# Osteoporosis



## Guest (Feb 21, 2005)

Hi, I am hurting a lot today and am wondering if those of you with osteoporosis could try and explain the kind of pain you have. If it happens after you've done something you shouldn't or if you have that pain all the time? I am so tired of hurting. I hurt most of the time and then when I do something like go dancing like I did last night, well I'm in a lot of pain today. I am 47 yrs old, and in my head I'm not that old but my body says I'm way, way older. If it's not my IBS it's this and then when I have to take pain killers for this pain, my IBS-C really kicks in. I just want to vent so thanks. But I'd really like to hear from anybody, please. Linda


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I don't have any experience with this but can sympathize.Maybe it is time to talk to the doctor about going to a pain specialist. Sometimes there are other things they can do besides medications to ease the pain without narcotics (nerve blocks and stuff like that) which may give you better results.K.


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2005)

Thanks Kath, I am going on holidays and will be back in 2 weeks and I had planned on seeing the Dr. about this. But now I will ask her about this nerve block that you are talking about. I am cringing at the thought of going away, I don't know what in the world I was thinking when we planned this trip, I have no business going away when I feel like this. Think positive, maybe that'll help. Thanks again. Linda


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## Karen Savage (Dec 16, 2002)

Linda, I also have osteoporosis, I am sure that is why I fractured my wrist. I am 51 and the doctors thought that is was so bad to have osteoporosis at my young age.I don't really notice any more pains from it though. I guess sometimes if I sleep on the same side the whloe night I will wake up with some pretty bad pains on that side in my hips and leg but that goes away after I am up for a while. You said when you go dancing you are in pain the next day, are you sure you are not having muscle pain and not bone pain? You might be using muscles you don't normally use when you go dancing. Are you taking anything for your osteoporosis? I am taking Actonel and last time I went to the doctor he said my scores went up a little, not enough to get me out of the osteoporosis range but it is better than getting worse. Maybe if you could improve your bone mass you would be in less pain. Have fun on your trip maybe that will be the best medicine for you. Karen


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## Guest (Feb 22, 2005)

Hi Karen, thank you for your response. You know I think you might be right about the muscle part, because when I had 4 compression fractures they said that the muscles are in a different place sort of thing and can be very painful. I also cannot lay on my right hip for very long. I will ask the Dr. about Actonel when I get home also. I was taking Fosomax but it was causing eye inflamation so I can't take that anymore. I hope your wrist heals okay. Thank you for your kind thoughts. Linda


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## Zanne (Nov 22, 2004)

Hi Linda and Karen, I'm sorry to hear of your struggles with osteoporosis at what does seem to be a young age. I'm 41 and I'm entering early memopause. My doctor's biggest concern is boneloss for me. I'm a fair skinned red head of Scotch decent with a thin frame. My mother has just recovered from breaking her arm just below the shoulder. Her numbers are so bad that they say if she sits down wrong she could fracture a vertebrae. My Grandmother was the same only she broke her hip first, and then her ankle.I'm curious at what age did you enter menopause. My Mom and Grandmother were both in their 70's when they had their first broken bone. I really hadn't planned to worry about this for a while, jeez I'm only 41, but my doctor takes is quite seriously.I have very bad IBS-C, and I cannot take calcium supplements, as they are a trigger. I due eat yogurt and drink skim milk. And I'm very active, Hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing. This past fall I took up Tai-Chi.I would definately recommend Tai-Chi to anyone. I've had back and neck problems since my early thirties, and my back and neck have never felt better since starting Tai-Chi. No impact, always one foot on the ground, all motions very slow. I never would have thought it could make me feel so good.Also, I'm unable to take NSAID's due to GI Bleeding, so any non-medicine way to releive pain is a bonus.If you don't mind sharing your experiences, I would appreciate it. As I said, you both seem way to young to be experiencing problems from osteoporosis.Take Care,Zanne


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## Guest (Feb 22, 2005)

Hi Zanne, thank you for sharing and the info about Tai-Chi. I have often heard people say they love it. Does it keep your whole body in shape? Maybe I should look into that too.I am almost 48 years old and haven't had a period in about 3 years. So I was 45 when I hit menopause, but looking back I know peri-menopause was happening for quite a few years before that. Nobody else in my family has osteoporosis. So they were quite surprised to see me with it. I have exercised, walking, exercise tapes for years. They say walking is one of the best forms of exercise for osteoporosis. I am sorry to hear about your Mom, that's awful. Do you think they will give you something to build up your bones before you actually have full blown osteoporosis? It is a worry isn't it. I also have IBS-C. But I do take Calcium Citrate and Mag Oxide. Sure hope it's helping.Sounds like you have a good Dr. that is great. Prevention sounds a lot better to me than putting up with all this right now, I wish I would have known about all this before. Take care, I am off today on a holiday so will check in again when I get back. Linda


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## Karen Savage (Dec 16, 2002)

Hi Zanne, That's very good to hear that your doctor is taking boneloss very seriously because of you family history and your early menopause signs. I also have osteoporosis in my family, my grandma and all my aunts on my mother side have had it. My mother never had a bone density test but she is 80 years old so she must have it also. By the time I had my first test done at 49 I already had full blown osteoporosis. Now that I look back I should have been tested earlier so they could have started treating it before it got that far. As far as menopause goes, I am lucky that I don't get hot flashes or night sweats. My last period was when I was 50 and I will be 52 this year. You could just be going through perimenopause right now, so now is a good time to keep an eye on your bone loss. You should try some calcium supplements that contain calcium, magnesium and vitaim D, and maybe a little extra magnesium to help your constipation. That is what I have been doing. I also walk at least 1 mile everyday, but I might look into that Tai-Chi it sounds like something I might enjoy. Take care, Karen


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## Zanne (Nov 22, 2004)

Hi Ladies, Thank you for sharing your stories. As for Tai Chi, definately give it a try. I started via a public school continueing education program. Now I have a couple video tapes as well. Tai Chi is great for a full body stretch, working all the joints as well, muscle strength, balance, balance, balance. It is amazing that with no weights, just your body, you get a good upper body workout. I'm the youngest one in my class. A 50something lady in my class was recently diagnosed with full blown osteoporosis. Her Dr. recommended Tai Chi as well as Pilates and Yoga.What is also nice about Tai Chi, is you do it standing up, so you can practice it anywhere, no equipment needed. Combining Tai Chi with walking should really help.I am very fortunate to have such a wonderful primary care doctor. She has helped me through some pretty serious bouts of depression, and has always been there for me as I deal with my IBS-C. She always seems to be looking out for me. Exactly what you need in a Dr. I'm going to go see an OBGyn next Thursday, Since my Dr. wanted to get an obgyn involved in my care.Back to the Tai Chi for a moment, my Husband poo poo-ed it at first, that it couldn't be much of a work-out. "You're not even using hand weights" Then he tried it! Now he's coming to class with me!Take Care Karen and Linda.Zanne


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Hey Zanne, I do Tai Chi as well (my school has a 100 day program my blog on that is http://taijitortoise.blogspot.com ).Learning the proper alignment of the body can do a lot for easing pain. The other major benefit for people with osteoporosis is that Tai Chi really helps people gain/maintain balance and not falling as much should help reduce fracture risk.K.


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

I'm only 1 smidgeon of a point away from full-blown osteoporosis of the spine. The bone density scan showed that my hips are fine, but my spine is deteriorating fast. I was told, too, that I was way too young to be showing such deterioration. I am also very small framed. Because of my stomach history with meds, the doc put me on Zetia a year ago, but after 10 months of taking it, I just couldn't tolerate it anymore because of the hot flashes. Yikes! They were terrible. It's one of the side effects. I found myself sweating when I wasn't even doing anything.My Doc put me on Actonel 6 weeks ago. So far, so good. Very little stomach reaction, so that's good. Fosomax is out for me because it is known to cause GI distress and the tablet is much bigger and harder to swallow. I had a Nissen Fundplication 18 months ago and have some esophageal spasming, so I need to be careful what I swallow and how. It has to be something that I can be assured will slip through that "new" valve they made; otherwise it sits on top and begins to dissolve and burns the bottom of the esophagus. Not good. I ned to keep the Barrett's Esophagitis to a minimum if possible.I heard, too, that Tai Chi is good. There are some local classes being offered; but, unfortunately, between the "bathroom issues" and the finances right now, it isn't in the picture for me.


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## echris (Jul 19, 2000)

Feisty:I, too, am small framed and suffer from osteoporosis and, to top in off, I'm a male. Hopefully your doctor has screened you for Celiac Disease because that's one of the main "rule outs" for a young person with osteoporosis. I could not tolerate either Fosamax or Actonel so my doctor had me take Zometa -- I take in once a year through an IV, in the doctor's office. Takes about 15 minutes and no GI side effects. I swear by it -- although it is expensive -- I think that the one dose was just under $1,000.Sorry about a man invading the Women's Forum but not enough men get osteoporosis to merit giving us our own forum for this.


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## echris (Jul 19, 2000)

Feisty:I found a reference to a recent paper on Osteoporosis and Celiac disease. Apparently about 3-4% of patients with osteopororis have Celiac disease. In other words, you have a 97 percent chance of NOT having Celiac Disease. Here's an excerpt from the study:A review of 266 people being treated for osteoporosis found that nine of them had celiac disease, an intestinal disorder caused by intolerance to gluten found in wheat, rye and other grains. Just one of 574 people without the bone disease also suffered from celiac disease, the study found."Our results suggest that as many as 3 to 4 percent of patients who have osteoporosis have the bone condition as a consequence of having celiac disease," said Dr. William F. Stenson, a professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who led the study.The finding appears in the Feb. 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine (news - web sites).Celiac disease causes an immune reaction to gluten that interferes with the ability of the intestine to absorb nutrients, including the calcium and vitamin D that are essential to the health of bones. A gluten-free diet improved bone density as well as gastrointestinal symptoms for people with celiac disease, the researchers reported."We believe that the diet allowed the intestines to heal and that permitted normal absorption of calcium and vitamin D to reverse bone loss," Stenson said.While a severe case of celiac disease produces obvious symptoms such as weight loss and diarrhea, mild cases often go undiagnosed because they cause more subtle problems, such as iron deficiency anemia, the researchers said."One of our conclusions is that incidence of celiac disease in patients with osteoporosis is high enough to justify screening for everybody with osteoporosis," Stenson said. "The idea is that if a patient has osteoporosis as a consequence of celiac disease, the most direct way to correct their bone loss would be to put them on a gluten-free diet."


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

echris, funny you should mention Celiac. Three years ago, the blood test for Celiac came back positive, so I was sent to a GI doc for and Endoscopy with biopsy. Those biopsies came back negative for Celiac, but the doc said I was "sensitive" to wheat and gluten. I try to limit the amount of wheat and gluten in my diet and I feel so much better. Also, less weight gain and bloating, etc.At one time it was thought that you could only have "D" with Celiac, but they have now realized that constipation can be a symptom also. My GI told me that no two peoiple will exhibit the same symptoms for Celiac and that's why it is imperative for peoople to have biopsies taken of their small intestine. Thanks for the "heads up" on the Zometa. I will ask my Doc about that when I go in. I'd rather have something once a year than to take it weekly and have stomach upset for several days after.


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