Nancy?

[hensylee]

Nancy, since you posted about vioxx, I have had an incident just walking down the sidewalk, where something slid around in my hip. Ended up w/rheumatologist who put me on Celebrex and something helped; maybe the Celebrex. He also ordered bone density and MRI, rxed fosamax, calcium w/vit d (1500 mg/daily) and warned me not to fall. Wonder if you have comments on either of these meds? Hate taking all this stuff and swore if I had to, I just wouldn't and let nature take its course. Re-thinking that.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Hensylee-

The problems that Joe had with Vioxx, which were pretty bad, were because the Vioxx interacted with the Coumadin and it also did something to his kidney function causing him to have once again symptoms of CHF. He went off that right away.

I think most people tolerate Celebrex just fine, but I don't think Joe would be able to take it. I take Calcium/vit.D every day. I take it in the evening before I go to bed becaussssse it causes some tummy problems and it seems to work better this way. I have a friend who is on Fosomax. She hasn't complained about it. She had to take it because she was not on hormone replacement and lost a lot of bone density. I've been on hormone replacement, and so far my bone density tests are AOK.

Brittle bone problems are not a good thing, so good thing you had that little warning and can now avert something else.

Aging stinks. In my head, I feel 19, but the ole bod has other ideas.

 

[hensylee]

Thanks so much for the information, Nancy.This one was a shocker to me as I thought I was in pretty fair condition ---- not, I guess. Aging is something I have tried to accept gracefully but at times it's difficult?

 

[Sharon]

bone density

bone density

Hensylee,
I chose not to go on hormone replacement - but I do use a product called Progest. It is a natural progesterone cream that I use 2x a day. A little dab is all you need. I also drink a soy protein with isoflavones called Revival. Since starting to take the Revival my last bone test showed an increase in my bone density. You can read about the soy at revivalsoy.com. Also read the book by Dr. John Lee about hrt - can't remember the name of the book - but it's got the word menopause in the title. It is a great read for people who do not wish to go on hrt. Between the 2 products my menopausal symptoms have gone away and as I said before my bone density has improved. I just added weight lifting machines now (like nautilus), along with my regular aerobics classes. I hear that builds bones too. Do you have much pain?
Sharon

 

[hensylee]

Thanks Sharon for the info and the support. Will check into that site. Seems at a certain age there is a domino effect! God bless

 

[Zazzy]

Hi Hensylee

I took Vioxx after my surgery to combat nerve inflammation... seemed to work but then came the CML and they took me off of it. Must be the liver problems that Nancy was talking about. I do know that the docs told me that Vioxx is known to have very little interactions with other drugs.

As for HRT... none of that either...not because of my CML so much as my CHF. (My aren't there a lot of three letter words there??? lol)

My DEXA (bone density) shows that I am borderline.... nurse said not to worry about fractures YET!!! I take Caltrate, which is supposed to be easier on the digestion.

Does your hip hurt? I have a problem (gee... who would have guessed! hee hee) with my left shoulder. Xray showed that there is very little cartledge left and so it hurts. I just love the domino effect that these diseases have on our bodies.

Just a few ramblings from a medication induced mind! lol

Take care,
Zazzy

 

[hensylee]

Zazzy - it's still sore but MUCH better. The day after something slid around, it began to get sore, so I got xrays, advanced to a cane, more xrays, then a walker, then the rheumatologist. Thot I was going to be crippled. I'd walk around and say quite loud "OW OW" and people would stop and look at me. It seemed to help, tho and I still say it occasionally. Instead of the OsCal, I bought Caltrate today. It is hard to swallow all those pills to equal 1500 mg/day so I got the highest mg I could find. Thanks from one med head to another!