I am 71 years of age. I recently fractured my wrist which led to a ‘significant’ level of osteoporosis diagnosis ‘ following a bone scan. I have lost 4 inches in height which shocked me, even though my husband of 50 years had kept telling me I was shrinking! I suspect this is due to my scoliosis. I haven’t been prescribed any medication because I need to have 2 teeth extracted. Also I am on a waiting list to see an Osteo hospital consultant with the likely hood of daily injections.
Then 2 weeks ago I woke up deaf. ENT doctor has diagnosed sudden hearing loss ( which has also caused vertigo annd balance issues ) and put me on a 2 week course of strong steroids in the hope of restoring some limited hearing .I have had to cancel my dental appointment . I am worried about 2 weeks of high dose steroids and the impact on my osteoporosis, especially as the ENT doctor said it might not help restore any hearing. Oh and I now have really loud tinnitus which is making it really hard to sleep . Overall I can’t seem to make progress any of these health issues . I’m feeling very sorry for myself and I feel like giving up on it all and retiring to my armchair for my remaining years. Any suggestions how to manage all this? Has anyone experience short course steroids ? If I have to have daily injections what will they prescribe? Sorry to ask so many questions but I feel like I’m in a minefield
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Greenwild
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hi greenwild. I’m sorry I can’t help with the answers to the steroids or the daily injection. What I did see when I read your post was myself and the struggle I have had since fracturing my vertebrae last August.
I did have a very similar situation in one thing after another and went from feeling a very healthy fit 66 year old to someone who felt completely disabled and never again able to enjoy the things in life I had previously. I also have an acquired brain injury from 2017 and have only just started to feel I am managing those problems.
It does feel like a minefield initially but you are in the right place here for help and support. I honestly think it is the shock of being told you have osteoporosis then other problems such as your teeth it all feels like your body is ganging up on you.
I am working through various things such as to take medication or not etc. I have been prescribed Alderonic acid but I have had such a dodgy digestive system for years. This has literally only just settled after having my gallbladder out nearly two years ago and I don’t want to go back so I am investigating other ways. From being vegan I have now started eating chicken, yogurt and cheese. I am taking a vitamin d with k2 and slowing getting back to walking and hoping to add some gentle exercise moving onto weights. I have read lots of information on here and working through other bits. I have decided I will have a scan in 12 months after these changes . I have seen on here there is a more accurate scan and I have that on my list to explore more. I believe it is to be paid privately so I am saving a little each week in preparation.
I think what I am saying is from feeling like yourself in those first weeks and months I feel I have some control on how I deal with this. I often think when I see people I am pleased I now know I have osteoporosis and can do what ever I can to help myself. It may not be what I had planned as things like my garden I would be moving and lifting very heavy things, well that’s what got me into trouble with the fracture but now I know I can educate myself.
I really hope you do start to feel better I do completely understand how you are feeling right now but ask on here read the information and slowly day by day you will feel more yourself xx
thanks for your understanding. Like you I was 70 , able to go for long walks, do some gardening and active in my community. Now since the fracture lots of health issues have arisen and at the moment I feel immobilised by it. But you story and the way you are looking for the positives really helps. I think your comment about educating yourself is so important .
Hi Sid31, just had to jump in with a quick response to your reply. We seem to be following the pretty same path at the same age. Just to let you know (I've booked), the Nick Birch scan, which I presume is what you're talking about, gets booked up quickly, so unless you are near his home surgery, I would get yourself booked in to the one closest to you, £50 deposit, then continue to save.
I had a short high dose of steroids for Bells Palsy some time ago, it cured it.You seem to have hit one of those phases where everything goes wrong, hope it all gets sorted soon. I dont know what injections they will prescribe,
Thanks for your reply. I’m hoping the steroids will give me back some hearing and won’t impact the osteoporosis. I had Bells Palsy in my 30s . Horrible. I hope yours cleared completely .
I'm so sorry to hear about your osteoporosis diagnosis.It is a huge shock especially if you have been well. A fracture, can send you down a rabbit hole of mental stress and I wish you well in your recovery.Research and ask questions.As another poster mentioned,after the initial push by medical professionals, we are in fact in control of what happens to us, moving forward.I am in the early stages of shock from my own diagnosis so I fully understand how you feel.
Greenwild, I know it is more difficult to get Movymia teriparatide in the UK, but you could use a strong osteoporosis medication sooner. With Movymia you wouldn't have to wait until after your dental work.
High dose steroids are so hard on your bones. And while the physician is advanced to use the steroid quickly for hearing loss, an injection behind the ear is sometimes considered.
Sudden hearing loss and tinnitus can be caused by osteoporosis.
Questionably, can I ask where you've seen the link between osteoporosis and sudden hearing loss?As a tinnitus sufferer and hearing aids user, I went for a wax removal then had sudden hearing loss just a couple of months before my osteo diagnosis. I asked both my doctor and 2 audiologists, all said there was no link!
If you search online Osteoporosis sudden hearing loss you will find a 2015 study which reports a clear link. More research is always needed, but a number of studies suggest an association between deafness and OP, perhaps due to degeneration of small bones in the ear.
Hi, Najio, there is an interesting case study in which the bones of the inner the osseus actually fractured because of osteoporosis.
Your doctors may know something about your hearing loss verifying that it is not caused by osteoporosis. But in cases where osteoporosis is causal, bisphosphonates will not repair the bone, whereas teriparatide can.
The link above looks at a number of studies and the connection is merely associative not evidence of cause and effect.
But osteoporosis can cause weakening or breakage in the auditory ossicles – the bones in the middle ear. They are the smallest in the body. These connected bones amplify and help transmit air vibrations for the outer to the inner ear that are processed as sound.
A CT scan can image those auditory ossicles—malleus, incus, and stapes.
Hi thanks for this. The audiologists did an air pressure test as I had ear suction and immediately went deaf in my right ear. I thought perhaps the suction could have caused a fracture in one of the small bones, but all say pressure test rules this out 🤔
Greenwild, I had two spinal fractures three years ago and am in constant pain, have had two hip replacements in the last year, with no adverse issues. I take an alendronic acid tablet once a week, and continue to have dental treatment. My dentist knows a lot about osteoporosis, I have root canal treatment to be done today, which is necessary, but not much fun!
I have arthritis in my feet and ankles, which makes walking difficult, but I feel I just have to keep going. Sitting resting makes my back ache more than moving around, it’s hard to stay positive sometimes, but I do my best. Gardening is hard though and I get very frustrated not being able to do much.
That’s really interesting about your teeth and your dentists response. Thank you . All the lovely responses I am receiving are making me realise it’s sink or swim with all this and I am trying to find the positives.
Hi Greenwild, I totally understand the despair you are feeling. I was diagnosed in October 24 after an MRI, have multiple spinal fractures and have lost 4 or 5 inches. My mobility is seriously impacted and I am still on the journey to try to get as fit as I can in these circumstances. There was a long period when I felt sorry for myself and I cried at some point every day. That’s ok. Eventually I stopped crying every day but that’s not to say I am completely reconciled with my condition. There will be a point where you are able to count your blessings.
I think first you have to allow yourself time to heal before you can think about how do I cope. In my area it’s quite a wait to see a consultant. I was referred in October and have just seen a consultant after getting a cancellation. I am due to start on daily teriparatide injections if blood tests etc line up. A lot of people are reluctant to go on bisphosphonates but I am taking binosto. Once I have had 2 years of teriparatide it will be back to bisphosphonates. I also take a supplements. My aim is to avoid another fracture by any means.
I also take prednisolone for PMR. It’s not ideal to be taking steroids but not a disaster. The consultant I saw and a rheumatologist I saw privately were not throwing their arms up in horror. Although I’m trying to taper off the steroids, I’m fairly relaxed about it. There are some very knowledgeable people on the PMRGCA forum who may be able to give you more information about the effect of steroids on your bones.
Taking one step at a time is hardly the right phrase in our circumstances when our mobility is impaired but there is a horizon for us. Take care and I wish you all the best.
Thanks for all the helpful personal experience you shared . It’s all helping me build a picture of the questions I need to ask medical folk and also how to help myself. You are so right I am grieving for what I’ve lost ,but your story is an inspiration and a motivator
Hi I am sorry about the way you are feeling just now and I can totally sympathise with you practically every time I go and see a doctor about something it's always seems to be serious, I feel like it's never ending at times. I got diagnosed with osteoporosis when I broke my ankle 16 years ago when I was 50 and on and off I took riseodronate.nearly 5 years ago I had to get a heart transplant due to a faulty gene and I had to take a fairly high dose of steroids for a year, I also went back on the riseodronate once a week. Thankfully after my last scan (dexa) about a year ago my consultant decided to take me off the riseodronate as for some reason not only had the steroids not done any damage my bone density was a bit better. I was given the calcium/vit d tablets, I couldn't take them as they upset my stomach. I had bowel cancer last year,( they took away the whole of the right side), I have enough problems but my calcium is still too low and I got ticked off, given different calcium pills to take, I had the same problem. I am now trying to find out how I can increase my calcium intake with food, I am a bit scared of supplements because of my new heart and in case anything interacts with my huge amount of meds. I have arthritis in my hands and feet and as much as I love my garden it's getting difficult to do now. Take care char x
I’m four inches shorter now too, and a different shape, which takes some getting used to! But I’m still here and can look after my granddaughters within reason! I can also keep my daughter’s dog company when she and her husband are in the office on the same day! Makes me feel a bit useful! Look after yourself.
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