Dont understand Results

[Bongomad999]

Lumbar spine L2-L4

Z score= 0.6

T score =0.9

BMD= 1.097

Total Hip

Z score= -2.0

T score= -3.0

BMD= 0.631

I was told i had severe Osteoporosis.

[Mavary]

Hi! I’m not quite sure in your readings but it looks like your hips are worse than our back my spine was minus 5.5 and my hips minus 4.3. It was deemed as serious and I’ve had seven spinal fractures. I would say you have osteoporosis in your hips. Your hip score is minus 3 it doesn’t look like you have a low spinal score. Its your hips that you’ve got to be careful with. Have they given you any treatment for it?

[Bongomad999 in reply to Mavary]

Hi no treatment yet doc mentioned injection twice a year,wanting me to go on Denosumab .Reading about them does not sound good im a carer for my mum who will.be 89, she depends on me so much.

In limbo just now.

Cant take AA. They told me i had OP of the spine in 2016.

Took AA for 5 month, didnt agree with stomach then in 2018.

They said it had gone.

Kepted all the paper work.

Now this year had another dexa scan.

Different results again.

Doc said its because i didnt take HRT. So they have mentioned me going on them.

[Met00 in reply to Bongomad999]

If you do go on Denosumab (Prolia) you need to be aware that if you have to stop it at any time, you need to go straight onto a bisphosphonate to reduce the risk of rebound fractures. As you can't tolerate AA, you need to find another bisphosphonate that you can tolerate before ever agreeing to Denosumab!

[Mavary in reply to Bongomad999]

Hi! I’m on Denosumab and have been for it must be nearly two years. I had a hiccup in the beginning but that was due to the changeover of meds. My bones are said to be serious. I’ve had seven spinal fractures, I broke my foot and I broke my hand. One was caused by not stepping up on a pavement properly. That was my hand one. My Cousin has been on to Denosumab for I would think about five years now and she is fine. I’m afraid all medication is a chance when you take it. But you wouldn’t like to have my bones because there’s no way you could look after your Mum. By the way. They gave me one AA and I was violently sick. So they gave me Terraparatide first for two years as that’s all you can have of them. I was then put on to Denosumab which is fine with me.

[FearFracture in reply to Bongomad999]

What? They told you you had osteoporosis in your lumbar spine in 2016, you took alendronate for 5 months, then they said your lumbar spine was no longer showing osteoporosis, and now your DEXA shows your lumbar T score is 0.9, which isn't even osteopenia, meaning it's considered within the normal range. Something is not right. Someone messed up somewhere.

[Bongomad999 in reply to FearFracture]

2016 prints when i took AA

Print from doctors

[FearFracture in reply to Bongomad999]

Bongomad999, above you posted "They told me i had OP of the spine in 2016."

When I look at the DEXA results you posted, I read:

DATE: 8-4-2016

Age: 57.1

L1-L4: Who Classification NORMAL T-Score -.6

=========================================================

L1-L4 is the lumbar spine and the t-score they gave was in the normal range, between 0 and -1, which means in 2016 you didn't even have osteopenia in your lumbar spine.

If I'm missing something, please correct me.

[Bongomad999 in reply to FearFracture]

Hi thanks for looking st my 2016 records.then in 2018 when it stated on the letter it had gone my reading was.Here in this pic

Upside down

[FearFracture in reply to Bongomad999]

Yes, this letter shows an improvement in your hip BMD, and that your hip was in the osteopenia range.

Your 08-04-16 DEXA shows

left femoral neck -2.8 (osteoporosis)

Total left femur -2.5 (osteoporosis)

Your 03-26-18 DEXA shows that your total hip t-score is -2.2 (osteopenia).

I'm not an expert on bisphosphonates, but I took alendronate for 1.5 years and stopped taking it because of digestive tract issues. My scores did improve slightly after taking the alendronate, but I think there are errors on my DEXAs so w/o going into too much detail, the errors probably exaggerated the improvement in my BMD.

Based on my limited knowledge, 5 months of oral bisphosphonates, mostly likely would not cause a huge improvement in bone density.

I know a few ppl who have taken alendronate for a couple of years without any issues, and although their numbers have increased, it's a slowish process and they have been taking the drug for a while.

Someone posted the number to the Royal Osteoporosis Society below. I think it would be beneficial for you to give them a call.

[Bongomad999 in reply to FearFracture]

Yes i have the 0800 number, dont think anyone can do anything about the passed tests i received even if they are wrong , The two doctors i had seen in 2016/18 have both left our practice, Tomorrow a pharmacy is ringing me around 10am , I will discuss as much as i can with him/her, I have had no fracture like most people on this site, the only broken bone i have is the right collar bone, Which has been broken since i was a young child ,so i am very round shouldered.A lot of people seem to have had fractures even though they are on the injection.

Im defiantly not going to rush into anything, I need full mot first lol. Thanks for all your help i will keep you up dated.

[Bongomad999 in reply to FearFracture]

After 5 months on AA

Large print

[FearFracture in reply to Bongomad999]

You 8/4/16 DEXA shows:

Femur t-score -2.5 which is classified as osteoporosis. You took the alendronate for 5 months and maybe it did help a little but that letter just says "you now no longer have osteoporosis". If you femur t-score went to -2.4 that would be classified as osteopenia not osteoporosis; however, be aware that DEXA scan can vary.

If you were to have two DEXA scans today, both performed on the same scanner by the same technician there is a good chance that your t-scores would not be identical, meaning it would be unheard of for one scans to show your femur t-score as -2.5 (osteoporosis) and the next to show it as -2.45 (osteopenia).

[Bongomad999 in reply to FearFracture]

Page2 2016

Large print

[Bongomad999 in reply to FearFracture]

Page 3

Large print

[Met00]

Osteoporosis is diagnosed with a t-score of -2.5 or worse (-2.6 is worse than -2.5) and/or a fragility fracture (eg falling from standing height). To call it severe requires more than just one poor t-score! Your spine t-score is normal, although I see they only scanned L2-L4, so do you know the reason for missing out L1? Your hip t-score is in the osteoporosis range, but there's a huge difference between that and your spine score, so I would be asking if they can explain the difference? You also need a FRAX score (fracture risk), as that takes into account a range of other factors that may increase your fracture risk and help determine whether your osteoporosis is indeed severe, or whether they've based that diagnosis on just your hip score. Having osteoporosis puts us at higher than normal risk of fracture, so to be told you have severe osteoporosis suggests that you are at very high risk of fracture. Unfortunately some doctors use the word "severe" quite inappropriately, so I would want to know their basis for calling it severe. Z-scores compare your bone density with average for your age.

[Bongomad999 in reply to Met00]

Thank you for answering, i will check that out, very useful information .

[Hidden]

Hi Bongomad999

The Royal Osteoporosis Society has a fact sheet that explains the DXA results.strwebprdmedia.blob.core.wi... You might find this helps explains things, or give one of the helpline nurses a ring on their free telephone number 0800 800 0035

[Bongomad999 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you very much

[Bongomad999 in reply to Hidden]

Hi the free phone number,I have tried, no tone,number not recognised .

[Kaarina in reply to Bongomad999]

Please try again!

The Helpline is open Monday to Friday between 9:00-12:30 and 13:30-17:00.

Get in touch by calling 0808 800 0035 or emailing [e-mail]

(If you are calling from outside the UK and unable to use the freephone number please call [phone])

theros.org.uk/information-a...

[Bongomad999 in reply to Kaarina]

Hi yes thanks i had just found it, It is closed for staff training.Thank you

[Hidden]

Thank you, Kaarina for your reply to Bongomad999. Sorry you had problems! Have you manged to get hold of one of the nurses yet?

[Bongomad999 in reply to Hidden]

Hi no but ive rang my consultants secretary to say ive decided, that i dont want to go on the Denosumab injections.Several reasons.