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Lady taking AA for over 20 years but does not know her T scores!

Posted , 5 users are following.

kathleen65757
kathleen65757

I talked to a lady at the pool today who has been taking AA for many years, maybe even 30, but she knows it is as least 20.

She knows nothing about T scores and has just been blindly taking this medication.

I was amazed that she had no understanding of why she was taking it. She called it fosamax so she had the right name and product.

It amazed me that in this day and age people still do no research or question what they are taking or why!

 

1 like, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Mary_D_23339
    Mary_D_23339 kathleen65757

    Posted

    My goodness! That could explain when, on the rare occassions, I am prescribed additional medication I give the medical staff the third degree and end up with some funny looks! Seriously though that is really, really scary - we should all take responsibility for what goes into our bodies. Did you enquire whether the lady at the pool had had any additional dexa scans during the years she had been taking fosamax?

    Thank you for continuing to post on this site - it brings to our attention how complacent some people can me and reminds us all of our responsibilities.

    Take care.

    • kathleen65757
      kathleen65757 Mary_D_23339

      Posted

      I thought it was very weird that she has not had any questions or concerns. 

      I thought she could just taking it now at 75 as it has a half life and no need to take any more.

      She had zero information about it and seemed a little Pollyanna in general. I decided not to burden her with my views.

      She has only just started coming to the pool. Physically she looked good.

    • Juno-Irl-Dub
      Juno-Irl-Dub kathleen65757

      Posted

      If she stopped taking them now Kathleen, she'd probably collapse in a very small heap - it's probably all those little white pills (swallowed whole) that are doing such a great job of plugging all the other little holes in her bones. . .. . . 

      Just sayin'  ( Excuse my giddyness, no drink involved!)   J

  • Anhaga
    Anhaga kathleen65757

    Posted

    Apparently she's not suffering any ill effects?  I thought AA or Fosamax was not supposed to be taken for more than five years, if that, because or increased risk of atypical fractures.
    • Juno-Irl-Dub
      Juno-Irl-Dub Anhaga

      Posted

      True. But " increased risk" is just that, not a grarantee. J
    • Anhaga
      Anhaga Juno-Irl-Dub

      Posted

      True that, but I've also read that after a certain number of years the benefits of continuing bisphosphonates decrease to zero.  They increase bone density, but over time do not in fact give you healthier, stronger, flexible bones.  
    • Juno-Irl-Dub
      Juno-Irl-Dub Anhaga

      Posted

      I know. But my point is that, after 20 (or 30) years,  they didn't harm her either. I'm assuming she didn't have any fractures or Kathleen would have said.  And she's still swimming . . . . !
    • kathleen65757
      kathleen65757 Anhaga

      Posted

      She did mention broken ribs. I know little about her as only just met her and talked for a while.

       

  • frankiefoo
    frankiefoo kathleen65757

    Posted

    We are are different and react differently to medication. I have certain allergies and even a Paracetamol gives me bad side-effects whereas so many people can take all sorts of pain-killers and function just fine - and be pain-free. Then there's what's already going on with ones body. If someone has just one health problem and is fine with taking medication, then the chances of it disturbing other problems and causing them is a lot lower. But some are just luckier and in this lady's case - well done for still being able to function, to swim and have no nasty side effects! x
    • kathleen65757
      kathleen65757 frankiefoo

      Posted

      She did not have only one health problem. I cannot assume all those things about her as only talked for a while one time.

      What I was highlighting was the fact that she knew nothing about her condition. She had never heard of t scores. 

      If she has been taking fosamax for as long as she said she should at least know if there was improvement even if she could not tell her t scores.

      We all have a responsibility to be informed participants in our care.

      What is she only ever had osteopenia at 40 or so?

      Has it improved in all that time?

      I would want to know!

    • Juno-Irl-Dub
      Juno-Irl-Dub kathleen65757

      Posted

      What if her' improvement' was that she just never fractured?  Or - maybe, she only took her Fosamax once a month instead of  once a week? Still, that's a lot of tablets . . .  . . . 

      If she DID diligently take her meds. her face and testimony should be put on the front of the Fosamax package with the slogan " These will keep you going for years and years and . . "!  Great marketing potential here!!!   J

    • kathleen65757
      kathleen65757 Juno-Irl-Dub

      Posted

      I wondered about her teeth and hoped they are false so she does not have to have any extracted.

      As I do not know her I cannot vouch for what she is saying.

      Maybe if I see her again I can know more about her.

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