Bones may weaken after weight loss surgery - Page 3 - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

sherry7 · 04-01-2009, 12:16 AM

Thanks for posting this info Kristine. My 1 year post-op appointment is in a couple of months, and I'll definitely be asking for a DEXA scan. Osteoporosis and bone loss runs in my family anyway.

Like you said, it's important to note that this can happen to someone of any age...even the young 20 somethings who have had WLS.

I had a "bone scan" a few years ago. Is that the same as a DEXA scan?

And....I read your post above about the Costco calcium citrate. That's the same type I buy, which is a good choice as long as you can swallow pills. Only I didn't realize that 2 pills was 500 mg. I just assumed that 1 pill was 500 mg. You know what they say about assuming, right?

So, all of this time I've only been getting 1/2 of the calcium I thought I was. Good grief...I hope I haven't already damaged my bones.

Phoenixfire · 04-03-2009, 08:18 PM

I'm back with some more information, and also to get back to a couple of great people who have posted on this thread.

Sherry, I can't say if your doc did a DEXAscan, because I don't know if there's some other "bone scan" test out there. Just call your doc that did it and ask, and if it wasn't a DEXAscan, then promptly get one my dear. Being less than a year out, it's an ideal time to start getting these for you!

I'm going to turn into a raving ranting lunatic about this issue! Nothing like a scary experience to make a true believer out of someone!!

Jim, thank you so much for telling me about the IV treatment. I'm seeing an endocrinologist to get IV transfusions of the medication, rather than taking a pill once a week. Being a WLS patient I think this is THE BEST WAY TO GET THE NECESSARY MEDICATION. And so did my doctor, thankfully. I think I just told him to do it and he said okay. LOL.

I've got a clearer picture of what's going on in my body. I don't have osteoporosis right now. I have osteopenia, which is the pre-cursor to osteoporosis. My PCP said that yes, I'm rather young for this condition. It's most likely due to WLS, as there's no other genetic or outside cause we can think of.

So for those of you wondering about this whole deal, get a scan and see if you have OSTEOPENIA. If you do, then you'll need treatment. Don't wait until it is OSTEOPOROSIS.

Osteopenia puts me at a "moderate risk" of fractures. That's f*cked up but it is what it is.

The doctor also ordered me to do 30 minutes of weight bearing exercise 5 times a week (as Jim suggested). So there is yet ANOTHER reason why we have to exercise.

To be honest I never had to exercise after surgery, nor have I exercised to maintain my weight loss the last 5plus years. It's just the way my body is and I've done it all with diet. Don't hate me, it's just the way I've learned to work my tool. (But I think my doc did a superb job.)

If you're curious in self-educating, here's the wikipedia link to osteopenia, the pre-cursor to osteoporosis. I'm dedicated to NEVER reaching the level of osteoporosis. But I figure I've got age working against me. So I'm staving it off with these three things:

1. IV treatment of these biophosphonate (sp?) drugs
2. 2,000 mg. of calcium citrate and 800 IU of Vitamin D daily; and
3. Five days a week of walking 30 minutes. Finally I have to exercise...but THIS is a good reason to do it!!!

JimM · 04-03-2009, 09:00 PM

I am really glad the info I found might be of help to you, Kristine. It looks like the info you originally posted here was a big help to me, as well. I took your info in with me to my doctor appt. a couple weeks ago and my physician ordered some blood tests to see where my calcium and vit. D levels were at. I heard back a couple of days ago that My vit. D. levels came back as below normal so I'm scheduled for a DEXA scan on May 6th and a follow-up visit with him on the 26th to go over the results. He also started me on a drug called Calcitriol.

I never would have known about this subject had you not started this thread so I'm very grateful to you for sharing what you've found and making us all aware of this. Thank you!

I'll be anxious to know how things progress with you and your treatment, Kristine. I''ll let you know how my DEXA scan turns out in May when I see the doctor on the 26th to review the results.

Phoenixfire · 04-03-2009, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimM

I am really glad the info I found might be of help to you, Kristine. It looks like the info you originally posted here was a big help to me, as well. I took your info in with me to my doctor appt. a couple weeks ago and my physician ordered some blood tests to see where my calcium and vit. D levels were at. I heard back a couple of days ago that My vit. D. levels came back as below normal so I'm scheduled for a DEXA scan on May 6th and a follow-up visit with him on the 26th to go over the results. He also started me on a drug called Calcitriol.

I never would have known about this subject had you not started this thread so I'm very grateful to you for sharing what you've found and making us all aware of this. Thank you!

I'll be anxious to know how things progress with you and your treatment, Kristine. I''ll let you know how my DEXA scan turns out in May when I see the doctor on the 26th to review the results.

Wow, Jim, I'm glad to hear this helped you!

And from what I've learned, our blood calcium level isn't a correct indicator so it's good you're getting scanned. And I learned vitamin D is CRITICAL to calcium absorption apparently. I never knew that before I did my own research.

The oral medication I'm on (until the IV treatment starts) is called Fosamax. I haven't heard of the one you're on. But I really hope you catch it early, or at least at this in-between stage I'm at. Kind of scary, 41 and facing this, and it made me realize that I've already lived half my life. Quite sobering. Getting "old lady" disorders and shit like that!

By the way, to others, my surgeon did not educate me at all about these issues. His advice postop was "take Tums" so I did. Now, over six years later, I'm paying the price.

All current WLS patients should count themselves fortunate, and should seriously devote themselves to following all of the surgeon guidelines as they become more and more detailed. I wish I'd had that knowledge when I had surgery! So count your blessings.

mistymee · 04-04-2009, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phoenixfire

By the way, to others, my surgeon did not educate me at all about these issues. His advice postop was "take Tums" so I did. Now, over six years later, I'm paying the price.

All current WLS patients should count themselves fortunate, and should seriously devote themselves to following all of the surgeon guidelines as they become more and more detailed. I wish I'd had that knowledge when I had surgery! So count your blessings.

Sadly, there are *still* doctors out there prescribing 'tums & flintstones'.. and when you tell people this is all crap they say "what do you know.. my *DOCTOR TOLD ME THEY WERE FINE* and they roll their eyes at you.

My insurance won't let me see a doctor here in VT so I'm working on setting up appointments with my former PCP in MA.. They are trying to get all my tests scheduled for the same day, including a pap, mammo, dexa, blood work and a visit with my PCP, Surgeon & Nut all in one or two days... I really do hope I can get it all worked out! If you can think of any other things I should test for, let me know.. I'm drawing a blank! lol.

MiladyB · 04-04-2009, 12:15 PM

Something else that is REALLY important, when it comes to taking your Calcium Citrate is that your body can ONLY absorb 500-600mg at one time. So don't think about taking 1000mg at a time. Your body will just pee out the excess and you won't be getting what you should.

One other thing, in choosing your calcium product make sure you look at your labels. What you need is ELEMENTAL Calcium. The labels can be very confusing to what you are taking. If you aren't getting in all of your calcium from Elemental Calcium you will actually be taking 33% of the required amount.

Here is a thread that Corrine posted awhile back that explains what you need to look for when reading calcium labels.

Are you sure you're getting all the calcium you think you are?

Phoenix, you may want to check that Costco label. I think I vaguely remember someone from my support group taking the Costco Calcium and it wasn't all elemental calcium.

Phoenixfire · 04-17-2009, 11:32 AM

I just want to pass something along to those of you who have found you need prescription treatment for osteopenia or osteoporosis.

I'm switching from oral meds to IV meds. Neither my GP nor the endocrinologist I'm meeting with has said I need a "blood calcium level" test. But from doing my own research, I've learned that you MUST have an adequate calcium blood level BEFORE you are given the IV medications.

So do what you must to get your blood calcium level high enough before you get IV treatment. Otherwise you'll suffer unwanted and risky side effects from the IV med.

I'm still waiting to get mine because my blood level isn't high enough.

Phoenixfire · 07-31-2009, 02:31 PM

I'm STILL stuck and screwed with these low calcium levels in my blood. So I can't get the IV treatment for this. Hopefully this oral crap is really working and is being absorbed enough to keep my bones from getting any worse.

Get your DEXAscan people. You'll NEVER regret getting it. But you WILL regret it if you don't get one. It couldn't hurt right? Insurance covers it in most cases because it's one of those post-WLS tests that is recommended by research.

Don't procrastinate it.

DPaul · 07-31-2009, 02:53 PM

I am not taking any calcium supplements currently. My serum calcium levels were high on three consecutive tests and my PTH was more than double what it should be. Looks like I will need some surgery to remove one or more overactive parathyroid glands unless anyone knows what would cause elevated calcium, normal phosphorus and elevated PTH levels.

Phoenixfire · 07-31-2009, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DPaul

I am not taking any calcium supplements currently. My serum calcium levels were high on three consecutive tests and my PTH was more than double what it should be.

Looks like I will need some surgery to remove one or more overactive parathyroid glands unless anyone knows what would cause elevated calcium, normal phosphorus and elevated PTH levels.

Wow that sounds like a strange situation. Are you talking about a pheochromocytoma? I had multiple tests for a pheo, but it was ruled out. It was the high cortisol level that threw my doctors.

I trust your WLS surgeon knows? And you're seeing a specialist for treating this...endocrine disorder? An endocrinologist? I'm sure you are, or at least it sounds like it from your post.

I have no idea what would cause those 3 things, and if I did I certainly wouldn't give advice about it...cuz I'm not a doc. But I do know about pheos if you want to talk.

Sounds scary man.