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Osteoporosis at 49
Has anyone on this forum been diagnosed with osteoporosis younger than 50? I don't understand why no one suggested a bone density scan to me by at least my mid-40s. My mother has osteoporosis but lives in a rural area where healthcare is often a struggle so she doesn't know when hers actually began. I recall a functional medicine NP telling me at 41 that my hormones were borderline menopausal. She offered me progesterone, which I accepted, but I was advised to wait several years for estrogen until my need was dire which it was at 47. No one suggested a bone density scan then. Do doctors wait for you to have a broken bone first? I had a broken toe last summer which healed on its own. Then this year I experienced a break in each foot. Then I had to ask for a bone density scan.
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@blueskies1530 , I was diagnosed at 47. Not sure why my primary care doc decided to order a bone scan because although I’m petite, I hadn’t had any fractures and had no known family history (my mother died young). Most docs would probably not have ordered a scan, but mine did and we discovered that I was already at -2.6 in my spine.
My biggest sadness is that no one pushed me to consider HRT at that point. If only I had started then instead of waiting until I was 61, I think I would have prevented a lot of bone loss. But can’t turn back time and I’m glad at least I’m on it now.
Wishing you the best!
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1 Reaction@wondering1 I'm at -2.6 in my spine as well. -3.4 in my femoral neck.
-2.5 total hip.
What treatment are you taking for your osteoporosis?
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1 Reaction@blueskies1530, sadly for me, the -2.6 in my spine was when I was 47. Now I’m 62 and it’s -3.5.
I had 5 years of bisphosphenate treatment (2 years of Actonel and 3 of Reclast ) when I was in my late 49s and mid 50s. Wish I had t rushed into that without more research.
I was on the brink of starting Tymlos, when they diagnosed me with a rare genetic condition that means I cannot take bisphosphenates. That means that there’s no treatment for me right now. (Because you need to follow Tymlos with a bisphosphenate). But I am taking HRT and doing lots of exercise and strength training.
If I could take Tymlos, I would.
Just hoping for the best!!!
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1 Reaction@wondering1 May I ask what the rare genetic condition is that was discovered? Was it discovered because of the osteoporosis med you were on at the time?
@blueskies1530 , sure. It’s Hypophosphatasia, which affects bone mineralization. It was discovered through lab testing related to my osteoporosis, specifically alkaline phosphatase, CTX and P1NP. They were all really low.
Are you slender or thin? All of my life I struggled to be thin. I exercised several hours a day and ate a very low calorie diet with little calcium. A lot of ballet dancers, runners, and gymnast go into a amenorrhea because they are doing too much and eating too little. I went into amenorrhea (absence of periods ) at age 32 my periods stopped. I gained about 5 pounds and had to do less exercising because of my fractures and my periods did start back up, but in the meantime, I think a lot of damage had already been done.
The doctor wanted to give me hormones, but I was absolutely against them because my father had died from cancer. In my early 30s I started having fractures and. A DEXA. It revealed I was already osteopenia. I was on Fosamax and Boniva for years. eventually, they quit working. My bone density at age 76 revealed I had osteoporosis. I went on Evenity for 12 months and have had my third injection of Prolia. I had no side effects that I know of. My last DEXA showed that I had significant bone growth and was no longer osteoporosis, but at the lower end of osteopenia. I also take a lot of calcium citrate and vitamin D plus my multiple vitamins.
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