Osteoporosis Q & A

What are the pros and cons of taking one over the other?

What is ostopenia?

My dad was in a car wreck July 10, and was diagnosed with a fractured vertebra. He recently has been told he would need a new procedure to correct the problem. He will be having the balloon procedure done. With the surgery being delayed for 3 months, will the success rate be higher or lower?

I am a 42 year old male and have been told I have osteoporosis. My T-scores are -1.6 in L1, -2.3 in L2, -2.9 in L3, -3.5 in L4 and L2-L4 -2.9. I also have ostepenia in my left femur (-1.2). Several years ago I had a fusion at C6-C7 after a sneeze ruptured my disk. I also have diagnosed arthritis and fibromyalgia. My blood work is negative. I don’t understand why this is happening to me. My Dr. has put me on Fosomax but we don’t know why this is occuring. Should I just take the fosomax and see what happens or should further testing be done to determine why I have these problems? I’m concerned that something else is occuring in my body. What do you suggest?

Can a person do moderate or lite exercise as with surgical tubing to provide some resistance.Will it help to increase bone mass?

I have had RA for about 6 years on mtx 15, pred 3 mg, plaq 400 mg and various other nsaids, along with vitamins including 1200 mg of calcium a day. Last December 2002 I had a dexa scan which showed a T-score of -0.61 (94% of young normal values) and Z-score of +0.14 (102% of age match normal values in the lumbar spine and pelvis. I have been having very severe lower back pain and pain in my hips for the past three months…thought maybe it was a new mattress problem, as my right hip would be totally numb and very painful when I would wake up. I moved to the sofa. I went and saw my internist who order Lumbar spine x-rays and pelvis x-rays. I have severe osteoarthritis at L5 with facet hypertrophy throughout the lower spine. Pelvis ok. But, the worse part is my spine has moderate osteoporosis. L3 thorugh 5 have no trabecula left and are very transparent. My question is how can someone with such a great Dexa just 13 months ago, go to plain films like this? I am 51 and have been trying to get through menopause this past year, with very irregular periods. I take no hormones. There is no family history of osteoporosis. My estrogen level in October was normal. Thank you for your time.