 Posted 26/05/2010 16:09:15
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| Hi again Further to my last post, I have had a break from AlgaeCal (but having been taking substitute calcium magnesium supplements instead, + Vit D3) and am going to give it another try as a test to see whether I get the stomach gas and tiredness again. I have continued with the Strontium Boost (which is Strontium Citrate) and it's been wonderful not to have any more back pain. If I find the AlgaeCal side effects return, I will post a note on here to sell off the unopened AlgaeCal bottles I have in my fridge if anyone wants them. Jen
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Posted 21/06/2010 15:42:11
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| Very interesting forum, calcium supplements have always upset my stomach, maybe this algaecal will be better than the others that I have tried? I see that there is some safety and toxic study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20528255" target=_"blank" class="SmlLinks">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20528255 on the algaecal calcium, and it claims to be a safe product. Is there anyone that is taking algaecal now that can give me any tips on the best time of day to take it and should it be taken with juice, food etc...? thanks
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Posted 24/06/2010 13:26:17
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| I believe AlgaeCal should be taken with food ideally - I take them with breakfast and sometimes with the evening meal. The Strontium boost should not be taken with food as it fights with calcium for absorbtion - I take these between breakfast and lunch. Hope it goes well.
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Posted 30/06/2010 17:17:43
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| Hi - I'm Janet and I just joined yesterday with a similar sort of query. I'm 54 now and was diagnosed 4 years ago with an overall T score of -3.9 but with areas on my spine of -4.2 and -4.3, so naturally I'm still horrified over this, particularly as I have always been careful over my diet, have never smoked, don't eat junk food and don't have much alcohol and always taken plenty of exercise, so I'm thinking it could be hereditary? I'm taking Fosamax but am thinking of stopping taking it because, although my bones are porous I have been told they are very strong. However if I keep taking Fosamax and no new bone is made, then I will literally end up with brittle bones, albeit denser! Not a lot to look forward to. So I have been reading these American suggestions for about a year now and finally sent off for the "saveyourbones book" yesterday. I'm also thinking about trying the other site which is Health-Reports.com where you can send off for some horribly expensive supplements which, they say, can reverse osteoporosis in a very short time-scale. It's related to the calcium/magnesium/phosphorous ratio. I need to get another Dexa-scan before I start (which is difficult here) but I'm looking and feeling absolutely tired-out most of the time so something is going to have to happen! Has anyone else tried the nutritional approach?
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Posted 01/07/2010 10:08:16
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| I also felt tired after taking Fosamax for two years. I no longer take Fosamax (and have written in an earlier post on this thread about that). I have read that Fosamax depletes CoQ10 which is very important for energy and so am now taking a CoQ10 supplement to counteract this which does seem to be helping.
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Posted 19/07/2010 08:32:39
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| Hi all, I’ve read this topic with a great deal of interest. I did post on another thread, but have also copied it to this one.
Like many people I'm confused about osteoporosis and shocked at the lack of support within the NHS. I went to my GP about 5 years ago and explained that I had a strong family history of osteoporosis of the spine and wondered if she would refer or a DEXA scan. She said –no.
In January I broke my wrist from a bad fall on to a stone floor. It was a high impact fracture but again I thought it may be a way to get a scan. My new GP referred me on my request. Following the break- the hospital had noted -no follow up needed, as bones looked fine on the x ray.
My scores were 3.1 in Spine (apparently between -2.2 and -4.2) and -1.5 and -1.9 in my 2 hips. He prescribed Adendronic acid. I have taken 2 tablets with no side effects. However on reading about the treatment I’m v. reluctant to take it because of reduced bone turnover makes me wonder how long it is safe to take. As I’m only 57 it may be a long time?
I exercise regularly, although I didn't for 5 months after I broke my wrist. My vitamin D levels were ‘low’ but I don’t know how low. I now take vitamin D and Calcium tablets and there has been a lot of sun, so hopefully that has increased.
My worry is that my GP knows absolutely nothing – initially quoting my z score as my t score, which was -1.9 and -1.1.
The NHS therefore didn’t want to scan me- scanned me at my request – then immediately puts me on Alendronate acid- in some ways I wish I didn’t now know my scores now!!
I have read all the comments about Strontium (Ranelate and Citrate) and feel inclined to request Strontium instead of Adendronic acid. However, I’m sure I won’t get it on the NHS (unless I possible lie about symptoms!).
Please could anyone tell me if they have successfully been treated with Adendronic acid.
Any comments welcome. H
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Posted 23/07/2010 18:32:46
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| Hello I'm sorry to hear about your experiences. My GP was much the same. I am one of the people who is taking AlgaeCal and Strontium Citrate (known as Strontium Boost). I was told by my consultant that NICE, the NHS medical recommending body, would not allow Strontium Ranelate to be prescribed until the patient had tried Bisphosphonates (Alendronic Acid, Fosamax or whatever) first for a few months and found out whether they suffered with side effects. I seriously thought about pretending to take them and then pretending to have side effects and hopefully being changed on to Strontium Ranelate, but why should I be forced into that sort of complicated deceit? Plus I didn't want to waste time in getting onto some sort of treatment. As I am someone who has multiple food allergies/intolerances due to longstanding M.E., plus I have had 2 lots of breast cancer and had a very bad time with the cancer drugs which I was afraid to refuse, I didn't want to go down that road again. In fact my consultant said that it's likely that I have now got Osteoporosis due to those cancer drugs, so I didn't want to be told 5 years on that I had got yet more problems due to the Bisphosphonates. I did a lot of research on the Net including on this website, and decided to put myself on AlgaeCal and Strontium Citrate, (which is the main ingredient of Strontium Ranelate, I believe, but with loads of other stuff added in, which I would prefer not to have) and my consultant was ok with that, and anyway, I am paying for it myself. It's not terribly expensive, although obviously I would prefer not to have to pay for it at all, but it is well worth not having the side effects of the drugs! Totally unexpectedly I suddenly noticed that some upper back pain which I had had for 4 years had disappeared after a few weeks on this regime, so I am thrilled that something seems to be working, although it is too soon for a repeat DEXA scan. Good luck with it all. Jen
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Posted 25/07/2010 13:36:40
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I have read this thread through from beginning to end and found it really interesting.
I was diagnosed a few weeks ago with Osteoporosis in the hips and Ostopenia of the back.
I was given Alendronic Acid which after reading was reluctant. to take.
Eventually I have taken it for three weeks and have had various side effects.
Regarding the Strontium Renalate the prescription strontium........ it must have other stuff in it to have a list of side effects and risk of blood clots ....any one know what else is in it?
Blood clots is enough to put me off.
The strontium boost etc that you buy are there any side effects?...... and is it all safe stuff.
Apart from the strontium that is in both, the prescribed drug must have other stuff in to my mind or what is it that can cause the blood clots?
Any help would be appreciated
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Posted 25/07/2010 14:07:35
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Hi Katy,
Strontium is a mineral which cannot exist on it's own and so it always comes bound with a 'salt'. In Strontium Ranelate the salt is ranelic acid and in Strontium Boost it is citric acid. It's the same with calcium, it always comes with a salt ie calcium carbonate, caclium citrate etc Strontium Ranelate also contains a small amount of aspartame to sweeten it. From what I understand the blood clot risk - which is very rare - is the same for both Strontium Ranelate and Strontium Boost...but it's really tiny....have a read of this thread where we discussed it before: Strontium blood clot risk
The reason they list so many side effects with Strontium Ranelate is that it is a prescription medicine and they have to list every side effect ever. Strontium Boost, on the other hand, is a supplement and supplements don't have to have their side effects listed. When my son had his wisdom teeth out he was given paracetamol by the hospital and there were dire warnings in the side effects leaflet that came with the paracetamol of liver failure and suchlike- that is ordinary paracetamol that you can buy over the counter. I get very bad side effects from ordinary calcium supplements and I have been instructed not to take any by my doctor - I get side effects from prescription calcium and from health food shop calcium supplements, it makes no difference....but the prescription calcium carries a side effects leaflet and the health food calcium doesn't. So any medication can give you side effects and they all have to be listed or the pharmaceutical company would easily be sued for not telling ! You have to weigh up the risk of side effects from any medication (or indeed supplement) with the risks that osteoporosis brings.
Osteoporosis - Strontium Ranelate, Dekristol vitamin D3 20,000 IU/week, weight lifting, walking and vibration platform exercise, alkaline loaded diet, vitamin K2 MK-7 100mcg/d, K2 MK-4 5mg/d. Diabetes - Repaglinide, low carb diet and exercise. Congenital heart defect - Omacor and CoQ10
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Posted 25/07/2010 14:15:47
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| Hi Katy Further to Annabelle's reply, she mentions that Aspartame is one of the ingredients in Strontium Ranelate, and perhaps you already know that there is a great deal of controversy regarding the effects of Aspartame on one's health. If you google it, you will find a lot of info on Wikipedia and dozens of other websites, which will help you make a decision. It is added as a sweetener to many foodstuffs and medications, including prescribed calcium supplements (eg. Calcichew D3) and other over-the-counter calcium supplements, and personally I wouldn't touch it. Good luck with making a choice. Jen
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