OSTEOPENIA,OSTEOPOROSIS AFTER BREAST CANCER...

I am on Arimidex which the onc says may have caused osteopenia.

I am up to 1200 mg of calcium a day.  The doctor prescribed Actonel once a month, but I am weary to take it...it has side effects.  I am trying to do weight bearing exercises as well.   Still trying to figure out the right way to go.   I know that you need to do something or it will lead to osteoporosis and that is another scary thing.  

I am sure other ladies here will be able to share their info with you.

Best wishes to your mom.

Karen

I take 4000 ius of vitamin D3 per day...plus calcium with Vit D and a multi Vitamin..I usually buy Citracal or another name brand..I don't spend alot of $$ on this...I started out with a D3 level of 41 and now up to 57..would like to be higher but whatever.

I do have a little ostopenia but even with chemo it did not get worse...I think exercise helps build the bones also...

I had a dose of Zometa when I cracked a rib a year ago, which would be a year and half out.  I was all prepped and ready to go in to have that rib cut out.  I just looked up and saw a half dozen doctors shaking their heads and was ready for the worst.  They said that doing the preop CT while holding my breath gave them a better picture and the rib was healing up well and showed no lesions.  No need to go in and chop it.  I was thankful, but also out megabux and weeks of sleep.  A year later, I did a dose of Reclast (same as zometa, slightly different dose).  

I was diagnosed with slight oesteopenia just before I started chemo (at age 49, at the time peri-menopausal). My onc put me on 1000 mg of Calcium a day. I'm also taking a total of 1800IU of D or D3 a day. I used to have low vitamin D, but not any more.

I have also started Anastrozole which could make the problem worse. I will get another bone scan in a year. I do weight bearing exercise.

All bisphosphonates are associated with weakening bones but mostly for long term use (over 5 years). I did read somewhere they recommend after 5 years to take a break from the bisphosphonates (although not an option for everyone). Don't remember how long though. sorry don't have the link.

Anniealso that's exactly what my GP said. I too am small boned, white yadda yadda. According to my numbers my chance of a mjor bone fracture in 10 years is 4% (hip fracture .3%… yes you saw a decimal point before the 3). Granted my mom had osteoporosis and now I'm on Anastrozole so of course they are going to watch.

According to the letter I got with my test results it states:
"In the US, recommended to treat those with 10 year hip fracture risk >3% or those with overall fracture risk >20%). I'm no where near those risks!

My shingles are getting much better. Still burning some and can be itchy but with some ibuprofen I'm almost fully functional… OK I'm not going to the gym yet but hope to be there in a few days. Thanks for asking.

nastasia_s:

I have no idea if I already had osteopenia before treatment.  I did after, so that is being treated.  I have heard that some oncologists will administer a dose of zometa/reclast just to toughen up the bones after because they can become weak during treatment and because TNBC so likes to eat bones.

I've had two doses now, and no side effects except to be thirsty to no end.  You can get an IV saline alongside, but I just drink a lot of water.  

I don't have osteopenia that I'm aware of...but my doctor is going to have me do Zometa infusions every 6 months as a preventative for bone mets.  Even though TN doesn't like the bones as much as ER+, it still goes there, and she feels it is worth it.

Well, I was diagnosed as osteoporotic about 2 years before BC. And I'm 5'8" and come from a family of professional athletes - mostly, football players. And this was before menopause. Go figure.

I went on 2 years of fosamax - am now on Boniva. After BC treatment, I took no bisphosphonates because I was on tamoxifen for 2 years, and it's very good for postmenopausal bones. Very similar to a med called Evista, which your mother may want to ask about.

I have no problems with these meds, and have reversed the osteoporosis to osteopenia levels. I will take another vacation in a couple of years

Jeez, people - broken  hips are what kill most old ladies like me (well, I'm in my early 60s). It's what starts the whole downward spiral into nursing homes and that whole mess.

I'm sorry for those who have gotten whapped with side effects, but a good doctor can work with you to take precautions, like vacations, like changing treatments.

I take vitamin D3 in large quantities, with magnesium and Vitamin K2, which are both required for calcium absorbtion. I take low levels of calcium supplements because I drink milk and eat yogurt daily.  And walking is the best.

I don't like taking pills, either, and sure don't trust the whole medical industrial complex, but I also don't believe in rejecting everything. I don't want a dowager's hump, or recurrent fractures of my vertebra, or fractures in my feet from walking.

Triple negs trust their doctors to give them chemo, even though it can have devastating side effects, because it saves lives. Well, so does keeping osteo at bay.

Your mom sounds like a sensible woman, weighing her options and taking time to make the right choices. With proper management, this can never be an issue in her life.

Icandothis, thanks for your helpful msg and that note that Tami helped your bones. I wasn't sure what to expect; whether it would avoid hurting my bones the way AIs do, or whether I might see an actual improvement. Interesting and good to know.

natazia. Sounds like your mom is doing the right things.  1-2 cups of a coffee isn't bad. I've heard that they recommend a max of 2 8-oz cups of coffee a day. I'm trying to wean myself down using decaf (only 50% of the caffeine).    In my case, bad bones run in my family (inherited issue) so I've been concerned about it long before my BC DX. I've been taking lots of calcium (1200 mg) for years (I try to avoid dairy cuz I'm lactose intolerant), and recently added in Vit D. (BTW, I heard that the body can only absorb 500 mg of calcium at a time, so it's better to take it 2x/day). I also found a list of calcium rich foods, like sesame seeds (I'm eating more tahini). Before my surgery I asked for a DEXA scan. They claim it's in the normal range for my age, but it's the far far bad end of normal.  I'm premenopausal so they are recommending Tamoxifen.  Originally my MO suggested following 5 yrs of Tami with 5 yrs of AI, but when I showed her the results of my DEXA scan, she backed off and said she'd recommend another scan in a few years. She seemed as concerned about the rate of bone loss as much as the absolute number.  As an FYI, my non-BC mom has osteopenia and her doc recommended a bisphosphate, but after my mom did research, she didn't want to take it (due to potential risks with the jaw and dental issues). I heard that some of these drugs do build bone, but it's not very high quality bone. (the analogy I heard was that it was like "balsa wood" vs. oak). Not sure if any of this is helpful. Hope it is. This stuff is confusing and it's hard to know what actually will help. Good luck with all of this.

In fact, some evidence exists suggesting that perhaps a very high calcium intake may result in a greater risk of hip fractures. However, the authors advise readers to interpret this evidence with caution.