I'm 33 and have had osteoporosis for ten years now.I've broken my hip,ankle,toe,wrist and I have spinal fractures .I've been on a number of medications over the years due to side affects and nothing really has helped.My doctors don't know why I have osteoporosis at my age.It's not even in my family.Every time I have a pain now the only thing on my mind is "what did I break ".
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Hi kika: I'm so sorry about all your frax's!!! Since you don't have a family history for osteoporosis, has your Dr checked you for any of the secondary causes of osteo? What type of Dr are you seeing? If you wanted to be screened for secondary causes you could go to a Endocrinologist, Rheumatologist, or Mineral Metabolism Dr etc., to see what might be going on.
If you don't mind me asking, have you gone through early meno? If so, a loss of estrogen can precipitate the onset of osteo *in some* women.
I went through early non surgical meno, and I wasn't treated for it. Back then they didn't know that much about osteo treatment, other than the usually on supplements and exercise which is still very important.
I continued to do exercises and I always took calcium, d, multi vit etc from an early age, but I frax my spine in a car accident in my mid 20's. My grandmother's also had osteo with the kyphosis (curvature of the thoracic spine) so I wasn't completely surprised when I found out I had it in my early 30's.
I've had 7 spinal fusion with hardware (in some) and still the fusions and bones around the surgical area continued to frax.
Two years ago I went on Forteo, and now my spinal score is in the normal range. I started out with a -3.6 t-score in the spine, so this med really worked for me.
If you have secondary causes of osteo, they can be treated, and they would be treated differently than just taking bone meds. If you haven't been checked for these I would have your Dr look into it, "if" you think that is something you want to do.
You can Google secondary causes of osteo or look here at the NOF for a list of them, there are quite a few things that cause bone loss other than the usual that we're aware of. Were your frax's from an accident/injury or did they happen some other way, with relatively little movement?
Good luck, and I hope you don't have anymore frax's!!
Yes, it would be important for you to look for secondary causes of your osteoporosis. You are pretty young to be having so many problems.
Meanwhile, you should consider the Spinomed III brace and getting to a physical therapist who can help you with SAFE exercise and body mechanics to strengthen and help protect your bones.
You need to do things positive to stop the fracturing process.
You may want to look into changing your lifestyle a bit, if anything to keep yourself alive! My mother has had terrific results with a major diet change. Her website is OsteoDiet.com
Kika-
(I'm new here so bear with me!)
I can relate to the worry you feel everytime there is a new pain. I'm trying to come to terms with that also--- it's difficult to keep trying to live your life but still be aware of your limitations. I'm always trying to be careful, but sometime I know I'm overdoing it and end up missing out on some fun things.
kika (and Kathleen1130),
I have been there, done that also. Frax foot, all the bones in an ankle (screws), elbow (pins, cable, anchor), 2 fractures in knee (tibial plateau, no surgery), most recently a stress fracture in my leg. All on my left side @ 9 months apart. Currently I am at 10 months and nervous. The osteo medications don't seem to be making much diference, I'd rather stop them and the side effects. It has taken a good while but I have come to terms that there will be another fracture. In the meantime I wear great shoes (high top, athletic), watch where I am going, don't get overtired, and most importantly make a very conscious effort to not do anything stupid - those are the ones that get me.
I have been reading on this site for a good while and don't recall seeing anything about having vision tests regularly. I found out that I was legally blind in my right eye, no depth perception, no pereferal vision - no wonder I was falling, running into things and missing stairsteps. I've now had surgery to correct it and it is now 20/30. Last but not least, do not use progressive lenses, you can't see the floor with them unless you look straight down and then you can't see where you are going.
Good luck and God bless you both.
Always remember IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT.
Hi Kiaugh: Sorry about all your frax's that's really tough. Have you tried Forteo? I just finished 2 years of it and went from -3.6 (spine only, didn't have a hip score) to -0.9 Normal bmd. I've had 6 spinal frax'x some vert, and some in the facet joint.
Your remark about having your vision checked is excellent. I know if you read at other places vision is mentioned quite often in reference to Osteo, but I don't remember if it was here. I'm sure the NOF has something on it at there home page, but since you have experience with it would you like to start a thread on it? If you're not interested that's ok, just thought you could add some personal info that might help us all. I need to get new glasses, and I just can't get used to bifocals, and I wondered what's the alternative, two pairs of glasses one for reading one for distance? I also think it's important to keep your hair cut so it doesn't accidentally cover your eyes when it's windy, which is just about all the time where I live ie screen name. My hair has caused some close calls, but luckily my balance is good and reflex's are pretty fast.
Good Luck...
Hi, I think the reference to eye vision is that failing vision can lead to falls. Check with your eye doctor about taking an over the counter supplement of luetin and zeaxanthin; also check mg. as many eye supplements have very small and usually inadequate amounts. Sandi
Well, Wow!
i would be willing to start something to address the vision issue. I worked for 8 years as a service director at my church about 30 hours a week as a volunteer and senior staff member. My need to resign in January, 08, was mostly because of my long bone low impact fractures, and my vision, even though I didn't understand the significance at the time. Nor did I even consider that trying to correct the vision in my right eye, (legally blind) especially after I tried to wear new Rx glasses for 2 months, did not help the problem. Surgery happened in May '08.
I am back now doing what I have been especially gifited for; just one thing at this time. No programming meetings, staff meetings, senior staff meetings, etc.
I can see. I know where my feet are especialy in relation to where I believe am going. No vertigo, my peripheral (?)vision is there as is depth perception.
Our senior pastor ( my main responsibility in services); is getting his head around the idea that if I fracture something that it is not his or anyone else's fault.
Shoot, after 3+ years of dealing with my long bone low impact fractures. I have spent the last 6 months dealing with guilt. Not just from those who love me and believe that they could have done something different. Rather that
it is my fault, my guilt, my responsibility, my failure & that I could have prevented it somehow.
Well, that is my bottom line. No Don Quiqote ( I am still trying to find the correct spelling of his name) jousting with windmills.
FRAX'S ARE NOT OUR FAULT. Let us not beat ourselves up. Sometimes we do stupid things with bad results. And sometimes it is just the way it is.
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