Osteoporosis in forties

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I've just had a DXA scan and a diagnosis of osteoporosis in my hips (osteopenia in spine). Awaiting rheumatologist appointment but started on HRT in the meantime.

I'm feeling quite shocked and not sure where to begin. I'm dairy free so take calcium phosphate powder which I will increase. I also use Vitamin D spray and multivitamin with magnesium.

I would love to hear from anyone who managed to reverse their bone density loss. I understand high impact is the best thing but can I still do that without damage at this stage? I walk and use an elliptical machine but an old back injury prevents me from running and jumping. Should I see a physio for advice before I start increasing impact?

Any advice would be very welcome. Thanks so much.

That's what I was thinking. Obviously the supplement (dicalcium phosphate as this is the only one that doesn't cause bad stomach problems) has been inadequate. I have been reading about other forms of calcium to try such as calcium citrate malate or lysinate but they are a lot more expensive. might be worth a try along with exercise.

Thanks. I don't do any weight lifting type exercise so I will definitely look into this so see what I can safely do.

What brand vibrating plate did you get? I was wondering if the cheaper ones on amazon etc are worthwhile or if you need one of the licenced ones costing £1000+

Margaret Martin (melioguide) has a great book and website with guidance on how to exercise to build bone density - also some helpful tips on what to avoid to protect the spine (yay, no more crunches or plough pose!). She has programmes adjusted for different levels of activity and fracture risk.

Do also look up the LIFTMOR study - it's really inspiring to see what difference resistance exercise can make. It's helpful to know that there are two ways you can build bones - one is impact/weight-bearing exercise, the other is through muscle pulling on bone. Swimming isn't weight-bearing but if you work hard at it, you can use it to build muscle in the upper body which can help if you, like most women, are lower body dominant. This is important because the effect on bone strengthening is quite localised, so the exercise you do has to work all the bones you want to protect, ideally in various different directions - runners often have good hip/leg bone density but generally not so good in the spine and arms. Weight lifting, particularly full body moves, are great because they give you a thorough work out. If you're able to do some light impact jumping or stamping that can also be very helpful.

Low BMI is a recognised risk factor for osteoporosis. At 17.5 your BMI is classified as low.
Maybe ask to see a dietitian who can help you build a diet that is calcium rich. Gaining a little weight may also stimulate bone density gain.

Thank you. I think a dietitian might be a good idea. It's hard to get enough calcium from my dairy free diet and clearly I'm not absorbing it well enough from supplements.

Yes that's a really good point, more exercise will only be counterproductive if you're not fuelling enough - expert support sounds a great way of getting you back on track.

If I remember rightly it was a JTX. It was a big heavy machine that worked for years and then died when we moved it to another room. Will defo get another one when my house sells, (dear all that is holy, please let my house sell this year…)

I bought it second hand on gumtree

Sorry I disappeared down a rabbit hole online re diet. Yes I would defo seek out a dietitian. Avoid nutritionists they are not really qualified for specifics. For example there are a lot of drugs that interfere with absorption of nutrients and some common foods that prevent calcium being absorbed such as some green vegetables.
Apparently blueberries are good for absorption. If you see a dietitian make sure you make a food diary.
I know that taking magnesium supplants at the same time as calcium supplements is counterproductive and if you take antacids regularly they can really mess up vitamin an mineral absorption.