Very anxious about treatment
Posted , 9 users are following.
During scans for my lower left side pain, possibly diverticular disease, it was found that I had a spinal fracture and a hemaginoma. I had no back pain and no idea when the spinal fracture occurred. As a result of this I had a bone density scan and have been diagnosed with osteopenia and in one area, verging on osteoporosis. I have been prescribed Alendronic Acid, and, reading about it, I am terrified! I am reluctant to refuse to take it as I might then break some bones, but the possible side effects, particularly the effects on the jaws, dizziness that some people report and esophagal damage are throwing me into a whirlwind of uncertainty. I had bad heartburn and esophagal spasms last year which resolved by themselves but would not like a repeat of that!
I know now that many people have no serious side effects at all and would love to hear from them! I have also been prescribed calcium with Vit D supplements.
Although I have had my appointment with the Fracture Clinic , I have been given an appointment with the spine clinic this week and hope I get an opportunity to discuss my fears. I will also book an appointment for a dental check up and see what my dentist feels about this medication.
If if there is someone who can encourage me, I would love to hear from them!
0 likes, 69 replies
alison28608 alison_64461
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But, suggested you talk over your concerns with your professional.
dee72836 alison28608
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I can still see your post Alison so don't think they removed it
Anhaga alison_64461
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kathleen65757 Anhaga
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I suspect that my two bulging discs cause more issues than the osteoporosis.
I continue to put faith in diet and exercise to help improve bones because by their very nature they do replenish.
alison28608 kathleen65757
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Anhaga alison28608
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Nobody is saying that extremely fragile bones can't be broken by such means, but it is true that healthy bones can break. Anyone can be injured through trauma. I've read that there isn't much difference in the rate of fracture between those diagnosed with op and those with denser bones. Could be that for most of us falls prevention is just as important as any other fracture risk reduction strategy.
kathleen65757 Anhaga
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Anhaga. I had plenty of falls a few years back but no broken bones luckily. Now I am super careful. Sneezing resulted in two bulging discs that seem to have caused a trapped nerve in the sacroiliac on the left side. X-rays confirmed arthritis and scoliosis in the back as well. I would never have predicted osteoporosis as I believed my back was good so I sometimes wish I had never had a scan that diagnosed it.
By typing a few key words we can now read up on any subject and sort through the information.
I will just continue to take care not to fall and hope I can avoid any broken bones in the future.
alison28608 Anhaga
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alison28608 Anhaga
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Anhaga kathleen65757
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Kathleen and Alison, I do feel this conversation has been going a bit at cross purposes. No one says that osteoporosis is not a risk factor for fracture, but it isn't the only risk factor, and in the big picture many or most people with osteoporosis manage to live out their lives without breaking any bones.
alison28608 Anhaga
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Juno-Irl-Dub Anhaga
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Anhaga, Kathleen, Alison, " Many or most people with OP manage to live out their lives without breaking any bones". (Anhaga). I have no idea whether this is the case or not. As Alison pointed out many people are only diagnosed with OP after having broken a bone. The issue here is not that people with diagnosed OP may indeed never have a fracture - the issue is that the RISK of them fracturing is MUCH greater than for those without OP and I think it's misleading to argue to the contrary.
MAYO CLINIC Osteoporosis site :
" OP causes bones to become brittle - so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses such as bending over or coughing can cause a fracture most commonly in the hip or spine".
This does NOT occur in people without OP
" Hip fractures are often caused by a (simple) fall and can result in disability and increased risk of death with the first year after the injury.. . Spinal fractures can occur even if you haven't fallen. The bones that make up your spine (vertebrae) can weaken to the point that they may crumble which can result in back pain, lost height and a hunched posture".
This does NOT happen in people without OP.
So, what should be the intelligent conclusion here? It seems to me that, regardless of what any of you
(including myself sometimes) might LIKE to think, the answer is self-evident.
J
alison28608 Juno-Irl-Dub
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alison_64461 alison28608
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alison28608 alison_64461
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alison_64461 alison28608
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Anhaga alison_64461
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People on calcium should also make sure they are getting extra magnesium as otherwise the balance between these minerals can be upset. My particular supplement includes magnesium, but if you've been taking calcium without magnesium for a while it would be good to take an occasional dose of magnesium separate from the calcium (calcium can be a bit bossy and interfere with proper absorption of magnesium, a result of too much calcium in relation to magnesium. Magnesium is, along with K2 and a few other micronutrients, like boron, essential in making sure the calcium actually gets into the bones. I like to have an occasional bath with Epsom salts, just in case the magnesium in my supplement isn't enough. Magnesium is absorbed through the skin in this case.
kathleen65757 Anhaga
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Also back to the list of reasons why people break bones I guess too!
alison_64461 kathleen65757
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Is there a reason you take the magnesium 'away from everything else'? I started yesterday and I see it is two a day.
alison_64461 kathleen65757
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Sorry, I had missed Anhaga's post!
Anhaga alison_64461
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I'm not absolutely sure of this, but the way I understand it is that calcium and magnesium maintain a certain balance. This balance is skewed if more calcium is taken in supplements without also additional magnesium. In that case if you start to take magnesium at the same time, the extra calcium you already have prevents the magnesium from being efficiently absorbed. So best to take the additional magnesium at a separate time. Calcium is quite bad for interfering with various other substances. If you're on prednisone, for example, they interfere with each other. Calcium will also prevent iron from being absorbed if you take them together. Makes you wonder why so many of us take, or used to take, multivitamins, we probably don't get optimum dosage of any of the contents! Although my calcium supplement claims to contain the right amount of magnesium I no longer really trust that and so I do have an occasional magnesium capsule, or the nice relaxing soak with Epsom salts. But there's a lot of magnesium in our food, this being to plants what iron is to animals. We really can only do our best, with whatever reliable information we can find. And with regard to optimum nutrition, this seems to be a moving target, always more to learn!
kathleen65757 alison_64461
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My older son mentioned taking magnesium on its own and I know people who take magnesium for a range of things.
I don’t tend to take calcium supplements but I do take vitamin D3 and vitamin K2.
If I were to take calcium I would alternate with magnesium but my calcium levels are pretty good as shown in my blood tests.
I don’t think you need magnesium every single day either.
Having fruit and vegetables every day is more important.
dee72836 alison28608
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What I don't understand is that its accepted as a fact that 1 in 2 post menopausal women and 1 in 4 men have Osteoporosis so why aren't all post menopausal women given a dexa scan rather than wait until after a fracture. Its bound to be down to NHS funding, but I would have opted to pay for a private dexa scan if I was made aware of the 50% chance of having OP.
(I do appreciate that unfirtunately not everyone can afford circa £150 for this scan)