I recently posted as a new subscriber how afraid and scared I being told I had osteoporosis
They have found got compressed vertebrae and two fractures
I think you will all probably remember. I had read that the life expectancy after such a diagnosis online was 4 years
I was suicidal to say the least and all your lovely messages gave me hope comfort and assurance that that was not the case.
The doctor had told that he was sending for a DEXA scan however he also told it would be at least a four months , so bringing you all up to speed … I have recently had an appointment at Ross Hall in Glasgow. I saw a private doctor and he assured me as you all did that was absolute garbage about life expectancy….
however he is sending for a DEXA scan next week or the week after.to Edinburgh
I have got to go back once I’ve had the scan in the meantime he has given me some exercises to do as often as I can and told to carry on with my daily activities as much as possible.
I told him I was in dreadful pain and the only thing helping was large doses of dihydrocodeine sometimes taken with paracetamol. If my memory serves me right he told that once he had the DEXA scans he would be able to correctly offer medicine which would stop the progress of osteoporosis or the very least slow it down and if my memory serves me right I’m sure he said it will also alleviate pain.
as I say, I’m not sure if I misheard him and I was wondering if any of you ladies could verify this or have I misunderstood him?
This morning I sat in tears not wanting to live with this pain but also wanting to live so to enjoy my little grandchildren Libby 3 and Fern 4 weeks
I am 67 about to retire and to be honest some days I don’t think I’m going to have much of a retirement
Last time I posted you were all so positive and wonderful which gave me such hope and positivity , I guess I’m just having a bad day . Or my hypochondria is creeping back
I was also wondering if anybody knows anything about back braces, I have heard that some ladies have found them very useful and reduce their pain somewhat.
i truly hope you are all coping well and living your best life finding whats possible and what is to be avoided..
love and hugs to all
FETLOCK ❤️
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Fetlock
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As a cancer patient I also went through some dark periods and a post on one of these forums made me realize I should get psychological support. I started the process by talking to the oncology social support and my family doctor during a bad patch. In the end mindfulness was enough for me but don't hesitate to seek help if you need. Even starting the process and knowing I could get help was reassuring.
I was a bit surprised when I read what you wrote about life expectancy so I asked one of the AIs I use. This is chatgpt o3-mini (reasoning model with search enabled).
The alarming figures—such as “5 to 10 years” or “4 years” of life expectancy—found online are generally not representative of most people living with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones and increases fracture risk, but it does not directly determine a short lifespan. Instead, the increased mortality risk seen in some studies is usually linked to complications (like hip fractures) or coexisting health problems rather than the osteoporosis itself. In many cases, with proper diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle changes, individuals with osteoporosis continue to live full and active lives. It’s important to remember that many online claims are based on worst-case scenarios or outdated data and do not apply to everyone.
I know some people are suspicious of AI and it can be wrong but the o3 models are much better than in the past. Maybe people with more knowledge of this topic than me can comment on the response.
Don't follow any AI advice without discussing with your doctors.
I am only newly diagnosed with osteopenia and three historical spinal fractures in the T10 to T12 region, so I can't give you much advice, only say how I have tried to cope. Some 70th birthday present, that! I don't intend letting the diagnosis stop me or shorten my life to just four years.
The pain killers I take are less strong than yours. They don't fully take away the pain, so I use distraction to take my mind off it. I am usually very busy, until the pain trumps it, and then I take a rest. I also try to walk 8,000 steps a day (built up to that), do stretching exercises given by physios and osteopaths every morning to strengthen and straighten out my back and hips, and eat healthily.
I had to readjust my mental image of myself ten years ago when diagnosed with COPD. No longer able to walk the beloved fells, I now write and publish books, enjoy jigsaws and my postcard collection, and work as a church musician, including playing organ and keyboards, running a choir and music group, and a weekly singing for lung health group.
Your doctor was so right about the importance of exercise. I was diagnosed about 20 years ago and immediately prescribed Fosamax (a bisphosphonate). I had my first spinal fracture soon after. Later on I had to stop taking Fosamax because of serious side effects, and their severity (plus some research) made me anxious about the other drugs available. I asked about exercise, and my consultant referred me to a physio-supervised gym programme. By this time I had had several spine fractures. I progressed through the programme and almost 10 years passed when I was attending the gym regularly 2 or 3 times a week.
During that time my dexa figures had not worsened significantly and I had had no more fractures. Then along came covid. Although I continued with some exercise, mainly walking, I had four more fractures before gyms were open again, with the resistance machines which I believe are particularly helpful for maintaining bone density.
I am sorry your pain levels are so high, it is not easy living with persistant pain. In my experience regular gentle excercise can help with chronic pain so I would urge you to keep going with it when you can. I don't know if GP gym referrals are still possible in the current NHS climate but it is worth asking your doctor as he is obviously already a fan of excercise.
I hope your current mood improves and you are soon able to enjoy your retirement. Exercise is supposed to be good for mood too, especially if you can walk out of doors and enjoy some spring sunshine. I think we're all ready for that!
Olliemaya I'm not sure how much I can tell you because, never having been a gym bunnie, in fact never having been inside a gym before, I didn't know (or learn) the names of the machines I was advised to use, apart from the step machine. But the other two main ones involved lying on a flatbed or against a back rest and pushing with the feet against a weighted vertical platform. Because of spinal curvature I needed to use a soft ball about the size of a football behind my head on the flatbed. I was also doing some elementary stuff with weights and using ankle weights on the treadmill. Of course, the ankle weights when walking and the dumbell use I was able to do at home during covid, and have continued doing. The big no-no, again as advised, was the rowing machine.
Thanks for replying back to me. I have often thought about going back to the gym as I was always there when I was a bit younger. I have been reading that the vibration plates are supposed to be good for your bones also. It's good to know about the rowing machine as I wld probably use that if I did go back. I have been doing yoga for nearly a year now and really enjoy it. I have a -4 osteoporosis in my spine. Was advised to start the eventy injection for 12 mnth. After doing a bit of research I have decided not to take any medication. I ha e booked a scan with Dr Birtch in October so hope to get a bit more information before making any decisions. Wishing you well in this journey that no one knows where it will take us
I’m really sorry to read of your fears surrounding your diagnosis of osteoporosis.
First be assured it is NOT a death sentence.
Osteoporosis in the sense of the word does NOT reduce a person’s life span.
However in SEVERE cases of MULTIPLE fractures it can cause many other health issues which can then in effect reduce lifespan.
Multiple fractures can cause loss of mobility and many other disabilities.
Use of the arms can become difficult to the extent you are unable to feed yourself or even file a fingernail.
A large loss of height ( which then results in the internal organs becoming squashed) this then causes many gullet and bowel problems.
If the Fractures are higher in the thoracic it can cause problems with the breathing.
Loss of mobility has a negative impact on the whole body and brings problems with the circulation.
One can develop Kyphosis and even Scoliosis.
A patient with problems of this kind becomes very frail.
This list is endless.
These are Facts ( I am speaking from experience.)
PLEASE don’t put yourself in this group of people, it is rare and there is much that can be done to slow bone loss down and build new bone with the support of a good consultant.
Stress is not good for our health in anyway and can slow our recovery from illness.
There is much that should take away the fears you have and reduce your stress.☺️
Going private is always a good option and if a person has the funds it is money well spent. ( should not have to be like this but it is the quickest way to get answers and speed treatment up) this should make you feel more secure in the knowledge things are happening quickly.
There is nothing worse than having to play the waiting game.
As in your own case you will have your Scan in the next couple of weeks, and then you will know what your bone density readings are.
Dependent on your scores you will then be given options of the different treatments available to you.
You are only in the early days of your fractures healing and there are things that will help the recovery.
Pain can really bring us to our lowest point.
Don’t be afraid to take the pain relief it is needed and if you can get your pain under control that is a huge bonus, it will help you sleep and this is very important for healing, and as the fractures heal you will be able to reduce the dosage.
There are also many other medications that can be of help and you may want to ask to try the slow release patches.
To help speed up the healing you need to increase your intake of protein, as much as you can eat.
Eggs as many as you can eat in a day, meat, fish and nuts are all really good.
As painful as it may be with the fractures try to keep moving as much as possible, you can do this around the home with 2 sticks for support.
Looking ahead will depend on the level of your bone density.
You have two fractures and you will want to avoid having anymore, but to reduce your risk will probably mean making some changes in your everyday life.
The usual saying when a person gets over an illness or operation is you will soon be back to ‘normal’ which means once we are recovered thing’s usually go back to how they were before.
This is not always the case though.
If the density of the bones are very low this will put us at a higher risk of fractures and changing things in our everyday life will help reduce the risk along with having the treatments.
The main risks are Bending, twisting , reaching up reaching over, and lifting.
Lifting is something you really need to think about especially having young grandchildren.
When your fractures have healed and you are feeling so much stronger this is something you may do without thinking.
It is far better to avoid any lifting of your grandchildren or heavy objects than having another fracture and not being able to do the simplest of things with them.
You have two beautiful grandchildren who will give you much happiness over the coming years and just thinking of that and seeing them will give you the strength to overcome any fears you may have now and in the future.
Wishing you a good recovery and let us know how you are after your results 🧚♀️x
Fetlock everyone is different but perhaps I can give you another outlook. Osteoporosis is in my family - My mother had it - she was 5 foot 9 inches when I was growing up - her spine collapsed and she had kyphosis - so her height became about 5 feet 1 or 2. The good news is that she lived to be 90. I am 70 - I don't have kyphosis but I have lost a couple of inches in height so I'm now about 5feet 2 inches from being 5 feet 4 inches growing up . I walk about 12 miles a day and do exercises ( when I remember) to keep my back straight! I try to keep a positive outlook on life and practise good breathing and posture. My mother never complained though I'm sure she must have been in a great deal of pain. I once asked my doctor about my back pain and was told that wasn't osteoporosis as you don't get pain from that... I can't believe that's right - maybe someone can tell me about that ..? I do know that as long as I can see my physio every 3 or 4 months he seems to aleviate my back aches. Not sure if that helps - I haven't tried a back brace but am interested to hear how others find them. I don't have pain medicine but I do practise meditation every night before bed. My mother was on morphine tablets and had morphine patches but that was't until she was at least in her late 70s to early 80s.
Thank you for your reply . Wow i am shocked about your mother loss of height, God bless her soul, what a trooper being so stoic.
I dont walk lots but i hardly ever sit down during a day always doing something so i do remain active
I was at the doctor today and she said i could try the back brace but in her experience they are not so effective , so now i dont know what to do
I have ordered a PEMF mat as ive read glowing reports about these and how many have reduced pain due to using plus i understand they improve ones bone density…its been despatched so fingers crossed it shall arrive this week .
I think physio might be on the cards you and many others have given it the thumbs up, so thats my next quest,
I too find it strange that the doctors tell us that this is not painful. However if the bones shrink im guessing all our muscles and ligaments will be out of sink and need to re adjust to a greater degree so maybe thats the pain we feel
I will update you all on how i get on with the mat, but in the meantime stay well and positive
A huge thank you for your reply i will endeavour to stay focused and indeed be more positive
Must look for the PEMF mat and find out about it. I do wonder if the Dr's know what they are talking about when they say the pain is not osteoporosis. ❤️ Fetlock
One thing that's true is that fractures are extremely painful and because of the disease they don't heal as quickly as you'd expect someone without Osteoporosis to heal. Be careful as to exercise, bending and twisting puts extra pressure on the vertebrae and they can fracture just by twisting. Walking is the safer option than running, jogging is downright dangerous!! The physio told me walking and swimming are 2 really good exercises, hydro therapy too Swimming lets you exercise without putting pressure on any of your joints, it also exercises every part of your body. Walking can help bone density as it's weight bearing, you could also add wrist and ankle weights if you want to build up your strength. Please keep us posted on how you get on.
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