Losing bone density--help!

I had my 6-month followup Dexa scan yesterday and overall the results were good. My total body fat is still low at 17.3 but that is up from 16.7. I exercise alot, swimming and walking so I'm not surprised that it is low. My doctor wants it at 25%, which he says is healthier for my age (over 50), but I doubt that it will get there when I am exercising this much. I have added more fats (nuts, full fat cheese) into my diet and my skin seems better than when I was eating more low fat.

What is really worrying is that my bone density has dropped by 2.3% over the 6-month period. My bone density is in the high category, which is great and I do regular weight bearing exercise, but I have a family history of osteoporosis and having a drop like that worries me. I take my 3 doses of 500mg of calcium every day several hours after my iron but it may be that my body is not absorbing it like it should. That is a problem.

What do you do to help prevent losing bone density and help your body use the calcium supplements better. I want to be proactive and not wait until I have a real problem.

Thanks

My bone density showed up as below average for my age on my first DEXA, so my surgeon's office recommended I increase my calcium citrate intake to 2000 mg a day (four doses of 500 mg).

However, the new PCP I started with this past January (who happens to be very interested in bones) told me I was actually in the osteoporosis category (neither the DEXA scan tech or the surgeon's office told me this - they just said it was "below average"), so she sent me for a Reclast infusion (she wanted to avoid Fosamax or other oral drugs because of my WLS - they can be hard on the stomach).

I've only done one DEXA scan, so for all I know, I could have had osteoporosis before WLS since I'd never had a baseline scan - and I haven't done one since, so I don't know if it's improved or gotten worse (hopefully improved since the Reclast)

Weight-bearing exercise and extra calcium is pretty much the standard treatment before you start getting into drug treatment..

osteoporosis runs in my family, too, which is another reason I wanted to do the scan. My insurance doesn't cover DEXA scans if you're under 60, but I wanted to know about my bone density...and I also wanted to know my fat percentage, which the scans that the doctors order don't include.

Is there any type of calcium supplement that is better or more likely to be absorbed? I do take calcium citrate.

calcium citrate is the best absorbed by WLS patients, as you know - although if I'm not mistaken, I think it's one of the best - if not the best - absorbed by "normies", too.

This definitely is not peer-reviewed, so you can take it or leave it, but he suggests calcium citrate as a very well-absorbed form of calcium (he's talking about seniors - not WLS patients - but then, most osteoporosis patients are seniors!)

https://www.drweil.com/vitamins-supplements-herbs/vitamins/better-form-of-calcium/

Weight Training

Thanks Laura. I walk alot but need to do more upper body strength training.

I was similar to you, density high but trending downward on my Dexascan. I know the patches are controversial but the calcium patch has definitely worked for me. The last two Dexascans my T-score went up.

I have been on calcium patch since July 2016. I wear them at night on my chest. Don't know if that helps with absorption.

Where do you get your patches? What brand?

Patch MD