long term steroids..

soooo, im currently on 20mg of steroids long term, recently been increased from 10mg.. i had to have a bone density scan which came back no problems.. they did tell me that a few more months on 20mgs a day WILL cause bone problems.. can anyone shed any light on how soon you can get bone density problems whilst on pred.. i was told anything from a few weeks to a few months, and what i need to look out for as i havent been given much information on the side effects of them

thanks

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yeah - i was wondering about this, i'm getting my bone density scan in the next few weeks as i've been anywhere between 50mg and 15mg for about 3mnths now, cant seem to get them down! sigh! they arent trying to get any lower than 10mg anymore!

i was also wondering - if a bone density scan shows that there is a problem, what do they do and how reversible is it? is it just calcium tablets? or is it all a bit more complicated?

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Hi,

Are either of you on calcium tablets etc now as a preventative measure (well try t prevent anyway)?

I take adcal on a daily basis and alendronic acid once a week.

X

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no idea what they do, its not been mentioned to me!

Im not taking anything like that Angelica, i had my scan but nothing else was ever said except things look ok for now! adcal hasnt never been mentioned or any type of preventative for that matter! x

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Hi!

I'm not on maintenance pred, but I was on it for about a month (starting 40mg) in October. I didn't even think about bone issues but at my outpatient appt in Nov the reg asked if I was taking bone protection; he said that actually bone loss can occur fairly quickly with pred and it doesn't have to be long term! Freaked me out a bit; on the other hand you have had a scan and it was ok so clearly you're not having issues yet.

I don't know what the deal is if you are on maintenance but seems like a preventative would be good - if my dr wanted me on bone protection just for that then I'd think you need it so worth asking about! I've not had a bone scan but steroid use has been linked to Vit D deficiency and the dr ordered a blood test for that which showed deficiency. So am on calcichew atm just to bring that up.

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see i wouldve thought prevention was better but my registrar basically said to me that i'd only get 'something' if the scan showed a problem! which is why i wonderedif it was revirsible damage!

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Hmmm, out of the last 16 weeks I've spent 10 on steroids so am now thinking this is something I'll be asking about at next appointment.

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think i'll be mentioning it at my next appointment..like you say, prevention is better than cure.. ive noticed im bruising really easily latley as well. I had afew blood tests and my arms were black! just bumping into something that would never bruise me in the past, is leaving little bruises all over!

i had to have a small bowel mri last week, investigating me for crohns disease, and the cathetas they put in have left me black and blue..

i'll definatley be asking about adcal, i was told bone density can deterioate pretty quickly the higher the dose of steroids, and ive been on really high doses lately and they going back tomy maintenece doses..

thank you all for replying x

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Hi sassy

I noticed that you said that you are bruising really easily - a side effect of steroids. You might like to take a look at a previous post about what happened to me on steroids. I think the title was ""beware of dishwashers"". Not to alarm you, but to ensure that you take care!

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soooo, im currently on 20mg of steroids long term, recently been increased from 10mg.. i had to have a bone density scan which came back no problems.. they did tell me that a few more months on 20mgs a day WILL cause bone problems.. can anyone shed any light on how soon you can get bone density problems whilst on pred.. i was told anything from a few weeks to a few months, and what i need to look out for as i havent been given much information on the side effects of them

thanks

Hi Sassy - there isnt an easy answer, individuals vary in response to medications and their side effects. Some people have bigger doses of oral steroids with little effect on their adrenal glands or bone density, others have considerable effects with smaller amounts of oral steroids. Sadly I fall into the latter category. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis a couple of years ago (when I was 36) and am now awaiting another dexa scan to see if things have worsened at all.

Up until being diagnosed, I had only had occasional week long courses of oral steroids, an average of twice a year. Unfortunately Ive been on oral prednisone now for 7 months, and frequently before that..

I am on treatment for osteoporosis, namely Adcal D (vit D and calcium supplement) and a bisphosphonate infusion yearly.

Sorry thats prob not answered your question!

Lynda

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its answered it in a way Lynda, thank you!!

i already have osteoarthritis in my knees, knee replacement in 10yrs if i can last that long, im 38!! im just keeping an eye on everything at the moment, but im going to mention it to the drs when im at the hospital next!!

thank you all for replying

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Sounds like a plan