Just been diagnosed with osteopenia. Anyone else out there with experience of it?

[CroissantNeuf]

After breaking my ankle a little while ago I asked for a bone density scan as I felt that the 'fall' was insignificant yet resulted in a break (and, also, there is a history of osteoporosis on one side of the family).

The result have come back and I have Osteopenia.

I've been prescribed Calcium and VitD supplements and advised about taking more impact exercise to build up the bone/prevent further loss but just wondered if theres anyone else out there in my situation who could offer any further advice or words of wisdom or support?

Thanks

anyone?

Hey - I was diagnosed a few years ago. Also on Adcal D3! I have enteropathic arthritis and mine was picked up on a routine xray of my hands & feet (done to check for deformity following a bad arthritis flare). I've had two dexa scans so far (one every 2 years). The second one showed no change in most areas, but a really bad, borderline osteoporosis section on my hip - but we believe this was caused by inflammation in the joint right by it (damaging the bone) so we're hopeful that it will recover.

I was pretty freaked out when I was diagnosed as my mum has it and my gran had osteoporosis so I know how awful it can be. But my lovely rheumatologist put me at ease a lot about it by talking to me about how they define the risks/results by age etc and explaining that while it sounded bad, my bones weren't actually all that thin.

Basically it's load bearing exercise you want, not just "impact" - so walking is good for your legs/hips (as your body weight counts as a load in that case) and I play squash & tennis (when the arthritis allows!) as that helps the right arm! Now my arthritis is under control I am pretty active; gardening, digging, DIY etc so my bones are getting plenty of work. I'm due my 3rd dexa scan next spring, but am pregnant so it will probably be delayed.

I don't know about you, but I really struggle with taking the calcium tablets, I have the citrus flavoured ones and they are just disgusting! During my 1st trimester when I was very queasy I simply couldn't get them down as they made me gag! I'm aware pregnancy is probably putting a strain on my bones so I'm making a big effort to try and remember to take them though, plus eating plenty of calcuim rich foods too!

You don't say in your OP how old you are - but have you discussed with your doctors why you have it? Is it an age issue? Diet related? Understanding why I had got it (probably partly genetics, but mainly due to medication I'd been on for 10 odd years for my arthritis) helped me focus on how to manage it rather than just freaking out about the future! I was in my late 20s when I was diagnosed so it was a huge shock for me and I was really worried about how bad my bones would be by the time I was 40, or 50 or even 60.

Oh - and folates are important too - taking a folic acid supplement / eating a diet rich in folates might help you recover some density (your body needs folates to rebuild bone). Perhaps ask for a referral to a dietician for help checking over your diet and making sure you're getting enough of what you need might be a good idea!

I'm not expert on it - but if you have any questions do ask and I'll do my best to answer! :)

Hi Trope, thanks for taking the time to reply and sharing your experiences. It sounds as if you've been dealing with a few health issues for a while but have got it under control as best you can.

I'm 44. My Gran had osteoporosis and was the classic stooped old lady (probably from not that old an age thinking back), also broke her hip later on in life so the genetic factor is the main one I think. I have been veggie for 20+ years but when I talked about my diet the GP didn't think that had been a factor as its a pretty balanced diet really and includes dairy, eggs, lots of fruit and veg, food cooked from scratch etc (I'm no saint though and there is lots of stuff like wine, chocolate, cake and coffee in there too ).

I briefly googled 'enteropathic arthritis' as I wasn't quite sure what it is and TBH there were a few things I read that rang some alarm bells for me namely ?IBS and eye problems (uveitis/iritis) as I occasionally suffer from both plus I have aching joints. Now I'm wondering whether to google it properly or mention it to my GP (without mentioning Google of course as I'm sure he'd roll his eyes at that!).

How were you diagnosed initially? Was it a process of them piecing together different symptoms/conditions that had been discovered over a period a time? Its just that I've had blood tests before where they've tested for things like Coeliacs, liver function, inflammation markers etc but they've never got to the bottom of it all. I'm convinced that its all linked in some way (the ?IBS, Iritis, aching joints, Renaulds etc)

hi sorry to crash this thread but I am due to have one of these scans next week. It's kind of been stressing me out as i dont know what to expect and obviously worrying about the results coming back.

It says in my letter so long as I have no metal in my clothing ie underwired bra I will be able to keep my clothes on which seems a bit strange??? Just wondering what to expect really.

thanks

yes me- about 8 years ago now. in late 40s. I had a private scan out of interest as my best frined had one due to her mother having osteo- and she was found to have osteopaenia.

I was really scared- and wanted to avoid drugs at all costs due to side effects.
I decided to manage as best i could with exercise and diet- had a few years of being dairy free due to allergies so maybe my calcium intake was low and I am very light- top weight all my life is 8 stone and more like 7 .5 stone.

I have since had 3 more DEXA scans and each time my bones had improved- still osteopaenic but shwoing an increase in density, almost normal for my age now.

I walk as much as possible- for over 3 years I have tried to walk for 3 miles a day up and down hills, and I also got a personal trainer for a while to show me resistance exercises to do at home.

I take calcium but also have been on HRT for a little while- not for my bones but it will help.

You need to exercise properly and as much as you can- it takes 2 years for bones to show any chnage on the scans so keep at whatever you do- it's not a quick fx.

really weird about the bra- I have had 3 scans in different centres- all private- and kept all cothes on including wired bra. I think I had to take off my necklace. They only scan your back and hips. You lie on the bed and it takes about 2 minutes.

thanks for ur reply amelia, so they only gonna scan my back and hips. Just checked my letter and it says if u have clothing with metal parts may be asked to change into a gown? strange huh.

Also good to hear you have managed to control urs through diet and exercise and that you have seen an improvement.

well, they never asked about my bra!

Basically the machine is over head and it moves slowly down your spine- about 3 feet above you- on the bed- then they do your hips, so you need to have your knees on some cushion thing they give you. I can't remember totally but scan 2 was in a mobile scanner at the hospital and I may have been asked to put on a gown, but for my 2 other scans I didn't.

amelia -thanks for that. It is reassuring to know that bone density can be increased. I'm due to be rescanned in 3 years so fingers crossed that there will some improvement then.
Do you mind me asking about the sort of resistance exercises you given to do at home? I did debate joining a gym but TBH I'm probably more likely to do exercise at home (but obviously don't have all the multigym equipment here!

kerfuzzled -don't stress about the scan. As Amelia said, you just lie on a bed with a cushion thing under/between your lower legs and an arm just moves above your hip area. You're not in a tunnel like you are with an MRI so theres no feeling of claustrophobia if you're worried about that. Clothing wise, I went completely without any metal at all as thats what the letter said -leggings, tunic dress, no jewellery (wore a cropped top and took a bra in my bag to change into later ) but then the woman doing the scanning implied that its only in the hip area that you have to be metal free.

Good luck and try not to worry.

(I'm trying to look on the positive side in that at least I now know I have this condition and can do something about it, which is better than not knowing until its discovered that I have full blown osteoporosis)

ah thanks croissant thats reassured me about not being in a tunnel, it was stressing me out slightly. I was thinking of wearing the same thing, leggings and a tunic.

Yes it is a positive thing that you have been diagnosed early on so you know what your up against.

I havent had any fractures or broken bones ever but my vitamin d and calcium levels came back low as a result of a routine blood test and the doctor arranged this scan for me as a precaution. Hoping for positive results as I'm only 29.

croissant- I really recommend that you go to the website of the NOS- national osteoporosis society. They have brochures- free- and a reading list.

One book I bought is by Bassey and Dinan- exercises for strong bones. ( also on Amazon) It covers leg lifts, arm lifts, back exercises etc using dumbells and ankle weights.

I have been lazy recently and just tend to walk now, but I do try to do squats and lunges on the walks, which strengthen the thighs and back, some press ups, and weights for my arms.

Thanks for the tips -I'll take a look, especially at the book.