Share your experience with osteoporosis

In the absence of gravity, astronauts lose calcium from their bones. Without gravity there is no weight-bearing activity. Without weight-bearing activity you lose calcium from your bones.

Osteoporosis, like obesity, is a dis-ease of an affluent society.

http://images.google.com/images?q=Dowagers+hump&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

Check out the link to Google's images for Dowager's hump.

According to www.answers.com:

Quote:

dow·a·ger (dou'ə-jər)
n.
A widow who holds a title or property derived from her deceased husband.
An elderly woman of high social station.
[Obsolete French douagière, from douage, dower, from douer, to endow, from Latin dōtāre, from dōs, dōt-, dowry.]

Aristocratic women didn't exercise much. In their youth, they may have danced the night away, but one of the signs of an aging Lady of Leisure was the crooked, hunched backbone with vertebrae too weak to support the weight of the skull.

Manchester was one of the first industrial towns in England. Recently a graveyard was excavated and none of the women who worked in the mill had osteoporosis.

They got up in the morning, cooked breakfast, walked two or three miles to the mill, put in a 10-12 hour day (depending on how much natural light was available) and then walked home to fix dinner, do the laundry, clean house....

I have an obscure genetic disease from my father's side of the family which makes my bones very rigid and inflexible--hence prone to fractures. From my mother's side, I have a tendency to osteoporosis.
I hate weight-bearing exercise, but I walk.

Doesn't your doctor have you on Actonel and/or Miacalcin as well as the Vitamin D?

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Rae- There are medications that will build bone, some that will prevent further deterioration, and are usually used for postmenopausal women.
My mom started injecting Calcitonin-salmon after long use of prednisone caused osteoporosis. It can also be taken as a nasal spray.

Fosamax is a commonly prescribed drug that taken by mouth, and used for osteoporosis.

http://www.fosamax.com/alendronate_sodium/fosamax/consumer/taking_fosamax/index.jsp?WT.svl=1

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic2/calcit_ids.htm

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/osteoporosis/a/womensbones.htm

You might want to talk to your doctor about taking one of these bone building medications.

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Rae wrote:

Even if it's just for fifteen minutes a day, I also have to exercise ~ the easiest thing for me to do around here is walk. Somehow this also helps with the absorption of calcium.

Walking is wonderful. Swimming is good for your heart, but is not weight bearing, so would not help with osteoporosis.

I remember reading an article about an astronaut who had been in space for a number of weeks. When he returned and he was checked out, he had lost 16% of his bone mass (no gravity).

http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/conditions/osteoporosis/premeno.htm

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I remember coming out of anesthesia after my first spontaneous fracture (due to the Family Curse) had been set and having the doctor inform me that I'd be going for physical therapy that afternoon.

He'd just read that weightlessness caused loss of bone mass and bed rest caused loss of bone mass and no patient of his....

That doctor tolerated my family curse, but his real love was Sports Medicine--everyone up and moving vigorously and joyously.

Phoenix--

They no longer make the injectable Miacalcin. I'm back to the nasal spray and the nusiance of deciding first thing in the morning whether this is a day for the left nostril or a day for the right nostril.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

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Quote:

They no longer make the injectable Miacalcin.

Didn't know that. My mom got off the injections and onto the spray when she was no longer able to handle the injections herself.

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The injections were eliminated in January.

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Thank you Phoenix and Noddy! I have lots of reading up to do later!

Yes, Dr. Helmy was going to prescribe Actonel for me, but with no insurance and a cost of $300/month, it's out of the question. I'll take the calcium supplement (with vitamin D) as well as eat foods containing absorbable calcium.

I would rather lift weights than any other type of exercise. If I had the equipment at home, I'd use it religiously. But I don't, so I need to check out prices for our local gym.

I managed four hours of sleep last night before being woken up from pain. And then could not get comfortable. Rolling Eyes

I think I fell back asleep out of exhaustion.....

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I'm not sure that lifting weights counts as bone-saving, weight-bearing exercise. I'll ask.

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Noddy24 wrote:

I'm not sure that lifting weights counts as bone-saving, weight-bearing exercise. I'll ask.

Sure it is. The only thing is that lifting weights helps the upper body, and Rae needs to concentrate on her lower body, to increase the bone mass in her spine and hips.

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Rae
Rae, you may want to learn if there is an osteoporosis research program in your area. I have been a participant in such a 5 year program for two years. I don't know if I'm receiving the drug being tested or a placebo. I receive bone density studies each year and other medical tests as well. I experienced one vertibrae collapse in 1979. Now, my spine seems to be OK but my hip-pelvic bone area is thinning. I take 1000 mgs of calcium each day. My next bone density scan will indicate whether or not I'm improving.

Since I'm disabled and unable to stand for long periods of time and walking is difficult and painful, I'm not able to exercise in ways that help relieve osteoporosis. I do use some exercise equipment that I can use while sitting, which is all I can do. It appears I'm not getting any worse.

BBB

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Thanks, BBB. I guess if there is such a study being done near me, my doctor should know about it.....I hope. I'll look into it though.

The calcium pills are unbelievably large. I almost choked on them. Yuck!

Have taken drinking milk out of the diet. Switched it to vitamin D and calcium enriched orange juice. Much better. I still use skim milk with cereal ~ Raisin Bran (for the fiber). With those changes alone, I only need to take one pill a day instead of two.

Doctor has prescribed physical therapy of which I absolutely cannot afford. $180 per session at once or twice a week. Sure. I can manage that. I'll just stop eating, live out of my car that won't be insured anymore and give Lacey to my Mom. Piece'o'cake. Rolling Eyes

(As I told Phoenix, I will be checking in to Medicaid.)

My Dad has offered to help as much as he can ~ I don't talk about him much here ~ he's a wonderful man. But, he's not rich either.

My sister is a registered nurse and recently went through some of what I did, except she has two herniated discs up high on the spine. She went to PT for three or four weeks and decided she'd rather do the exercises at the gym rather than have someone supervise her doing them. And she's doing very well.

So, I am going to see the therapist and tell her my situation. I can go to a few sessions, but really need to focus on being able to do the exercises in my own home/pool or the local gym.

We'll see. Say a prayer I sleep tonight! Shocked

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Rae--

Are you sleeping--or trying to sleep--with or without a pillow?

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Quote:

My sister is a registered nurse and recently went through some of what I did, except she has two herniated discs up high on the spine. She went to PT for three or four weeks and decided she'd rather do the exercises at the gym rather than have someone supervise her doing them. And she's doing very well.

Rae- Your sister had the right idea. It is important for a professional to teach you which exercises are good for your condition, and which could be harmful. It is also wise to have the professional go through the routine with you a couple of times, so that you know how to do them properly.

When I go to the gym I cringe when I see the way that some people are doing certain exercises, especially with free weights. I see many who absolutely do not know what they are doing......................to me, they are accidents waiting to happen.

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Rae
Rae, You may want to check out some of the support groups on this Florida list:

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:NG014rqShA4J:www.arthritis.org/Communities/Chapters/SignMeupProg.asp%3Fidchap%3D61+osteoporosis+research+program+in+Cocoa+Beach+Florida&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4&ie=UTF-8

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Noddy ~ I sleep with one pillow under my head and it is fairly flat. Another pillow I hold when laying only on my side just out of habit. The other eight (yikes!) stay where they are ~ I've only used an extra one a couple of times to cushion my back, but that lasted a few minutes and became uncomfortable. Why, praytell, do you ask?

BBB ~ thank you! I will check the link out! Awesome! Very Happy

Phoenix ~ I've known so many people to hurt themselves lifting weights the wrong way. My Dad has always lifted weights ~ my sister and I used to watch him and he would explain what he was doing and why, but always added 'don't ever do this without me to help' ~ and we listened. He drilled it into our heads to start slow and to only lift every other day or three times a week.

My doctor wrote 'stretching exercises' on the referral to the PT ~ who happens to have the word 'aquatic' in her business' title. I'm going to assume he wants me to do very slow stretches focusing on my lower back and the least resistant process would be in water. Whenever I am able to get to the gym, I don't care if I have to lift five pounds for every set for months. Slow to moderate repetition is the key.

Had a good 'back day' today. Even managed to clean the house a bit this evening ~ just getting that done feels so much better!! Very Happy

Stop and think how many times you have to bend down during one day and you'll know what I mean! Rolling Eyes

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Rae--

Sleeping flat is hard to get used to, but sleeping flat helps with some kinds of back pain.

At the very least, discarding the pillow and replacing the pillow can make you feel in change of the pain.

I know exactly what you mean about housecleaning. Nothing is more frustrating than to be prevented from eliminating the obvious by your own physical weakness.

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It IS frustrating, Noddy! I am paying someone to clean for me tomorrow because I cannot do it (all). Laughing

I've switched pillow scenarios before, and it only takes a few nights to get used to it. I think being close to flat is the way to go for now. I will not give up my huggy pillow though! Laughing

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Rae--

One of the joys of aging eyes is that I can't see dust without my glasses.

Still, paying "discretionary" money for work that used to be easy is bitter expenditure. Discretionary money is supposed to be for fun.

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Rae- My brother, who has one of the lousiest backs in the world, will sleep on the floor when the pain is really bad. Claims that it does wonders!

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