It can be upsetting to get this diagnosis especially when your mom died after a hip fracture. My dad had osteoporosis and was quite frail by the time he passed at 75.

I am 64 and have had osteopenia/osteoporosis for 12 years. I started out by incorporating lifestyle changes: lifting weights, calcium/magnesium and K supplements, and healthy diet. I was already on bHRT when I was diagnosed so I have continued that throughout.

After four years, my DEXA scores indicated I was in osteoporosis. My PCP started me on Fosamax, which I took for over five years. I had no side effects with the medication but while it improved my bone density for the first two years I was on it, unfortunately I lost bone density after that.

I thought nothing of having osteoporosis and my life didn't change until I had a vertebral fracture, even though my spine density was never that low. This is when I really started researching the condition and the medications.

I finally saw a specialist and have tried three different medications (Tymlos, generic Forteo, and Evenity). I will have a follow up DEXA this summer which will show whether any of these have worked for me.

I've continued with all the lifestyle measures I'd done for years. The good news is that I haven't had another fracture after 2.5 years and I feel healthy and strong.

Recently, I found out that I have idiopathic hypercalciuria which means I excrete a lot of calcium in my urine. This condition runs in families and I suspect it might have been what caused my dad's osteoporosis.

You are doing the right thing in consulting an endocrinologist to examine potential causes of your osteoporosis. Good luck, I hope you will start feeling better about your diagnosis soon.