AI+OS= osteoporosis at age 44. :/

I was already osteopenic prior to my diagnosis in 2006 at age 50, so after 2 years on Arimidex watching my density take a dive they put me on annual infusions of Reclast (with no side effects to speak of). I had 6 years of that until my DEXA last December showed a 5% decrease in my lumbar spine - it looked like Reclast was no longer up to the challenge as my T-score was -2.3. It was recommended that I switch from Arimidex to Tamoxifen in an attempt to rebuild my bones, but so far I haven't been able to bring myself to do so. I'm worried about how bad my next DEXA is going to be however, so will probably end up making the change before the end of this year (which will make 9 years on Arimidex). In the meantime I've changed my exercise routine on the advice of a physical therapist (no more crunches or twisting my back) and just keep praying that I'm not doing irreversible damage by staying on the AI as long as I have.

Not sure how this helps but that's my story...!

Julie

I see an endocrinologist who specializes in bone health. (so I agree w/ your MO's NP). I see this doc once every two years for a consult and he reviews my DEXA scans, diet, exercise, meds, etc. His opinion is that the effect of exercise tends to be "subtle" (his word), especially compared to the potential impact of some meds and perhaps an underlying thyroid condition.

Have you considered switching to tamoxifen? I began tamox when I was pre-meno, had some bone loss, but now that I am post-meno, I've had a significant increase of bone density because I'm staying on tamoxifen; my spine is better than when I first started tamox, back when I was pre-meno, so it recouped all that loss, and a bit more. (I have a rare bone conditions and can't take bisphosphonates, so AIs aren't an option for me).The endocrinologist said that tamox not only improves bone density but also bone quality--fewer fractures. (which, ultimately, is what we care about).

Not sure if you're aware, but there's a section of this discussion board (below) that's dedicated to bone health. Just an FYI that you might find more info there and/or get more responses. I remember some members there also had thyroid issues, which can impact bone density. When they treated their thyroid, their bones improved.

hi ladies, I'm not even two weeks into AI but prior to starting I purchased Bone Maker from Amazon. Based on the reviews I thought best to start taking now. I'm posting the link. Reviews says people reversed their osteoporosis to osteopenia and others from osteopenia to normal.

Doctor's Best Strontium Bone Maker (340mg Elemental), 120-Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Y6W2E2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_uTD9vbMG3WF8Y

Praying for great results. And I too need to add more calcium as well. Hope this helps!

Drs Best is Citrate where the Rx version, ranelate contains a synthetic additive. They did so, so they could market it as a drug which needs a patent to do so as strontium is an element. So it makes sense that synthetic versions would cause SEs similar to the big debate on synthetic pot. But as I said prior I hope it helps. Take care.

Abnormal lipid panel readings are another well known side effect of aromatase inhibition, related to the drug's mechanism of action. In my way of thinking, when the substrate (base molecule) is not being converted to estrogen, it has to go somewhere and cholesterol has a similar structure so those levels go up.

Anticipating this reaction, I had mine under control with a low dose statin but had to double the dose after several months on letrozole. I prevent muscle aches with coenzyme Q. Two more things to take every day...

TP (sorry for abbreviating your screen name with those initials!): prior to recently, I had the fasting lipid panel run annually. I requested a check at 6 months which is the time interval many internists will use especially after a change in statin dose or for someone with a strong family history of heart disease. Liver enzymes are also assessed when on cholesterol medication. My oncologist tracks those twice a year along with CBC, etc.

Perhaps your doctor would order labs if there has been a trend you are concerned about. I used to joke that my number before treatment was perfect at 300 - for a game of bowling - however that's way too high for optimal cardiovascular health...

Hope that CA 125 elevation is just a quirk. As you probably realize, those numbers don't always denote a problem. Still, since you have other ovarian issues and are going ahead with a plan to remove them, does your surgeon automatically do a peritoneal wash?

I understand that gynecological oncologists take this extra step, along with having meticulous pathology performed in order to see if any rogue cells are hiding out. A community based physician, on the other hand, may skip those procedures for lower risk women, assuming nothing nefarious is going on...

At least the ooph should be an easier recovery than mastectomy. Some gals have it done, rest up over the weekend then go back to work on Monday!

With fibroids, are you also having a hysterectomy? I take back my fast recovery comment in that case however perhaps you'll have an uneventful post-op and be back on your feet quickly! Sorry to our original poster or anyone else still following this thread for our digressions from the bone health topic...

Peritoneal wash basically means they flush the abdominal cavity with a good amount of sterile fluid then send it to the lab for analysis. This is something a gyn onc specialist would do fairly often which means their staff & facilities are accustomed to the process, handling the samples, etc. A community hospital, probably not so much.

Congrats on the lesions remaining stable. Best wishes for arriving at a plan and coming to a conclusion soon.