STOP! Don't do this if you have osteoporosis

I think it's pretty clear when surgery is necessary. It might not be as clear when surgery might help as an elective.

@windyshores

That’s what I was thinking. I’m all about prevention and also about alternative natural routes when possible. Also aware that sometimes dealing with something early on can help alleviate other issues. But when I brought up surgery to my PT, chiro and acupuncturist they all say it should be the last resort. So what to believe? Then some people here make it sound not so bad especially done early. If they could do it without fusing it sounds like there would be less potential issues. My PT said generally one surgery leads to another in the spine. My head is spinning! 🙃

I am seeing a neurosurgeon about my neck. A year ago, she said surgery was not needed. Now with minimal, if any, change as shown on an MRI, she is mentioning surgery may be something I want to consider. That may be due to how I reacted after a fall. Next myelopathy check with another neurosurgeon (for possible brain aneurysm) in 3 months and I see my neck neurosurgeon in 6 months. Also see my neurologist in 3 months.

@normahorn

I'm sorry you've got all that going on. But glad you've got a neurosurgeon in your corner. I wish you the best with these procedures and on your decision about whether or not to have the neck surgery. What is your neck diagnosis?

@isabelle7 Prednisone was also a huge contributor to my osteoporosis with recent DEXA T score at -3.5 in spine. Your comment that steroid-induced osteoporosis has a greater chance of recovery caught my eye. Could you share where you read this? I empathise with your husband's experience with the nasty Prednisone. I was on high dose 50 mg for close to a year for autoimmune condition as well. So grateful to be off of it and receive IVIG now instead.

@debbie1956

I've been trying to find where I saw that information about a greater chance of recovery from osteoporosis when it's steroid-induced. I'll keep looking and will share if I find it.

I'm sorry that you, too, have this condition. Did they ever tell you early on that steroids could cause bone issues and offer you meds? Which is something I've read over and over is what should be done. When a person is on over 7.5 mg of prednisone for 3 months. The first few months of high dose prednisone evidently is when the worse damage is done to the bones and then it slows from there.

I'd not heard of IVIG before. Is it helping you? And what do they give it for?

@isabelle7 , IVIG - intravenous immunoglobulin is given for a wide range of conditions. I was thinking that your husband's Giant Cell Arteritis may be be treated with it as many autoimmune conditions are. I have a very rare type of vasculitis. The IVIG has no side effects for me and has completely stopped effects of my condition. However, it is extremely expensive, so I'm not sure how it's prescribed in U.S.

When my neurologist first prescribed 50 mg dose of Prednisone 5 years ago, he told me it could "blow my hip out" but didn't mention OP. At that time I'd just recovered from autoimmune profound sensori neural hearing loss so would have taken cyanide to recover my hearing, which the Prednisone achieved. I was told to remain on it and eventually taper down to 20 mg. I wasn't offered a DEXA at age 62, but asked my GP for one which revealed OP with spine -2.8 (learned this 3 years later) after 3 months on Prednisone. I asked immediately if the Prednisone had caused this and GP responded "not that fast"!. I know now she was completely wrong and knew very little! I'd hardly heard of OP back then and was more preoccupied with my autoimmune condition. My GP said my fracture risk was low. I didn't ask for numbers or a copy of DEXA. I stopped the Prednisone around 3 months due to side effects, but experienced further hearing losses a few months later, so continued the high dose Prednisone for close to a year combined with another immunosuppressant until esophageal damage became unbearable and went on IVIG. I feel for your husband as I know how hard it is to come off of Prednisone. I believe I once read OP caused by Prednisone might be reversed if treated immediately but I've been off Prednisone for 3 years. I will investigate this topic again.

lilyanne here, i have osteoporosis and need some teeth pulled. thing is, i have the aggressive papillary cancer and given a 6-10 month survival rate. so i was cleared by the cancer dr. to have the teeth removed. i'll give you all 3 guesses as to what i am going to do. since isabelle 7 has asked how many have regretted surgeries they had done, i can name a few: endovenous ablation, breast surgery, as no were no lump, just that fluid sac. melanoma surgery, moh, on the left leg that had the endovenous ablation, they claim it was melanoma but it did not have all the markings, but, i don't have no diploma on the wall. so onto thyroid cancer, right off the bat, that biopsy.....those 4 needles jabbed into my neck............next day and to this day i still feel like someone is choking me. so, onto the thyroid surgeries (2) right side, radical dissection, ok, 11 out of 19 lymph nodes cancer (2 1/2) surgery. left side 1 cm. bit of cancer. if i did not have this surgery they said i would not be alive very long. ok, so now i am so stiff in the am, like i have the stiff person syndrome gets a little better as i move around but not by much. my left knee is giving me problems and i am in the hopes it will hold off as i really do not want to any more to my body. my husband has these episodes where he is having pain in his neck and the pain goes into his arms and chest. his dr. told him he would avoid surgery on the spine if at all possible. so try and live with what you have until it is really, really nessary. thanks for the tip on the bending over, something i do without thinking especially to pet the cat and pick thing from the garden. so my best wishes to everyone.

@lilyann

My guess is not have the teeth pulled?

Wow!! You have been through way too much! I’m sorry to hear your prognosis and hope you shock them all.

Thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge. I wish you the very best.

Thank you speaking about Prednisone - it was prescribed to me because of back and pain. I found it me awful foggy and I could not remember things. Asked my Dr to get me off it. Best thing I did after reading about the bone issue. Doctored should go over thing before handing out PILLS!