Hello Tybalt,
Your post sounds like what I’m thinking. I am 75 1/2 and recently moved from osteopenia to osteoporosis in my spine. I ran for years, 7 -14 miles 3-4 times a week, what time would allow. I was a very strong athletic, year round, all of my life, even beating men at community tennis matches. We had a horse and cow farm, so I was not naïve about manual labor, and heavy lifting. Plus with a readily available supply of fresh milk for years and years, especially when my children were growing up, I made homemade soft cheese and homemade yogurt weekly, custard in place of pudding, all that our household needed. So I wasn’t lacking on dairy or good healthy food. I’m feeling sorry for myself, also, why do I have this? But when I step back and listen to many other women’s stories who are in their 40s, or 50s or even early 60s with a diagnosis of osteoporosis, I have to think that I’m lucky. I am healthy. The battery of tests that my endocrinologist did for me, every single one came back within normal ranges, including that big jug 24 hour urine! My endocrinologist suggested I start an anabolic therapy for two years. Presently that’s the recommended period of time to safely use the anabolic therapy, but that may change. And after the two years to move onto an Antiresorptive therapy. I don’t even take high blood pressure medication, or elevated cholesterol medication. The only Rx medication I’ve taken was oral Premarin for a period of time and then I changed over to a vaginal ring that you wear for three months and change out, Estring (estradiol). So taking this big guns Rx prescription medication of subcutaneous self injections daily for two years is still hard for me to wrap my head around. I’ve put off starting until Jan and getting a better Part D. But I know I have to do something.
My spine aches, my lower spine. And of course, as with many out there, that’s the area of my spine that they can no longer perform the Bone Density exam, on L 1 or 2, and now L3 and L4.
And like many have said, it is a process of aging!!! Until we are 30 years old, we build a lot of Bone! It’s a natural wonderful process. But after 30 years old, the cells in the body that have the hammer - and hammer holes in old bone to be filled in by the cells with new healthy bone become out numbered. There are more of those cells working with little hammers getting rid of old bone, then there are with the workers with the new bone to fill in the holes with the much needed new healthy bone. The wonderful mechanism of bone teardown and bone rebuilding gets out of balance and as the years tick away, we end up with more holes, then plugged up holes. Our incredible body machine is aging out.
I am curious, those on anabolic therapy, do you feel less spinal pain (or perhaps hip pain if that is where you are hoping the Rx will focus. My hips just entered osteopenia)? Do you as time goes on actually feel less of that annoying, hurtful static energy, or less pain, and notice you can stand longer not always desiring to sit to do tasks you always would have stood up to do?
I’m not even going to talk about the myriad of drug side effects some struggle very bravely through. It is the luck of the draw, apparently. Some do, some don’t. I’ll just have to wait and see about me! But, I do know when I start my injections, I have every intention of titrating my dosage. Whether my Endo doctor suggests it, or approves of it, or not. To me, it seems more sensible, and seems to have helped many people get into the therapy, successfully.
I wish everybody who shares their stories here the very, very best journey, whichever one you choose to be on. I’m grateful to be part of this group.