Osteopenia

[mkh9]

Hi group,
I have a question. I went to Costco and they had a free bone density screen. I had never had it done and I am 50 so I thought I would try it. It turns out I have Osteopenia and borderline Osteoporosis. I walk every day for an hour, I'm on the Mcdougall diet, and I have no other symptoms except chronic back pain due to an injury (MRI is normal) and Hip Xrays normal, bone scan normal. My blood work is all normal except that I have a high TSH (low thyroid) and high FSH (Probably going into menopause) and I have migraines and migraine variant (which gives me vertigo and auras). I am on several drugs for that which are : Klonopin 1.5 mg (been on it for 20 years), Amitriptyline, Cyproheptadine and birth control (which has estrogen in it). So, two questions can any of these drugs cause bone loss? Doesn't the McDougall diet help with bone loss? So, then is this diet safe? I calculated that my intake of calcium has been about 1000mg daily. So I don't know why I have gotten low in bone density. I am going to also take Topamax starting tonight because of the vertigo from the migraines and I don't want to fall (which I have). Topamax can cause acidosis that leads to several problems one of which can be osteoporosis. But supposedly if you drink enough water a day you can avoid acidosis. I am drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Any comments here to help with the osteo and or what I am doing wrong? I did start doing light weights recently too (I have to go up slowly due to the back problem).
thanks,
mkh9

[didi]

Here is something from the McDougall website:

http://www.drmcdougall.com/med_hot_osteoporosis.html

Dr. McDougall says it is natural once you pass childbearing years to have less dense bone mass. So I think you will find what he says here and all the links included helpful. However, with all the meds you are taking it seems it would be impossible to know if they have anything to do with lack of bone health.

You might want to use Dr. M's elimination diet which you can search for on the site search space. Some have reported the elimination of migraines by eliminating nightshades like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplants. I get stroke symptoms which was diagnosed as migraine when I eat avocado.

Hope you find some answers,

Didi

[mkh9]

Thanks I will take a look. All the meds I'm on are new except the Klonopin. So, I don't think the new ones caused the osteopenia. I hear after 35 you start losing bone mass, especially if you drink a lot of milk and milk products, which I used to do.
Marieh9