Osteoporosis Update

[Mitziecat]

Hi

Following my recent diagnosis I saw my GP to discuss my risk factors. After scoring the overall opinion was still that I should take medication due to it showing in my right neck of femur with osteopenia in the left and in the spine. I have maintained that I want to try natural methods so GP has sought the advice from the bone clinic to see if I should do that and have a further scan in a year.

Started on adcal and had a blood test. Calcium was fine but Vit D level low. Have been prescribed a 7 day course of vit D and will restart Adcal after. I have researched dietary options and apparently chai and sesame seeds are good. Also told collegen but not sure how that works. I don’t want to get too weighed down and panic buy everything. Will increase my weight bearing exercise as much as possible. Currently on 1 mg of pred and due to taper in about 10 days to 1/0 for a month. Have picked up a cold so will see how that goes. Off to the Caribbean next week so that should boost the vit D

Again, many thanks for the support and advice given. Positive thoughts and love to you all.

[SheffieldJane]

That’s all very positive and interesting.

I hope that the only weight bearing exercise you do in the Caribbean is a pina collada. I am green with envy. Have a lovely time.x🌴🏖🍹

[Mitziecat in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thank you Sheffieldjane. Looking forward to it & to having a bit of a rest as I am not yet retired from work.

[Maisie1958]

Good luck with the Pred reduction and have a fabulous holiday. Like SJ I am so envious -weight bearing by walking on sand and soaking up sunshine sound nicer than Alendronic Acid tablets 😉! Enjoy! 🛫🍸🍹🌴 x

[Mitziecat in reply to Maisie1958]

Much better than AA. I have been told that walking on sand is good so plan to do a lot of that. Was also advised to buy some fitflops which I did today. They are suppose to aid comfortable walking and help muscle tone. Anyone tried them?

[Marymon in reply to Mitziecat]

I have Fiflop sandals and Sketchers. Wonderful.

But be aware you may need to get used to them, as they work leg muscles you may not used a lot, so slight stiffness to begin with.

Have a fantastic holiday.😎

[PMR2011]

The Caribbean...Great way to get vitamin D! Don’t forget K2 in your regimen, it helps calcium absorb into the bone. Cheers

[Mitziecat in reply to PMR2011]

Thanks PMR2011. I don’t think vit k has ever been mentioned by my GP but always read about it. Also told that collagen is required. Will look into it.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If you are one of the many whose skin vit D factory is not up to speed all the Caribbean sun in the world won't help much! I spend a lot of time outdoors with no sunscreen - without supplements it falls steadily. If you have a suntan, even light, it is as effective as Factor 12 sunscreen and Factor 8 reduces the amount of vit D made by about 90%.

By age 60 0r so, our skin production is a mere 25% of what it was at age 20 - and we don't expose quite as much skin (unless we are Edith Wales)

I somehow suspect that a 7 day course of even high dose vit D will not raise your levels far - so I do hope the GP checks it afterwards. Recommended is 60,000 IU per week for 8 to 10 weeks and trying to do it faster isn't as effective.

But have a lovely holiday - is it a cruise?

[TeddyC in reply to PMRpro]

I have also been diagnosed with osteopenia. Calcium fine but Vitamin D severely low. I was prescribed high dose Vit D for 3 months, at the height of the good weather and I spend lots of time outdoors. I had to have a kidney function test after 1 month, all was ok. I go on a Maintenance dose at the end of this month. I am fair skinned, the doctor had no idea why I had become severely deficient.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to TeddyC]

My daughter has very white skin - nothing like either of her parents or sister (she just goes sort of black...) - and her vit D was in single figures. She also has quite bad asthma and it is known low vit D makes that worse too - but the GPs just said "buy some supplements OTC".

Grrrrr!

[TeddyC in reply to PMRpro]

Could you possibly see another GP. At the surgery I attend some GPs are helpful, others not. Hope your daughter gets the help she needs.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to TeddyC]

Same at hers - but there is no guarantee who you see unless you can book weeks ahead and she is a paramedic - even finding time to get to the doctor is difficult.

[Mitziecat in reply to PMRpro]

Hi PMRpro.

Told Vit D was only slightly low and calcium level good. Will resume Adcal after a week and have a blood test scheduled in a month.

Interesting about sun screen as you try and protect your skin in one way but block vit D in another. Read that you should have at least 30 minutes without any sunscreen. I use it to keep my skin moisturised in the sun more than for protection. I have dark skin so adding sun screen probably don’t help but maybe a lesser factor is better.

Not going on a cruise, going to Barbados.

[piglette in reply to Mitziecat]

Did you get the result of your vitamin D reading? I always ask for a printout as I find it helpful to have a history of my results.

[Mitziecat in reply to piglette]

Hi

No I don’t have a copy but will get one next time I speak with my GP.

[piglette in reply to Mitziecat]

I just ask the receptionist and they print it out for me. In fact my surgery have recently introduced an online system so I can now just look it up on my computer! I do get more information on the hard copy though.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Mitziecat]

I loved Barbados - OH went there for 10 days to do some research work with a guy at the hospital there. We stayed with them so I got to live the "white Barbadian wife" life for a week or so. Another session of that would be nice - but no chance now. There was something special about picking your own banana! I like the food too.