Bone density

[jani4063]

I have recently had a dexa scan and have been told i have osteopenia in my hips and lumbar spine, has any one else been diagnosed with this...my consultant seems very unconcerned when i ask should i be taking something to help with this,

I know my last bloods showed a low vit d level, so i am taking a supplement for that, my gp prescriced adcal but it gives me horrendous indigestion, is anyone taking anything to improve bone density.

I am really worried about this as i am coming up to the menopause (48 years old) also my mum has osteoporosis, and yet my rheumy does not seems to place any urgency to this...I am also taking low dose prednisolone and this obviously has an effect on bone density as well....help!

[lilstumps]

Hi I also take Adcal it is horrendous but I am prescribed Lansoprazole capsules for indegestion & reflux they seem to help me. I also go to my GP to have a Vitamin D injection aswell I hope this helps x

[jani4063 in reply to lilstumps]

Hi, can I ask how often you get vitamin d injections?

[lilstumps in reply to jani4063]

I have them once a month! They are usually given once every 3 months as I am enemic i'm not sure if they are helping much though, but my bloods every 8 weeks seem to come back ok at the moment. I am getting referred to a different hospital myself as my local one isn't doing anything for me, so hopefully I will find out exactly what's going on & I will get back to you soon x

[missey]

Hi, I also have a poor t-score of minus 2.2, and it does make me wonder what will happen when I'm 40 and on predisolone!

I have been to osteoporosis clinic and she really didn't seem bothered...however she did ask me why I was on calci-chew rather than adcal, I said I'd been given it once and didnt take them, that didnt like adcal and went back for another prescription, i also asked why and was there a difference?, she answered that adcal are so much cheaper so they prefer to give that...I told her that adcal are disgusting and I will be sticking with calci-chew.

There would be no way I could stomach those things twice a day, I would never eat with that aftertaste!!!

Ask for 'calci-chew d3 forte' they taste of lemon chalk, but not bothersome to take at all , good luckx

[Jamjar]

I also have osteopenia in my spine. I prefer calci-chew too!! Have adcal at mo tho, didnt notice pharmacist had given me them til i got home and couldnt face going back!

My doc has just put me on recidronate (might be spelt wrong!) She is worried about my bones getting worse because I am still on steroids, even tho a low dose now. This drug is supposed to help force calcium back into bones or stop me losing any more I think. There are a few different drugs for this, first one they tried was alendronic acid, which I had a horrible reaction to. Dont know if this will be helpful but if these drugs are suitable for you alongside calcium and vitamin d it may help your bones not get any worse. I have only taken one dose of the new drug but I have had less side effects from it so far.

Hope your docs can give you some answers. x

[irenestephen]

Hi

After many breaks and the easy way in which they became broken I was sent for the bone scan which showed I had osteo-genisis imperfecta (a step down from brittle bones). Hereditary (was'nt my Nan nice to pass that on to me - lol)

I used to take calci-chew but the region I live in now uses calceos. Not too unpleasant but a thought to take 4 a day so I take them spread out thru the day (when I am watching tv, going out in the car and generally other things like that then I don't really think if them as medication - if you can understand that)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I too have been on steroids (prednisolone) 5 mg. for the past 13 years and this gets put up when the flare up starts but if this is the only way I can get some quality of life with this illness then I will take any medicine going ( at the moment 15 prescriptions monthly).

Lanzoprasole is a god send - Irene x

[Hidden]

hi i have osteoprosis steroid induced.

your dr should be taking your bone health seriously there the national osteoprosis society in bath that have a specialist nurse help line who can advise you on what your doctors should be doing and how to get them doing it. try them they have been brilliant with me when my consultant wanted to change my ostoprosos treatment. they also give lifestyle and exercise adivice you should avoid tea cofee and coco cola, do recipe books for bone health. etc

i stick to just one cofee a day to get me started in the mornings.

im on residronate ( bone strengthing drug) and calichew.

but am about to start a new treatment to stop the bone loss called desinomab

hope this helps good luck

[janetd]

My first bone density scan was in 2004 and Osteopeania was found.They said the bones are of poor quality for a woman of my age( I am now 47 ). Advised to take calcium and vit D and think about HRT.Scan no.2 was in 2006 and there had been no change and nothing else has been done about it since, I will not go on HRT it's not for me.Lupus gives me enough to think about and I just try and keep active and do light weights and weight bearing exercises. I'm sure though in the future the bone thing will rear it's ugly head and they'll be asking why have you not had any more bone scans and I will say that's a question I've asked my self many times. I Know I am going to be a frail little old lady but I'm going to have a bloody good fight getting there,GAME ON.