When to Stop Taking Strontium

When to stop taking strontium after having taken it successfully for a number of years is a good question. Once you reach normal bone mineral density (BMD), it makes sense to stop taking strontium and just monitor your BMD. If your BMD readings are at the osteopenia stage, defined as a T-score between -1.0 and -2.5, the decision becomes more complicated. As I see it, the choice, at that point, is either to reduce the dosage or continue with the full dose until normal BMD is reached. I would definitely not stop taking it altogether after reaching a BMD in the osteopenia range.

I have been taking 680 mg strontium from strontium citrate for osteoporosis for six and a half years. My lowest T-scores have always been at the spine. Last year (2013), my T-score at the spine from L1-L4 was -1.6, which is in the range of osteopenia. I have continued taking the same dosage since then. I may wait another year until my next DXA before deciding on any change.

One person I know from an osteoporosis forum says she had osteoporosis and achieved normal BMD after 4.5 years on strontium citrate (lucky lady!). She says she took 680 mg strontium for 3.5 years and then 340 mg for the final year. She then stopped taking strontium but had yearly DXA scans. Two years later, her BMD is still at the normal range. Don’t be discouraged if your results aren’t quite as spectacular; mine aren’t compared to hers. What is really encouraging to me is that she has retained most of her gains in BMD after two years!

http://www.inspire.com/groups/national-osteoporosis-foundation/discussion/strontium-citrate-25/?ref=as&asat=172752721 (Charella’s update after two years off strontium is nestled within a discussion started by another forum member.)

http://www.inspire.com/groups/national-osteoporosis-foundation/discussion/success-with-strontium-continues-to-be-great/ (Charella’s update after more than one year off strontium citrate is featured in a discussion she initiated.)

Secondary Causes of Osteoporosis

Secondary causes of bone loss are not often considered in patients who are diagnosed as having osteoporosis. In some studies, 20% to 30% of postmenopausal women and more than 50% of men with osteoporosis have a secondary cause. Before starting a course of treatment for osteoporosis, whether with over-the-counter strontium citrate or with a prescription drug, secondary causes of bone loss should be ruled out. In secondary osteoporosis, treatment should include treating the underlying cause of the disease. This short article by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) lists most of the causes of secondary osteoporosis. The causes are broken down into four categories: medical conditions, hormonal, other links, and medications or chemicals.

http://www.iofbonehealth.org/secondary-osteoporosis

Is Bone Loss Due to Weight Loss Regained?

Short-term weight loss is accompanied by bone loss in postmenopausal women. The longer-term impact of weight loss on bone in reduced overweight/obese women compared with women who regained their weight was examined in this study using a case-control design. Forty-two postmenopausal women were recruited two years after the start of a six-month weight loss trial. The 22 women who maintained their weight (weight loss maintainer [WL-M] group) were matched to a cohort of 20 women who regained their weight (weight loss regainer [WL-R] group).

Bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck, trochanter, spine, radius, and total body, and soft-tissue composition were taken at baseline, 0.5 years, and two years. After two years, both groups lost BMD at the femoral neck and trochanter , whereas only the WL-M group reduced BMD at the 1/3 radius. There was greater BMD loss at the trochanter and 1/3 radius in the WL-M group compared with the WL-R group after two years.

The study concluded that, after two years, there is no recovery of bone loss induced by weight reduction, irrespective of weight regain. Weight regain does not result in recovery of bone, but it prevents greater loss at the trochanter and 1/3 radius compared with reduced-obese women. These data suggest that the period after weight loss may be an important point in time to prevent bone loss for those who maintain weight and those who regain weight.

This information is taken from a much longer article, Does Bone Loss Begin After Weight Loss Ends?

Lifestyle Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

What you can change!

These are modifiable risk factors which primarily arise because of

diet or lifestyle choices.

15.Do you regularly drink alcohol in excess of safe drinking

limits (more than 2 units a day)?

A unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10 ml (or approximately

8 grams) of pure ethanol, the active chemical ingredient

in alcoholic beverages. Excessive alcohol consumption

increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

One unit of beer or cider (4% alcohol) is 250 ml/8.75 oz.

One unit of wine (12.5% alcohol) is 80 ml/2.80 oz.

One unit of spirits (40% alcohol) is 25 ml/0.88 oz.

16.Do you currently, or have you ever, smoked cigarettes?

17.Is your daily level of physical activity less than 30

minutes per day (housework, gardening, walking,

running etc.)?

18. Do you avoid, or are you allergic to milk or dairy

products, without taking any calcium supplements?

19.Do you spend less than 10 minutes per day outdoors

(with part of your body exposed to sunlight), without

taking vitamin D supplements?

Note: See previous blog post: Non-modifiable Risk Factors 

for Osteoporosis

Understanding Your Answers:

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions (1 -19) it does not

mean that you have osteoporosis. Positive answers simply

mean that you have clinically-proven risk factors which may

lead to osteoporosis and fractures.

Please show this risk test to your doctor who may encourage

you to take a FRAX® risk assessment (available at

www.shef.ac.uk/FRAX/) and/or have a bone mineral density

(BMD) test. In addition your doctor will advise on what

treatment, if any, is recommended.

https://iofbonehealth.org/sites/default/files/PDFs/2012-IOF_risk_test-english%5BWEB%5D_0.pdf