I am always interested in what you have to say about the fight against osteoporosis. I was surprised to learn that you decided to stop actonel. I thought you were pretty comitted to that process, however, I support your decision. I stopped Boniva a couple of years ago, and have been on a mission to find healthy ways to fight osteoporosis without taking drugs. I came across the book "Green for LIfe" by Victoria Boutenko that I think just may help in that area. Victoria promotes drinking Green Smoothies and also suggests adopting a raw diet for good health. I purchased a Vita Mix and started drinking Green Smoothies. I think she may be on to something as I can tell a difference in the way I feel. I have been eating some raw meals, but have not gone 100% in that direction. I highly recommend reading Green for Life and would love to know what you think! The Green Smoothies are pretty darn good. My entire family is drinking them. Just wanted to share what I discovered. Victoria has also written other similar books. She has done a ton of research, and all her books are pretty interesting. Good luck PJ.
Hi - Thanks so much for your comment. My decision to stop Actonel was based in part on the fact that the main culprit in my bone loss is Arimidex, which I'll be finishing up in June. I just decided not to renew my (expensive) Actonel prescription at this point, hoping that stopping Arimidex will also go a long way towards lessening the bone loss.
I'd read about Victoria in the past, and now have Googled her green smoothie recipes - I'll definitely be trying that. Probably start with pear/parsley - that sounds like a simple one. Thanks for sharing your success with her suggested lifestyle! PJH
Just thought I'd share one of my favorite green smoothies. Try 2 to 4 pears, a bunch of greens (beet greens, swiss chard, spinach....whatever you like), a slice of lemon without the peel, small bunch of mint, and 1 to 2 cups of water (or you can use juice). Blend until smooth. Enjoy! I have to tell you, the Vita Mix made a huge difference in blending. The darn thing is expensive, but it's worth if if you're going to make the committment to drink Green Smoothies. I wish you the best with your current health issues. Take care. Cherie P.S. One thing I learned...it's very important to rotate the greens you are using and not just stick with one kind.
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Dear Hamel,
I am indeed deeply moved by your very graphic description of travelling and disease combined - seagulls notwithstanding. You would make a very good writer, considering the descriptions that you give of your surroundings and your feelings that accompany them.
I know how bad I feel when I am sick at home for any reason.But being sick on a journey is unimaginable. Nausea is one of the worst things in life, even without being serious. One of my mentors at Harvard, Dr. Albert V. Baez, the father of the famed singer,Joan Baez, who was a nuclear physicist like myself, once travelled out to India to meet me. Initially he stayed in a hotel room -- where he got sick and began vomiting. He told me later that he literally had to drag himself over the floor till he reached the bathroom. He said: "If I have to vomit, I would rather die!" The next day I persuaded him to come and stay with me for the short duration of his stay there.
So falling sick on a journey, far away from home is a nightmare of the worst sort. I am glad I stopped Actonel when I did, as I was feeling disoriented and weak and nauseous all the time, and had weakness and aches in my legs, and could not think properly. I was taking it out of an imaginary fear of an impending osteoporosis.
I am taking Vit D after that and feeling good. But the dosages had to be high initially to bring me into normal health. For three months I took 60,000 IU per week. This made my level of Vit D in the blood at 105 ng. The toxic level is 200 or 250 ng. But I reduced the dosage to 60,000 IU every two weeks and that is what I am taking now. I didnt feel so good when I reduced the Vit D dosage, but I did it to be on the safe side.
But I was literally "dying a slow death" with Actonel. Paradoxically my sister took it for two years with no ill effects -- though I could see that she was morose all the time and had a tendency to hide her symptoms lest we think she was trying to resist medication! Also Pam Flores one of your experts took Actonel for a long time without any ill effects either.
So what do we conclude? That is is good for some and bad for some? But whatever be the case -- now that Vit D has proven itself to be good for the bones as well as heart and cancers of various kinds, I certainly think it would be a much better bet for Osteopenia!
My tragedy was that no one ever told me about it till I came to these health sites such as OsteoporosisConnection and met Pam and yourself!!
Thank you so much!
Yours,
Priya