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  3. Osteoporosis and Osteopenia

22 Replies

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  • Oregonjohn-UK
    Oregonjohn-UK allison72169

    Posted

    Thanks for the link Allison interesting.  A lot of meds get bad press but usually side effects only happen in a small majority of cases.

    I was prescribed AA as I was placed on steroids long term a couple of years ago, my reaction to them after the first weekly dose was dreadful I suffered the next 3 weekly doses and did some research and then confronted my doctor with the evidence that I needed a Dexascan as a baseline as to 'do I need them' - I just stopped as he had prescribed then as a matter of course due to a side effect of the steroids.   Have had no problems with bones and no DEXA scan! 

    From my research, you can only safely take them for 5 years, so there is little point in starting them too early if you really need to.  John - Male 75

  • LayneTX
    LayneTX allison72169

    Posted

    Wow.

    And then I read this paragraph in that article... Just made me sick. I almost wish osteoporosis and PMR on doctors...then maybe they will sing a different tune. 

    "One issue, Dr. Harris said, is the relentless promotion of diet and exercise for patients with fragile bones, which, he said, is insufficient to protect them from fractures. It gives people a false sense that they can control their risk."

    • shaq26875
      shaq26875 LayneTX

      Posted

      My Dexa was -2.86. I have had a number of hard falls and at least 1 a few weeks before my scan. No bones were broken . After the scan I was presrcibed zolendronic acid (a yearly dose given though IV injection) I didnt bother so i would love to know why have i not any broken bones in spite of osteoporosis ? I have been using weights for the last 20 years and doing loads of high impact exercises all my life and only recently started eating a calcium sensible diet . I am now 64 ( female, height of 5'4" and BMI of 20).....so maybe excercise does have an impact on making bones stronger!!
    • kathleen65757
      kathleen65757 shaq26875

      Posted

      It sure is a puzzle. I think it would be worth some investigation to find out why.

      Part of my spine is -4.3 so a pretty bad result.

      I am being super careful not to fall now but in the past I have fallen and had some very bad ones without breaking any bones.

       

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga shaq26875

      Posted

      The bone density scan is only one key in diagnosis.  It does not show what the strength of your bone is.  You could have bones considered borderline osteoporotic, but if they are flexible (i.e. strong) you are unlikely to have a "fragility" fracture.
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