Osteoporosis at 4yrs out

Well..I'm 43 and 4 yrs out from surgery.  DEXA bone scan reveals oseteoporosis and joint pain in my shoulder is due to severe arthritis...may be looking at shoulder replacement.  Any other post op males out there diagnosed with this?  How are you being treated?  Have you seen bone density gains since treatment? This is the only time in the last 4yrs I have regretted my RNY.

I had the DS, but I'm only 2 years out.  I had the Dexa scan last year, and plan to have one again this year.   Can I ask what your suppliment regime is like?  Do you take calcium citrate  and vit. D daily?  I know michelle (vitalady) and I have talked about this extensively....and some RNyers aren't told to take regular amounts of calcium and extra D (extra as in addition to the amount that comes built in to the calcium pills).  I do a lot of weight bearing exercises and hope that my bone scan this year comes back good.  It is normal to lose some bone mass during and just after rapid weight loss  because being SMO or MO actually is a weight bearing "exercise" (so to speak).  Once that weight is lifted off, the bones do not need to carry around an extra 100, 200 or in my case 300 lbs...some bone loss may occur. Good luck on treatment. I do know that I've read that some women go on osteo medicines post op...I honestly can't remember which ones though....but this won't help if you are low in calcium and D. Please keep us updated. Scott

I am a 63 year old female.  My bone density test has improved recently.  I took Fosamax D 70 mg,  Calcitriol .5 mcg, 50,000 units Vit D and calcium for about a year.  Doc says my test was better and took me off all three meds in November.  I am to see her in March.  She says stopping meds was a vacation from meds, so I will probably go back on them.   Sooo bone density can improve.  See if doc thinks you need medications.  Calcitriol was to help me absorb Vit D which helps absorb calcium.   I still take Upcal D which I get from vitalady.  Patricia

I'm not male, but a menopausal female who in fall 2006 a DEXA scanned revealed osteoporosis.  I've been taking Boniva IV treatments every 3 months, in addition to increased calcium citrate and 50,000 IU of Vit. D.  I am due for another scan to see if my efforts are helping.  Even with osteoporosis, I don't regret the RNY.  I had a whole lot more health issues before RNY that are now gone.  And even thin folks who never have RNY or struggle with obesity still get sick and have health concerns.  So RNY isn't a cure-all, fix-all for every ailment we can ever get.  It just usually resolves many obesity related ones.  The few that we have to stay on top of that are nutritionally related from our surgery, I don't regret - it's merely a matter of finding the right balance of supplements to keep my levels where they need to be.  If the only thing keeping me healthy (and healthy weight) is a few supplements - I'll take it!! 

I'm a 56 yr old post menopausal woman with osteoporosis.  I'd been taking fosamax for 3 years and my bone density has gotten steadily worse.  I've always taken a liquid cal citrate with D and magnesium.  I'm now doing the once a year Reclast infusion. 

I just read in a Mayo Clinic health update release that a high protein diet can lead to osteoporosis.  I'm wondering if this isn't my problem.  I'm going to try to eat more fruits and veggies, but I also have hypoglycemia from nesidioblastosis (beta cells of pancreas go nuts after RNY) so I have to be careful of any carbs.  Fruit will sometimes drop me but not consistenly.

I also am regretting my decision to have RNY.  While I'm grateful for the wt loss, I think they will be finding out that there are a lot of long term consequences even if one has done everything right.

 

 

 

My husband has osteopenia per his bone scan last year at 2.5 years post-op.  I don't believe he had one pre-WLS.  He is getting another one done shortly.  We'll see how he does now that he is at 3.5 years post-op.  He has brought up his vitamin D level and increased calcium.  Hope that at least keeps things at bay. I have osteopenia but I cannot blame mine on WLS per se.  I had a parathyroid tumor that drove my blood calcium up above normal by leeching calcium from my bones.  Unfortunately doctors "watch this" since tumors are hard to find.  I was able to get it removed about 10 months post-WLS but my bones suffered.  I am 2.5 years post-op now and hope to get a bone density scan done again in a few months.  I too have upped my vitamin D level and increased calcium. Fortunately/unforunately doctors thought a normal Vitamin D was in the 20s to 100ish.  But now they recommend that your level be at least 40 and some even say that 60 or better yet 70 is where you want it.  I know that mine was in the 20s for quite a while and that just isn't good enough. Good luck! Kathy