Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Dexa Scan reading question

Strontium doesn't effect the bone scan results, the radiologist only has to recalculate the reults, that's all. 'Smile'.

As for the TNF drugs implicating bone mass, that is still in discussion - not yet proven. Plus all those TNF drugs can have/do have serious side effects, and, end up working against themselves, and the Strontium Citrate has NO side effects! Apart from some constipation - which is easily dealt with.

But great that you have better results on bone mass. Me? wuldn't dream of touching the TNF drugs - no thanks. LDN and Strontium Citrate do everythibng that I can ask for, and NO drug yet deals well with erythromalalgia (feet) so stay with what works so well.

Yes, necks. Femoral neck is 'measured' in the DEXA scan. Is also measured when having a hip replacement. Got to ge all those measurements right or end up with either a stuffed hip or a hip that keeps on dislocating. Or, end up with legs of different length and permanent limp. All good stuff - just don't weaken (and alway check out the orthopod...! <VBG>)

Take care -

Thanks Molli

Good luck finding a tech that has a clue about any adjustments in the US anyway. Most of the time you will have a false misleading reading. I also think the jury is out on the long term impact of replacing calcium in bone with Strontium in bone. To me, there are a lot of unanswered questions there. I do agree strontium may be a better risk than the Bis drugs but I believe there is risk there that should not be downplayed.

An interesting article

"Adverse effects. During treatment, the only reported adverse effect was a small increase in risk of diarrhea. There is a theoretical risk of stroke and other vascular problems.

Issues of Strontium Use
Can the evidence for strontium ranelate be extrapolated to nutritional supplements available in the US and Canada? This is a matter of speculation.

The long term effects of strontium are unknown. Strontium does become incorporated into bone, and how that effects bone quality is as yet unclear.

Source:

http://www.suite101.com/content/strontium-for-bone-health-a150870


The advantage or disadvantage, if you will, of strontium is that when you quit taking it, it will leave your system very quickly. You will probably lose that gained bone mass very quickly but that could be good if you are having problems with it but you are right back to thin bones.

TNF drugs look safer to me than most other AS drugs like MTX or even sulfasalazine on the market frankly. As time goes on most of the feared side effects of TNF are simply not showing up or showing up in only very small numbers. The risk of serious problems appears to be very low. I know of no research that says they have the potential to make AS worse. The negative impact of developing anti-bodies seems like conjecture to me right now with no real research/data behind it. I need to see research on that to believe it frankly. call me a skeptic. Must be my science training.

we all choose our own treatments and see risks in different ways based on our level of disease and personal preferences.

Yep - KNow of that study Drizz (somewhat old hat) and financed by pharma who want to push the milch cow Bis drugs... Strontium *Citrate has been used in Europe for years and before that in strontium enriched foods by the gladiators of old (so say the research gurus). As for looking for trails based evidence, not all that much as Pharma can't make money out of it and doctors can't in turn line theri back pockets.

However - I'll stick to Strontium *Citrate NOT the Portelos Ranelate that is buffered with so many excipients(Maltodextrine, Mannitol, Aspartame - ALL with rather nasty side effects) as to make the Protelos version somewhat...a no-no?

As for the BIS drugs can stay in body for 10yrs and plus, wrecking it and further causing the possibility OF osteonecrosis. Value my body far too much to take those appalling drugs - that many Drs now (including those of my family) recoil from.

Steve:

Do you have AS throughout your body? I have it in every joint. I have thought about weight training but I worry about taxing peripheral joints. For instance, I get real sore where the bicep tendon attachs to the top of my elbow. Bicep curls would be great for my bones but I would feel it at the attachment point. Do you experience this? If so, how do you work around it?

Craig

craig,

i know what you mean. including that exact joint you mentioned, it acts up when i can't use my back muscles due to spasms and must use my arms to brace myself when getting up or down.

but most of the time i can do band exercises and light one or two pound weights without aggravating anything. you being a guy, maybe 5-10 lb weights, you could try, you'd know pretty quickly.

i am ultra careful with weights though for just the reasons you describe. a few years ago, in PT, they had me doing weights on a machine, maybe 20 lbs, maybe only 10, i think it was to address the IT / TLF band entheses at the trochanter, but aggravated my hamstring tendon enthesis behind the knee, or maybe i have that backwards, its been a few years now. the point is, after trying the weights that one day, at a level that the PT thought was low and safe and messing up something else, she sent me home, no weights, just floor exercises against gravity.

but i suspect i'm an unusual case........

HI craig

Well over the years I have developed fused Big toes, Fused SI joints, two cataracts, one glaucoma, some back degeneration (no fusion), and a lot of knee fluid off and on.

So yea It is everywhere but not all at the same time. Seems I flare in one area at a time, it goes away, and then it moves somewhere else lol. Last few years are just chronic with no big flares for about 3-4 years or so, Last big one was in the feet. Iritis has also been on and off.

I have never had any problems in the arms or shoulders however. So sorry I am not much help there and nothing really hurts anymore either. Mostly I deal with residual damage now and hope to avoid anymore big flares.

Drizz, well done!!!

Regarding Strontium, my mother has reversed her oseoporosis using Strontium and a super high quality calcium supplement. Reversed, according to her doctor, who was stunned that she'd done it without the Bi's. Makes no sense to her to take something that weakens the bone when dealing with Osteoporosis. She also swims, does weight training and walks a ton.

Weight training has a direct benefit to bone mass. And according to my rheumy, so do the anti-TNFs.

Craig, weight training or any strengthening exercise, in combination with flexibility exercise/stretching and cardio, is extremely good for us. We just can't pretend we're Olympic weight lifters, you know? Light weights with large repetitions is extremely beneficial. One of the reasons I like pilates is it combines strength training with flexibility. If you are getting pain from any kind of exercise, you need to take another look at how you're exercising, and/or how much. And you don't need to go to a gym to do it. You can weight train with soup cans, or 500ml water bottles filled only as far as is comfortable for you to exercise with. The stronger you get, the more your enthesis points will benefit, it seems to me, because they will become stronger.

Just some ruminations for a Tuesday.

Hugs,

Kat, how long did it take your mom to do this. I have been taking Strontium every night for a couple of months now. I am hoping it helps, along with the calcium with vit D3 I take in the morning.

Donna - Strontium is very slow, takes about two years to build up. Yes, it wil halp, not know not to help. Has an excellent track record, but not overnight. Even the Bis drugs take a time, but the Stront is slower. It builds up, helps remodel whereas the Bis drugs do not remodel, they merely hardn what is there and eventually those bones are so hard that they will become brittle, ,ike a dried up tree branch. Strontium keeps the bones as they should, keeps em strong, as they build up, and renew - as bones aree supposed to do. So, all takes time. Building up and renewing going on constantly, but as one gets older that does slow down naturally that's when it's good to supplement, help nature, matters, along a bit. 'Smile'.

Hey Sue22!

We are in the same boat. I may have to try the lighter weight with the more reps. I just I am in an old mindset when it comes to strength training. I remember lifting in the past with a trainer when I was physically healthier. You know the rule of thumb to choose a weight that you can do ten times without losing form but with some struggle towards the end of the set. I guess I was figuring that if I can't do that than it wouldn't be worth it. Not so!