Hi All. At my last check up, I saw the Registrar and she asked me if I had ever had a dexa scan. As I hadn't she referred me. Apparently I am pre osteoporosis and am sure that other ladies on this site have come across the same issue. Can I ask if you were given medication or have changed your diet at all. I didn't really think about it before, but chemo affects bone cells along with all the other mischief it gets up to in our bodies!
Jenny
Dear Jenny,
The gift that keeps on giving!
I have not had this raised to me yet, but it makes sense.
I am not certain, but have recently heard that daily vitamin D along with Calcium and magnesium are beneficial to bone maintenance.
Of course, those dark greens are also essential.
Best wishes,
Laura
Hello Jenny
Yes this sounds familiar! I was given vit D adcal x 2 per day plus bisphosphonate 1 per week. The chalk pills are binding and the other ones give me heartburn 🤪
Not sure what to do...they haven’t rescanned me since 2016 and I understand that levels can recover after chemo. My GP isn’t interested.... so I take them intermittently, which probably isn’t good. Hope you get yours sorted xx
Hi. I think following the report, some member of staff or your GP should have given advice. It’s not fair to let us find our own solution eg. Suppliments, which we may overdo/underdo! Do ask....any investigation should have a follow up.
Remember weight-bearing exercise is good too eg. Fast walking, dancing etc where you put a bit of stress on your bones.
Linda x
Hi Linda. To be honest I haven't seen my GP yet. I like to go in with some idea of the path I want to take. Forewarned is forearmed! 😊
Jenny
The Royal Osteoporosis Society have very good information and a very good helpline. Jane x
I didn't realise chemo affected the bones. It was never mentioned when I had chemo. But I have spent about 4 of the last 6 years having hormone therapy, which I was told at the beginning could cause osteoporosis. They did a dexa scan in 2013 near the beginning of hormone treatment. I had further scans 2016 and 2019, & I have been told so far I don't have osteoporosis. In fact there was a comment on the scan report this time that has been very little change in bone density in the last three years. I don't take any calcium or special diet, and if I continue for long on hormone therapy, will push for another dexa scan in 3 years. I hope your scan result will put your mind at rest. Di
I think you just need to change your diet. I don’t think medication is given if you are preosteoporosis. You could ring your g.p. to check
Hi Julia. Yes, I am going to start eating more salmon and sardines!
Jenny
I was graded as having osteopenia (the stage before osteoporosis) some years ago, prior to having a cancer diagnosis - I was given Adcal to take twice a day. I don't take it twice a day, I take it once - Adcal is calcium and Vitamin D3 together, and I was somewhat concerned that taking it twice a day on its own might lead to calcium deposits in or around the heart. When I take it, I add magnesium and vitamin K2 that I buy myself, because calcium is better absorbed if taken with magnesium in a ratio of 2:1, and Vitamin K2 helps to 'nudge' calcium out of the bloodstream and into the bones. At that time, I also found out my B group vitamin levels were relatively low, so a short course of B50 complex was added in (I saw a nutritionist) for 3 months, with occasional short courses ongoing, particularly after taking antibiotics.
When I first started taking this combination, there was a slight improvement in bone density, but I've not had a DEXA scan for some time, so not sure how I'm doing now. I do remember the doctor asking me what I'd been doing that this slight improvement had occurred; when I told her about the added magnesium and K2 and Adcal once a day, she simply lectured me because I wasn't taking Adcal twice a day. I explained it was difficult to take it in the morning because of the oxalates in my morning porridge, but apparently, she'd never read the leaflet in the Adcal pack; she did not know that you should not take any calcium supplement within 2 hours of eating anything with a high oxalate level (oats, spinach, for instance) because the body won't absorb it... Sometimes I despair... it became very clear to me some years ago that what most doctors know about nutrition and vitamin/mineral effects in the body could be written on the head of a pin, and so far, there's not much sign of an improvement in their training in this respect.
I have not yet had chemotherapy, but I am concerned regarding its effect on bone density because it is a known side effect, though it may not affect everyone I guess.
Miriam
Hi Miriam. Thanks for letting me know about the regime you follow. I certainly didn't know about the benefits of vitamin k. I don't really want to take Adcal and would rather use diet and supplements.
You are right about GP's knowledge of nutrition. I read somewhere that they spend half a day on it when training!
Jenny
Note Vitamin K2 specifically, not simply Vitamin K - that has other properties which are undesirable for me! Adcal is fine, no problems with that, specially if you only take 1 a day; for one thing, most of us living in the northern hemisphere need to take Vitamin D3 anyway, especially in the winter, and sufficient bio- available calcium can be difficult to achieve from diet alone... And yea, a couple of hours training on nutrition is still all trainee doctors get. Hoping that might change, though its a very big subject on its own, to be fair...
I didn’t get a dexa scan until I asked for one following a collapsed end plate in my spine. Result was severe osteoporosis. My GP put me on Denosumab which was great and is a 6- monthly injection. However my clinical trial team don’t like me being on it as it can cause low blood calcium so I have started on Alendronic Acid this morning- it is horrid!
I have severe electrolyte problems due to chemo damage to my kidneys. I take 6 x adcal and 6 x magnesium per day plus regular iv infusions. I would definitely recommend arranging any of these supplements through your GP because it is possible to cause an imbalance if you haven’t had a blood test first. I have been in A&E a few times with electrolyte imbalances- chest pain, cramps, seizures etc
It's almost inevitable that with all the steroids and removal of ovaries that most women will be osteopaenic. Be very careful about taking medication. DO YOUR RESEARCH. During and shortly after treatment you are on a medication treadmill and doctors love prescribing. Look at the website "love your bones".It's important to make an educated choice on this matter.
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