Osteoperosis

[eyesore]

Hi ; I had a Dexa Scan about 2 months ago and never heard anything from my Dr ; who ordered it. Now 2 months later I get this paper from the Radiology place and it says I have Osteo in my hip and L1-L-4. I don't know why he never told me!! I seem to get BETTER medical advice here on this Forum than I do from my Doctor. Anyway ; does this spread ? Is there anything I can take[just started vitaminD ]. Will it go to my fingers??? PS I'm 67 so there are no surprises at this point. Thanks!

[rmp]

seems to be a trend with primary care docs

If I was you, I'd Call that clown back and ask for a specialist and pick it up with someone who knows what the heck they are doing and actually gives a crap.

my wife was not feeling well back about 6 weeks ago. she called our Doc, she told her she wasn't going to see her without a covid test.

so Deb goes for the covid test, which the Doctor never did the preauth for...

apparently telling her to get take the test, doesn't also automatically mean the same doc will actually schedule the test! (!ARG!)

she gets the results ( "-" ), and then was never followed up with for almost a week, (calls to the doc with no calls back)

finally the nurse calls and says "oh you're negative" -- yea, thanks We know, but still feel horrible.,

bottom line, she is now with a pulmonary specialist, who setup a round of xrays and cat scans.

turns out she had signs of pneumonia in both lungs.. Talk about inept! that kind of takes the prize.

[frances50]

Originally Posted by eyesore

Hi ; I had a Dexa Scan about 2 months ago and never heard anything from my Dr ; who ordered it. Now 2 months later I get this paper from the Radiology place and it says I have Osteo in my hip and L1-L-4. I don't know why he never told me!! I seem to get BETTER medical advice here on this Forum than I do from my Doctor. Anyway ; does this spread ? Is there anything I can take[just started vitaminD ]. Will it go to my fingers??? PS I'm 67 so there are no surprises at this point. Thanks!

I am 66 and have arthritis in my hips and back; had hip resurfacing on my right hip in 2019 and I’m managing the rest with several supplements; I also go to a chiropractor ; no problem with my hands as of now; there are various treatments and I had one doctor tell me that if you live long enough you will get arthritis; it’s how your body deals with it that counts.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by eyesore

Hi ; I had a Dexa Scan about 2 months ago and never heard anything from my Dr ; who ordered it. Now 2 months later I get this paper from the Radiology place and it says I have Osteo in my hip and L1-L-4. I don't know why he never told me!! I seem to get BETTER medical advice here on this Forum than I do from my Doctor. Anyway ; does this spread ? Is there anything I can take[just started vitaminD ]. Will it go to my fingers??? PS I'm 67 so there are no surprises at this point. Thanks!

At 67 I was diagnosed with advanced Osteoarthritis in my right hip and some in three vertebrae. This was about four years ago.
I went to a chiropractor for the spine issues and still go every couple of months for adjustments. So far, so good.
The hip issue was another thing.
I already was having pain and developing a gimp to compensate which wasn’t helping my back either. My Orthopedic Surgeon told me I could either replace the hip then or wait until the pain was unbearable.
I put it off for two years until I couldn’t take it anymore and got it replaced.
Nobody wants to have surgery, but that was stupid on my part.
After a couple of months I had gained back 90% of my mobility and was virtually pain free, it’s been two years now and it’s like it never happened.
As far as slowing it down goes, I kind of doubt you can by taking supplements of any kind.

[valleyguy]

Osteoporosis is reversible with supplements, light exercise that puts some stress on the bones, and some dietary changes (you can Google that).

I take calcium (citrate best), magnesium (not oxide), vitamin d3, boron, vitamin k3 and zinc. Don't take calcium without magnesium, and you may need to slowly start magnesium as it may have a laxative effect on some.

I took my osteoporosis to osteopenia, which is between osteoporosis and normal readings.

Getting old is tough.... Good luck

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by valleyguy

Osteoporosis is reversible with supplements, light exercise that puts some stress on the bones, and some dietary changes (you can Google that).

I did and it’s not “reversible”. If that were the case, I could and would have have prevented my hip replacement.
Supplements and exercise can slow it, but it’s going to continue.


https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/f...e-osteoporosis

[valleyguy]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

I did and it’s not “reversible”. If that were the case, I could and would have have prevented my hip replacement.
Supplements and exercise can slow it, but it’s going to continue.


https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/f...e-osteoporosis

My experience would say otherwise. Bones are a living organism and do replace themselves, over a long period of time.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by valleyguy

My experience would say otherwise. Bones are a living organism and do replace themselves, over a long period of time.

There are exceptions for everything, but as we age our bodies deteriorate and there is no “fountain of youth”
Good for you, though.

[Chicago Sandy]

I've had three DEXA scans--one baseline in 2015 before starting letrozole (an anti-estrogen drug for my breast cancer), another in 2017, and a third in early 2020. The first one showed osteopenia in my spine, hips and one thigh. So I was put on calcium/magnesium/D3/K2, administered a Zometa infusion (I can't take the oral bisphosphonates due to GERD, and at the time neither Medicare Parts B or D would cover Prolia--denosumab--injections) which was a nightmare--couldn't find a good vein, burned going in, and had flu-like symptoms for several days.

So when it came time for the next bone treatment 6 mos. later, Medicare had changed its mind and covered Prolia 100% under Part B plus my supplement. (Good thing, as it's $4000 a pop). For postmenopausal bone health (especially if anti-estrogen drugs are taken), the suggested regimen is 6 Prolia shots--every 6 months for 3 years. (For bone metastases, a stronger form called Xgeva is given monthly, for life). I had no side effects from Prolia at all--not even an injection site reaction.

The 2017 scan showed all the osteopenia had improved--and one hip was by then in the "normal" range. Due to high blood levels of calcium (and a family history of atherosclerotic plaques), I was taken off calcium supplements in favor of just getting my Ca from food. I was also put on a weightbearing exercise regimen plus personal training.

Had my final of 6 Prolia shots at the end of 2019. My 2020 scan (a week pre-lockdown) showed slight improvement all around. I continue to walk for fitness, but when it's safe to go back to the gym (I'm already 6 weeks fully-vaxed) I will make sure my training includes leg presses.

For osteopenia, if you aren't already under the care of a specialist or your primary care doc hasn't started you on a treatment plan, the type of specialist to see would be an endocrinologist. At the time I got my first scan report, my then-primary (who died in June 2020, alas) believed in only weightbearing exercise as treatment because he'd read reports of paradoxical thigh fractures from bone drugs. My shrink (since retired) referred me to an endocrinologist in NYC who'd treated his wife for osteoporosis. He read my scan report and replied "doing nothing is not an option, and exercise and supplements are essentially 'doing nothing'." Hence, the Zometa and then the series of Prolia shots, both ordered by my oncologist.

I wish I could recall the name of that endocrinologist. I'll scour my e-mails to find it.

As to whether osteoporosis can be reversed, I don't know. But osteopenia can.

[steveh]

This thread is a great example of why an online guitar forum is perhaps not the best place to seek medical advice, exemplified by the conflation of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, which are different processes.

At the age of 67, the vast majority of individuals will have one or the other, or both.

DISCLAIMER: I am medically qualified.

Cheers,
Steve

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by steveh

This thread is a great example of why an online guitar forum is perhaps not the best place to seek medical advice, exemplified by the conflation of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, which are different processes.

At the age of 67, the vast majority of individuals will have one or the other, or both.

DISCLAIMER: I am medically qualified.

Cheers,
Steve

You are correct and to set the record straight, I had Osteoporosis, not Osteoarthritis.
My bad.