Birth control pills for osteoporosis

• By lilypads
• Reply 3708022
• January 15, 2013 at 1:45 pm
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I think the first question to ask is whether you want or need birth control. Birth control pills have quite a few negative effects, so taking them if not absolutely necessary is not wise. There are other ways to address osteoporosis. The first thing to do is to find out WHY you have osteoporosis. Some possible reasons are Vitamin D deficiency, hyperparathyroidism, celiac disease, recent pregnancy and breastfeeding . . . and there are many more.

Is it possible your doctor is trying to prevent another pregnancy until your body recovers from an earlier one?

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• By rosel
• Reply 3709315
• January 15, 2013 at 8:53 pm
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I would suggest a specialist in the field of Osteoporosis. I did not start out with a specialist when first diagnosed and I wished I had. The others that responded had good suggestions as well. You are very young to have such a low T score.

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• By lilypads
• Reply 3709695
• January 15, 2013 at 11:26 pm
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I suggest you buy and read Lara Pizzorno's excellent and inexpensive book "Your Bones." It will give you information about bone health that you can use for the rest of your life. Good luck!

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• By Missie2
• Reply 3710059
• January 16, 2013 at 6:52 am
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Thank you all for the suggestions and comments. Osteoporosis runs in my family, both my maternal aunts and my mother suffer with it. The reasons I believe I developed the condition so young are as follows:
1.Being an athlete in my late teens and early twenties and not getting a mental cycle. Actually, it has never returned to normal until just recently.
2. Fertility treatments, including several cycles of Invitro fertilization to have my children.
3. Breastfeeding my children for 1 &1/2 years each child. (Daughter is 7 & son is 4)
4. I was also a smoker in college, and grad school.

You make an interesting point..
Am I correct in reading your comment, that if I can maintain my menstral cycle WITHOUT the birth control pills that I am better off not taking them?
I would rather not take them, they make me miserable.

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• By Dolly-CA
• Reply 3710269
• January 16, 2013 at 8:39 am
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Birth control pills can damage gut flora and compromise your ability to receive nutrients from food - not something you need to happen with osteoporosis. I only wish I knew this a long time ago. I took BC pills for 30 years and I'm sure it contributed to my OP.

http://www.acubalance.ca/birth-control-pill-and-your-digestive-health

http://chriskresser.com/9-steps-to-perfect-health-5-heal-your-gut

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• By Missie2
• Reply 3712632
• January 16, 2013 at 9:47 pm
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Judy-
Thank you.... I might do that, depending on how I end up after my bone scan and appt. with my obgyn on Feburary 6th.

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• By myb1
• Reply 3831693
• February 22, 2013 at 9:55 pm
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I was on low dose birth control pill for probably 20 years to regulate my period. I found out I had osteopenia about 7 years ago because I also have celiac disease (gluten intolerance) which makes you susceptible to it, thyroid problems (started 6 yrs ago), other immune deficiencies...

GP couldn't do any of the meds as not post menopausal. I was just diagnosed last year with colon cancer so had to stop BCP because of Chemo which stopped my period. When I finished chemo, I tested if Peri-menopausal but no such luck. I also redid bone density and got a little worse, but knew that was coming from chemo. Low and behold a couple of weeks after blood test, I got my period back at 51 though not every month. I was somewhat happy to get it because I knew it would help in the fight against osteoporosis. I am not going back on BCP at this time in my life. I tend to take 1200mg Calcium Citrate along with 2000IU Vitamin D. I try to look for fruits and veggies with calcium in them as best way to get it, but do eat yogurt and cheese. i walk a lot but that is only good for the hips. I am now working out in the YMCA Livestrong program so am getting some upper body workouts which should help.

My Mom, who has osteoporosis now 85 has been on a suite of Fosamex, Actonel and can't remember what else for last 13 yrs and she has never gotten better bone densities. This is not saying she couldn't have gotten worse without them.

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