[BeeJay]

#1018192

Hi Folks –

Need a little help here…re: Graves and osteoporosis.

Background info – 57 years old. Diagnosed moderate Graves June 09, RAI a few days later. Sept 09 mildly hypo. Oct 09 begin Synthroid 100mcg. December 09 TSH .271 (normal range .270-4.20). Endo says come June 10 will probably need to tweak the dosage. May 10 TSH shows hyper again, Synthroid adjusted down to 75 mcg. Aug. 10 TSH is 2.7. (PreGraves TSH was always a solid 2) Oct 10 TSH is down to .993. Had blood work done last week and an endo appt this upcoming week.

Dec 09 endo warns osteo is significant, be careful. Earlier in 09 tried Fosomax, bad reaction. Endo says don’t worry about osteo – we’ll deal with that when Graves is under control later down the road. Baseline Bone Density in Jul 08 showed Spine T is -3.2 and Hip T is -3.1. Now tests last week show Spine T is -4.2 and Hip T is -4.9. And this is scaring me. Have spent the better part of the last two years hyper so of course that was going to cause bone loss (17%), not to mention being sedentary – no exercise, and low vitamin D levels, high blood calcium levels. So understand the process. But – can you come back from such low scores? Suggested to my physician that in the long run Graves would not be an issue, but that the osteo would be a problem for me? And she agreed. And this is freaking me out, which is not good for the Graves.

Physically active til around age 30 (when married, recently divorced after 22 yrs to an alcoholic – endo says stress would set off the Graves, plus my father passed three months after divorce was final, I was caretaker)….but til then avid camper all over the country, hiker – having climbed many of the hightest peaks here in New England, 16 years calssical ballet training, class with the Boston Ballet ensemble. Currently 5’5" as of Dec 09 – have lost only 1 " over the last several years. Lost about 25 lbs last year due to hyper, have gained back 15+ and holding. Food allergies to dairy, beef and eggs, so diet high in grains, veggies and fruits…all homemade – no processed food.

Have been mediating daily for over a year now – can feel the difference. Blood calcium is normal, so began calcium supplements 6 weeks ago. Vitamin D levels improved from 17 to 29 (normal range 30-90). Have been walking slowly on treadmill last couple of months – starting at 5 minutes, now up to 15 minutes 2-3/4 times per week. I love this, can feel my spine muscles elongating, making me feel taller, stronger – admitttedly have not received "formal" permission from endo yet for exercise, but just could’t resist.

But emotionally am struggling with the osteo issue. Funny I rolled with the punches re: Graves just fine, but simply can’t get a handle on things now. I so want to get my life back, am tired of dealing with all this….and thought I was getting there with the Graves maybe settling some, but now feel like I’ve been knocked off my feet and just can’t get back up again. My objectivity here is just shot.

Has anyone had any similar experiences they can share? Checked out the Nat. Osteo Found. site for further info and experiences there scared heck out of me which made things feel worse. FDA has issed warnings now re: biophosphanates, ie. Fosomax due to bone fractures later down the road – these meds prevent the breakdown of mature bone cells which the body usually breaks down as they become brittle when aged – so consequently what you have is the preservation of brittle cells rather than necessarily healthy cells. Can we build back some significant bone cells with PT, exercise, diet, nutrition, supplements, et. all. in a natural way?

I guess I just need some reassurance….been a rough couple of years, so perhaps was bound to ‘lose’ it sooner or later. Thanks in advance for your support….will I get my life back?? Suddenly I feel very old and fragile…..and need to turn this attitude around.

[Bobbi]

#1063175

I think you need to sit down with your doctor and find out the answers to your questions. Any of us here could definitely be wrong about the problems with the biophosphonates, and whether or not bone can be rebuilt. It is possible that all we can do once the bone is gone is slow down, or, hopefully stop, any major loss of new bone, but I absolutely don’t know that to be a fact. I know that the info about the osteoporosis drugs hasn’t been good lately, but the media tends to hype everything out of proportion. What you need are cold facts, not exaggeration. And your doctor is likely to have that information. The important issues are what the data is OVERALL based on how many years someone has been on the drugs, and what dose etc. It could be that for you, they are less of a risk than the risk of not taking them. But only a doctor can weigh in with that advice.

I do wish you good luck as you seek answers.

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