46 year old osteoporosis - & HRT - update

[Sheeniejay]

A while ago, I posted to get people's experiences of HRT. Here's an update:

My specialist would not prescribe me HRT - she said the risks of thrombosis, breast cancer are potentially too high - all her colleagues agree that bisphosphates, etc are too aggressive and totally inappropriate for someone in my position - namely, not menopausal, amenorrhea due to low body fat for about 20 years, fsh levels normal etc She said she has no experience of someone in my situation and therefore does not want to prescribe something which could have awful consequences. HRT is only prescribed for those women who are post-menopause. The pill, where there's no real evidence, that she has found, that show it to be effective - Indeed, I only found one (albeit very small) clinical study which showed either is had zero effect or made osteop worse. To be honest, yes, I'm disappointed BUT at least she's honest, has asked other colleagues and is not pushing me onto the really severe drugs. The advice was to put on weight and see if my periods come back - I said that we have no idea that they even will come back and I'm not prepared to have nothing for 3 years, and then my next DEXA scan shows even more deterioration. SO, she's referred me to the academic hospital, to a specialist there because she hopes that another specialist might have more experience with someone like me - of course, I'm hoping that someone will have knowledge about HRT and people like me - HRT shows time after time to have huge positive, reversing effects on osteop.

I'm waiting for an appointment from the other specialist. If he/she also cannot help, then I will call my health insurance (in the Netherlands, it's not a public health service) to find out if I can go to specialists outside my area - if yes, I'll ask my doctor or the specialist to refer me to other experts until I find someone who has treated a patient in my situation. I do all the other stuff- calcium, vit K2 (just started that one a few weeks ago as it's hard to find a soya free one), vit D3 (on a prescribed strength from doctor which I take every 2 weeks - yes, it's strong!), impact exercise etc My DEXA results are worse than your ones - My hips are osteopenia (-2.1 - ostepenia range = -1.0 and -2.5, which improved from -2.2 which it was three yrs ago), my spine has declined from -3.3 to -3.6, so osteoporosis, though so I am desperate to get treatment. I was also offered the pill many years ago, when I lived in the UK. Do I regret not taking it? Only if the doctor had clear evidence that it worked.

So, I need to search for someone who has more clinical experience in the Netherlands.

[TNM46]

Hi I am also 46 and have been diagnosed with osteoporosis in my hips. I have been found to have Vit D deficiency and low estrogen levels and am 1 year post menopausal. My consultant will not consider any OP drugs but I am on HRT and they feel this is the best way forward together with bringing my Vitamin levels etc. HRT is now widely used in peri-menopausal women and I have recentl spoken to a 28 year old who has severe osteoporosis and she has been put on HRT (no menpause). My GP knows mothing about the menopause and the latest developments. Please do visit some of these sites and get more informarion........menopausematters.co.uk/, menopausedoctor.co.uk/menop..., and a lovely menopause Facebok group run by a doctor and a specialist - facebook.com/groups/3848494...

[Sheeniejay in reply to TNM46]

Thanks - I will take a look - this might be helpful if the next specialist is also not keen/willing to put me on HRT. Of course, I want to know the risks but I think doing nothing is not going to help. All treatments have a limited period before they need to be reviewed or stopped. If possible, I would like to try HRT for 2 years and then see the impact on my DEXA scans and, in the meantime, have regular check-ups. I am focussing - trying to - on the fact that I am not being pushed on to OP drugs which, until now, has been the only attitude which is why I opted for no treatment until now.