Had a DEXA scan last week

I am not sure why they are telling you not to repeat for 2-3 years.  For someone with normal results, you are supposed to repeat every 2 years and if you are diagnosed with either osteoporosis or osteopenia, you are supposed to repeat yearly.

I just had mine done a few weeks ago and I have been getting then for the past 14 years - since I am 35 due to severe family history of osteoporosis.  My mom had it very bad since her 40;s and my dad has osteopenia also.  My scans were alway really good until this one.  My last scan which was in 2009, I was 1 year post op - I was +1.2 for the spine and +1.0 for the hip.  Now 3 years post op it is a totally different story -

Left Femur    BMD   0.878
 

 -Neck                          - 0.9
upperneck                 -0.7
wards                         -1.7
trachs                         -1.4
total                             -1.1

spine   BMD   1.219

L1                      -0.3
L2                      -0.8
L3                      +0.5
L4                       +0.7
L1-L2                  -0.6
L1-L3                 -0.1
L1-L4                +0.1
L2-L3                -0.1
L2-L4                +0.2                
L3-L4                +0.6

Actually T score used for scoring is L2-L4 for a score of +0.2.  My Endo said that many people with severe osteoarthritis in the spine end up with higher scores in the spine due to calcifications in the spine.  The DEXA machines read these calcifications as bone, making some of these scores not as accurate.  So, for  me she did my wrist which has no arthitis to get a more accurate reading.  Both my wrist and hip have ostepenic readings.


Left Forearm  BMD  0.657

Radius                  -1.1
Radius 33%        -0.8
Radius total        -0.3

This is what it says on the bottom of my report - People with diagnosed cases of osteoporosis or osteopenia should be regularly tested for bone mineral density.  For patients eligible for Medicare, routine testing is allowed every 2 years.  Testing frequency can be increased for patients who have rapidly progressing disease or for those who are receiving medical therapy to restore bone mass.

Where are your spine results?

Thanks for the input.

She didn't scan my spine as it would not have given an accurate reading. I had back surgery in 2006 and they fused L4, L5, & S1 together placing titanium rods and pins in there. She notated on the file that I was "post lumbar surgery". That's why you see just the hips.

I see my PCP this month or early Nov and will ask him about it then.

Liz

I would ask because the scan of the spine is predominantly the upper part of the lumbar - L1-L4, so they might be able to get some readings on some of it.  Also, since they also didn't do the spine, they could have done your wrist. I actually had all 3 done.   Mine Endocrinologist said that many times people who have severe arthritis in there hips and spines have artificially elevated numbers due to calcification in there hip joints and spine, so by doing the wrist, you can sometimes get a more accurate picture of what is going on.  For me this proved very true. I have severe arthritis and herniated discs in my spine and my T score came back normal.  My hip and wrist both came back osteopenic - normally we would have expected my spine to be the worst but the machine can't differentiate the calcium from bone.

Here's what we're doing to treat my osteoporosis at the moment:
1/2 strength estrogen/testosterone daily (post hysti)
Fosamax once a week
3,600mg+ calcium citrate daily (vitalady capsule)
50K dry D3 every day and 100K 3 days a week to keep my D3 above 90
tanning 8 minutes a week
3mg boron with every calcium dose
magnesium citrate with every calcium dose (vitalady capsule)
vitamin K2, 150mcg 2x a day (vitalady capsule)
walking and leaning push-ups

My labs were perfect at 1 year post-op but the weight loss and the lack of hormones put me from osteopenic pre-op to osteoporosis post-op. The treatment above has stopped the bone loss but I'm so ready to come off the Fosamax (rat poison). I really want to see if I can hold with supplements only.

Since being diagnosed with osteoporosis, I have a yearly dexa scan and insurance has always paid for it.

There are also other factors to consider in terms of what your lifetime risk is for an osteoporotic fracture.  For example, if you have ever had a fracture/broken bone that occurred from standing height or less.  This increases your future risk of fracture and may tip the balance of whether you need medications.  If you are on steroids or were on steroids in the past for 3mths or more at signficant doses, this increases your risk.  If you are/were a heavy drinker, smoker, or high caffeine user, this also increases your risk.  It is best to discuss with your pcp and review all your potential other risk factors before deciding if further treatment is warranted. 

Bone density testing doesn't change quick (generally).  Therefore monitoring every 2-3 years in generally reasonable in most cirucmstances.  It should be monitored more frequently in the event of a significant change or severe result to assess stability.

Andrea.