Osteoporosis

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Last week I was received this diagnosis and I must say it came as a bit of shock! I guess I have just kept my head in the sand where this is concerned, but I just never thought I would have osteoporosis. Yes, my mother had it quite severely, but my lifestyle is totally different from the way she lived. She smoked, ate poorly, was on Synthroid for years, wasn't a walker, very slight weight/bones, and other than being petite those other things don't apply to me.

I scheduled a bone density scan because it is one of the wellness tests that Medicare will cover, (once every 24 months I think), and I have been gradually doing some of the recommended testing. So when I got the results of this test I was told I had some thinning in the left hip, but osteoporosis in the spine. This was just a call from my nurse practitioner's office relaying the test results so I haven't actually talked with her yet. The person calling did tell me they had already sent the prescription in for Fosamax for me. This is what my mother took and ended up with a broken hip after falling from a seated position, one of the side effects of Fosamax. Plus other side effects it has, makes me not keen about taking it.

I think my plan of action right now is to first meet with my nurse practitioner and see how bad the results are. Is there very little thinning, or advanced? And if it is in early stages, maybe take a year of doing things like increasing my walking, strength training, Vitamin D, etc. and then have a recheck. That sounds reasonable to me, so I will see what she has to say.

Have you been diagnosed with osteoporosis, and if so what treatment have you chosen to follow? I would welcome comments, advice and experience you may have had. Thanks.

[iris lilies]

My answer will not be useful to you, ut is just general yammering.

My mother had severe osteoporosis, this despite, strength training and a lifetime of walking. She was not especially petite, but she got pretty skinny around age 60. She didnt smoke, she hiked and exercised in old age until dementia took her brain. She took that Fosamax stuff for some years. Upon her second hip break, her surgeon told my brother that our mother’s bones were some of the most brittle he had seen. Oh, and her brother was bent over with the disease.


I say all this to show I have super strong family background for the disease.

I havent been diagnosed because I dont wish to be. I probably wont have the test. I am sturdier than my mother,
I do dailey weight bearing exercise through being overweight, haha. actually, another person with a broken hip was told by her dr that her excess weight was good in that regard, the constant weight bearing when exercising. At this time it doesnt worry me, I have plenty of time for that worry later.

[sweetana3]

My mother in law was on the edge. Turns out she is extremely allergic to Fosomax. Since the doctor was so wishy washy, she is not taking anything and just staying mobile and walking. She is 86.

If you decide to take it, suggest a sample from the doctor's office to test for allergies.

[danna]

Had a Bone Density done 5 years ago at 65 and everything was good.
I am fine boned, Synthroid for years (is that an issue?), never smoked, but don't exercise as much as I should.
Mother had Osteoporosis but, she had done years of Steroids for many other health issues.
So this past year I was put on Estrogen blocking drugs *Letrozole) due to breast cancer and they told me I needed
another Bone Density as a base line because these drugs can lead to bone thinning. Ya think they make you old...lol...
This time the test showed I was Osteopenic therefore bone levels below norm but, not low enough to be classed as Osteoporosis.
Because I have tested for years with high calcium in my blood I have been told not to take Calcium supplements and I agree with that,
just to make sure I get enough in my diet. Have added Vit D. and more weight bearing exercise.
So my choice is to take Fosamax or get breast cancer again.
I am not convinced the Letrozole lowers the risk of the cancer returning enough to balance out its effects and now the effect of Fosamax.

[catherine]

I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis in my lumbar spine and osteopenia in a couple of other places. I insisted on a BMD in my mid-50s because I had worked for a company who makes osteoporosis drugs and had talked to probably a thousand women about what would motivate them to take my client's drugs.

Anyway, the statistics in their marketing materials got to me (50% of women over 65 will get osteoporosis) so I just got the BMD to assure myself I didn't have it, but I did.

I have not taken the drug that I was helping to promote, or any other. I told myself I'd do yoga, eat better, etc., and honestly, that hasn't panned out. Now, 66, my T-score is worse.

I do think diet and exercise can help. I bought this book: The Healthy Bones Nutrition Plan and Cookbook (https://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Bones-Nutrition-Plan-Cookbook-ebook/dp/B01KGJ44RY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530497252&sr=1-1&keywords=healthy+bones) but it's difficult: they promote sprouted nuts and all kinds of things that I am not in the habit of preparing, so I haven't followed it.

I also read Loren Fishman's book, Yoga for Osteoporosis (https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Osteoporosis-Complete-Loren-Fishman/dp/0393334856). He did a small, but I think significant study that showed that doing just 10 minutes of yoga (specific poses) 3-4 days a week reversed bone loss.

My aunt has osteoporosis and kyphosis (the hunched back). Not sure if I'll wind up like her, but since I look like her and am built like her, so I wouldn't be surprised.

[Teacher Terry]

Choosing to not take the medication.

[Simone]

Choosing to not take the medication.

+1

[Simone]

Sad Eyed Lady, this forum has provided me with a lot of useful information and support:

https://www.inspire.com/groups/national-osteoporosis-foundation/

Here is another:
https://www.betterbones.com/

[BikingLady]

I had a Score of -1.8 two years ago. I have the second dexa scan in august. Hoping for the best that I never developed full bone density not hat I am loosing it. I said no to Fosomax from the general doctor and went to the specialist who said wait for two years and see if I wanted. It is scary and I understand :( But I guess knowing is better than not.

The last two years me old body with this and last spring told I have arthritis, cervical spondylolisthesis (spelling) which causes chronic neck pain>:( and then OH my old I got bursitis in my elbow. I never figured me the runner the walker the biker the veggie would be facing these "old" age issues.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Sad Eyed Lady, this forum has provided me with a lot of useful information and support:

https://www.inspire.com/groups/national-osteoporosis-foundation/

Here is another:
https://www.betterbones.com/

Thank you for this link. I have bookmarked it to come back to later on.

[JaneV2.0]

Adequate protein intake (high by current US standards, IMO) is critical for maintaining bone mass in older women.
From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907525/

Research findings support a positive relationship between protein intake & bone health

Many epidemiological studies have found a significant positive relationship between protein intake and bone mineral density.

Protein intake has also been inversely associated with hip fracture in postmenopausal women.

Isotopic studies have demonstrated greater calcium retention and absorption among individuals consuming higher protein diets, particularly when the calcium content of the diet is limiting.

Protein may positively impact bone health by several mechanisms

Experimental feeding studies have demonstrated that protein increases intestinal calcium absorption, and may positively affect bone turnover markers.

Dietary protein is an important regulator of IGF-1, which is anabolic to bone and muscle.

Maintenance of bone strength is dependent upon maintenance of muscle mass, which exerts a trophic effect on bone by the force applied during muscle contraction.

Adequate dietary protein plays an important role in the continuous remodeling process that occurs in bone.