Tuesday 9 April 2019

Osteopenia

A recent bone density test (DEXA) showed that I have osteopenia.  A pretty significant loss of bone in just one year has taken me to the borderline for osteoporosis.

Image result for bone density dexa scores

My doctor suggested I start taking less calcium from supplements and more from my diet. I'm thinking of getting a second opinion.

When was your last bone density test? What did you doctor recommend?




6 comments:

  1. I have them a great deal due to having hypothryoidism. She (dr) told me that it can be an issue with calcium. But no issues so far. I do know that my bio-identical hormones have helped with calcium - or at least that is what my doctors say. Sometimes I feel like it is all genetics and there is only so much I can do. So yes, we can up our calcium in food along with supplements what else can we do? Your dr really didn't give you much to go on. My dr also told me it can be from a lack of Vitamin D. Because I need to have blood work done 3x a year we monitor a lot of this. My vitamin D was so low at one point. I now take that daily and it has improved a lot of things including calcium. I wish you the best of luck with this. I truly believe you can manage this with more than just diet. But I'm no doctor so what do I know. :-)

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  2. Thank you, Margaret. I'm going back to her with a list of questions, lol. She really didn't give me much to go on, but she did test my vitamin D and it was fine. I've been taking it for year as well as calcium supplements. My main questions is why isn't my body absorbing it? I'm a little frustrated as you can imagine.

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  3. Dang. I haven't had a bone density test in years. I do know my Vitamin D was low at one point and the dr. put me on once a week Vitamin D pill. But then my insurance changed and my doctor changed and that was the end of that. I guess I'll ask the endocrinologist about it next visit. I give so much blood they ought to know but maybe that is something they have to specifically look for. I'm sorry but I just can't have any new medical problems. Hahaha. This aging process is getting to be a drag. Sue, I thought you were a pretty healthy eater anyway?

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    1. Hi Barb! That's the thing ... I am a healthy eater which makes it very frustrating. But I went back to the doctor today and she's doing a bunch of tests to see what's what. We are very lucky here in Canada to have free health care. Yes, aging is a huge drag, lol!

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  4. Sue, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis about 3 years ago. My healthcare provider at the time was an NP and was very open to alternative ways of treating it (I would under no circumstances take a prescription drug for this and she was wholly on my side). I immediately began researching this condition to see what others had to say about it. There is a ton of information on the internet and I would encourage you to google osteopenia and/or osteoporosis treatment and begin sorting through it yourself to see what makes sense. As for me, I take a natural plant based calcium supplement that includes D3, as well as Magnesium and K2 which help the bones absorb the calcium. K2 is crucial. The problem with relying solely on diet is that you have to consume mass quantities of some foods to get the amount of vitamins and minerals that you need. And that's not easy to do. The other important thing is weight-bearing exercise. So if you're not doing that you need to start. My last dexa scan showed mixed results. In some areas I had slight additional bone loss, in other areas I was stable. That was a year ago and since then I've been doing the plant-based supplement. Unfortunately, I started working part-time and spend a lot of time sitting. Not good! I'm hoping with the new house and quitting my job that I'll be better positioned to exercise properly. I'm also following a more alkaline balanced diet, so I hope that helps me, too. Email me if you want to discuss offline. Best wishes and hugs, Nancy

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  5. Thank you, Nancy. I'm sending you an e-mail.

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