<p>I had a bone density scan a couple of weeks ago and the nurse called to tell me I had osteopenia and that I’ve had some bone loss. It will be a few weeks before I can see the doctor to discuss vitamin D, calcium and possible medication. A google search shows that there is some controversy over treating with medication especially for younger post-menopausal women (I’m in my early fifties) and that some insurance plans don’t cover these drugs and that they can have serious side effects. </p>
<p>So I would like to be informed when I go to see him. What type of questions should I ask? What have you opted to do? I do exercise regularly. I am open to vitamins/calcium but not sure how I feel about drug therapy.</p>
<p>By definition, everyone over 30 has osteopenia to some degree. Osteopenia refers to a lower bone density than a person’s peak bone density which occurs in women at about 30. </p>
<p>You should find out your score and ask the doctor to compare to other women your age. Also, it is helpful to compare your scores every two years to see whether your bone density is changing rapidly.</p>
<p>There are dangers (nasty ones like rotting jaw bones) from the drugs to increase bone density. I think most docs only prescribe them now if you have osteoporosis or random bones breaking.</p>
<p>My parent both had bad, bad collapsed spines from osteoporosis. I took Actonel for a couple of years but now take only calcium and vitamin D (together in one tab) and make sure I get weight bearing exercise.</p>
<p>We had a good thread a year or two ago on this. See if you can do a search and find it. I also am diagnosed with osteopenia and am on my 2nd stint taking Boniva. I agreed to give it a 2nd chance but if my next bone scan doesn’t show a major improvement, I’m stopping. I am not a fan of the bone density meds. I am a long distance runner and don’t smoke, so my issues are mainly genetic. I also take Vit D and calcium but haven’t been as consistent with it as I should be.</p>
<p>I’m 56, I have osteopenia, and I’ve been taking Fosamax for about 4 years now.</p>
<p>There are potential side effects, yes, but they are not very common. I’m comfortable with the risk-benefit balance, but I intend to discuss it with my doctor again when I’ve been on the drug for 5 years.</p>
<p>My view may be biased, though. Five years ago, I had a broken leg that was far worse than the doctors would have expected to see based on the nature of my accident. Bone loss may have been a contributing factor. Also, my grandmother had a hip fracture in her 70s and my mother had one in her 60s, so there’s obviously a family history. I’m inclined to continue taking the drug as long as my doctor considers that to be the best choice.</p>
<p>Find out where the thinning is. It could be mostly in hips or could be wrists, spine, etc. This will make a difference as to what kinds of exercises you add.</p>
<p>Get the details of what your numbers are at different locations so that you have that information to look things up and research and ask questions on your own. </p>
<p>Be very careful with the mediactions as they can mess up the natural bone remodeling process leading to brittleness in strange places. If you are petite, look into doing exercises with a weight vest at your gym or you could invest in one to walk in. This will provide “structural loading” (vertical loading of vertebral column.) Jumping is good within your tolerance, squat jumps, jumping rope, and heal drops to feel that reverberation up your spine. Fairly low rep heavy weight leg press is a great thing for hips and femur. 8-10 reps 3-4 sets.</p>
<p>Issues can also be with nutrition as a teen. We reach peak bone mass in our mid 20s so women who restricted intake (gymnasts, dancers, distance runners and others) can get ‘behind’ early in life and cross that diagnosis threshold in their younger middle years. Also, women who are just naturally petite are at greater risk. Ditto northern climate people and limited vitamin D.</p>
<p>I have osteoporosis. ( T score is -2.7) I am pre-menopausal. I had a vitamin D deficency, so I take that & they measure it periodically. Also take calcium & strontium.( not together)
I was diagnosed two years ago, supposed to have another bone scan soon to see if I am getting better/worse.I exercise regularly too- I have been trying to increase weight lifting type of exercise.</p>
<p>Not on any additional bone building meds.</p>
<p>I seem to have Gluten intolerance, although negative when given a basic screening test. However, I have digestive problems when I eat gluten & I don’t when I abstain, so I have removed it from my diet and feel much better. Since otherwise a cause has not been identified for the osteoporosis, it made sense to me that if for the last 20-30 years ( since they have been using genetically modified strains of wheat which are higher in gluten), I had not been absorbing nutrients like calcium & magnesium, that could have caused my bone loss.</p>
<p>I think it is worth for you to get that checked, especially if like me you don’t have other risk factors.</p>
<p>Despite lack of other risk factors-I had the Dexa scan done because I have arthritis & felt like I could feel my vertebrae “grinding” at times. Never have broken anything though. :)</p>
<p>Weight training is a must. What kind of exercise do you do? You need to mix it up. Using your own body mass like in planks, pistils. Squats, lunges etc are good</p>
<p>My mom had this same issue and went the natural route first, exercise, weights, walking, nutrition, sun, etc and her bone density increased. But she did that working with her doctor.</p>
<p>I was on Fosamax+D for three years, then off for two years because I had supposedly improved, but then was put on Evista for 1 1/2 years now. Supposedly Evista has a more natural method of bone replacement compared to Fosamax (which is “brittle”). We’ll see when I get my next scan in another year. I haven’t had adverse reactions to either drug.</p>
<p>Lift weights (under doctor’s supervision if your bones are already weak).</p>
<p>Get sufficient vitamin D from sunlight on your skin, fish, and fortified foods.</p>
<p>Get sufficient calcium. If you do not consume much milk, other sources include some green vegetables, tofu made with calcium sulfate, some mushrooms, and fortified foods.</p>
<p>I was diagnosed with this a few years ago. I just take more Vit D and calcium, and make sure that I eat very healthy (lots of fruits and veggies, etc) </p>
<p>I am trying to stay away from prescription drugs, and handle it with my diet and exercise.</p>
<p>Mom has this and was taking fosamax until the doc noticed that it wasn’t working for her. Now she goes in once a year and gets a calcium IV (?) and takes vit D once a week. She goes again in October to see if this new regimen is helping. Otherwise she’s at that stage where if you look at her wrong, she’ll break a bone.</p>
<p>Heck, 20 years ago she fractured her back by leaning over and picking up my 30 pound son…</p>
<p>I guess I should be adding weights to my gym routine.</p>
<p>This is so helpful, thank you. So I need to get a number and figure out which areas are weakest. I am small boned and carrying about 30 extra pounds which I’m working on. I walk a lot on hilly terrain and I go to Curves and use those resistance machines which cover all areas of the body. I swim in the summer (I know that’s not weight-bearing) and I do some yoga stretching. I’m kind of an achy person, always have been. I’ve never broken a bone that I know of. That’s why I’m a bit surprised. I guess I need that number. When I took a blood test a few months ago to see if I was in menopause (I am) the nurse said, “You’re in menopause, want to schedule a visit to talk to the doctor about managing it and possibly HRT?” I was shocked. I said, “There’s nothing to manage, I feel fine, no HRT for me.” This is why I’m doing my homework – I am concerned he may be too quick to prescribe cures for what is a natural process (at least according to the Internet!) I knew I’d get some good info here. I readily admit I know next to nothing about this.</p>
<p>My first Dexa scan 6 years ago said I was osteopenic. I was prescribed Boniva, calcium with D. I took them when I remember which was not often. I’ve had 2 more scans in the last 4 years but my bone density hasn’t changed. My physician wrote me to keep up the good work of taking my pills…I haven’t told her I haven’t taken them in 3 years.
I also tested very low in D. Was prescribed 10,000 units a week. I only take them when I am about to have a blood test and I also schedule my yearly test in September, right after I’ve had some sun in the summer.</p>
<p>All these studies I believe, have been financed by the pharmaceutical companies.</p>
<p>Practically all research on pharmaceuticals is financed by the pharmaceutical companies. That’s the nature of the drug development system.</p>
<p>Another point: Someone mentioned doing a Google search for information on osteopenia and the drugs used to treat it. Unfortunately, such searches often yield a lot of information that isn’t very good – along with a smaller amount of information that you can trust. Your yield of good information may be better if you avoid a general Internet search and start with MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine site. The materials it links to are prescreened for quality. </p>
<p>Let me also highlight that, while weight training is a must, you need to do serious heavy weights. Those five-pound things are good-for-nothing. Obviously, you’re not going to be handling 30-pound weights from the get-go; you need to build your muscles up to it or you’ll only be harming yourself. But IMHO, the biggest waste of time is throwing around the five-pounders, since they do virtually nothing to help build bone. </p>
<p>Work out with a trainer once a month or so to get going, and then, every few months, see if you can increase the amount of weight you’re handling. You need to continue to stress the bone in order to make a difference.</p>
<p>I know whereof I speak: I have reversed my osteoporosis through weight-lifting. Good luck.</p>
<p>Be aware that all of these drugs do have some very serious potential side effects. One being esophageal erosion. The bone that they do produce is not as hard as your natural bone that it replaces.</p>
<p>I finally saw my doctor today. I truly believed I would be borderline and it was worse than I thought. One hip is -2.1 and the other is -2.3. Spine varies from -1.9 to over -2. He wanted to treat but I wanted to be more conservative so we agreed that I would have a blood panel to see what my calcium/vitamin D levels are and then start taking supplements. I might also eat soy products. He talked about the two classes of drugs and I think I’d be more comfortable with Evista if I decide to take something but I think I would wait a year for a second scan. There is no way to know if this is a recent development or if it’s been like this for a while and I don’t have the benefit of family history as my mother died young and had no sisters. I don’t have a picture of how this might go based on family history. He says my exercise regime is what it should be which is why he thinks we might need to treat. I plan to see my orthopedist to get his input as he is, after all, a bone specialist. I’m pretty surprised. I’ve never broken a bone and didn’t expect these results especially since I just recently entered menopause.</p>
<p>Good luck, mimk6. I don’t know if you lift weights, but – at the risk of sounding like a broken record – that, plus calcium and Vit D, is what really helped me.</p>
<p>Also, be aware that if you do break a bone due to osteoporosis, you’re very far down the road. The fact that they can do the bone density test to see where we are bone-wise is a tremendous help to us. It gives us the opportunity to fix things before we get into bone-breaking territory.</p>