If you have looked at any news this week (paper, Internet, TV) I'm sure you have heard that the US Preventative Task Force has come out saying that calcium and Vitamin D, taken at levels of 1000 mg of calcium daily and 400 IUs Vitamin D daily do not strengthen bones. This article from USAToday is one of many covering the subject.
I have NEVER taken calcium for bone health, even after I was diagnosed with osteopenia in 2004. Dr. Carr (who was my physician at that time too, he was still living in NC) told me that calcium was not what strengthened bones, and in fact, could cause kidney problems (kidney stones) and cardiac problems. He put me on Vitamin D3, along with Vitamin K (helps with absorption), and he encouraged me to start weight training (resistance exercise). Working out in the pool is good cardio but does not stress the bones enough. Ditto for fitness walking.
The study in the media this week is, in my opinion, a joke. Calcium does not build bone. Testosterone does. 400 IUs of Vitamin D is nowhere near enough for most (if not all) people, right now I am taking 15,000 IUs of Vitamin D, and once spring really gets here and I am outdoors more, I will probably back down to 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D. Dr. Carr likes his patients to be at levels somewhere between 70-100 ng/ml (I believe the preventative task force considers 30 ng/ml to be "adequate"), and my blood work two weeks ago showed my Vitamin D to be at 78! I've detailed in other posts on this blog that my last DEXA scan in 2009 showed a total reversal of my osteopenia, which of course thrilled me and my doctors. I asked Dr. Carr and Dr. Hines (my pain management doctor) about repeating the DEXA (bone density) scan, and both said that given how many radiologic studies I have had after the accident, that it's not worth subjecting me to any more radiation unnecessarily. Even if the DEXA showed some backsliding in my bone density, they wouldn't change the treatment (resistance training, testosterone and Vitamin D). I will never, ever take the osteoporosis drugs, and I know Dr. Carr will never prescribe them for me. Or for anyone.
My back and hip, as I have detailed before, are still quite problematic from a long ago car accident. I fall every couple of months, sometimes my hip just doesn't hold me up when I put weight down on it. If I am in the middle of a stride, I go down hard on all fours. I haven't broken anything in all those falls, usually all I have is skinned knees and/or hands, and I'm usually pretty sore for a couple days afterward.
Please check with your practitioner before making any changes to your medications/hormones/supplements, and if you have not had a Vitamin D level checked lately, insist on it at your next visit.
Cold here in NC, I'm ready for spring! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
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Please note: this blog is for informational purposes only, it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for any medical advice.
"Treat the disease, you win some, you lose some. Treat the patient, you always win."
~Patch Adams~
~Patch Adams~
Dr. John D. Carr
My Hormone Physician!
My personal hormone physician is Dr. John D. Carr, and he practices at Hormone Health and Aging, 35400 Bob Hope Drive Suite 108, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. His office phone number is 760-548-0413. For more information, see his web site by clicking here. Be sure to check out his Facebook Page, and he has a series of short, informative video lectures on bioidentical hormones and related topics on You Tube. Dr. Carr is a member of the the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and The Endocrine Society. Please note, that effective August 1, 2014, new patients will be placed on a waiting list and will be offered a spot in the practice on a first come, first served basis as slots in the practice become available.
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Check out the credentials of your hormone physician!
When you are doing research for a new doctor, here are two very important websites to check out:
The Federation of State Medical Boards
The link will take you to a listing each state's medical disciplinary board. It is important to make sure that the doctor you are considering has not had his/her license suspended or has otherwise been disciplined by the medical board in the state he/she practices.
American Board of Medical Specialties
This site has a page when you can plug in a doctor's name, state of residence and other information and you can find out if the doctor you are considering is board certified and in what medical specialty(ies).
The Federation of State Medical Boards
The link will take you to a listing each state's medical disciplinary board. It is important to make sure that the doctor you are considering has not had his/her license suspended or has otherwise been disciplined by the medical board in the state he/she practices.
American Board of Medical Specialties
This site has a page when you can plug in a doctor's name, state of residence and other information and you can find out if the doctor you are considering is board certified and in what medical specialty(ies).
Andrea's Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Journey
I began taking bioidentical hormone therapy in September 2006. I started with progesterone cream 3 times a day, and a small amount of testosterone cream every other day. The results were nothing short of astonishing! Within three days, my restless leg syndrome disappeared. Within two weeks, I was off five medications: antihistamine (cured severe seasonal allergies), acid reflux medication, sleeping medication (now I use Melatonin), blood pressure medication, and most importantly, the Ritalin/Concerta I took for Attention Deficit Disorder. I took longer to wean off the antidepressant I was taking as those meds must be gradually tapered off to minimize side effects. Besides the obvious health benefits of not poisoning my body with all the medications listed above, I honestly have more energy now than I did when I was 30, and I turned 52 in June 2010. My mind is much clearer, my focus much sharper, and my anxiety level has decreased dramatically. I now work out at our local YMCA 5-6 days per week, which has tremendously benefited the back, hip and pelvis problems I have from a car crash in 1992. Oh, yeah, did I mention I am down over 120 pounds from my high weight (and still working on it)! I began taking Bi/Est cream in April 2011. Until October 2010, my FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and estradiol levels indicated that I did not need supplemental estrogen. Although I was not having any hot flashes, I began to notice over the winter of 2010-11 that I felt a little cognitively "off"---grasping for words occasionally, and not quite feeling on top of my game. The Bi/Est cream, like my other hormones, is compounded at the pharmacy and I take it transdermally, twice a day. July 2009 update: Three years ago when I had a DEXA (bone denisty test) the results showed that I had a mild case of osteopenia, which is the precursor to osteoporosis. I had a repeat scan done in June 2009---not only do I no longer have osteopenia, the bone density measurements in my hip, femur and spine show that I am COMFORTABLY in the normal range. I am very excited about that---and I attribute it to the bioidentical hormones, exercise, and supplements (including Vitamin D). I am also often asked why I take my hormones transdermally (using creams on my skin) rather than just pop a pill. By using creams, I am able to bypass the liver and the absorption rate for my hormones is faster. The creams are in no way an inconvenience, They come in a little dispenser jar and it took me less than a week to remember my three daily doses.
As a society, we overuse the phrase that something has "changed my life". In this case, it's not hype---I absolutely know that bioidentical hormone therapy has not only improved the quality of my life, but has literally saved my life. I am looking forward to living the second half of my life as a healthy, productive, hormonally balanced woman!
As a society, we overuse the phrase that something has "changed my life". In this case, it's not hype---I absolutely know that bioidentical hormone therapy has not only improved the quality of my life, but has literally saved my life. I am looking forward to living the second half of my life as a healthy, productive, hormonally balanced woman!
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