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STOP! Don't do this if you have osteoporosis
Osteoporosis & Bone Health | Last Active: Nov 12 11:04am | Replies (255)Comment receiving replies
Hello @isabelle7 !
I do not think you need to worry about getting extra calcium from food! No worries there! But I would caution about taking calcium supplements if your husbands blood test are calcium normal. Having too much calcium can have undesirable side effects. The same with vitamin D! I was low on vitamin D when I finished menopause - as are most women and most people as they age need more vitamin (I take 5000 iu every day now - but I also am tested to make sure my vitamin d levels are midrange normal. If your vitamin d is too high it works AGAINST the bone medicines. I have used this group to figure out what tests I need to ask the endocrine dr for. He didn’t think I needed any baseline testing but I asked my primary doctor and she agreed with me. So if you are going to put supplements into your body make sure you get periodic labs to make sure all is humming along in harmony. I also look up what it means if I am borderline low or high on test results. It ALWAYS means something if one is on the borderline. The doctors always dismiss borderline testing as if so how it’s “normal” but I tell them normal is near the MIDDLE! not at the ends. 😊
As far as the DEXA- correct— they don’t always tell the truth. I never had any indication my bones weren’t strong until cervical spine surgery and my C5 fell apart in their hands last year. No one has even said I HAVE osteoporosis in the past year, but I am on this bone medicine now. All I know is I have degenerative disc condition and osteoarthritis. It is the right time of life to have deteriorating bones so being on this medicine is valuable. Even if the DEXA isn’t accurate, they can still use it to see if my density is changing over time. But you have to stay with the same equipment because the calibration needs to be consistent. And wouldn’t you know it but my insurance company is no longer going to contract with my DEXA provider next month! But I will stay with them and pay a small copay next year.
I guess we just learn a lot as we go! I am sorry to hear about your husband’s steroid side effects! I’ve had to rely on steroid injections but always take a half dose over the years and only periodic use.
I think menopause did me in and I might check out getting back on bio identical HRT . That might help maintain a strong body. Good luck and stay strong! Lori
Replies to "Hello @isabelle7 ! I do not think you need to worry about getting extra calcium from..."
I'll add something. You are correct about staying with the same dexa scan equipment. It's important but it may not always be possible. I had my scans done every other year for a number of years on the same eqipment. Several years ago I went back to the same medical center and they had switched to a new system. They did the scan as usual but they couldn't compare my new scan the same way as before. Of course they could get all the readings or measurements, but they couldn't compare the latest results with the previous ones. Two years later they could at least compare my new scan to my previous one. Technology changes over time and medical centers have to update their equipment.
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@loriesco
We feel we get enough calcium from food so we never supplement. His calcium levels are fine. I've heard that too much is bad and that our bodies need about 600 mg in the morning and evening. So we make sure to include calcium-rich foods those times of day.
I agree with you about what is normal - or what they consider normal. If one of us is way toward one end or the other I question it. I usually get the same old answer that we're within the normal range. Like you I feel we should watch these.
I agree that we learn as we go. Too bad our doctors don't tell us what we need to know when we develop these issues. I'm sorry to hear you had issues with menopause. I lucked out in that department.
Good luck to you!