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Tell-Tale Symptoms of Osteoporosis?

nathji
1 Recommendation

There is one question that is paramount in my mind and it must be so in the minds of thousands of others as well.

ARE THERE ANY PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS THAT TELL A PERSON THAT HE HAS OSTEOPOROSIS?

We have all been told that osteoporosis is a silent disease with no symptoms till we break a bone. Osteoporosis is diagnosed on the basis of the DEXA scans which we know are not reliable.

I wish someone would discover a physical symptom or a physical sign which would all at once alert one to the fact that he might be having osteoporosis.

Maybe sounds made by knocking on the bones or the creaking of the joints as one tweaks the fingers, maybe something in walking, or even the skull or the wrists or ankles -- maybe some kind of a swelling somewhere etc. etc., maybe some sign in the teeth or the jaw, or some sign in the eyes, or even the ears where bones knock together to produce sounds..

I think anyone that discovers a SYMPTOM that can positively prove Osteoporosis deserves the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

All dangerous diseases have some symptoms-- the heart has aches and pains, the kidneys have swellings, cancer has lumps,-- surely Nature with all its wisdom would not have left man helpless and unprotected to not to be able to diagnose osteoporosis through some tell -tale symptom.

It would be most enlightening if someone on NOF would tell us of some symptoms that could positively indicate osteoporosis!!

Thank you,
Yours,
nathji
(Priya)

Explore topics in this discussion:

Exercise Surgery Scoliosis Eating disorders Back pain Anxiety Angina Menopause Fibromyalgia Stress Boniva Forteo Fractures Emphysema Spinal stenosis Diabetes Hyperparathyroidism Osteogenesis imperfecta Actonel Weakness Alcohol abuse Cancer Osteopenia Addison's disease Progesterone Osteoporosis Osteoarthritis Cortisol Arthritis Panic disorder Reclast Pain Cataract Heartburn Depression Dieting

61 replies

OWIE

nathji, what a priviledge it is to have you at Inspire. I've learned so much from your research.You are such a kind and caring person to continue to feed our need for more information on osteoporosis.I had a nagging ache in my lower back that led me to question my doctor about a bone density test.Seems persistence on our part is the key.Thank you so much for all your invaluable help.

nathji

Dear OWIE,

Thank you for your comments. You are much too kind. I am the one who has learned so much, not so much through my questions, but through the wonderful and kind and caring answers that I have received from loving folk like yourself.

I believe you are right about the back pain -- it involves the spine which is one of the places that osteoporosis hits. However doctors would invariably try to set it down to muscle pain or else a sprain or nerves or a slipped disc. Or else something like this could happen: -

I had a slipped disc when I first went to a doctor--an orthopedist. I was taken aback ( pardon the unintended pun) when he thumped my back with his fist to "test" the back! - Then he showed an expression of grave concern on his face from the sound of the "thump" -- and ordered X Rays. He looked at the X Rays and said with some concern that several vertebrae were fractured. I wondered then whether it was due to his thump.

He then ordered a Dexa scan in a machine in his clinic -- and it showed horrible, dreadful results of -3.6, -4.5 etc!!

He asked me to take Forteo injections immediately. The Forteo medical representative was "conveniently present" in his clinic and told me of the sky high costs of the daily injections!! He phoned me persistently for the next few days -- and when I told him I could not afford them, his "great concern" for my osteoporosis disappeared-- and so did he!!

My intuitive sense made me show the X Rays to another doctor-- who said they were perfectly normal and that nothing was fractured! Another doctor also confirmed this. And a Dexa scan showed that all I had was osteopenia, for which Forteo was not required at all.

So much for X Rays and Dexa machines and doctors that "rely" on them. The first doctor, the one who thumped my back, was one of the "top" orthopedists of New Delhi!!

I dont know what symptoms we should look for --but thumping the back can be a terrible experience is all I can say! The only thump in the back that I gave myself was in getting away from the wrong diagnosis of the first doctor.

So there again -- we are in a fix, if we have to rely on symptoms alone we might fall into the hands of dozens of practicing quacks in the medical industry, who will play upon our fears and give us unwanted medicines and injections of all kinds and contradictory versions of the ailment.

Symptoms can be misleading and so can DEXA results-- so what do we have left! --we wait for bones to herald the approach of osteoporosis with a crack.
I wish someone could give us enlightenment - and get the Nobel Prize in return!!

With every good wish,
Yours,
Priya

millie123

Actually, Priya, I don't know where I read this, but there were a few reports that dental x-rays could clue you into osteo because bone turnover in the jaw is even faster than elsewhere.

nathji

Dear Millie123,

Hello, and thanks for writing. You have given valuable information -- I wonder whether just looking at the teeth or knocking upon them with the nails would provide some simple clue, even before the X Rays. But this is a wonderful lead. I do hope researchers carry it through. It would mean the minimum of hassles. But the dentist would have to be trained into Osteoporosis!! The biophophonates also seem to hit the jaw -- so this would be a good place to start!! I hope other members will also elucidate on this as my knowledge is next to zero on the subject.

Many thanks,
And best wishes,
Yours,
Priya

Loods

I believe a reduction in height is also a sign. I have lost 4 inches over the past three years - not good when I was only 4ft to start with (I have restricted growth by the way!!!)

My Uncle, who I have written about recently, has also lost height and has quite a rounded back. He has never been given a dexa scan or had broken bones but his Doctor must consider he has osteoporosis by appearance alone because she wants to start him on Actonel and calcichew/D3.

Interesting theory on dentists. My dentist once said he would never had known I had osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bones) just by looking at my teeth. Yet my teeth crumble just as easily as my bones.

DeskJockey101

I WOULD SAY THE BEST SIGNAL IS THE BODY ITSELF AND PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT THAT BODY IS SAYING, DO YOU NOTICE WHAT YOUR BODY IS SAYING WHEN IT SHOWS YOUR LEGS BOWING A BIT, OR HOW BOUT WHEN YOU STAND AGAINST A DOOR AND YOUR BACK IS NO LONGER AS STRAIGHT AS IT USED TO BE. THAT WAS MY HINT... WHEN I COULD NOT PRESS MY BACK AGAINST THE WALL, BUT THEN WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT - WE DON'T LISTEN TO THE BODY AS WELL AS WE SHOULD... JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION AND DEFINETELY NO MEDICAL PROOF TO BACK ME UP LOL

nathji

Dear Desk Jockey 101,

Many thanks for your response. Although the humped back is a good indicator-- but many of us develop a writer's hump when we are in school itself, by sitting at the desk or table with a hump, and this continues in later life. So maybe a hump would not be that solid an indicator of osteoporosis.

The loss of height I believe comes in after many years of osteoporosis and after a lot of bone is dissolved.

I was thinking in terms of some symptoms which would give us EARLY warning signs of the disease -- maybe catch it in osteopenia when the bone loss has just begun.

I wonder whether anyone has tagged the eyes? Many diseases show up in the eyes. I know there is a heart drug, Amiodorone, which causes corneal deposits.

Maybe when bones dissolve and go into the bloodstream some of the Calcium from the bones enters the eyes and leaves some kind of sign there which would be visible through a simple opthalmoscope, or maybe even a torch if it is on the cornea or scelera the white of the eye. Or maybe in some peculiar kind of disturbance of the vision -- or maybe even cataracts from the calcium deposits!

Has it ever been examined whether a person with cataract had been simultaneoulsy found to have osteoporosis? Is there a link between the two?

Then again. they say that the urine analysis in osteoporosis shows an excess calcium loss, and that is one indicator that the process of osteoporosis has begun. But I wonder whether that has any symptoms to alert the patient? Maybe calcium deposits in the urine would become visible over time in the receptacle which the patient could spot with the eye and thus be alerted.

One may be paying attention to the body and be "feeling fine" -- but would that indicate there is no osteoporosis?

If feeling fine is one symptom then I guess we can go on that-- but what if one is feeling fine and then suddenly crumbles to the ground with a spontaneous fracture-- which happened to a friend of mine who was standing in his garden, laughing and joking with his friend! He was fat, and had been allergic to milk all his life. His weight brought him down, (lol) when the fragile bones could no longer hold him up.

And they talk about weight bearing exercises being beneficial for osteoporosis!!

Any sign or symptom that alerts us at once to osteoporosis, before the process is advanced--that is what I had been thinking of. I hope something will come up in this discussion itself, which we can then relay to the specialists in the field!!

With best wishes,
Yours,
Priya

Marlys

These are just a few personal experiences .

I also have CFS and fibromyalgia for many many years (1988) and these illnesses (at least for a good period of years ) have contributed to a lack of normal physical activities thus probably one reason i have lost so much bone density .
I used to think to myself that if I only recovered from these illnesses that i would be so elated that I would want to do something daring like bungee jumping. It was a fantasy that I began to have 20yrs ago
Within the past year I remember thinking (before the DEXA) that for some reason I couldn't imagine going bungee jumping anymore as I felt some inherent fragility that I did not place on any one thing.
Now I am thinking it was a " body sensing " of my osteoporosis .
The only symptoms I have is lower back pain after doing a lot of physical work taking care of my pets ( it goes away after a nights sleep) and some pain in my elbow and knee joints that I thought was maybe arthritis (that also is not continuous but based upon activity )
I have a theory on my bone quality ; I believe that even though i have less dense bone that I probably I have tougher bone. My nails are tough. I use a toenail clipper to cut my fingernails and can barely cut my toenails. They are not brittle but down right tough.
i am hoping that my bone is like that also.
Anyway I have no other symptoms other than what I described. I have not lost height
I had scoliosis as a teen and had surgery to straighten my spine . A shaving of bone was taken from my tibia and place along my spine, I was casted and spent 6 months in bed until the bone fused . I do not have movement or flexibility in my lower to middle back due to this surgery many years ago. I am now wondering if the lack of movement created by a fusion could have created a situation that would produce osteoporosis
Anyway after the diagnosis there is a lot of reflection and guessing ...

millie123

I was wondering about finger and toenails. It seems as though they would be thin and brittle if the rest of your bones are osteoporotic. Does anyone know? Woody?

petplant

Teeth, Jaw & Body Sensing -

I believe that the jaw & teeth can sometimes be the first sign of Osteoporosis/Osteopenia. I had problems with my teeth/jaw a few years before I was diagnosed with Osteo. It might have been starting back then.

I was diagnosed when I had a DEXA scan - by my request to the doctor - it was part of a comprehensive exam that included other scans, and blood tests.

"Body sensing" - I suppose that my request for the tests was due to what Marlys said - I guess I sensed that something was not right, and requested testing. I didn't expect Osteo.

DeskJockey101

PRIYA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMMENTING BACK ON MY POST. I WAS MERELY USING MYSELF AS A GAUGE - HOWEVER THERE PROBUBLY COULD BE OTHER SINGS AS WELL THAT WE OFTEN OVER LOOK.

BUT WHEN DO WE START THE TESTING FOR? WE KNOW WITH DIABETES THAT THERE ARE A SET NUMBER OF "SYMTOMS" THAT CAN ALERT US TO THAT CONDITION.

I AM ONLY JUST NEW HERE AND LEARNING, GLAD TO KNOW I HAVE GOOD SOURCES OF INFORMATION TO HELP BE BASE MY OWN FORM OF TREATMENT. DO KEEP ADVISING US - SOMETIMES IT IS THE THOUGHT OF SOMEONE THINKING OUTLOUD THAT CAUSES THE MOST ATTENTION, AND THIS CERTAINLY NEEDS THE ATTENTION !!

AnnieO

What an interesting thread! Thanks for all the useful info. A couple thoughts of my own --

I had a discussion a couple weeks ago about jaw bone loss and osteoporosis. My dentist said they were not related.

Also, my sister has just been diagnosed with spinal stenosis (narrowing). She has severe osteo of the spine. I asked if her Dr. thought it could be caused by the osteo and she said the Dr. said "no".

Now, I'm questioning both "authorities"!

Thanks again.

sdivas

Sara Meeks wrote a very good post about symptoms that may eventually lead to bone loss. Maybe she will read this thread and repost, as I've checked through some of the back posts and her post is lost within another thread.

debbie59

Priya,
In the U.S. they are now alerting dentists that they may be the first to notice the signs of osteoporosis. After the birth of my last child, I started having trouble with my teeth. Namely periodontal disease, causing bone loss in the jaw, or maybe visa versa. Chicken egg thing! I next experienced lower back pain and lastly, before the first big fall, a feeling of unbalance. The last I actually thought was some neuralogiscal disorder! The dexa, which I know A lot of people discount, is what eventually sent me to a very knowledgeable specialist. You also seem to discount forteo. Just because there was a salesman there, doesn't make it phoney or illegitimate. I'm just about done with my second year with fabulous results, with the only side effect being occasional heartburn. I also have other health concerns which makes this even more notable, such as emphysema and a life long problem with panic disorder. I'm writing this to you because I believe you are truely a kind and genuine person. This is probably the last post I will be making to this site. With all respect Debbie

nathji

Dear debbie59,

Many thanks for your kind words of advice, I am sure we shall all take the steps you have advised. It saddens me that this will be your last post to this site -- I do hope and pray that everything is all right with you and your family.

Needless to say that all of us, and I, especially, shall miss your ever present words of guidance and wisdom which have been enlightening us over days and days.

May I also humbly suggest that you come back whenever you find time, for our sakes. I hope and pray that whatever problems you are facing shall diminish with the passage of time. I close with a heavy heart.
With every good wish,
Yours,

nathji

Dear milie,

Many thanks for your post -- you may be so right after all! I dont know why I didnt think of it! This may be the best and most evident symptom we can spot! I hope others on the site will elucidate.
Best wishes and regards,
Yours,
Priya

nathji

Dear DeskJockey,

Thank you for your enlightening posts. I am sure we are all seeking answers in the same manner as you are and are grateful for whatever suggestions and experiences come up! I am sure you are right about the hump as I have seen people with osteoporosis severely bent over at the upper back -- many dont know that it is osteoporosis -- and they dont know that "softening of the bones" is another name for it. The homeopaths have a better name for it -- "brittle bones".
Hope you are well yourself,
Best wishes,
Yours,
Priya

nathji

Dear Marlys,

Many thanks for your many interesting and intelligent observations and experiences. It is certainly something for all of us to think about! I am sure many will relate to your symptoms. Thanks you so much for taking so much of your valuable time to respond. Hope you are felleing better.
With every good wish,
Yours,
Priya

nathji

Dear Loods,
I believe you may be right about the loss of height. I think I may have lost about half an inch after osteopenia. Thank you ffor sharing your experiences to enlighten us all. Hope you are well.
With best wishes,
Yours,
Priya

nathji

Dear svidas,

Many thanks for your kind reply. It would be wonderful if an expert like Sara Meeks could give her thoughts on this topic! Hope you have been keeping food health yourself.
Best wishes,
Yours,
Priya

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