New diagnosis of osteopenia

I was reading several of the posts and found out about k2 thru them. I will add that and magnesium to my supplements. I just need to figure out how much to take. I am also going to find an endocrinologist and get all my labs completed to see what else I might need to add.  

I’m very new to this diagnosis and feel like I’m cramming last minute for a test. I’m trying to get as much information as possible to make informed decisions. 

Thank you.

There is so much different advice online. One sight said to have low protein diet. Which threw me for a loop as Lean protein is good for you. I eat pretty healthy, salads and fresh veggies, lean proteins (my downside is bacon and no I’m not eating turkey bacon tried and let’s just say “nevermore, nevermore”). I have always preferred veggies to meat but always made myself eat some meat. I’m aweful about taking vitamins until recently. I have the small bone frame,  my one downfall is smoking (which I’m working on). 

I did the scan as a screening after talking to my ortho for months (no broken bones but other issues). I’m post menopausal 20+ years without hormones due to family history of cancer. I have a great support system in my family. My fear about the osteopenia was my doctor told me had I done the test in a year, instead of now, I would have osteoporosis. 

I will look for this book you were telling me about. Any other information would be greatly appreciated, thank you. 

It is no longer considered best practice to prescribe osteoporosis meds to someone who is only osteopenic, although there may be some other risk factors (previous fracture, certain medications (like steroids) which increase the likelihood that a doctor will do so.  I had some of those other risk factors, and started out with a bone density reading not much better than yours, was prescribed AA but turned it down and went the natural route.  In one year I improved my t-score form -2 to -1.6 and they are no longer recommending the meds, despite the other risk factors still being in place!

The protein advice is a bit askew.  The issue is, I believe, that meat (and some dairy like liquid milk) give you too much phosphorus which is unhelpful to the bones.  Protein is good, especially if you reduce animal sources, and with dairy concentrate more on fermented forms like yoghurt (shown to improve calcium absorption) kefir and some cheeses.  In fact all fermented foods are good, but you should introduce them in small quantities if you aren't used to them to allow your gut time to adapt.  Yes, supplements like D3 and K2 are very important, and you want to make sure you are getting enough magnesium either through diet or occasional supplements, to balance your calcium intake.  Magnesium also helps with bones and is readily available in leafy greens and other foods but you might need a bit more when taking extra calcium.  If you take extra calcium a couple of smaller doses at different times of day are better than one large dose as the body can only absorb just so much at one time.

Also appropriate weight bearing exercise is very important as this is what encourages the body to build more bone.

I should add that my doctor was very keen for me to be on AA, especially, I should note, after she'd attended a professional workshop about osteoporosis. I refused, and when I got those improved results after one year she asked me how I did it! 

Hi Sharesa   I sent you another reply, mainly about diet, about 10 minutes ago and again it hasn’t been shown, but waiting for the moderator,  

It was basically about altering my 40+ yrs vegetarian diet when I started breaking bones,

 

I now include organically raised dairy, especially goat yogurt, organically raised chicken, eggs, butter, out door raised lamb and tinned Alaskan Wild Red Salmon.  Provided you include the bones and liquid, from the salmon, It’s a very good good source of protein, Ca, D3 and omega 3.

Whether my other 2 replies will ever appear, goodness knows. As for why they have been held up, I’ve no idea!   Hopefully the moderator will explain to me what they dislike about them.

Best wishes

Things are automatically sent to moderation.  This is done by a machine.  You have to wait for the human moderator to view the post.  As I think I posted elsewhere the human moderator does take the occasional few hours or even a weekend off!

Thank you Anhaga.

 

Now that your post has appeared I'm thrilled that the book you named (the reason for moderation, the robot knows nothing) has been approved.  I love this book, have a copy on my e-reader.  

Hi Anhaga can you tell me the name of this book. I cannot see the post

Scroll up quite far to a longish post by Lynne.,  I don't want to write out the name of the book again in case this reply gets sent to moderation.  But you could do a find search on the page for the word bleue which is part of the author's name. 

I am also trying to go the natural route. I am 63 , no fractures yet.

My spine t-score is-3.4 and hips -1.8.

I wondered if you would mind giving your age as you are very inspiring. Do you know where I can find information about K2 doses?

Thanks

I am not 70, but I got my diagnosis about two and a half years ago after I starrted taking prednisone for polymyalgia.   If you google health authority Vitamin K2 you should find a really good article about this vitamin.  As for doses I just go with the recommendation on my supplement bottle.  I think it's unlikely we will overdose on K2 as the supplement doses are very small, measured in mcg not mg.  People who eat natto, the Japanese fermented soy which is the source of our supplements, get far more than that in a helping, and doesn't do them any harm.  Although of course getting a vitamin from a food is always better than from a supplement, if we can.  I haven't tried natto myself.  Not sure where I could find it.  And I understand it's an acquired taste!

NOW 70 - need an edit button 

Thanks that’s really helpful, I will check it out.