MANAGING THE MENOPAUSE WITHOUT HRT: OSTEOPOROSIS
If you had a premature menopause, especially as the result of the removal of both ovaries, and either can’t or won’t take HRT, then you should take steps to reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis. The two main medical treatments currently available for osteoporosis that don’t involve oestrogen are calcitonin and etidronate.
Etidronate. Marketed as Didronel PMO, this is a breakthrough in the non-hormonal treatment of osteoporosis of the spine. It, too, appears to work by reducing the activity of die osteoclasts, and trials show it can lead to a small increase in bone mass and to a reduced risk of fracture. It is taken on a cyclical basis: 14 days of etidronate, followed by 76 days of calcium supplements. Etidronate is not the right treatment for everyone, and because it has not been available under general prescription for very long, many GPs are rather uncertain about which patients it is most suitable for, but if you send an s.a.e. to the National Osteoporosis Society, they will be able to give you (or your doctor) more information.
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