osteopenia/osteoporosis
when I had a dexascan 2 years later I had about a 10% loss in my bone density score and was advised to add Actonel to the regimin. NOW
I am recently diagnosed with very severe osteopenia. My Dexascan shows that the density in my hips is almost to the point of osteoporosis. Fortunately my spine, while it has lost some, is still at the lower end of the "normal" range. the Actonel I took did not help and I lost a whole bunch more bone density. So I am being treated with an IV med called Reclast that helps stop the loss. It is in the same family as Fosamax, Boniva etc, but since it is IV I don't have to worry about it absorbing through my intestines. I do however have to worry about my absorption of Calcium and Vitamin D. The really big part I hate is that the Dr said in 2 years when I have my next Dexascan that the best I can hope for is that I will have no more loss. after that I may have some improvement, but it is slow, and most people who are at this point need to have lifetime treatment.
I have done a ton of research and what I have learned is that any one who loses a large amount of weight loses bone density - whether they have a gastric bypass or not. So while gastric bypass patients have a high rate of osteoporosis - they would if they lost weight by other means as well.
So I can't blame just the gastric bypass.
I had YEARS of poor nutrition prior to my gastric bypass, in my younger years - when I was supposed to be banking calcium into my bones I was not drinking milk or getting anywhere near adequate calcium. I was also pregnant as a teenager when I should have been building my bones I was growing a baby. ( actually 3 babies at the age of 22) my morbidly obese years were years of poor nutrition and a sedntary lifestyle - a recipe for osteoporosis. Drinking Pop also affects bone development and I drank a lot of that in my childhood - and it helps pull calcium out of your bones.
I am also ( ahem) an "older" woman. ( how the hell did that happen????)
after menopause women tend to lose bone density as they lose their estrogen. Since my menopausal symptoms have been mild I have never used any hormone replacement therapy as there are risks from that as well, and I never felt my symptoms were enough to warrent it. Maybe I should have done that - to protect my bones. I don't know. The ortho Dr said that adding HRT to the mix would not give any additional benefits over the Reclast alone.
Get your dexascans and follow through with any and all recommendations - discuss it in detail with your DR and do not hesitate to see a specialist in the area for treatment if necessary.
10+ years post op and still maintaining!!! surgery 9/25/2002 260/134
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/bariatric_journey/welcome/ if you send a friend request on FB make a note that you are from OH - thanks http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=586438255&ref=profile
also www.facebook.com/valshealthykitchen
10+ years post op and still maintaining!!! surgery 9/25/2002 260/134
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/bariatric_journey/welcome/ if you send a friend request on FB make a note that you are from OH - thanks http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=586438255&ref=profile
also www.facebook.com/valshealthykitchen
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bone-density-tests/WO00024 DEXA scan. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans measure the bone density at your hip or spine. This test offers very precise results and is the preferred test for diagnosing osteoporosis. During this test, you lie on a padded platform for a few minutes while an imager — a mechanical arm-like device — passes over your body. It won't touch you. The test does, however, emit radiation, though your exposure during a bone density test is commonly about one-tenth of the amount emitted during a chest X-ray. This test usually takes five to 10 minutes to complete.
Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans measure the bone density at your hip or spine. This test offers very precise results and is the preferred test for diagnosing osteoporosis. During this test, you lie on a padded platform for a few minutes while an imager — a mechanical arm-like device — passes over your body. It won't touch you. The test does, however, emit radiation, though your exposure during a bone density test is commonly about one-tenth of the amount emitted during a chest X-ray. This test usually takes five to 10 minutes to complete.
Peripheral devices Peripheral devices are found in pharmacies and are considerably less expensive than are central devices. But these smaller machines do have limitations.
Measurements taken at your hip and spine generally are considered more accurate assessments of your osteoporosis risk because these are the locations where major fractures tend to occur — fractures that can severely limit the quality and even the length of your life.
A test done on a peripheral location, such as your heel, may predict risk of fracture in your spine and hip as well. But because bone density tends to vary from one location to the other, a measurement taken at the heel usually isn't as accurate as a measurement taken at the spine or hip.
Measurements of bone density in your heel or finger still can be used to screen for osteoporosis, though. If your test is positive, your doctor might recommend a DEXA scan at your spine or hip to confirm your diagnosis. DEXA scan. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans measure the bone density at your hip or spine. This test offers very precise results and is the preferred test for diagnosing osteoporosis. During this test, you lie on a padded platform for a few minutes while an imager — a mechanical arm-like device — passes over your body. It won't touch you. The test does, however, emit radiation, though your exposure during a bone density test is commonly about one-tenth of the amount emitted during a chest X-ray. This test usually takes five to 10 minutes to complete.
10+ years post op and still maintaining!!! surgery 9/25/2002 260/134
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/bariatric_journey/welcome/ if you send a friend request on FB make a note that you are from OH - thanks http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=586438255&ref=profile
also www.facebook.com/valshealthykitchen
