I've been taken of Alendronic Acid and put on Risedronate??

Hi Eileen

Not quite sure why she thinks it will be better.......I did know it was from the same family but thought I would get some personal opinions before googling it.

I've had a DEXA scan. Three years ago was diagnosed with osteopinia then had a 2nd hip replacement in Jan and was doing an NHS exercise......CRACK!!!! Into hospital where they said you have fracturered your greater trochanter bone....{Femur} and there is nothing we can do it will heal itself but will take a long long time

7 months later I'm still on 2 crutches!!!!

I rang the GP and asked when my next DEXA was due.......at the end of this year. When I told her about the fracture she got an appointment straight away. Yes....osteoporosis but "its a bit vague" I've got OA and spinal problems so they couldnt give me an exact answer except definitely osteoporosis.

After reading some of the posts on here I realised how important dental work was but no one had mentioned it.,

So I'm about to make an appointment with the dreaded dentistNot one of my favourite appointments

The prescription will be at the chemist tomorrow, I'll collect it but not take it until after the dentist.,

Thanks for your reply

Love

Eileen

I know that risendronate is second line if AA has to be discontinued. How long had you been on AA? Were you already on it when your femur fractured? I'd discuss it all in detail with the dentist though - many won't touch anyone who has been on bisphosphonates and send you to hospital.

You have my sympathy about the crutches - my GP gave me an antibiotic that can cause achilles problems while I was already taking Medrol (a form of pred that can also cause achilles problems). Response from the GP when I went in to see with achilles pain? "I knew that could happen but I've never seen it..." Yes, well you have now, thank you very much! Pharmacist didn't catch it either (mind you, I'm not too impressed by pharmacists here anyway). 9 months on crutches to go anywhere and another couple of months going out carrying them "just in case"!

The next (and I suspect better) option for people who can't take bisphosphonates is denosumab, given by injection every 6 months for 2 years, which reverses the bone damage and everyone I know who's been on it is very pleased. I think you can also get bisphosphonates as injections - which avoids the nausea part. Still has the other downsides I imagine though.

Hi Eileen,

Lets see.....AA I was on it once a week for a couple of months.

No I wasnt on it when I got the fracture.....it was after the fracture when no one at hospital did anything that I took things into my own hands and got them to arrange another DEXA and thats when they discovered the osteoporosis although I knew I had osteopinia previously.....Doing an NHS exercise as well...wouldnt you think they would advise patients not to do that exercise if they have osteopinia or osteoporosis????

I'm not  very impressed with some of it here either. North East England....where are you?

We'll see what the dentist says and I'll report back to the GP

When I pluck up the courage to ring him for an appointment

Oh yes the GP said I would stay off AA if you were elderly and not active but you are far from that......backhanded compliment I think LOL

I'm 68 and am active even with the crutches......

Your GP knew it could happen but didnt mention anything to you????? Just because she hadnt seen it before??

How on earth do you carry the crutches  Not like a folding stick.

9 months is a long time ....I'm catching up  LOL I keep thinking if I hadnt had the THR I wouldnt be in this position....makes me mad. It was the pain clinic that eventually said you need your 2nd hip done. if you have it done it MIGHT help your back {kyphoscoliosis} and you'll need it doing soon anyway. Well hasnt helped my back and made me a lot worse.

Denosumab? not heard of that one .....I'll google it.

Thanks for all the information

Love

Eileen

I live in northern Italy - and apart from that episode the healthcare I get here is exemplary. I really don't want to go back to the UK simply because of that. As long as we are reasonably fit and well we'll stay here - but of course if one of us dies I think it is fairly likely the other will return to the UK. 

I used to carry both crutches in one hand - the sort handed out here at the hospital are very lightweight. It caused plenty of laughs! 

You would be amazed how often doctors hand out medication without thinking and then there is an interaction. I would like to assume any decent pharmacist would notice it, particularly if you always use the same dispensing chemist as I do, but it does always pay to do your homework - or ask the direct question if you don't know how to do it. . There are computer programmes that will flag up any such interaction/contraindication but very few pharmacies use them. Sometimes they are rare so you can't expect medics whose pharmacology background is ropey at best to catch them. 

Have you tried Bowen therapy for your back problems? I had Scheuermanns as a child and have had back problems all my life and my osteopath and Pilates helped no end. About the time my PMR kicked in  I started going to a Bowen therapist and that kept me upright for 5 years without pred (no diagnosis, too young, normal bloods...). Too expensive here but a few friends on the forums have also had a lot of benefit from Bowen therapy. A good therapist will tell you you can tell if it will help after 3 sessions - you may need more, especially for a chronic condition, but if it doesn't do something by then it isn't worth continuing.

Hi Eileen

On the whole the NHS service that I have had is good just a few blips.

I know all about contra-indicationI had eplipsy at 18 months old {now 68 yrs old/young}I've been clear since my last pregnancy and she is 33 ....so asyou might imagine I'm very careful about what is prescribed for me. The amount of times I have told docs "thats contra-indicated with my EP meds" No its not.....would you mind checking for me...was told about one of them after he checked....It is contra-indicated for a higher dose which is for depression ...the dose I'm giving you is as a muscle relaxant....I said so it will not do any harm {I drive etc and certainly dont want to have even one seizure after this time} Well nothing is written in concrete he said....Thats OK...dont prescribe it.  If there is the least chance I'm not taking it.

I use the same chemist all the time.

I dont believe in think of GP's {or any other medic }as little gods....they are human like the rest of us so I will speak up and ask if I dont understand or if I disagree with something.

I've heard of Bowen but never tried it. I have Kyphoscoliosis {C  shaped curve in my spine} and a slight hump at the top of my back. Lots of people are almost bent double. I know an osteopath wont touch me because of the osteoporosis.

I have been thinking about complimentary medices/treatments recently but not really decided on one yet.

Idont know how much it costs but I bet it isnt cheap.

Glad it helped you.

Still havent had the courage to ring the dentist yet

Love

Eileen

Just been discussing the pharmacological knowledge of your average GP with someone else. Yeah - right!!

My Bowen cost about £35 for a good hour session - but at the end I felt as if I had had a really good massage. It works on soft tissue so should be OK for you.

Good night ;-)

Hi Eileen

Thats not a bad price......A lot of our private things like homeopathy or osteopathy cost closer to £60....I will make enquiries

Love

Eileen

That was what I payed in the northeast of England when I lived in Durham - I imagine it probably costs more in the south. 

Hi Eileen

Thank goodness i'm not in the South

I'm North East as well.

Love

Eileen

Where are you - there are excellent GCA/PMR support groups in Gateshead and Middlesborough. My Bowen practitioner is just outside Durham and well worth a short commute! 

Hi Eileen

First of all translate please GCA/PMR  LOL

I'm in Prudhoe....If I have to put my county down its Northumberland but that makes it sound like the back of beyond.....I'm just over the Tyne and Wear border. Mr Arthritis Care group is in Gateshead in the Civic Centre so I'm familiar with there

Oh by the way...plucked up the courage and made an appointment with the dentist....Next week.

Love

Eileen

PMR = polymyalgia rheumatica and GCA = giant cell arteritis

They are what I have - my mistake, I thought this was on a different thread! Ooops! AA and risendronate are also used a lot for us so it didn't click to start with. We'll put it down to pred/autoimmune brain - as pred is the only medication that works for us ;-)

Hi Eileen

No problem........My attitude is if you dont ask you dont find out LOL

So I know now what they are....PMR I do know a little about....I'm a volunteer for Arthrits Care.

I know lots of people on pred.....but I'm not auto immune. OA in neck, lowere back, both hips, have had 2 preplaements,and ankle. Also kyphoscoliosis and osteoporosis. Oh a fracture of the greater trochantor bone at the minute......on 2 crutches for 7 months and no sign of getting rid of them

Love

Eileen

On balance I think I might opt for the PMR - though it makes crutches even more difficult than they are anyway. It can be awful but at least it usually gets better eventually whereas OA just tends to get worse doesn't it. If only they could come up with a reliable way of dealing with any of the versions of arthritis...

If Only !!!!! as you say.

Yes arthritis is chrionic degenerative

Love

Eileen

Hi

Sorry havent been on this thread for ages.

I had an appointment with the dentist, told him about the risedronate, all he said was I'm only intereted in that if I'm doing extractions

After the check he said you need 2 fillings.

Back for the 2nd appointment {reminded him again} got the same reply.

He seems very casual about it. Not sure if thats good or not

I feel quite squeamish for the day after taking that tablet......dont know if its because of all the bad reports I've heard that i'm imagining things

As for my Fracture {8 and a half months now} I had to go for an aspiration of the hip so he could send some fluid to the lab to check for infetion. Will see him on the 17th for the results of that. When I weas on the theatre table I said to him....I s there any chance of this fracture healing? NO.....first straight anser i've had.....so will ask more questions about that on the 17th as well.....I know this isnt the right forum for the last bit of this post but since I mentioned it before I thought i would just update

Love

Eileen

Nice to hear from you - not so nice to hear his opinion. Good luck.

Thanks Eileen

He knows I like straight ansewers. Everyone else when I was first take in waffled......it will take a long time etc.  I might accept it now and manage it the way I do with OA etc.....We'll see what he says on the 17th anyway.

Love

Eileen

Go and speak with ostoporosis nurses is a charity I had implants and mouth surgery when I was on pro telos, so speak with people know about the problem