Anyone get a PT or dietary consult when diagnosed with osteoporosis?

Posted by fieryrn @fieryrn, Sep 24, 2021

Did anyone get a PT or dietary consult when first diagnosed? I am unsure whether this is necessary. Am I over reacting?? My t score is -4.1. And I am just completed surgery and radiation for a breast cancer diagnosis. To say I’m a bit overwhelmed is putting it mildly.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.

lioness | @lioness | Dec 20, 2021

@hopeful33250 Hi Teresa I will check out you tube for exercises

Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Dec 20, 2021

In reply to @fieryrn "I will! 😊. I am on vacation now…resting at the lake. Will return to work on..." + (show)

Hello @fieryrn

It has been a while since you last posted about your bone loss. How are you doing now? Have there been any changes to your treatment for the bone loss?

Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Dec 20, 2021

In reply to @lioness "@hopeful33250 Hi Teresa I will check out you tube for exercises" + (show)

That is a good idea, @lioness. How are you feeling? Are the back problems easing up now?

lioness | @lioness | Dec 20, 2021

@hopeful 33250 Hi My back is as good as its going to get Dr said My dexascan was 0.3 so am going to do supplements and exercises Lori posted. Nerves into legs are damaged so Dr ordered a scooter for me to get out of my apt. Hope your doing well

doreenc | @doreenc | Apr 3 11:08am

In reply to @loribmt "Hi @fieryrn, oh golly, you’re one heck of a trouper. I was just reading your other..." + (show)

@loribmt

Hi @fieryrn, oh golly, you’re one heck of a trouper. I was just reading your other posting about extreme exhaustion after cancer/radiation and now possibly returning to work with 12 hour shifts. One of the most difficult lessons I had to learn as a cancer patient was drilled into me daily by my nurses… Listen to your body!! That means when you’re tired, you need to rest. Even if it’s a cat nap. Your body has been pushed to the max, assaulted on all sides to eradicate the cancer. It’s one formidable foe and unfortunately can’t be brushed away with a feather duster. The brutal chemo and radiation are required in order to accomplish this goal. Some meds can also cause calcium to be lost or not being able to be absorbed by our bones.

Unfortualtely there is collateral damage, one of them being severe bone loss. Of course it’s not just all the meds, chemicals and radiation treatments at fault. Some of the depletion is also from the impact of nausea and not eating well for a year. You may be finding the same thing with your treatments. When we’re that nauseated, the last thing we worry about is how to get enough calcium in our bodies.

When I entered my chemo for AML and subsequent analogous stem cell transplant, a recent DEXA just prior to my diagnosis showed a healthy bone density. A year later, my exit testing required a DEXA scan and I was shocked to find out I had osteoporosis! My doctor wanted me to take medication to reverse this but because I was on a gum ball dispenser full of delightful meds already, I begged for a year to get this under control myself. He gave me one year!

I was referred to a PT. She was amazing in providing me with targeted exercises to strengthen and increase hip, leg and spine bone density and core muscles. Along with calcium supplements, magnesium, Vit D3 (I wanted to add strontium but that interfered with one of my meds) and finally being able to eat healthy meals and add milk back to my diet, we were all rejoicing at my last DEXA which showed I reversed osteoporosis to mild osteopenia. My doctor was ecstatic.

So I heartily suggest a couple of sessions with a PT. I know there are a lot of instructional exercises for osteoporosis online. But there are also some detrimental exercises which can do more harm that good. The value of a PT is to minimize any damage to your spine while learning how to build up the bone.

Most of the exercises are done in bed before I get up in the morning or right before I sleep at night. They’re very calming and the rhythmic counting of seconds as I’m holding a position quiets me down before sleep. So this won’t be adding any more stress to your day. We’re not talking heavy aerobics. You already have a huge burden of just getting through each day as you heal mentally and physically. Along with the Reclast you’ve been given I think adding PT and talking with a dietician will give you another level of protection. I know it sounds like a lot to take on, but honestly, it will come to be a daily part of your life and will actually enrich your feeling of strength and vitality.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/in-depth/osteoporosis/art-20044989
I don’t believe you’re over reacting at all. You are tired and can’t fathom adding more to your plate with taking on a PT and diet consult. But your bone health is vital to keeping the rest of you going. Does this make a little more sense now?

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Hi! Thank you for posting your exercise routine along with the videos from Silver Sneakers. They have been most helpful. Recently diagnosed with osteoporosis and still gathering all the information I can regarding what I can do to help this. My doctor recommends Evenity but that's a whole other discussion. I'm most interested in the dosage (and also the brand) of the supplements you take - Vitamin D, Magnesuim and Calcium. I appreciate any guidelines on this. Many thanks!

Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | Apr 3 11:40am

In reply to @doreenc "Hi! Thank you for posting your exercise routine along with the videos from Silver Sneakers. They..." + (show)

Welcome to Connect, Doreen. I’m not an expert on Osteoporisis by a means but I’ve been holding my own now for the past 4 years with the exercises you mentioned and Vitamin D3, Magnesium and Calcium. As part of my followup care for a medical treatment I had, I have annual DEXA scans and like I said, so far so good. There’s another one on my schedule in two days so we’ll see if I did any backsliding or not.

My husband and I follow the Mediterranean diet, so I eat a lot of veggies, fruit, lean meat and healthy fats. Plus I drink Fairlife Fat Free milk which is higher in calcium and protein. My supplements are just basic over-the-counter gummies. The Vitamin D3 and Calcium gummies are from Vita-fusion. I don’t always take the extra Vit D3 daily as there is also Vit D3 in the Calcium gummies. Magnesium Glycinate from Pure Encapsulations is the type and brand of mag I take, which is very kind to the digestive system…no surprises like I had with Mag Citrate!

Sometimes all of this is beyond the scope of what we can do for ourselves and that’s where the meds come into play. And I know there are other supplements and vitamins mentioned in conversations with other members in the forum who are more versed in this than I am. But these have worked for me.

There are so many different conversations in the osteoporosis support group, please take your time to look through other discussions too for more information. There are several for Evenity and some comparing Evenity and Tymlos…just to name a couple. You can search for Evenity by typing that in the search bar at the top! You’ll see all the discussions about that Osteoporisis drug.

Are you working with an endocrinologist for your osteoporosis?