Anti-convulsants/anti-epileptics affect bone density

Posted by blueskies1530 @blueskies1530, 4 days ago

I take two anti-convulsants and was told they may have contributed to my lower bone density. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis at 49. I take Lyrica/Pregabalin for nerve damage and fibromyalgia. And I take Trileptal/Oxcarbazepine for mood stability. I'm wondering if I should try to lower the dose on each of them. Has anyone else been told their lower T score could be caused by their anti-convulsant?

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blueskies1530, this class of medications (AEDs) is recognized for causing low bone density. You might be able to take a medication to counteract the loss. Teriparatide (Forteo) is approved for this purpose. It is sometimes prescribed before the loss. While there is no interaction between teriparatide and these other drugs, your doctor would want to monitor your serum levels.
https://mnepilepsy.org/patient-information/bone-health-and-epilepsy-are-your-bones-brittle/
Best wishes

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I would encourage you to research each of your medications for possible bone loss. Sad to say, you may learn more doing your own research than relying solely on what, if anything, your doctors tell you about it.

It's been a long time since I researched something similar for myself, but as I recall I felt more comfortable taking Lyrica than taking Neutontin or gabapentin. I was prescribed the latter for the wicked, wicked pain of trigeminal neuralgia and took it for several years. Not one of my physicians ever mentioned that it could be a risk factor for bone loss, but I discovered this on my own doing my own research. Regardless of that risk, however, I would have taken it because the pain alternative was horrible.

I was very happy when Lyrica became available and I switched to it. It also was superior in its ability to reduce my pain. My general inquiry about lyrica and bone loss found no direct relationship between Lyrica and bone loss, though studies are few on this subject. Here is one, though, suggesting no definite relationship but one could still exist:

"In conclusion, we did not find negative effect of pregabalin on bone metabolism. However, the patients who had been used pregabalin less than 24 months had low lumbar z scores than patients who had been used pregabalin more than 24 months. This effect was more prominent in male patients. Serum inorganic phosphorus levels were higher in study population than control subjects but the values were within normal range in both groups. Further prospective controlled studies with large sample size in...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S109469502100041X
I continue to take a lower dose of Lyrica. Cannot say to what degree its use contributed to my osteopenia status. I do feel it was a wiser choice for me than the Neurontin which has is a more established risk factor for bone loss. A basic AI search found that:
Yes, gabapentin can cause bone loss and is associated with an increased risk of fractures. Studies suggest that its use may lead to metabolic bone disease, resulting in a 2 to 6-fold increase in fracture incidence.
(sources: Indiana University; calendar-canada.ca)

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I took phenobarbital from ages 8 to 19. Phenobarbital is an anti-seizure medication. When I was young, I used to have fainting spells and they thought I had epilepsy, though I never had a "seizure". At age 60, I got a DEXA scan, my spine was -3.1 (severe osteoporosis), and my hip was -2.2 (osteopenia), My endocrinologist said it was likely the result of my long-term pediatric use of phenobarbital. For the past 12 months, I have been taking Tymlos. I am waiting to get my DEXA results. My REM scans have shown decreases in bone density after 6 months of Tymlos, then more decreases after 12 months of Tymlos. I am worried the phenobarbital changed something about my bones that makes it difficult for Tymlos to be increasing my bone density. I am anxiously awaiting my 12 month DEXA results.....

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I have been taking Lyrica/Pregabalin low to moderate dose since 2020 for nerve damage after back surgery and for fibromyalgia. I don't know how much Lyrica contributed to my osteoporosis, if at all, but I do take another anti-convulsant, Oxcarbazepine, for a different reason and wonder about that, too. My rheumatologist has referred me for aqua therapy, which I'm hoping will help me reduce my Lyrica dose.

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