I'd read up and look around for other options. Doctors, IMHO, aren't very good at dealing with long term, systemic problems. They treat you with whatever stuff they get from the pharmeceutical salesmen they deal with, which is not always the best preparation for your individual problem. At least that's what the typical doctor does, IMHO. I've been prescribed all kinds of carpy stuff for migranes, that not only doesn't help the migranes, causes all kinds of side effects. They may work wonders for some people, but not for me.

There is a LOT that goes into calcium absorption. I don't know all the ins and outs of it, maybe some others can chime in here, who have more experience with this.

I am osteopenic....so far I have been treating with lots of calcium and lots of extra vitamin D.
All calcium doesn't give you digestive upsets....the one that works for me is Citrical....and even the Equate brand of Citrical gives me the burps....gotta be the real thing.
And there are many many other options for anti osteoporous drugs...Likely the calcium and the Actonal were what a drug rep gave him to give out to his patients.
I need to get on an anti osteoporous drug...
If you have had a hysterectomy the options are wider, because many of the drugs increase your chances of getting uterine cancer.
And osteoporosis isn't only about a broken arm...it's veryoften about a broken spine or hip. I have a petite blond friend who is about 75 and has had 2 or 3 broken wrists, a broken ankle and twice a broken hip....she is now in a nursing home recovering from the surgery to pin the latest hip.
Take your calcium....drink your milk....and pig out on cheese!
Linda C

You can eat food with TONS of calcium and not absorb any of it. That's why I would read up on this, because there are lots of factors that influence calcium absorption. I don't know what they all are, but I remember a lot of press many, many years ago, on a study that said vegetarians were much less likely to suffer from osteoporosis than meat eaters. Then the study was critiqued, because it used Seventh Day Adventists as the study group, and not only are they mostly vegetarians, they don't drink soda pop and coffee or tea, and they have all kinds of other healthy habits, (exercise, not smoking, etc.). I know how and when you take calcium and what other diet, vitamin and biochemical factors are at work in your body also influence calcium absorption. Usually with these systemic problems, you have to balance quite a few factors to get the right regime. At least that has been my experience with migranes, another systemic problem. The way I got a handle on it had nothing to do with my doctors. I learned how to manage it from doing a lot of reading and trial and error. An example of how useless doctors are with these types of problems--I have low thyroid, had been on thyroid medication for several years, and by an odd chance I happened to be in a laundromat once and picked up some tattered Good Housekeeping or some such magazine that was left in there, and read an article that said people on thyroid medication were at risk for osteoporosis. My doctor never said one peep about that, might not have even been aware that was a significant side effect. I don't have osteoporosis yet, but I am at risk, so I fiddle quite a bit with a calcium regime, trying to take it when it won't be blocked by my thyroid medications. And trying to find the FORM of calcium that is more easily absorbed, calcium citrate. There are all kinds of calcium supplements on the market and from reading the labels I can tell that most of them are useless, you'll be peeing all your money away for sure. Doctors in my experience, are woefully uninformed about these kinds of issues.

The calcium samples he gave me were Citrical Bone Density formula, or something like that. I'll look around for something else that might be easier on my stomach.

What's frustrating is that I'm not old, or at least, I don't think of myself as old, but it was my hips that the osteoporosis showed up. My spine is osteopenic. A broken hip is a very scary thing, but I guess I just haven't wrapped my mind around that fact that it's a very real possibility. I'm in denial.

Sally

Don't forget that most of the vitamins/pills are made in China....

My sympathies, if you take a gander at Brenda's thread about Vit D, you'll find that it's a very important weapon in this war. I've got a lousy stomach and never did well on calicum supplements. I've taken all the meds too, except actonel. THere is a nose spray you can try, my mother was on that for awhile.
Cost is a factor on those drugs and Weed's post about buying meds in Canada is a good option to save money.

Jessy, I'm not sure what you're getting at. Can you please be more specific? I know that many vitamins are sourced in China, but that doesn't mean we should stop taking the ones that are recomended. I try and buy mine at the Homeopathic Pharmacy or Whole Foods rather than at Costco to insure better quality and sourcing of ingredients.

Well, I spoke with my local pharmacist, and she wasn't much help. I told her I developed bad heartburn with the Citrical Bone Density Builder, and she told me 2 things. First, that the generic was just as good as the name brand, but cheaper, and that if one calcium supplement gave me stomach upset, they all would. I don't know if I disbelieve that, or just don't want to believe that. The chewable kinds, the ones that look like candy, were too sugary looking for me to want to go there. I'm all for buying generic, but they aren't always the same, even if they look the same, as the non-active ingredients may be different, and the quality of ingredients may differ as well. But having said that, I still usually buy the cheapest Ibuprofen and such.

So, I'll keep researching, and I'll definitely research my diet. Looking at lists of high calcium foods I can see that much of them are things I already eat. Linda, a long time ago I did a lot of research on nutrition, and learned about what foods worked to help with calcium absorption and what foods interfered, but I've forgotten much of the details by now. I'll start researching again.

I'll check out those other threads, too.

Sally

You might want to consider Tums (calcium carbonate). It is an antacid, so it shouldn't cause heartburn, and it's very inexpensive. You can take tons of it -- your body will only use what it needs, you can't get too much. Tums used to have something on their website about use of it as a supplement. I lived on the stuff during my pregnancies.

Bleh! Sorry to hear it Sally. My doc told me at my last physical that I should start taking calcium just because I'm at that age, and I'm thin and Caucasian/Asian, LOL. I do not plan to take any prescription meds for bone-density - the reports coming out about these drugs are frightening. I haven't been tested for osteoporosis yet though.

Please don't forget about exercise - weight-bearing exercise has been proven to build density - if you just take supplements it isn't enough to keep up with the density loss that escalates with menopause.

Weight training is fine, but walking, running, dancing, any of those are also weight-bearing (NOT cycling). Start exercising before menopause hits - make it part of your life. Exercise also helps you with strength and balance - which helps prevent falls.

Calcium alone is not enough either - absorption is a major issue with this supplement - so read up on what other supplements you will need to help you absorb the calcium you take. Here is a page with a LOT of info: About Calcium

Another thing - if you smoke - STOP! And you should be checked out for thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal disease which can all worsen bone loss. Also if you are taking corticosteroids, that will promote excessive bone loss.

Sally, don't throw up your hands in horror and say "I can't do this"...be proactive.....what upsets your stomach is the fillers that are used in the calcium tablets....you may find that opne of the "gel caps" agree better....but don't give up.
I am at an especial risk, because besides being small boned ( I wear a 5 1/2 shoe) I also took Arimidex for a year post Tamoxofin to eliminate the estrogen since the breast cancer I has was estrogen/progestrin sensitive.
Arimidex strips all estrogen from your body, blocks that which post manopausal women produce from fat cells.
My knees hurt, by hips my back...I felt like an old woman....but I knew it reduced the risk of the cancer recurring.
Finally I did a little research....and with the treatment I had, the risk of recurrence was like maybe 3%....so I was cutting that risk to 1 1/2%....but making my life miserable.
The Oncologist said "Stop taking that stuff!;...and I did....but now I am trying to undo its' effects.
Take calcium....!!!!
Linda C

I take a couple of Viactiv every day. It's like eating a couple of Kraft Caramels. I couldn't get the calcium tabs down, they kind of stick in my throat.

I watched my MIL suffer with spine fractures due to osteoporosis and that is something I never want to go through. It was awful. So painful and she finally became bedridden. She did smoke like a chimney all her life.

I am fortunate to have good solid bones. I hope they stay that way. I need to work at it more actively.

I take Citracal with Vitamin D. I had stomach upsets with other types of calcium. Find the right one and take it faithfully. My mother had very bad osteoporosis, so bad that if she had broken a shoulder there was nothing to pin it to, to heal it.

Maybe the calcium dosage is too high. You might have more luck taking it in two smaller doses. And take it with the right kinds of foods. I had to read up on calcium myself, because I am in the risk group. I have to take my supplements well after I take my thyroid medication. So I take the thyroid in the morning right when I get up, since it does best on an empty stomach. Then I take my multivitamin and my eye vitamins in the AM. I take my calcium supplements when I get home from work, one with dinner and one before bed. I find calcium helps me sleep too. I take calcium citrate, with magnesium and vit. D., plus a C tablet. I read splitting up the dosage helps with absorption too. Iron blocks calcium absorption, so if you're taking iron, take those in the AM too, before eating. Smoking, excessive caffeine and soda pop are all to be avoided. I do OK on the smoking and caffeine, but I drink a lot of diet soda. I can't stand the taste of water, oddly enough. If it were me, I'd check with my doctor about dosages. And take those walks during the daylight! Don't get discouraged, you'll find the right mix!

I was taking 2 calcium tablets in the a.m. and 2 in the p.m.. It occurred to me that maybe I should be taking them 3 times a day, at each meal, in smaller doses.

What I've been reading about calcium absorption is confusing and contradictory. Some of the foods that are high in calcium, such as kale and collards, are also high in oxalic acid, which interferes with the absorption of calcium. I eat a ton of spinach, which I love, and it's high in oxalic acid. I wonder if that might have contributed to my bone loss.

I do exercise a lot. I walk/jog 2 or 3 days a week, and weight train, usually mixed with cardio 3 days a week, for around 45 minutes to an hour. I take 1 to 2 days off, but frequently do yard work on my days off of formal exercise. I've been doing that for a few years now. However, from what I've been reading, I should have been doing that for much longer. This bone loss thing has probably been going on for quite some time. I'm certainly going to get onto my daughter and my daughter in law to start now on preventing this bone loss.

In the meantime, I've gotten a stack of books from the library to read.

I was wondering if that vitamin store, GNC, might have a good calcium supplement. Has anyone shopped there? I never have - the place always looks so intimidating through the window, all those bottles of stuff. lol.

Sally