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I just had my first bone density scan and it showed that I have osteopenia in both the hip and spine. The recommendation is to have the test every two years. Is anyone getting it every year?
I just had my first bone density scan and it showed that I have osteopenia in both the hip and spine. The recommendation is to have the test every two years. Is anyone getting it every year?
Hi Poet-Lady,
I suppose it depends on your age and other factors. I was diagnosed with Osteopenia (1.3 in femoral neck) two years ago. I just had another scan and I'm now 1.6 in that area. My doc wants me to have another scan in a year because I am hypothyroid as well. (More at risk for bone loss.) I started menopause about 4 years ago so my bone loss may slow down but because of the thyroid condition she want to keep on top of it.
Even if you don't have special conditions I would err on the side of caution and have another scan done in a year.
Since I'm doing the Forteo shot my doc said i would have it done in a year to 18 months... I just asked for my brothers doc to have a density test on him... (I am his legal guardian) seeing how it's hereditary... I had no idea...
Hi Celtic Rose and Kathy: This is a tough question since it really depends on many different factors and other medical issues you may be dealing with.
I have had a 2 QCT's and 3 DXA's (the third one was a calibration/technician accuracy test). I had each done a year a part, but that's because my insurance allows a dxa after a year if you are on a new drug.
Kathy: You are truly amazing!!! I applaud your strength and compassion in caring for your brother. When I was dx'd with osteo at -3.6 my Endo asked if my family members had been checked, which they hadn't (2 brother's older than me) and since then they have both had dxa's based on family history (me and 2 grandmothers). My grandmother had horrible kyphosis and lost a lot of height to the point that her clothes had to be specially altered. She died from a stroke prompted from lack of activity due to a hip frax. She did have a full life to the age of 94, but suffered from the kyphosis, since there were no treatments other than supplements/exercise and no one talked about that then, it was considered the normal aging process for her. Since I have had 6 frax's I often think of the suffering she must have gone through but never said a word. She had the classic dowagers hump, which tells me she more than likely had many frax's, to loose all that height.
Keep up your good work with yourself and your brother, and good luck with the Forteo, I hope you do as well as I did on it-went from the t-score above to a normal t-score in 4 years, trying different meds that didn't work but the Forteo did!
I really am hoping the Forteo works for me as well. To be honest the decision to take it is partly due to him. He worries about my health as well as he lived with our Mother when she declined and then passed over.
I will have to google kyphosis as I hadn't heard that term before. Isn't it amazing as we age to look back at our elders and see the grit that they had dealing with life and all it emcompasses.. I have the bad knees my Mother had, and boy do I understand much better..
I had my first scan last August and found out I do have Osetoporosis with score of -3, my primary wanted me to do Boniva monthly and after doing some reading I opted out...now he wants me to do Reclast IV and sent me to my hemotologist who is an oncologist who does my IV iron infusions...my hemo dr ordered another scan on Aug 18th to see if I have gotten any worse or if with my added calcium and D3 if maybe it got better...wishful thinking but I am so trying to avoid these meds all together as I am ulcer prone...so one yr exactly for me...I will be 59 in Aug.
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