am taking forteo.
My 90 year old mother in law has been taking Miacalcin nose spray and calcium for a number of years with pretty good success. She has moved in with us and now we are administrating the medicine. The package insert says that it must be refrigerated until open, stored unrefrigerated after it is open, and then discarded about 35 days after that.
This seems like a strange set of instructions. Best we can tell is that the compounds in the nasal spray break down over time and refrigeration slows that process. Then once you open the bottle, we did read that the dosage was more even from a warm solution than a colder solution (plus it feels better in your nose). This implies that the med can be warm for a period of time but after a month is no good. Do you know anything about why this medication needs to be handled in this way? We’ve been scouring the internet for a clue and have found nothing.
I was put on Fosamx in 1994. Soon after I started it I was having coughing and gagging bringing up junk. I was put on antibiotics for infection, then went to a gastroenterologist and was told the problem came from Fosamx. I stopped it that day thinking the symptons would go away. The damage was already done after only 14 months on it. The synptoms did not go away and I still have the problem in 2010. I’ve had GERD surgery and a nodule removed from my voice box which I later learned was a side effect of the drug. I’m still trying to find a natural solution. I was told by 5 different doctors the drug is not a good one but they still prescribe it. Stuides have shown that Fosamx DOES not prevent fractures and in fact might even cause them after long term use. I’m 82 and have Menieres and this causes my GYN concern because of my possible falling from being unstable on my feet. I do not plan on taking anything but am trying very hard to be careful-which I know is no guarantee.
I’m also depending on God to help me through this 1 day at a time. Best thing to do- take no drug unless absoleutely necessary-they all have side effects and you info that comes with them with tell that. Some of the side effects are worse than the problem you’re treating. There are natural remedies out there-you just have to take responsibility for your own health and search them out.
I am inquiring here about a drug of which I heard recently and is being prescribed for my friend with osteopenia(who also has 2 broken feet).The drug is Lactoferrin.It is prescribed for her by an iyegrative health MD.He is also taking it himself to address other issues.Do you have any information on this drug and if so,would you recommend it or are there some worthy cautions about it?
Thank you so much for any input-Susan
I was on forteo for one year and experienced cramping in the legs at night. I gained 16% bone in my spine and 7% in my hips during that time. All of that bone was lost in my first year off of the drug. The strange side effect I had was almost constant dreaming, frequently unpleasant. This was very unusual for me. I was told that this was not a side effect of forteo, but when I went to the Osteoporosis Foundation’s “Inspire” comments on the Internet I found that many other women had had the same experience. Two years later the dreaming continues. I am sometimes up an hour or so before I feel I am “in my body”.
so very interesting because I also have been experiencing intense but not unpleasant dreams since being on Forteo…..that’s why Vivian’s website is soooo important giving us all a chance to compare. So there’s that question again…is Forteo just a temporary fix???
At 52 I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, was put on fosomax. After my friend had serious jaw problems on the drug, I decided to treat myself. However I am allergic to milk products Two years ago at the age of 62 I broke my hip while walking in my driveway. At that time I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis and was then put on Forteo. After one year of forteo and additional treatments of calcium and vitamin D (which took a long time getting it right) there is some improvement but not very much. I went to an endocrinologist because I fear September 2010 when I can no longer use Forteo. WHAT NEXT? There are days that the feeling of hopelessness is overbearing. I was told that after the two years is up the once a year injection will have to be done. I love the sun and wonder why my vitamin D level has been so low and why this was not picked up years ago. Could this have been part of the reason for the osteoporosis? Along with large doses of cortisone as a teen with Gillian Baret Syndrome.
Any suggestions?
You do not say wether you have completed the menopause or not ,but I wuold say your osteoporosis will be made much worse by a drop in hormone levels occuring at this age,especially oestrogen. A course of hormone relacement therapy -long-term would be benificial on bone health. I myself took this for 10 years with no ill effects. The risks of this treatment have been very much overplayed by yhe popular press here in the U.K. where prescription costs are state-subsidised and so costs rather than
drug company profits are the big issue. If you have alredy sustained a fracture it sounds as if the long-term benefits will outweigh the risks. Miss
Goldman never mentions this therapy but your doctor
will know all about. I am very much against the use of bi-phopanates as these are chemicals foreign to the body, but hormones are naturally occuring substances which can be supplemented if nescessary. I hope you find a solution to your problem.
I am taking Forteo. I took HRT during my dreadful symptomatic menopause…it was a life saver…Istopped when the scary news came out and then…osteoporosis began….I think you are correct…I do believe there is a positive link between estrogen & decreasing osteoporosis I just don’t know if the current forms of it are the answer.
if you are able to do strength exercises, they can help reverse bone loss. i would suggest not going on hormone therapy because that causes heart problems and cancers. you don’t want that either!
get your sunbath regularly. start with 20 min. and increase over time. make sure most of your body is exposed to the sun. do not use sunblocks, they have cancer causing ingredients! you also do not have to eat dairy. green leafy veggies have lots of calcium. read “eat to live” if you can. i learned quite a bit from this book. i wish you well.
Thanks for your information. It is very helpful to me dealing with a diagnosis of osteoporosis. I am currently investigating all options re treatment and appreciate your critique of the mainstream protocols.
Yes,I was prescribed Forteo and refused it because I had researched what I could, after it came out.By that time, I had already tried Fosamax and Actonel,four months on each, and experienced the adverse effects way down on the list and not printed.Being dizzy,with pain in my pelvic area,back aching and one leg aching, I went to the doctor. I had already stopped taking the Actonel after reading about its adverse effects which I was having.She thought I had heart problems.As my anxiety grew,my heart was racing.She put me on a calcium channel blocker which made things worse and after six months and my complaits about adverse effects,she prescribed Benicor for six more months and which left me with muscle weakness in my arms and legs, and now, four years later, are coming back to normal,but the leg hurts off and on.I walked in a fog with a blood preasure of 86/56,and somehow, did all I had to.She wanted me to take Evista,(clots) for my bones,I refused,then she advised me to see a psychiatrist.I didn’t and switched doctors.Four years later, my heart is fine,and the threat of the breaking of my bones is still just a threat.
I do have your book and for the most part have done most of the things you reccomend most of my life.I’m 80.
Thanks for all you work and trying to get the information out to all the people who care to desire this infomation and alot do.
Dae
interesting because i had been taking Benicar for high blood presure but with no real discernible affects…I took it at night before bed since I did not want to risk any side effects during employment…but then 3 weeks before i was going to inject forteo before bed I switched the Benicar to mornings…and began to notice i was slightly dizzy at work….the dizziness became frighteningly severe at work accompanied with nausea…I suspected it was the work combined with the heat wave…your comments have made me believe it is the benicar…thank you…I will think about this.
Vivian: Have you ever heard of a product by Bell Lifestyle Products called Bone Density Recovery? It is supposedly all natural: Ingredients listed are as follows:microcrystaline hydroxyapatite,Calcium(MCHAL),Calcium Citrate, mgnesium citrate, zinc picolonate,D3, Boron,Phosphorus, Indol-3 carbinol, Vitamin K, Horsetail extract 7%, silica, Copper L-Proline, Papain.
I Came across this at a Health Food Store and this company apparently has a good reputation. I’m thinking of trying this, and would appreciate your opinion. Many Thanks.
Thanks so much Vivien for your information on Forteo – I haven’t been prescribed it, but certainly wouldn’t take it if I was. I am following your instructions in the Bone Revolution Book. Many thanks once again for all your efforts and wonderful information.
Education of ourselves is the only way we will learn what is truth. Thanks for the infomation!!
My doctor wanted me to do the forteo injections after a bone density test that showed a decrease from the previous year. I had been previously presacribed fosamax but I had stopped for a couple of months – not because of experiencing side effects – but because on principal I really didn’t like how bisphosphantes operate. I refused the forteo, but was frightened into religiously taking my weekly fosamax for the following year and the next bone density was marginally better. (I try, but cannot get from this doctor actual numbers – T-score or Z-score tho’ I know it’s somewhere one side or the other of -3. Now that I’ve read your Save Our Bones book and am making some diet changes – specifically working on the acid-alkaline balance I am agTain stopping fosamax and am keeping fingers crossed and hoping for at least no deterioration when I have next bone density test which will be in September 2010. I also have a rebounder, do tai chi, and am very active around the house – up and down stairs – gardening in summer etc. I have had a couple of compression thoracic vertebral fractures, but am lucky in that I don’t have pain…just back gets achy sometimes…. Thanks for all your work in getting out positive information about what we can do to avoid bone loss.
I am taking OsteoValin which is supposed to help new bone growth! I need to have another DEXA scan to see if it has helped. Any comment on this product? Carole Berg
osteovalin is strontium plus a few other ingredients. strontium can be dangerous. i would not recommend this drug. you can look it up on google or aol and check it out.
I was given Forteo for 1 year my spinal T score was number -2.9 femur -3.4 . I gained 7% bone mass in my spine . I am happy with the gain
but have changed to Reclast as my therapy this year.
thank you for this info..gives me hope.
shouldnt all this info surely be reported to health canada, or all doctors in canada and us, or some other companies like pharmaceuticals,
the doctors just keep prescribing all these non beneficial drugs to us, wht about research companies, how will people know? what not to take, or use! what works and what does not????
it makes me so mad>>>>> the info about the animal protein….milk for your bones??? we should all sue the milk companies????they are worth billions……and poor us…..
i was told by a chiropractor that the best thing to take to prevent and repair osteo is a calcium called hydroxyappetite calcium, supposedly it has been proven that this increases bone density
what does anyone know about this including you?
I believe this product has MCHC (microcrystalline hydroxyapatite) as the Calcium. In my research I found it to be a calcium taken from the bones of young calves. I tried the product and had a stomach ache from it, which was one of the possible side effects listed. It does say that there are studies that show it does increase bone density.
Right now I am trying Garden of Life vitamin code grow bone challenge. You can find information about it on the Garden of Life web site. I found the product at my local health food store. The clerk there gave it a high recommendation. It is a natural vegan product.
I asked AOR.CA to find out if it is true that MCHC may increase bone mass density, here is the reply :
Hi Luc,
Although there may be testimonials and research related to MCHC aiding in mineral density production, there are no studies that have actually proven its ability to do that.
Regards,
Susan Lapp, CNP
Advanced Orthomolecular Research Inc.
Customer Service Manager
Product Information Technical Support
3900-12th St NE
Calgary, AB T2E 8H9
Tel: 1-800-387-0177 ext 5227
Fax: 1-877-219-9974
su***@*or.ca
I would love to hear about some who would have seen improvements in BMD (lcheneATgmail.com)
Hi Vivian, just another thank you for the inforamtion you send us. I stopped taking Actonel because of it. I had been on it about 2 years, but when I had my second dexa scan, there was no improvement, indeed a slight decrease, so I stopped. I eat fairly well, don’t smoke, and am thinking of drinking almond milk, or rice milk, or good soya milk. At the moment, I can see no difference in how I feel, in fact I think I had a hip ache occasionally when I did take the Actonel, but not now.
Thanks once again.
I recently went to a new gynecologist who called me in to discuss the results of my bone density test. He explained that I had the bones of a woman 20 years my senior and that I could fall and die. Then he began his sales pitch for Forteo. He was unable to answer most my questions, and skirted the issues on the few he did address. When I asked about the side effects, he only said that his patients who had taken it had no problems and showed marked improvement. He used a model of a bone that was practically hollow and 4 inches across to supposedly resemble my spine. The whole conversation was so ridiculous, I actually asked him what his kick back was from the drug company to make him push something so strongly. When I got home and researched Forteo on the Internet, I was flabbergasted to think that anyone would allow themselves to anything so horrendous.
Dear Vivian, I am about to ask for your advise on a very strange problem. If you dont know how to help me can you at least point me into the right direction. My daughters right leg has Atrophy–which means dying, right? At her ankle she can wrap her fingers around to touch each other and the length is shorter than the left. Her whole right food is is thinner. The pain is controlled by IBPROVIN and FLEXORAL ONLY AT TIMES.Now just the IBPROFIN ONCE A DAY. She can not exercise or walk very far. Heat hurts it she says. I realize you are not a doctor but because you are a scientist maybe you can shed some light one this for me. She is 39 this year, just had a hystorectomy in June has had nothing to assist her with hot flashes or mood swings. This has been going on for at least 3 months. The doctor she sees, took an xray and found nothing broken, and ask her if she ever fell or hurt her back. Obviously, she needs her Chiropracter to have a look. The hardest part of all this Vivian, she is in a correctional facility for a misdemeaner since last June. She said to me today, I might have Cancer of the bone, because the pain never stops. If you can help me with any kind of suggestion, I would be every greatful to you. Sincerely, Eve
Has anyone any experience with the uses of bacteriophages or any progress being made to introduce their use as an effective alternative to antibiotics. What a saving it would make for the poorer countries as well as all the others.
Vivian,
I read about Ezorb Calcium in someone’s comments and wondered what you think of it. I take Calcium Citrate now along with Magnesium, Vitamin D and K. https://www.ezorbcalcium.com/index.html
Thanks for all your hard work and information.
Madeleine
I take the same as Madeleine (Jan 28.2010) for osteopenia. Should I change to ezorbcalcium?
Many thanks Kurt
Healthy hard bone is actually live cells just like your nails, hard on top but live cells just under the hard area. So to have healthy strong bones your body has to build these cells. A recipe for bone cells or bone tissue is like a cake recipe. The cake recipe uses a large amount of flour some liquid and small amounts of other ingredients. The recipe for bone cells is a lot of calcium, some phosphorus, and 25 to 30 other trace elements. (Note bone is not made out of Strontium.) If you only have half of the flour required by the recipe the cake will not bake correctly. If the body only has half of the calcium needed for bone tissue recipe the bone tissue will not come out correctly. So the key to building bone tissue is being able to get enough calcium over to our blood and tissue side of our body where it will be stored inside our bones. Our bones act as a store house for calcium the body needs for many things like building new bone cells, repairing the hard bone where needed, and building new bone cells where the old dead bone cells were removed. We will only address building bone tissue.
Calcium come in two forms inorganic and organic. Bone tissue can be built out of any calcium compound from the worst inorganic; Calcium Carbonate 5% absorption rate to the very best inorganic; Calcium Citrate 25% absorption rate. There are many other inorganic calcium’s which will fall in between these two. All inorganic calcium must have vitamin D and magnesium to make it absorbable. Organic calcium does not need vitamin D or magnesium to be absorbed.
The problem with these inorganic calcium compound is the body will only absorb small amounts. Example: if you take 2000 milligrams of Calcium Carbonate the body will only absorb 100 milligrams or if you take 2000 milligrams of Calcium Citrate the body will only absorb 500 milligrams. A woman at 3rd month pregnancy the baby will use more calcium than 500 milligrams so how is a adult suppose to survive on such a small amount of calcium. The body needs thousands of milligrams to build bone tissue.
EZorb is organic calcium, 100% pure CalciumAspartateAnhydrous and is extracted from green vegetables like spinach. Spinach contains more calcium than any other vegetable we eat. The dose of EZorb for a person between 100 to 160 pounds is 4480 milligrams taken and 92.06% equals 4124 milligrams absorb then stored inside your bones waiting to be use by the body. This dose is equal to eating 1 1/3 gallons of cook spinach. There is no such thing as too much stored calcium. There is such a thing as too much inorganic calcium because 75% to 95% is not absorb.
Inorganic calcium are high in elemental calcium which has been found to cause body stones and is the reason we can not just take more inorganic calcium to make up for the poor absorption rate. EZorb will not cause body stones because 92% is absorbed. As we get older the osteoblasts cells also show signs of getting older by not keeping up with building bone tissue as fast as osteoclasts cells remove dead bone cells. EZorb has one other property that being it will stimulate the osteoblasts cells causing them to build more bone tissue than normal for our age.
In the beginning I said healthy bones are live bone cells. All cells in our body have a PDL predetermine life so bone cells will die. This is where our osteoclasts cell come into play by removing dead bone cells. After dead cells are removed that leaves a hole or depression where healthy bone cells can be built. If your body could build new bone cells over dead bone cells then as time goes by our bone would continue to grow bigger. So I hate to be the one to tell Sally Field that loosing bone is a good thing otherwise there would be no place to build new healthy bone tissue.
So I will tell you there is no magic dust in any bottle of calcium so quite wasting time looking for it. Just purchase calcium by absorption rate and let your body build strong bones as God design it to do. Once absorbed calcium is calcium no mater where it came from. The key or secret is getting enough calcium absorbed where the body has enough for the osteoblasts cells to build bone tissue.
Another word of advise is to not to put too much emphasis in DEXA scans. DEXA scan machines can not tell the difference between dead brittle bone cells or healthy bone tissue. Dead bone cells are more dense than live bone cells. So if a person has been taking bisphosphates drugs over a period of time their body will have retained many dead bone cells making the DEXA scan numbers look better while bone health has worsen. Strontium will also make DEXA scan numbers look better.
I use to have severe osteoporosis in 2004 and in 2007 was back to normal bones taking only Calcium Aspartate Anhydrous. Still taking the calcium in 2010 and my last DEXA scan shows normal bones no change since 2007.
where do I find the EZorb?
Is EZorb and Calcium Aspartate Anhydrous the same product. Where can I find it and dosage did you take daily? Carole
Google “EZorb sources”. It will tell you what you want to know.
What an enlightening piece that is about Calcium Aspartate. Can this be bought from a health food store or vitamin house?
Flo!
Thank you Larry! Great information! I printed off a booklet about EZorb three years ago and my doc wouldn’t even read it!! What a difference it would have made if I followed my gut and purchased it anyway!
wow !!! who are you ??? you sound like you make sense because I have recently learned the same truths about calcium and the DEXA scans and really do appreciate your info..wish I could print it….will try to do so but have feeling it won’t work and my brain is too tired to absorb it all….hope Vivian keeps it on the web site meanwhile i will just note EZorb….thanks !!!
I have been taking EZorb for about 3 months now & just had another DEXA scan. I now have osteopenia in my lower spine instead of previous osteoporosis diagnosis. I hope it is due to starting EZorb. I also have been taking 2000 units of Vit D3 daily for over a year.
As always, thank you for the information. I believe that my bone density is improving every day with the natural changes that I have made and through a regular exercise program.
Best wishes to everyone,
Andrea
I would not try that new drug. It seems it is another drug messing with hormones.
sounds like this is another drug we should NOT be taking- the side effects sound worse than the drugs that are out there now.
Dear Vivian,
I am amazed at the vast numbers of respondents about their cases & difficult situations. I am glad to know there are a few who did well on Forteo. You are getting so much info for your research. I would like them to know about Ezorb calcium which absorbs to the maximum & also follow your diet,low weight bearing exercises,& balance manual suggested by you will help lots of postmenopausal women.I love you for your commitment & I am learning a lot too.thanks a lot
I, too, was asked to take Forteo and my answered was NO. I also have checked online about Strontium and knew it was not for me. Yes, your statement “Mission Impossible” is right to the point. Love your info. Keep up the good work.
Anne
Dear Vivian,
I have been fighting osteoporsis for many years, at this point my score is -3.76 for my hips a little better for my back. I am allergic to dairy products, and to the meds for this problem, I was taking the forteo for about 4 months then stopped. I try eating the right foods to get the calcuim that I need, but it seems like nothing works. Each year it keeps getting worse, I am only 45 yrs old and exercising is extremly painfull, I have other medical issues that affect joints and muscles. any advise on what to do will be appricated.
Dear Vivian,
I love all your articles. WE’re in trouble for one reason “greed.” It starts at the top and works it’s way all through society. Keep up the good work. Phyllis
I too was prescribed Forteo but with the reading I did and the bone cancer risk, I turned it down. I am regretting the ten years that I took bisphosphonates. I am left with a dry swallow, hoarse voice, stiff joints and still ended up with a fractured hip! I have lost faith in the old treatment for osteoporosis and was skating three times a week to stay fit. Now I can no longer do that!
Yes – I was prescribed Forteo and given no other options as my Osteoporosis is quite advanced. I walked out of the Dr’s office and never went back.
I am now seeing an Internist/Nutrition expert who has run an Osteoporosis trial. She felt I was not a candidate for Forteo at this time .
I am adamant about not taking the bisphosphomates or Forteo so she is agreeable to letting me try out taking a superior form of calcium, Vit d, Strontium Citrate and weight bearing exercises for this year.
I am praying my Dexa Scan shows an improvement , or at least not a decline.
I do not like taking medications and am looking for any natural alternatives that may be out there .
If anyone has further suggestions, please let me know.
Good luck to all that are out there with the same diagnosis as mine.
I work in a nursing home and know the devastating effects Osteoporosis can have!
Frangelica
The information you are giving on Forteo is what I found in my research. My doctor seemed disturbed by my findings and said there is a lot of mis information on the internet. He said that rats bones are difference because they still grow and the cancer was at the growth end of the bone which we do not grow. I was approved for the drug but just can’t seem to bring myself to do it. I just don’t trust the drug companies, they have done some good things, but there are the horror stories too. I have a severe case and feel lost about what to do.
Don’t be lost, Dee. The Osteoporosis Reversal Program can guide you and help you make an intelligent and informed decision.
Dear Vivian,
Amazing! What people would do to get dirty green dollar!
I am scared to read all those poor peoples comments and wonder where are the ethics, morality, principles? Do such words still exist?
Thank You for caring,
Rosemary
After a bone density test by an ossteosporosis physician, it was recommended I take Forteo. He, at the same time, gave me written information about side effects, etc. When I showed my concern for the risks involved and asked if he would presribe it for his mother, his reply was that he “had to” inform me about Forteo. He did not push further. He suggested I at least take liquid calcium citrate w/D3.I had taken Actonel for about 4 years with no favorable results. After reading about the side effects of all the drugs, I decided to go with the 2000 liquid calcium w/5000 D3 which I get at the health food store. One of the side effects of the drugs were possible rot jaw if you had dental work. Recently I had to have two teeth surgically removed and am very happy I hadn’t started the Forteo or any of those drugs. I had tried Fosomax for about a week and ended up with serious esophogus problem so I guess I will take the liquid calcium w/D3 and hope for the best. Besides, the cost of the Forteo was $700/mo which I could no way afford.
i have a prescriotion of forteo but i have not filled it yet im still trying to decide
After 8 years on Actonel my dexa numbers are worse. My doctor prescribed Forteo last August and I could not bring myself to begin that drug. I saw an endocrynoligist who also prescribed Forteo for me. I not only have osteo but severe scoleosis as well so the readings from the dexa cannot be trusted, according to the doctors. I have, however, just started on the Forteo and so far, no side effects but I don’t think I will stay on it long……just too many unknowns. I am 73 and have always exercised and am otherwise pretty healthy.
Thank you for your comments.
Vivian,
Wow, it has been painful reading about all the tragic consequences of the drugs people have been prescribed–after all, if you can’t trust your physician, who can you trust? I’m glad I can still trust my doctor (who actually told me his own mother refused to take Fosamax because it gave her chest pains)but it was me who asked for a sample to try Actonel and Boniva because my scan showed such bad numbers.
However, in the vitamin department of our Sprouts store, I asked for something to help thinning hair and to improve skin (I am 83 years old) and the young woman suggested a product called “BioSil”. It may not have done much for my skin and hair but it turned out to be a powerhouse when I had my density last year. My doctor called and told me whatever I was doing, I should keep it up because there had been “significant improvement” in my hip. I’m almost due for this year’s scan and I hope it’s even better.
Have you heard about BioSil? I’d love a comment, if you have time. Of course, I am careful about what I eat (primarily because the two osteoporosis drugs caused severe GERD!) and I consider myself to be relatively fit, except for foot surgery six months ago that has taken a toll, but nothing interferes with how my husband and I eat. I take Bone-Up calcium with Vitamin D as well as Omega 3 and Flaxseed oil. We eat a great deal of frech veg and some fruit; meat is used as a condiment. Following your instructive book is easily done. Thanks for caring…and helping us care for ourselves!
Florence
My doctor wanted me to try Forteo, but when I did my research and it mentioned bone cancer in rats, I said no thanks. My doctor was very upset and said I was a headed for hip fractured soon very soon. I am only 62. I was on Fosamax for 9 years and every T-score got worse. I have stopped taking the prescritions for now.
Dear Vivian, I keep checking to see if you have responded to several of our inquiries about Garden of Life Grow Bone supplements. PLEASE let us know if this is a safe formula to be taking! You should go on Oprah – you deserve more recognition than you are getting! Bless you for caring so much!
donna
don’t give up….keep reading everything you can about bone health.
I just read a book Juice Lady’s guide to juicing health. by Cheri Calbom M.S. excellent book
her books says there may be a link betwwen depression and boneloss.
women who have a history of major depression have lower bone density and higher levels of cortisol a hormone related to boneloss and heart issues.
She has some great advice in her book about various aliments and how improving your diet and lifestyle can help you! See if your library has the book. It has a wealth of information.
Marilyn,
Grow Bone is a good product.
Oprah? I don’t want to be “famous”, I want to to bring common sense back to bone health and to help with my research on natural osteoporosis solutions 🙂
and we thank you for that !
Thanks for the updates
My physician prescribed Forteo and I was to take it for two years. He closely monitored my enzymes every three months. Towards the end of the 1st year alkaline phosphatase level sky rocketed and that required more investigation. I had complete bone scan that showed increased uptake in the skull area. This could have been indicative of Paget’s disease. Again I needed a skull Xray to rule this out and fortunately negative. He stopped the Forteo and since then no more muscle aches specially the calves.
Great news, Marilyn.
Dear Vivian,
Thank you for your ongoing imformation, very much
appreciated. After several years of taking Fosamax, and Actonel, with bad digestive effects,
I now take Rocaltrol (Calcitriol) it is not a
fosfate, but I am still worried about the long term effects. It doesn’t seem to be doing me
any noticable damage at the moment, but ???
Do you have any info on this product??
Annette
Yes, I was prescribed Forteo because I have extensive bone loss. I took it for about 6 days and my ears started ringing so loud that I couldn’t do my job. I couldn’t focus on anything and it drove me nuts. My doctor said that I was allergic to the Forteo so I stopped taking it. Wasn’t too crazy about trying it in the first place. I have had side effects with all of the osteoporsis medicines that they have prescribed. Right now I am not taking anything, but am reading your book and learning tons of information. Thank you so much.
Ihad a vit d shortage my vit. was 7 my dr. told me my bones was so weak Icould step off a step and break a bone Iwas scare of breaking a bone and foreto but i felt like i had to take it Ihad 4 shots and had a very bad reactionto it Icall my dr. and she said it was my nerves get some pills and try again so stupid me did cause i trusted my dr. well it happen again i call my dr. and she said she has turn me over to another dr. and would not talk to me so i call the company and told them what happen and they said they had no idea what to do my dr. was suppose to tell me that but since she dismiss me they knew NOTHING i still have the side effect iworry all the time abot getting the bone cancer only the good lord has carry me this far it has been almost 2 years i run up and down step i walk 2+miles a day i take yoga i found a p.t. last year that said he wish these dr. would stop giveing allthese drugs to people and let their body heal their self ladies think long and hard before takeing any of these and never do it because you are scare learn all you can about bones and think long and hard before you take any of it I WILLBE PRAYING FOR ALL OF US MAY GOD BLESS AND HE THE BEST DR. I KNOW PAT MARTYN
I stopped taking Fosamax several months ago. I won’t take any other drugs for my bones. I’m trying to change my diet to your 80/20 alkaline,acid formula. Will see my doctor in March. Thanks for your e-mails. I enjoy your reader’s comments.