Bone profile

[Suzan62]

Had some routine blood tests carried out at doctors and receptionist said they want to repeat the bone profile in 3 months. Have a follow up appointment next week where I can ask the question but just wondering what the reason might be for them wanting to do this? I take vitamin D and Calcium.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It's a standard panel of tests that show how well your bones are metabolising - important when on pred.

privatemedicalclinic.com/po....

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

I don't think I've ever had one of these - are they available on the NHS?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

It's a standard test on the list in most places these days.

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

I don't think I've ever had one but will go and ask my doctors, maybe I missed it. They were certainly never offered at ethe same time as DEXA scans as a routine before my fractures

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

Would usually be as part of annual bloods - FBC, U&Es, bone profile, renal profile, liver profile - to use the modern parlance.

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

So IF I've had them, they must have been normal, yet .... I still got fractures

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

Same as bone density maybe - probably doesn't represent the quality of the bone structure. The trabecular structure is affected by pred. I don't know.

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

Sounds like something else doctors need to look into then if like DEXAs the bloods show 'normal' but there is an undetected underlying problem

[piglette in reply to tangocharlie]

Don’t worry, I have never had that test either!!

[tangocharlie in reply to piglette]

🤔But I do worry, having had spinal fractures despite being told there was nothing to worry about

[Suzan62 in reply to piglette]

I didn’t know about it but I can see from past routine blood tests that I’ve had it done before. It can include measurements of albumin, alkaline phosphatase, and calcium.

Just read this also…

If taking steroids for a long time, it's recommended to have an annual DEXA scan and bone profile test.

My Dexa scan last year was fine but I’m a bit concerned to learn that my bone profile test needs repeating in 3 months. I can’t get any lower than 7mg of pred unfortunately so that doesn’t help.

[piglette in reply to Suzan62]

I am amazed they are suggesting a Dexascan yearly when we are told they will only give them every two years and in my area every three years.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suzan62]

Where did you read that?

[Suzan62 in reply to PMRpro]

Just came up when I googled …

Bone profile blood test when on steroids.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Suzan62]

There is the ideal - and what may be done in the USA for example is one thing. What you can access in the UK is another. Where I live I can practically have a dexascan on demand, but no-one suggests an annual one since the changes are rarely that fast and it is a waste of resources. The blood tests can be done annually - but whether a GP would register problems is another matter.

[Suzan62 in reply to PMRpro]

Ah right ok. I can see my results from 2 years ago but not sure what they are this time. I’m guessing they’ve changed as they want to test again in 3 months.