Alendronic Acid

Mrs G,

I think I will be asking my GP about the benefits V risks of me continuing with the AA :cry: .

I have been on it for just over two years now since being diagnosed on Dexa scan with oseoporosis in my spine and osteopenia in both hips, but my last scan did not show any worsening of it and I am loathe to continue with the AA if it actually makes matters worse :roll:

Unfortunately, because of my severe Rheumatoid Arthitis flare which necessitated increasing my steroids to 40mgs again, I have once again dropped my weight to 7 1/2 stone....(I don't know why they affect me that way and I just can not put on weight :oops: ). My Rheumy told me that I am his only patient that has lost weight on steroids and he has no idea why I react that way to them :roll: .

Being underweight is actually worse for people with confirmed osteoporosis as there is no \"cushion\" for any knocks...so maybe I will have to invest in some padded clothes :wink:

The poor body is a strange creature...too heavy and you run the risk of one set of problems, too light and there is a different set ready to take their place :? I think we all need to aim for being like Goldilocks, and find somewhere in the middle that is just right :idea:

Off to put my Michelin man suit on now so that I don't wake up with too many bruises

Love to all,

Pauline

Hello Pauline

My sister in law has been very very thin all her life and when she took steroids for another illness 60mg I think in 2002 she put on about 10lbs in funny lumps on her body then as the steroids decreased she is now thinner than ever

She is now on a maintenance dose of 5mg plus mthtrxate and has been on AA for 9 years !!

She has had lots of problems with her bones and specialists are now reassessing her as she had a fracture ( only a small one behind her knee ) this year yet some of her bones are too soft The problem with AA is after too many years of use is it causes the thigh bones to become too hard and they snap They had a close up on TV of the tablets I took every week !!

If you have osteoporosis you dont have so many options but like Eileen I dont understand why a lot of us are having something put inside us that they dont know we need !

My sisinlaw has to have special seats and special things on the mattress otherwise her bones hurt more than ever !

best wishes

Mrs G

Mrs G and Pauline

My aunt was on AA for many years (Fosamax) and when she suffered a hairline fracture of her upper spine, the consultant told her that the medication had done her no good at all - this is in spite of having numerous DEXA scans and being told on one occasion that her bone density was improving! She was put on a daily injection of Forteo six months ago which she will continue for 2 years, is doing well and is back to her 3 x weekly swims and gym sessions, not to mention sequence dancing 3 x week! She's coming from Wales to stay with us for a week shortly so I've got to start reserving my energy stores before then! She's in her 86th year!

Pauline - 7 and a half stone and on steroids - doesn't it just go to prove how different we all are! I was wondering how tall you are? Do hope the home in the sun is under way!

MrsO

MrsO

Mrs O,

Your aunts experience makes me wonder why doctors even bother giving AA to people anymore....there must be a tremendous profit for some-one, and its NOT the patients :roll: :wink: .

I am 5 ft 4 inches...so 7 1/2 stone is at the low end for my ideal weight.

I did put on a bit again when I got down to 10mgs before so hopefully that will happen again as the sticky out bones are not a good look :oops:

Our plans for the apartment in Spain are progressing nicely. We are buying from a man we know who was selling in the golf resort that we reallly liked, so it is just a case of getting all the paper work sorted out now and all being well we will have transferred ownership by early Sepember and I will not have to endure the cold Irish winters anymore

We are both very excited about this new venture and can see ourselves spending increasing ammounts of time there as we get older, and as Michael can basically work from any location with good internet, he does not have to stay in his Dublin office if I am going to spain, so it should work well for us.

Hope everyone has a good week-end...weather a bit dreary here and due to get worse, so a typical Irish summer :roll:

Love to all,

Pauline.

Pauline

At 5ft 4in you weigh just a little bit more than my friend. She is fit apart from osteoporosis (probably due to her tiny frame) but she can eat like a horse and is unable to increase her weight. It's reassuring at least for you to have had the experience of reducing the Pred and gaining some weight and let's hope that will happen again....and sooner rather than later! At least you've got something wonderful to hang on to when that dream of a house in the sun turns to reality - if I win the big Premium Bond I will join you!

MrsOxx

Would you like a fat transplant???? Plenty on offer here :roll:

Can I come and visit? You can come and see me in Italy - so can anyone else of course :wink: :lol:

Eileen

Can I come tomorrow please, Eileen? :lol: A close friend is in Italy at the moment having attended a wedding at Lake Como which her card says went on for 3 days! She's loving the area.

That sounds perfect for you Pauline. The very best of luck that all goes smoothly.

Sorry MrsO - you'll have to take a rain cheque :lol: I am getting as wet as you - thought Friday was too good to be true as we wandered around in the sun at Brownhills motorhome site at Newark. Were invited to a garden party in Jesmond, Newcastle on Saturday. Got drenched getting back to the car at IKEA - seems to have rained all the time since :roll: Monsoon anyone??????

Eileen

Eileen - it can only get better (I hope)! :roll: Sounds like you might be taking a motorhome back with you? :wink:

MrsO

No - it was to show himself the options :roll: :wink: . He was adamant he wanted a small one - having seen the different styles he's being less of a whinge :roll: Even sounds enthusiastic :lol:

We are finally officially going to move to Italy and be proper ex-pats so we can get a LHD one and register it there as it will be used most there. We've investigated somewhere to park it outside the flat - it'll give us another spare bedroom!!

And if anyone else tells me how good the weather was last week I'll crown them. Consecutive lunchtimes, Wed: Austria 29C, Thurs Germany 11C :cry: , Fri Newark 25C, Sat Newcastle 13C. What did someone say about rust?????

Eileen

Eileen

It all sounds very exciting - and not only \"another spare bedroom\" but even a spare loo I expect!

School hols are looming - no wonder the weather is so awful. Do hope it cheers up for everyone - you'd think after the bad winter we had, the summer would have well and truly made up for it. Will have to do my sun dance!

Hi Eileen

That sounds great A lot of friends have them Some like them as large as possible and tow a little car on the back ( My husband thinks thats silly as you may as well have a tow caravan !!) Other friends have downsized their vans because of getting in and out of car parks and small lanes !! Quite a decision A former colleque and friend of my husband who had to take early retirement because of cancer of the Osophegus at 50 almost lives in his !! he and his wife do at least 6 weeks skiing from it in France and a large part of the summer in it also

We have a tow Caravan but it lives on our land so its a weekend home as well

Hope you are feeling OK Have felt not too brilliant over the weekend but Im not sure it is PMR I think when you have had it for so long you forget what normal feels like !! I feel slightly fluey and aching wrists in the morning !! Hm !! I comtemplated a blood test but if I have one of these viruses Drs like !!! it would show in those anyway so I think I will plod on a bit

Hope its not raining on you today Looks very dull here

Mrs G

No I can't see the point of towing a car behind one - a boat or m'bikes, yes. We have 2 loos in the house (wouldn't live anywhere without nowadays and I don't need one for skiing - the flat is more comfy!!!!! However - it will be fun once I get him sorted out. Don't want anything too big but I do want to be mobile and able to enjoy our semi-retirement whilst I can. I've had PMR for 7 years and it still hasn't gone away - maybe it never will. :roll:

Our tow caravan lives just round the corner from Lake Garda - but I want to go other places too. Anyone who'd like to borrow the caravan would be welcome - we just take it round the corner and pitch it! We're only a couple of hours away :lol: We'll keep it to use there.

And rain - enough of the monsoon already! This morning was nice but it didn't last long.

Eileen