Shrinking???

[Devoid]

Just wondering as anyone noticed a difference in their height since gca/pmr? ,,and I don’t mean just not standing up so straight. My daughter noticed that I am now the same height as her when I’ve always been taller. Obviously a lot of people shorten with age but this is only in 12 months!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Have you had a dexascan at any point?

academic.oup.com/ndt/articl...

says "The earliest changes of steroid‐induced bone loss can be detected in the lumbar spine" and that the most occurs in the first few months.

So maybe you were already borderline or low bone density and the pred speeded it up?

[Devoid in reply to PMRpro]

I have had a dexa scan and bone density was in normal limits [the only thing that has been!] I wondered if it effects connective tissue and that was the cause, not experiencing joint pain on all this medication for probably the first time in my life, so some benefits

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Devoid]

I have looked all over the place for anything more than anecdotal claims that steroids result in damage to cartilage - nothing doing.

[Devoid in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for that , my eldest sister is under 5 ft tall she will find it hilarious if my shrinking continues 😊Hope you are keeping safe and well

[Hidden]

Hi, had you been on your feet when you measured your height against your daughter? I can loose up to an inch through the day when sitting and standing. I have to move my rear view mirror in my car after a "walk".

I have found morning after drinking lots of fluids is the best time to get your height measured. Do keep your fluids up and periodically lay down for 20mins a days to allow decompression. This is one of the better spine health sites I have been directed to.

spine-health.com/blog/how-m...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

[FnF36 in reply to Hidden]

I am 68 and have been 6 ft tall since I was a lad. In January I went for my initial diabetes meeting with the GP practice nurse.

Imagine my surprise when she told me I was 5’8”! I said I have been 6’ forever and asked how she had determined my height. She said it was based on medical data (??) and said “Let’s measure you, shall we?”

The nurse was much more surprised than I when the measurement showed 5’11”! I am content with my shrinkage but am now even more sceptical about medical data. 😄

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to FnF36]

Never come across any medical data that can predict height - whose idea was that I wonder?

[Hidden in reply to FnF36]

That's weird....measuring seems much more reliable!

[Hidden]

My height loss, now two inches, was noticed at dr office before dx of vertebral fractures. I had thought cause was aging. Combination?

[misspops]

I just thought the trees were getting taller.

[Constance13 in reply to misspops]

😂😂😂

[Jackoh]

Yes I’ve lost 1/2 inch which has always been important to me!! 😂I am now 5 1inches instead of 5 1 and a half. The half makes such a lot of difference! Dexa scan fine.

[Hidden in reply to Jackoh]

The strange thing is I must have been taller than I thought all my adult life. When I joined a service at 18yrs I was 5ft 3 3/4. But despite knowing I have lost height after back surgery, and that the flexibility in my spine and shoulders is terrible, the height at the hospital last year pre dexa was 5ft 4! So either she rounded up, it was earlier in the morning and I still had my bed height, I haven't lost height, or I was really almost 5ft 5 once I stopped growing! I really can't decide which.🤪🙄