@hopeful33250

You're very welcome!

My husband has steroid-induced osteoporosis, something we had never heard of until I saw he had a spinal fracture on an x-ray with no injury we could remember.

He was diagnosed with PMR (Polymyalgia Rheumatica) in 5/2023 and then with GCA (Giant Cell Arteritis) in 2/2024. With PMR, he was put on 30 mg prednisone, and by the time he was diagnosed with GCA, he had tapered down to 12.5 mg. When he developed GCA it became very serious and he was admitted to the hospital where they did 3 days of 1200 mg methylprednisolone. That's a lot of steroids but it was the only thing that would save him from losing his sight, having a stroke, aneurysm, heart attack etc etc So we didn't hesitate. We really had no other choice.

He was then put on 80 mg of daily prednisone in 2/2024 and is now tapering (with the help of a weekly injection Actemra) and is now down to 15 mg.

But all the prednisone caught up with him. The sad story is doctors should discuss the bone issue with patients when they put them on prednisone, anything over 7.5 mg and some studies say even as low as 2.5 mg per day. They didn't tell us of the possibility he would develop osteoporosis. Once I saw the fracture I raised concerns and it took a while but I was able to finally get him a bone scan. It revealed he had -3.4 t-score on his lumbar spine. He had new back pain a couple months ago so I insisted on another x-ray which showed two more fractures. Since learning of the two new fractures, one likely caused by emptying the dishwasher, they have limited him to lifting no more than 5 pounds and no bending. Which has really restricted his life in ways we didn't expect. I had to fight for it but I managed to get him on the best drug for steroid-induced osteoporosis - Forteo. So we're doing daily injections that started on Monday and are hopeful it will help rebuild bone. Then after two years he'll go on Reclast. We are wanting to get the dental work done before the Reclast.

That was a long answer to your question. LOL For him it's not hereditary, it's from steroid use. Has your dad ever used steroids? For any length of time? There are other drugs that can also cause osteoporosis in people, including men.

Here's a list I found online:

Many drugs can affect bone metabolism and increase the risk of osteoporosis, including:

Glucocorticoids
Prednisone and methylprednisolone are examples of glucocorticoids that are commonly associated with drug-induced osteoporosis. Patients taking glucocorticoids should take the smallest dose for the shortest time possible.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs like fluoxetine (Prozac) and escitalopram (Lexapro) may weaken bones, especially with long-term use or if you take multiple medications that affect serotonin.

Diuretics
Diuretics can reduce bone mineral density in the hip.

Progestins
Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is a progestin preparation that's often linked to bone loss.

Other drugs that can increase the risk of osteoporosis include:
Heparin
Warfarin
Cyclosporine
Methotrexate
Loop diuretics
Excess thyroid supplementation
Aluminum-containing antacids
Lithium
Hormone blockers