ICU intensive care/Covid and Osteoporosis

[Gooddaysunshine]

Hello, this is a bit of a left field one, and it has come as a complete shock, but on top of all my other post-covid pneumonitis debilitations I have now been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

It seems some of the bones in my spine are not what they should be and are pinching nerves, and this is contributing to the ongoing nerve pains in my hands and feet.

There is obviously now a risk of fractures if I fall, which is a worry given that one of my feet and ankles is still in a brace.

My GP says it has 99% been caused by a) the industrial scale steroids I took (and am still taking) for severe covid, pneumonia, and now for my ongoing lung inflamation, and also b) being in bed immobile and horizontal, as I was in ICU for 3 months, can damage bones.

I have been put on calcium tablets but cannot be seen by a bone specialist until late September.

Has anyone else had any experience of osteoporosis caused by being in ICU for a long time, or from having severe covid? and what treatment or advice was given?

[Hidden]

Hi. Not to the same extent as you, but have some arthritis in my fingers and my toes are numb. This since being in ICU with Covid for 10 weeks. I have some wear and tear in my back but nothing to worry about, and athritis in my left ankle, but I had discitus and suspected sceptic arthritis in my ankle when I was admitted to hospital, before I had covid, with sepsis

[FamilyHistorian]

I have had RA for 40 years with the associated bone complications and high doses of drugs including steroids. I have quite a bit of metal work and some joints have fused naturally. All these drugs have plusses and minuses and so monitoring is really important and by a specialist. Approximately a year before going into icu I had an decompression of my lumber discs because not only was I in extreme pain, despite opioids , I was getting numbness in my legs. Shortly after it was discovered that my c discs were also trapping nerves which were effecting my arms and hands as well. Strangely my time in icu had one positive effect in that my RA seemed to go into remission however it has now returned with a vengeance and I am being returned to my old level of drugs including stopping trying to come off steroids.On top of that I still have neuropathy in my legs as a consequence my balance is crap. For quite a few years now I walk with sticks. It was quite difficult to do at first when in my early 50’s but it does mean two things. Firstly I do have a degree of stability and secondly it warns off other people bumping in to me.

As well as effecting your bones and lungs steroids can effect your eyes so it is important to visit the optician, to monitor you for cataracts .

Try and find out who you have been referred to and contact their secretary to make sure you are in the active pile of the waiting list.

[Sepsur]

Just being in ICU seems to affect our bone density. I lost an inch in height ( which I’ve never regained)

There are specific movements/exercises you can do to improve your bone density. At some stage we have a workshop we are going to run centred around this.

[Gooddaysunshine in reply to Sepsur]

That would definitely be of interest. Ditto, I have gone from 6ft to 5ft 11in following ICU

[stevet11753 in reply to Sepsur]

Likewise, I've gone from 5'10" to 5'9" 🤔

[Sepsur]

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