STOP! Don't do this if you have osteoporosis

@isabelle7 I think a distinction needs to be made here between people with mild osteoporosis, people with severe osteoporosis and people with fractures- recent or stabilized.

There are safe ways to do some of the things you listed 🙂

kstar077,
The REMS Echolight is an Ultrasound device - there is no radiation involved. It is used regularly in Europe, and was developed in Italy. There is a Doctor in Scottsdale AZ that offers REMS Echolight bone scans. The scans are not covered by medical insurance but they are not unreasonably priced. I am watching for one to become available a little closer to my home.

@windyshores

I agree with you. I should have indicated that those things are especially troublesome when a person has fractures and are severe. Is there a way to edit a post?

I'm glad you responded to @healthseeker77 since you have experience with osteoporosis meds with kidney disease.

Yes, I like this forum too! Best of luck for you and your spouse!

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

With the first ones I didn’t know they were fractures - I was in extreme pain and tried over the counter meds and resting - called my Primary Care’s office and unfortunately we thought it was muscle strain (I was picking up a bag of books). When the pain subsided after a few weeks (the meds didn’t help much at all.) I had another fracture after bending down to take a dish out of the dishwasher. Again, not realizing it was a fracture. The third happened while just sitting - crazy. So my neurologist ordered a scan after a routine visit when I complained about my pain - that’s when the first few were discovered. The reason I was on steroids to begin with was due to having been diagnosed with necrotizing autoimmune myopathy. 7 months into IVIg I started with 3 days of IV steroids (1,000 each) then 60mgs of prednisone tapering off when improvement was being made. (At that time also began cell cept and a few other meds) I think I was at 20mg with the first fracture. It was quite the blow because I was finally gaining weight back and getting stronger.

I agree. I was told I had mild OP (only scanned on the hip area), a couple of years ago.. at 58. I decided I would reverse it without drugs. I told my Dr I was going to begin lifting weights after my physical therapy for my degenerated disk, and for my knees, and I did. I started slowly after some research on how to lift for over 50 with an OP diagnosis. I am almost 61. I do full-body workouts twice a week. My back is better, knees are better. Doing well, moving well. I will request another Dexa scan for the end of the year to note progress.. I am not giving in to any diagnosis. Keeping my muscles and bones intact, they have much work still to accomplish, Lord, willing!

You can edit a post if you do it soon afterwards, like the same day. After that, I haven't been able to do so. To edit, click on the 3 dots at the lower right of your post and you should see an edit option.