Hormone replacement therapy can help women who have reached menopause. This means taking estrogen and, if you have a uterus, a progestogen to protect against a small risk of cancer of the uterus. Women who have not reached menopause can take estrogens in the form of birth control pills. If you can't take estrogens, you can take a medicine that helps restore calcium to bones. Another option is calcitonin, a hormone made by your body.
Some people taking long-term steroids lose calcium through their urine.
To test for this, your doctor might measure the amount of calcium in a 24-hour collection of urine. Jay Siwek, chairman of the department of family medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, practices at the Fort Lincoln Family Medicine Center and Providence Hospital in Northeast Washington. Consultation is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. St. NW, Washington, DC 20071. Questions cannot be answered personally.