Scared stiff at results

Msrti. Re my previous post after checking the T scores from the DEXA scan they are -5.9 for lumber spine. -3.8 in the neck and -3.8 in the hip. If anyone has experience of living with osteoporosis please help me to adjust. Thank you 😊

[Nanaedake]

Yes, it's important not to curve your back forwards. So, it's good to adapt daily activities to take account of that. However, you will find there is still a lot you can do. Walking with poles on a good surface is good exercise and will help to prevent further deterioration. You should have been prescribed vitamin D3 and calcium in a tablet like ADCAL.

A lot of people on this forum have mentioned taking K2-MK7. I do too, as it's been shown to improve the quality of bone in Japan.

I add in 6 prunes a day for boron and also use a spray magnesium as it's a co-factor for vitamin D and helps your body make use of it.

So, there's quite a lot you can do. If you can use light weights then you could find the exercise videos on the Royal Osteoporosis website and follow those. All these small changes make a difference. I also went gluten free and now only eat free range, grass fed organic dairy full fat products.

It's important not to be afraid of exercise but find the right level of safe exercise and start with a few simple exercises you can do regularly. As you get more confident and aware of your body's response, you can add new exercises, at least that's what I found.

Despite thinking I couldn't improve bones as I'm 10 years post menopausal. I'm thanking God for improved bone density from osteoporosis to osteopenia in a few years by consistently following an exercise plan, taking supplements, changing to a better diet and taking Risedronate which I stopped after a year due to side effects. Latest DEXA scan shows good improvement.

[Hidden in reply to Nanaedake]

Thank you for this information. I am taking Adcal , Atorvastatin for high cholesterol ( I am not overweight,) this astounded me because I have been a vegetarian all my life and hardly ever drink milk except for tea and coffee. I don't eat eggs except in cakes and I don't eat cheese when cooked. I wondered if this had caused me to get osteoporosis. Yet the doctor said no it is probably because I was menopausal early and also it could be inherited. Although I will never know if this is true. I also take painkillers, Amitriptyline, Zapain and have Butec patches. I take vitamins magnesium B6, B12 and Probiotics. I have had a hip replacement and vertebroplasty at T12 and a compression fracture on T7. I have only recently been able to walk after 2 years from an accident that causes the fracture to my back. I have been trying to walk but am limited to about 200 metres before the pain in my back becomes unbearable. I was abroad when I had the accident and what astounds me also is when I had physio abroad I was doing many exercises and being manipulated and massaged aggressively totally unaware of my condition. It wasn't until I was fit enough to travel back to England that I discovered I had osteoporosis. Now I am told I have to be careful with every movement. The council came and gave me stair rails on both sides of my stairs a chair to help get off the toilet and hand grabs on the doors. I was told to have my phone with me at all times and had a key safe fitted for the ambulance to gain access if needed. All that is what scares me to, I know they are only trying to help though and am grateful. Please can you tell me do the Zoledronic acid infusions work straight away. I am encouraged to hear you say you have moved out of osteoporosis into osteopenia it is good to know that things can improve over time. Is my T score unusually high at -5.9. In your experience or is this quite common. Sorry about the long message, I am just grateful to talk finally to someone else who truly understands what I am going through. Thank you.

[walk21 in reply to Hidden]

It sounds as if you have been inactive for a long time after your accident, and I would think this has weakened your bones and muscles. If you can gradually do a bit more, and eat well your bones and muscles will slowly build up again. I send you best wishes, you will need to be patient!

[Hidden in reply to walk21]

Thank you for your encouragement, I will to go for a short walk each day. Instead of thinking that it is better to do nothing incase I break any bones. My muscles are weak and need strengthening.

[Nanaedake in reply to Hidden]

I can't answer your question about your T scores as I'm not medically qualified. I can only explain my experience. I found it frightening being diagnosed with osteoporosis too. I think it's important to maintain hope and every little tiny bit of exercise you can do will help muscle strength which will help to support your bones. So being careful you can start with the sitting down exercises on the Royal Osteoporosis videos. Don't give up as every tiny bit can aid your general health. Get into a habit of doing simple exercises. Don't overdo the walking. Little and often might be best to begin with.

I have no special knowledge of nutrition but in countries such as Japan, where many people are lactose intolerant, they make up the lack of calcium from dairy products by eating tofu fortified with calcium and natto beans which are fermented soy beans and very high in K2-MK7. Also, small fish with bones and other vegetables high in calcium.

I'd you are not intolerant of dairy products you could add home made kefir using organic full fat dairy milk.

It's hard to get enough calcium from a western diet if you cut out dairy as we are not accustomed to omitting it and don't have lots of other food products to boost calcium as they do in Eastern countries.

I've read that the calcium in green vegetables is more difficult to digest and utilise than that in dairy products so it might be worth reading and researching what is best for you at this stage in life. Apparently it is more difficult to hold onto and utilise calcium after menopause so what was OK before might not be OK after?

I take ADCAL but my blood calcium levels have not increased and are in the normal lowish range so I guess I need the extra calcium. I have found I need more vitamin D3 than the ADCAL provides as vitamin D blood levels dropped as before I supplemented with 1200 iu. That's 25mcg of vitamin D3 and ADCAL only provides 800iu, D3 I think. So I've bought my own additional D3 to keep vitamin D levels around 100nmol which is recommended by the vitamin D society. I don't know if this helps or not, it's just what I do based on what I've read. I think the NHS advice is that above 50nmol but within the lab range is fine. I prefer to aim for optimal without overdoing it. 100nmol is usually around mid-lab range in the UK from what Ive seen on these forums but you have to check your own test lab range as lab ranges can vary.

[Hidden in reply to Nanaedake]

Thank you, I will definitely get K2 and find out if the doctor can prescribe Risedronate for me. You have convinced me to exercise (without over doing it), now I have the knowledge that it is possible to regain bone density from someone who has achieved this. I have spent too much time sitting down afraid to move.

[Posy-White in reply to Hidden]

Hello Msrti

There are loads of chair exercises you can do before doing standing ones perhaps you can try a combination. I do this because even being over two years down the line after spinal fractures I still need Butec patches and my walking needs to be with the support of crutches. You might like me find you can do something more readily than others, it's about doing those ones and doing them little and often and then adding in more complex ones. It takes a lot of courage to make a start, but with the support of Forums like this and website like the Royal Osteoporosis you don't feel alone.

I had been monitored for OS since being 30 but didn't developed OS until in my late 40's I was still menopausal - this monitoring was done because I have lots of food intolerances and can not take things like supplements. Interestingly the OS Consultant's have said the inherited factor is the greater than my limited diet and the monitoring was done just in case! It did mean I was able to stay fit and do as much as could of years before my OS became an issue.

Good Luck

Posy White

[Hidden in reply to Posy-White]

Thank you Posy+white I appreciate your encouragement that there is the possible I can regain the life I had before, just as you have. I hope that the road to recovery will start soon. When we are able to get back to normality and I can go for the infusion treatment. Meanwhile I will definitely take a good look at nutrition and supplements. Thank you.