To think osteoporosis is shockingly sidelined by healthcare professionals in the UK

[Pavementworrier]

My mum was recently diagnosed. That in itself isn't such a shock - the bigger shock was that the treatments available are pretty limited with potentially significant side effects. And now I think about it there are things we should all be thinking about to try to limit our own risks. It's easy to forget when young that strength starts with our bones.

More than half of women in the UK will have an osteoporotic fracture and there is risk even if you never have vitamin d deficiency (which almost all of us will at some point). Some medication and food/drinks can put you more at risk but this is never taken into account in prescribing.

Reading today about the plan to give puberty blockers to 200 kids and then follow them for four years. Four years is not enough - osteoporosis is a huge risk of adjusting adolescent hormones and the people conducting the study have a duty to the children for the rest of their lives. What measures will be taken to monitor and protect their future skeletons? I bet none.

Anyway if you are reading this, however old you are, please think about vitamin d supplements, regular exercise and strength training and taking a dexa scan in your forties.

HRT supposedly offers great protection - I am 44 now and not sure when to start for best effect. My periods are irregular but otherwise I feel fine. Would be great if someone would start taking this disease seriously and work out the optimal starting moment!

The book also covers the health conditions that can cause bone loss and also the medications that are given for osteoporosis. They are covered in details to explain how they work and how they performed in trials. Plenty of tables comparing them.
It also covers which blood test panel to request to see bone cell turnover markers and which supplements might mask a vitamin D deficiency, such as biotin that will affect vitamin D blood test showing higher levels than one has.

It is a dense 600 pages book with a lot of info which a GP can’t know such as reducing salty foods because they increase calcium loss from bones. We eat so many crisps and chips in UK, crips are in every lunch deal, we even have baby crips and we add chips to Chinese takeaways. It is not just the waistline that will take a hit, it is your bones.

It is not a book one can read whilst watching dancing with the stars/

Please can you tell us what the prevention exercises are? I also have osteopenia and cannot take hrt. I take supplements like calcium and vit d

Thanks i saw the recommended book!

The YouTube video had them. Scroll up for the link.
Vitamin D and calcium bring little
benefit without vitamin K2

Nor that it's good to severely calorie restrict and maintain a very low bmi which is a bigger risk for osteoporosis

I have osteoarthritis in both knees my right being the worst . I basically got diagnosed and told to come back when in agony for pain relief . Said I was too young for knee replacements and they won’t don’t do it anyway till I’m immobile ! Really handy when you work full time as a nurse . And I have to use patients zimmers to pull myself if im
doing something kneeling down! Don’t know if I’ve got a really shit dr or if is just the way the treatment is?

OP: your thread title says "in the UK".
Which country manages the risks or condition after diagnosis hugely better, and what do they do differently that is so hugely better?

What makes you think she would know that?

How easy is it to get GPs refer for a Dexa?

I had a stress reaction in my femur a few years ago after not that much running! And obviously the femur is a big bone…

I had treatment for breast cancer including tamoxifen and menopause a bit earlier than average..at 49.

Do a lot of weight training but still!

My late mother had horribly severe osteoporosis. Most of the useful information /helpful advice that we got came from ROS [formerly NOS]. Their helpline is invaluable.

I'm 65 and hanging onto my HRT for grim death.

Does anyone know if it's worth getting a peripheral DEXA scan (pDEXA) as an indication of whether to pursue getting a hip + spine DEXA scan? Or is it better to just pay the higher cost for the hip + spine one straight off? This thread has got me freaked out!

Mine just booked me in after I said I wanted one after an xray showed osteopenia. Tbf, they should have suggested it really but there were no complications in getting one. And then they arranged my follow up (I think 4 years later). It's worth asking but prepare some reasons as to why you think it's a good idea.

Thank you! I shall try.

Another group of people (men and women) who are at high risk of osteoporosis are epileptics who take AEDs as they cause bone thinning. Epileptic people tend to break bones more easily anyway due to the way they fall as they start to have a seizure.

My brother was diagnosed with osteoporosis at 32 when he’d only been on AEDs for a decade. His dexa scan showed compound fractures in his spine and he was in constant pain but not enough for an operation apparently. He died of a seizure at 47 and his post mortem showed that he had lost SIX inches in height since he was 21.

A bit more info on the effect of AEDs here -
Certain long-term antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) like
carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone, and sodium valproateare linked to an increased risk of osteoporosis due to mechanisms like vitamin D metabolism disruption, hormonal imbalances, and direct effects on bone cells. These drugs, particularly enzyme-inducing ones, can lower bone mineral density over time, leading to a higher risk of fractures. It is crucial to not stop taking prescribed AEDs, but individuals with risk factors should discuss bone health monitoring with their doctor, including a potential bone density scan.

Can anyone recommend a vibration plate?

The best source for info that I've found to date:

https://theros.org.uk/

That's awful I'm so sorry to hear it.

To answer your original question, @OP , healthcare professionals in the UK are often woefully lacking in knowledge.

One time when i tried to access better treatment for my late mother, her GP said "But osteoporosis isn't painful!"

Can anyone tell me if weightlifting is better than running for bone health

My DM is severely affected by osteoporosis however my GP could
not refer me for a Dexa scan as I do not meet the criteria. Does anyone have any recommendations for a company that offers these scans privately and then offers medical advice if needed? After seeing how dreadful this condition is I’m terrified of getting it myself.

Coeliac disease is a big cause of osteoporosis. 1:100 people have Coeliac disease but only a third of them are actually diagnosed (it takes on average 13 years for Coeliac disease to be diagnosed.

If you have any Coeliac symptoms eg mouth ulcers, fatigue, low iron, miscarriages/infertility, abdominal pain (although many people don’t have abdominal symptoms), irritable bowel syndrome, osteoporosis, abnormal liver function on a blood test, then please get checked for Coeliac disease.
If you have CD you should receive bone scans.

www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/coeliac-disease/about-coeliac-disease/what-are-coeliac-disease-symptoms/?&&type=rfst&set=true#cookie-widget

Definitely weightlifting, I don't know much but I know that.

I think a lot of people don’t know anything about vitamin D, people seem surprised I take it
I work in a place with no windows! So 4000IU daily and I’ve done high dose courses before as I was so deficient

I'm one of those 🤚 I was told by a doctor years ago that it was a waste of time/money will be peed out and I never forgot that 🫣. Putting it on my shopping list tomorrow.

I do go out in the daylight everyday for 30 minutes minimum though 👀.