Morning!I had an mri done some months ago,OA in the 5 lumbar vertebrae,bone spurs and a small cyst right hip joint. I asked for a referral to discuss treatment plan, mainly regarding any painkiller etc( also to discuss what this cyst is)
At our gps we are sent a choice of possible places to book in. A bit of a palaver ensued( the path is never smooth in the nhs today it seems!)but am booked for initial appointment Nov. 2024 . Its a private clinic who our GPs buy into for nhs patients .( UHCW has a wait of 24 + weeks)
Meanwhile on my Yahoo feed,an online ROS Osteoporosis questionnaire came through.
It was a dull rainy day so thought I'd have a go.
Result ,see GP. He was a bit flaky until I mentioned 2 aunties on both sides had it,and a surgical menopause at42 no HRt. Referred
Yesterday Dexa scan confirms Os in left hip but thankfully not spine.
Radiographer handed me 2 lots of info and said consultant would be in touch in due course with GP ,as I'll need treatment
So question on here is( I hear you sigh with relief,she's got to the point at last!)
What experience do any members here have with the various medications outlined on my info sheets?
One you have to stand up for half an hour after taking(?!)
Which are the most effective and best tolerated and do any trigger AF?
Are there any pain relief meds for OA we can take?
Thank you for reading xx
Written by
wilsond
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I took AA for 6 months, didn’t trigger AF, the one you need to stand for. I wasn’t happy taking AA because of nausea and risk of potential side effects, my dentist wasn’t happy I was taking it as I had implant. Have dental check and any work done before you start meds!
I then booked a private appointment for a REMS scan, more accurate assessment. I saw Dr Nick Birch at Osteoscan - had a long wait to get an appointment- which was very thorough. He downgraded the NHS assessment diagnosis through DEXA scan and because I didn’t have any fragility fractures & my fragility risk is low to osteopenia. (Lowe risk). I got full diet sheet & supplements along with advice on exercise. I bought a LIV machine which I use 1/2 daily for 10 minutes a pop. I go for reassessment in 6 months. Do look at specific exercise routines to help strengthen & rebuild bone.
I learned a lot on the ROS forum, as we do here. Worth joining the ROS.
If you haven’t fractured and are willing to stick to exercise, diet and supplement it’s worth considering, rather than more meds, all of which are not nice. I had 2 impact fractures which is how I was referred initially.
Hello CDSorry for late response sudden little grandson sitting duty!
I had a shoulder fracture about 2 year ago,fell over on lawn but none since.
As yet all I have is 2 sheets of general info and one on the drug you mentioned. This was only on Wednesday when I had the nhs dexa scan.
So I am awaiting the consultants report which will go to my GP to discover the details, I had a quick look at the ROS site looks very useful, see what you mean about the numbers interpretation.
I'm going to read up on it in the meantime.
I agree I'd far rather look at other options first if I can.
I'm on enough stuff already!
What is the LIV machine please?
I hope to get much more mobile if I can get my chronic back pain ,but I do try. I'll look and see what I can take on certainly.
LIV - Low Intensity Vibration. The one recommended for osteoporosis is Marodyne - expensive! But my Neuro physio started me on using LIV 10 years ago and I have found it so helpful for fascia and tendon pain as well as helping to build and strengthen bone. Science comes from studying loss of bone in astronauts - worth looking up the science.
It gets more and more difficult balancing meds doesn’t it? After 10 years I am finally coming off my Mg meds - very mixed feelings but seems the risks are now higher than the benefits.
I had a compression fracture of the T8 ,6 years ago - I have never broken a bone before or since( I think is was caused by a rough ride over rugged terrain in a Land Rover), Anyhow the Dexa showed I had osteopenia in several bones. The Orthopod did offer to inject some cement stuff into my spine to fill the space, but I declined as I know of too many people who've had spine ops. and not been happy !Instead, I had Boniva tablets once a month for 5 years (you cannot have it for too long at a time as bisphosphonates can cause osteonecrosis of the jaw) as well as a Vit D prescription tab which I take once a week (despite living in S. Africa, I stay out of the direct sun, and was Vit D deficient. The weekly tab, has bought my Vit D up to the required level), My latest Dexa has shown an improvement (apparently this will not be reversed by having a holiday from the drug) and I have had no further fractures, I reiterate, at 81 the only fracture I have ever had was the T8 compression I refer to..
Don't know if you've looked at the Bone Health forum on here but if not it's worth joining and posting over there too.They are an active bunch with a lot of experience of AA and opinions on taking it or not.
Most have various health issues as well as OA or osteoporosis so you'll get a good mix of answers of which medications you can take with heart meds and which ones they find better.
Plus, they have lots of old posts about Wats to improve your bone strength through exercise and getting calcium from natural means.
The most important thing , I think, is that before you get to see a Consultant contact your Cardiologist and check which treatments you can have and which are not recommended with your cardiac condition.
Then when you get to see a Osteo you can firmly remind them of your heart condition and make sure you get proper consideration about which treatments will work with what you already take.
I have knowingly had osteoporosis for 7 years. Only found via dexa scan I had to have before starting a drug for breast cancer which can destroy the bones. I tried twice with Alendronic Acid and couldn’t tolerate it. Awful stomach side effects, but no AF. I have since had yearly infusions of Zometa and that’s been a walk in the park. No side effects whatsoever. I am waiting now to see if I’m going to have 6 monthly infusions of Denosumab as I have finished the breast cancer treatment. I was also prescribed AdcalD3 which is just calcium and D3 and will be on those for life. ROA, Royal Osteoporosis Association has a mind of online information and they have a helpline. They have fact sheets for all the drugs and infusions for Osteoporosis which are very helpful.
I hope you find the help you need and the medication that suits you.
After breaking my hip I was put on Alendronic Acid Tablets, 1 per week, not because I had a bone problem but as a preventative after the break and yes, you have to take it and remain sitting or standing, not lying down etc., 30 minutes prior to consuming anything else. Since breast cancer in 2008 I have been taking a Calcium tablet, huge table twice daily, suck or chew before food however this was replaced by another increased dose taken once a day. The Oncologist at the time said all women over the age of 50 should be taking these.
Best treatment for O A that I have found ( and tried all the usual recommended supplements ( eg turmeric, chondroitin, glucosamine, pycogynol, boswellia to name but a few) was HRT.
I had a complete hysterectomy aged 48 and have been on HRT since I was 41 . I have no intention of stopping it - I have a very low dose patch of oestrogen only . Sometimes I forget to change it on time. Increased backache always reminds me!
I was diagnosed with osteopenia over a year ago. Have had an annual iv infusion of Aclasta which is a bisphosphonate. Offered tablets where you have to stay upright for half an hour if I preferred but couldn’t face the messing around. Have to keep calcium up so take 600mgms as well as diet. Have OA and take Panadol mostly.
Tried the Onero programme which has good research behind it (google for more info ) for bone strength but hurt myself so gave up which I regret now
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