Osteoporosis Community

When after i couldn't take D and calcium supplements after my hysterectomy, I started having hip, knee and shoulder pains.

Thanks fro asking. I suspected osteoporosis when I started to have pain which felt like joint pain but maybe something else. The pain was worst in the morning. I was about 2-3 years before menopause and thought that I might have rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis or undiagnosed Lyme disease. My doctor dismissed it as simply getting older and did not order any test to explore it further. One year after menopause the pain was worse, but my rheumatoid factor level was normal and I was negative for Lyme disease antigen. However, I was diagnosed with severe (T-score -4.2 in vertebrae) osteoporosis.

I had no suspicion, no idea that I had it.

I hurt my back and went for a X-ray. My osteoporosis is quite severe, so it showed up on the X-ray even; the doctor then sent me for a bone density check, which confirmed it.

I was totally taken by surprise.

Hi Gerda ,could you please tell me what kind of medication do you take for this severe osteoporosis? I am 62 and my t-score is -3,9 to ,4.1 on my spine .I am very concerned . I have compression fracture for sure,,did not take an X-ray but I lost height and I do have pain in my back .Thank you for everybody will answer me and give me some advice--even to exercise is hard for me as even a little movement with my arms cause me pain in my back ,Thank you all of you.

You need to talk to your doctor about Forteo. With scores that low accompanied by the presence of a vertebral fracture, you need the big guns.

You also need to be very very careful in your daily movements. Absolutely no twisting or bending forward from the spine. Bend from the hips instead, keeping the back straight. The only exercise right now that I'd feel safe doing would be walking.

Go online to the National Osteoporosis Foundation website (www.nof.org ) and order their booklet "Boning Up on Osteoporosis." It costs $1 and has tons for valuable information as well as illustrations of correct and incorrect movements. We use this booklet as a teaching tool in our rehab classes.

Also as a reminder, you need to get 1200 mg of calcium and 1000 IU of Vit D into your body each day. Without these any medications you take will be ineffective. With the calcium, the body can only absorb about 500-600 mg at a time, so spread it out.

Best of luck to you.

Hi Maria,
I have been taking Forteo for almost 8 months now. I don't know yet whether it works for me, I'll get another DEXA scan in 3 months.
I had a blood Vit D level of 25. Three months on 1500 U Vit D supplement brought it up to 27. I am now taking 3-4000 U Vit D per day and will try to get another blood test soon to see the result.
I am also taking about 600 mg Ca per day to supplement my diet which I estimate has about 600 mg from milk, yoghurt, cheese and others. After developing a strong aversion to the monster pills I am now taking chewable tablets, much better. I look for those with some magnesium in it, preferably at a ratio of 2:1 for calcium:magnesium. I take calcium supplements at every meal, 100, 200 or 300 mg at a time, since I read that the body can only handle 600 mg at a time. There is also an slightly increased risk of heard attack in women who take calcium supplements, possibly because the body cannot handle mega-doses easily, so breaking up the dose in multiple portions may be a good idea. I am also a little concerned about kidney stones since I excreted too much calcium in the urine even before taking calcium supplements. I therefore would prefer to have calcium citrate supplements which are also better absorbed from the gut, but the chewables are usually calcium carbonate. Forteo sometimes increases calcium excretion in the urine but usually is expected to increase reabsorption of calcium from urine. A 24h calcium urine test will show what's going on.
I have a step counter and try to walk at least 5000 steps a day (the goal is 10,000) per day), on some days on a treadmill with 3 pound waits in my hands to add some upper body exercise. No bending and twisting of the spine is difficult to achieve, but I am definitely more careful now, even thinking of getting somebody else to do the house cleaning and other work.
I'm sorry to hear that you are in pain. Did your doctor try to find out why you have such a low bone mass, did you get a parathyroid hormone analysis and other tests? I have no risk factors and no idea what caused this low T-score, something that is unsettling since whatever the cause, it may still be going on and worsen the situation, something I really cannot afford with these bones.
I hope this helps a little even though everything that I am doing is trial and error, without any data to indicate whether I am on the right track. An unpleasant situation, but I fell with a T-score of -4.2 I cannot afford to wait and see,
Good luck!

Hi,

Great you are on Forteo! It worked for me. I went from - 2.3 to - 1.3 in two years since I had a compression fracture, so I am hopeful that with the calcium and Vitamin D I take like you, it will continue to regrow your bones. It makes my bones hurt, but as long as they are growing and I won't have to take it forever, I am very fortunate to be on this wonderful medication and glad I am off of Fossamax. Good Luck!!!

didnt know i have or suspected i have osteoporosis,but 6 yrs ago,my knees got swollen ..was given Arcoxia 90 mgs for 7 days and rested for a month-the swelling subsided but the pains remained..every year,after my birthday, a new pain is felt-hips,ankles ,wrists..back..etc..
im happy i found WebMd,it has helped me a lot..although im now more afraid to go to the doctor-i know its wrong..thanks for all the write ups and replies,wish i could meet you guys..haha!
i still feel so down..(..but as ive said,i need to live..my kids need me and my sick husband..thank you all!God Bless you..xx0xx Momsy

I started having hip pain on both sides. I'm generally a pretty active person, so I figured maybe I hurt myself one of the times I was hiking. Got an X-ray, and then came the diagnosis. Luckily I it's not terrible, but it's going to seriously hinder my activities.