Question of the Week: Secondary Causes of Osteoporosis

Hi Phyllis, thanks for stopping by and answering our question  We're so glad that you've found a treatment you like that has improved your t-scores, but I'm wondering do you think that having the RAI (radioactive iodine treatment) done, for your Graves, helped to improve your scores as well, over time?

Generally when we have a secondary cause of osteo, we need to treat both problems and most see some increase in bmd from the secondary treatment alone.  I realize in your case you chose to include bone supplements and did really well but I've always been curious as to how much both treatments, and individual treatments (for Graves) may have affected the increase in patients bones.

Did you have a dxa after the RAI and before you started the Strontium Citrate, and did your scores change any from just having the thyroid treated?

Anyway it's great you had a Dr. that found the thyroid problem and treated it and you are doing and feeling very well with your thyroid levels.  You've also done so well with the bone treatment too, so you've accomplished two things at once.

Great Job!!  Let us know how the thyroid tx worked and if you by chance had a dxa after the RAI and before starting SC.

Thanks for your great answer...

Hi in my case I just wanted to explain that I wasn't given the option to treat my premature meno, because at the time it was at the height of the Women's Health Initiative and hormones were considered to dangerous for those with fibrocystic breast/heart disease like me.  The only thing I could do was treat the bone loss, and I tried Actonel, as did you and did get slight results.  When my scores didn't improve I switched to Forteo and did really well.  In my case I only had one option, but it worked.  I finished the Forteo and have my fingers crossed that this drug has maintained my greatly increased scores.  I won't know how I'm doing until I have another dxa so wish me luck!

One other secondary cause I wanted to mention that are the number one cause of secodary causes is the use of prednisone, cortisone, and inhaled cortisone too.  Forteo has just been approved for steroid-induced osteo so I hope it helps many.

Take Care...

HI Pam...I feel that having RAI for the Graves did help since it stopped the thyroid from overproducing the hormone that was causing the bone loss.   Yes, i did have a DEXA before starting Strontium, but had never had one prior to the Graves dx so i don't know what it was at its best.  I feel the graves was the main culprit in my losing desnity, but at that time i was also just entering menopause so that could have caused some too.   take care..phyllis

Hi

I don't what the primary or secondary cause of my osteoporsis is & am very frustrated.  I had  hysterectomy very early in life (age 28) not from cancer but from some kind of infection that they couldn't seem to clear up in my uterus that came from an infected gall bladder.  Thankfully these days medicine has come along ways.  I took replacement hormones most of the last 30 years.  I have had ankle & wrist scans done as late as 3 yrs ago but due to dental problems & my mouth not healing properly my dentist sent me to my family doctor for some blood work.  While talking to him, he though it might be a good idea to have a Dex scan.  Well much to my surprise I have osteopenia in my hips, nearing osteoporsis, & osteoporsis in 2 vertebrea in my back that are -3.9, -4.0.  The other 2 are almost -3.0.  I got the results in a phone call from the office assistant that wanted to know where to call in the fosamax.  It makes me have horrible leg cramps & my stomach hurt plus I'm afraid that it's the worst one for someone already having dental problems worse, but my doc just says that this one is no worse than the others & insurance won't pay for me to be on something else until I'm on this stuff for awhile.  Sorry, I've written a book & maybe not made any sense but I'm frustrated.  Is the hysterectomy the primary cause of my osteo?

Hi Wyldmama 1951, glad you could join us, and don't worry any length of post, short, medium, or long is just great.  I haven't talked to you for a long time, I hope you are doing better.

Early menopause is a secondary cause of osteoporosis.  One of the main primary causes is loss of estrogen from meno, but if it happens early, through surgery etc, it's a secondary cause.  Sorry you went through this early!

A lot of Drs won't prescribe hormones (estrogen) to women because of all the problems it can cause if you are at-risk for heart, stroke, blood clots, breast cancer and some other problems.  In my case I did take estrogen for a while, but it increased my breast lumps since I'm fibrocystic.  I had to stop it because it was causing way too many for me.  Because of this, I could only treat the osteoporosis and have used several meds, actonel, forteo and now evista.  The meds have worked very well, but I haven't had a dxa in over a year and don't know how I'm doing right now.

Good luck with your treatment and let us know how you're doing in the future.

Hi PJ, thanks!!  Wow I didn't know AI's caused irreversible bone loss.  Will the Actonel at least slow the loss down once you stop your tx with AI's?  I sure hope you prove them wrong about this, and if anyone can do that it's YOU!

Stop by more often, we'd love to hear from you and how you're doing with the Actonel, AI's and just things in general.

Good Luck...

Thanks, Pam. As I said, the AIs are still so new, they don't know what happens once you go off them - right now, there's only a few years of data. I sure hope the Actonel stops the bone loss now, while I'm still on Arimidex; and then builds my bones back up once I quit Arimidex next June.

I need to stop by here more often - you're right. You've made this a welcoming and informative site - thank you for all your hard work. Right now I'm working on a post about the importance of Vitamin D - it appears the FDA is ging to change its daily recommendaiton in 2010, increasing it by a huge amount. As regular shareposter here, Nathji, has mentioned in the past, many people overseas take UNBELIEVABLE amonts of vitamin D as a regular regimen. It's interesting.

Have a great day! PJH

Hi PJ, thanks again...  I can't wait to read your sharepost on vitamin D!!  Vitamin D deficiency is a secondary cause of osteoporosis too, so if you haven't had your vitamin D levels check please ask your Dr. to order it.  So many of us are vitamin D deficient, that it seems like an epidemic.  I know my levels are low and I take 1,000 IU's a day.

Good luck PJ with the Actonel and I hope the year flies by to the day you can stop taking the AIs.

Welcome Paul!  Nice to meet you too.  If you are one of Merely Me's regular commenters I know I've read your post's and just love your insight, I read her great questions of the week all the time and love them.  Please join us any time.  Thanks for the kind words and don't be a stranger, pop on it at any time

Do you have osteoporosis, or just interested because you have friends or family members with it?  In any case would love to talk to you more and so would everyone else.

Thanks for stopping by Paul!!

Well, that is extremely nice of you to say those words, Thank you.

Thank you also for the warm welcome! 

I have a friend who had breast cancer and received radiation treatment. She is taking a certain medicine for five years and concurrently takes medicine to prevent or minimize bone loss. One of those intravenously. I can't remember which! 

I will try to pass this site along to some of friends, and whenever I get the chance in my comments. I wish you well.