Osteoporosis

[Catwoman76]

Hi to you all, I hope you all had a merry Christmas and a great New year.

Because I have recently been diagnosed with Coeliac Disease, I had a Bone Density Scan on Friday the 4th( in another town) and the lady taking the scan said my bones were 'light' and said the test results would be seen by a consultant and then the results will be sent to my doctor and sent to me as well. She also gave me a leaflet to send off for the National Osteoporosis booklet. She gave me the web address and advised me to read it and then make an appointment to see my GP in February.

Looking at the website, possible causes were diabetes and Coeliac disease. I was wondering if anyone else has been diagnosed with this and was the word 'light' used ( the scan lady did show me 2 photos of normal bones and thin bones and she said mine were the latter)

I am really surprised by the result as I am so active and can move furniture about, lift heavy things etc but she said to be careful that I dont get a fracture, but my thinking is ,I haven't had one before (not to my knowledge) and I cant see it happening now, so a bit shocked at the result really and a bit fed up with the constant medical problems, but on the bright side I rarely get coughs,colds and never even had flu! but sometimes I think I would swop .

Thanks for reading,it turned into a bit of an essay🙄

 

[Caroline]

Can't offer any advice. I know several people with osteoporosis who live quite normal lives. On prescription they gat regular calcium tablets and have been advice to have more thinks like milk and yoghurt id they can and do weight bearing exercises as this helps to build up bone density and helps muscles work better.

When it is slippery they are more carefull and one or two of them are able to work from home when it is very icey.

I hope all works out for you and you get some answers soon.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Sheena, Happy New Year! 🙂

Sorry to hear about this potential new problem. I would wait and see what the consultant says - it may be that some people have naturally 'light' bones but it doesn't make them any less strong. I've always been much lighter than many of my peers of similar, or even smaller build than myself, and the weight must come from somewhere! I have had a couple of fractures, but not because my bones are weak (one was due to a nasty fall on ice, and the other a stress fracture due to overtraining for a marathon, I think!).

I hope they conclude that it is not a problem for you, or that they can offer you treatment to improve things 🙂

 

[Catwoman76]

There are 3 things to do that can help, weight bearing exercises,like walking which I have done all my life as I dont drive and Idont have a desk job,

To go outside ( when the sun is shinning) even just for 10 minutes for Vitamin D, I am always out and about.

To have milk products, cheese, yogurt etc another thing I have always done.

I would just like to be 'normal' with the normal illnesses like coughs and colds,bugs and viruses, but I rarely dont get them😱 well,nothing that makes me 'ill' for a short time,strange but true. Thanks for your replies 🙂

 

[AJLang]

Hi Sheena

Sorry to hear about the latest problem it's not fair that so many things are going wrong for you. I hope that things get better soon for you xx

 

[trophywench]

Sheena

Did they Dexa scan your hip and lower spine? - that's the usual. When your doc gets the report it will have 'T' scores for each of these areas. The femoral neck - ie the bit of the hip joint that causes all the probs, and the lower spine separately. A T score of Nil equals a normal healthy 30 yo. If we are over 30, the score will be 'minus something' and it's unusual NOT to have some degree of Osteoporosis by the time you are 70 anyway. A score greater than minus 2.5 = Osteoporosis. By which I mean if the answer is ' minus 2.6 ' then yep, you've got it. The nearer you are to the Nil, the better you are doing. "for your age" LOL (I dunno how old you are, but I'm 62 and my femoral neck T score is - 2.4, oh dear) When it's 'significant' but not yet over (or should I say under?) minus 2.5 then you have Osteopenia.

If your bones loss IS 'significant' then ask your GP for a blood test for Vit D if he doesn't offer - because me - the naturist who delights in an all over suntan and tops it up at the slightest opportunity - is Vit D deficient and as such, you can ingest tons of calcium rich foods and still not be able to absorb the calcium. They hadn't used to do this blood test unless you got to a consultant, but now your GP will do it - I got my DXA scan quite incidentally by applying for a clinical trial (that I decided not to do, the trial drug sounded horrid and it was too much palaver having to go all the way to the centre every single month anyway) and although he already knew I had Osteopenia from those results - my GP happliy did the Vit D test and finding me deficient, I now get Vit D3 (ordinary D is NBG at all, MUST be D3) capsules on prescription. NP whatsoever. So don't be too sure you ain't deficient ! They changed the rules to allow GPs to do this just last summer, cos he had to look up the dosage when he got the results.

It's best to get em on scrip if you can, as you can overdose, it's quite complex because in that case th spare clacium builds up on the inside of your artery walls ... and then. I think it's Vit K you have to take to counteract THAT. No - just take the right dose to start off is my motto here.

Have to ask my GP next week when I see him when I shall have another blood test to see if it's working enough, should be soon I think - as have been on em since September.

There is no treatment offered for Ostepenia.

Incidentally, I had the blood taken for that in August - and we'd already had 2 holidays of 3 weeks each on a naturist campsite with a ditto beach in the S of France by then ....... and we do a lot of walking, yes of course I wear a hat, and my insulin pump, and my wedding ring, and my watch ......

 

[Northerner]

That's interesting TW - you just reminded me that a friend of mine has suffered a fractured femur (at the knee end) due to Vit D deficiency. She's in her mid-40s, fit and active, good general diet, but does tend to shun the Sun.

 

[Bolddog]

. ......I was wondering if anyone else has been diagnosed with this and was the word 'light' used ( the scan lady did show me 2 photos of normal bones and thin bones and she said mine were the latter).......

I've osteopenia. The DEXA operator said nothing, diagnosis followed in the report on the scan. 'light'😱 doesnt sound to me like a official medical term

..... I am really surprised by the result as I am so active......

If yours is due to coeliac disease then the root cause will be malabsorption due to the villi being flattened. ( have you heard about how the surface area available for absorption in the region of the jejunum is normally about two tennis courts in area but in many coelaics this is reduced to the area of an A4 page ? ) This can also cause other deficiencies such as B12. So, no need to be surprised, just take it easy 'till its all sorted out.

FWIW my GP suggested Calcichew D3 Forte to help things along. There is a similar product called Ideos something

I hope things improve for you now that you know to avoid gluten ( I found the difference after 6 months of gluten free living totally amazing with a myriad of seemingly unrelated medical issues resolved)

 

[PattiEvans]

I know nothing much about coeliac, but honestly I feel so much better on a fairly high dose of Vit D3. I have broken 2 of my vertebrae in an accident several years ago and scoliosis of the spine is marked, but my back pain has been very much ameliorated by taking Vit D3 5000iu per day.

 

[Marier]

Hi Sheena


I have just had Dexta Scan due to back problem past few years and Mum having Osteoporsis My results showed that i dont have Osteporosis however it did show Thinning of my spine Bones which will eventually through old age turn to Osteoporosis i am at Dr tommr so will get full resluts then n any further treatment if need as they also took my hip scan Dr has told me to up my Calcium intake so have started drinking Milk will let you know what happens when i go to Dr
Marie

 

[Marier]

Hi Sheena Dr just confimed that my hip density was normal but spine has weakening bones I have to have my Blood taken to check for Vit D level in 4 weeks time when im back for bloods anyway to see if i have enough in my body have to drink milk n increase my dairy like yogurts ,cheese just as yourself suggested and will spek to Dietition when at Diabetes clinic on the 23 rd
Marie

 

[trophywench]

Again Marier, I reiterate, it's no good drinking gallons of milk unless your Vit D level is sufficient for your body to absorb it.

And 'too much' cheese and dairy can make your Trigs higher, it's a vicious circle innit?

 

[Catwoman76]

Hi Sheena Dr just confimed that my hip density was normal but spine has weakening bones I have to have my Blood taken to check for Vit D level in 4 weeks time when im back for bloods anyway to see if i have enough in my body have to drink milk n increase my dairy like yogurts ,cheese just as yourself suggested and will spek to Dietition when at Diabetes clinic on the 23 rd
Marie

Hi Marie sorry to hear of your weakening spine. I wont know my full report obviously I have to wait a couple ( or few) weeks, so its a waiting game. My mum didn't have it, but my 12 year old knows now and I 've ordered🙄 her to drink more milk, as her eating habits have changed as she has gotten older. I love milk and all the dairy products and I eat plenty of those anyway. Good luck on the 23rd, I'm at the eye laser clinic on that day, so I will be thinking of you. Take care and best wishes.

 

[Catwoman76]

I've osteopenia. The DEXA operator said nothing, diagnosis followed in the report on the scan. 'light'😱 doesnt sound to me like a official medical term



If yours is due to coeliac disease then the root cause will be malabsorption due to the villi being flattened. ( have you heard about how the surface area available for absorption in the region of the jejunum is normally about two tennis courts in area but in many coelaics this is reduced to the area of an A4 page ? ) This can also cause other deficiencies such as B12. So, no need to be surprised, just take it easy 'till its all sorted out.

FWIW my GP suggested Calcichew D3 Forte to help things along. There is a similar product called Ideos something

I hope things improve for you now that you know to avoid gluten ( I found the difference after 6 months of gluten free living totally amazing with a myriad of seemingly unrelated medical issues resolved)

Hi Bolddog The lady just happened to mention the word 'light' and wasn't diagnosing as she did say the consultant would write the report. We chatted about diabetes and Coeliac disease and my hips were scaned as I was laying down with a square block underneath me, it looked like I was sitting down, but horizonotially. I also had my left arm scanned and she measured my left arm. She did say I could of had Coeliac D for a while,but my symptoms ( which were severe at times) only started about March/April 2012.

I'm decorating the downstairs at the moment and I kept thinking this afternoon, for goodness sake dont fall off the ladder😱 lol, luckily I didn't, I prepfer a chair really.

Best wishes

 

[Catwoman76]

Hi Sheena

Sorry to hear about the latest problem it's not fair that so many things are going wrong for you. I hope that things get better soon for you xx

Thanks Amanda and thanks trophywench for your input.

Best wishes to you both.

 

[trophywench]

Cheers Sheena, and I hope your results aren't too bad when you do get the poroper ones.

My scanner person actually told me my bones were far too healthy to be included in the trial - whereas actually they were exactly right and he was exactly wrong - they wanted people who hadn't already been diagnosed as having it and weren't taking eg calcium, Vit D or any of the Osteo drugs but actually DID have osteopenia so they could see if early intervention with an Osteo drug could benefit the bone thickness. From which I concluded the scanner person really wasn't very knowledgeable, once I knew the real result, bearing in mind the apparent state of my hip.

And in any case, some of the Osteo drugs already get used to 'thicken' peoples bones cos my sis (in Oz) has a form of bone cancer and has been prescribed XGiva (aka denosumab) for 12 months now, they are hoping to get em a bit healthier before giving her chemo ........ and I'm not keen on the side effects, esp with my dental history ....... and she now needs root canal treatment herself and can't have it because of the risks with that drug ........

Just from interest Sheena, am not prying - are you a fairly early menopause person like myself ? (was 45 although straight onto HRT for well over 5 years) Cos it does seem to be more prevalent in people like me ......

 

[Catwoman76]

Cheers Sheena, and I hope your results aren't too bad when you do get the poroper ones.

My scanner person actually told me my bones were far too healthy to be included in the trial - whereas actually they were exactly right and he was exactly wrong - they wanted people who hadn't already been diagnosed as having it and weren't taking eg calcium, Vit D or any of the Osteo drugs but actually DID have osteopenia so they could see if early intervention with an Osteo drug could benefit the bone thickness. From which I concluded the scanner person really wasn't very knowledgeable, once I knew the real result, bearing in mind the apparent state of my hip.

And in any case, some of the Osteo drugs already get used to 'thicken' peoples bones cos my sis (in Oz) has a form of bone cancer and has been prescribed XGiva (aka denosumab) for 12 months now, they are hoping to get em a bit healthier before giving her chemo ........ and I'm not keen on the side effects, esp with my dental history ....... and she now needs root canal treatment herself and can't have it because of the risks with that drug ........

Just from interest Sheena, am not prying - are you a fairly early menopause person like myself ? (was 45 although straight onto HRT for well over 5 years) Cos it does seem to be more prevalent in people like me ......

Hi again I was 49 when the menopause hit, so about average age, but never bothered with HRT or any form of menopause aids, as I wasn't in pain, but just very uncomfortable at times.
Thats sad news about your sister, is there another way of treating her dental problems other than root canal😱 because of her form of bone cancer? Often, the side affects of drugs are worse than the actual medication condition!! Thinking about it now, my trips to Guys hospital last year for dental treatment could of been down to possible Osteoporosis, thats if I had it then?

 

[trophywench]

Hi again I was 49 when the menopause hit, so about average age, but never bothered with HRT or any form of menopause aids, as I wasn't in pain, but just very uncomfortable at times.
Thats sad news about your sister, is there another way of treating her dental problems other than root canal😱 because of her form of bone cancer? Often, the side affects of drugs are worse than the actual medication condition!! Thinking about it now, my trips to Guys hospital last year for dental treatment could of been down to possible Osteoporosis, thats if I had it then?

Thanks for your good wishes but ......
Oh No - the cancer doesn't affect dental treatment Sheena! - it's the Osteo drug, you aren't allowed to have ANY invasive treatment of your teeth whilst you take it because Necrosis of the Jawbone is a quite common side effect ! And you have to have a FULL dental check up and any existing probs eradicated before you are even allowed to start taking it. She didn't have any probs when she started ........

Horrible thing.

 

[StephenM]

Any diabetic having a DEXA scan should ask to have both ankles included. Long term or poorly controlled diabetes can cause the bones in the lower limbs to be deprived of sufficient nutrients and become weakened. Some schools of thought suggest this can be picked up by a DEXA scan. As there may be lost sensation as well minor fractures, in the foot or ankle, may go undetected. These can become infected and in the worst case lead partial amputation.

 

[trophywench]

Stephen does that happen with brilliant pulses and full feeling with the microfilament test, or only if your tootsies are a bit iffy anyway?