Being hyperthyroid causes someone to lose some calcium from their bones. Losing calcium from bone is also a normal process associated with aging, which can eventually lead to osteoporosis. Most of my friends, whether they had Graves’ or not, are taking medications to increase the amount of bone they have, or to prevent the loss of more bone. They take calcium, and they take other drugs as well. So, having been hyperthyroid, you may have lost a bit more bone than “normal” for your age group.
We do not necessarily have to “take” calcium. If our diet is calcium rich, we don’t need to supplement with a pill. Recommended daily amounts of calcium are approximately 1200 to 1500 mg of calcium daily. If you incorporate milk and other dairy products in your daily diet, you may not need much supplementation in pill form. When the diet is calcium-poor, people typically take several calcium pills a day (no single pill being able to make up the lack) and those should be taken (or start being taken) a few hours after taking the thyroid replacement hormone (according to my pharmacist).
As to whether or not you need a bone density scan, you need to ask your doctor. There are other risk factors for developing early osteoporosis than Graves, and some of us might not “fit” the criteria as well as others.
Bobbi — NGDF Online Facilitator
