Osteopenia | Arthritis Information

Alrighty. I've been meaning to post this for a WHILE now.

When I was going through the handful of x-rays that I do have on me, out tumbled 2 reports from 1987, and 1988. (ages 4&5)

One of them stated that I had osteopenia. At 4? I guess it's possible. So far what I've read about it it's all pretty vague. I know I've heard this term thrown around a lot on here, so I was hoping someone can give me some insight?

Everything says that it's a precursor to Osteoporosis, but that it's not always a precursor.....

Oookkaaayyyy.........so it's not a very reliable way to tell if someone well get osteoporosis, then what is it good for? Also, from what I could tell, you don't have to have numbers that are very far from the norm to be "diagnosed" with it.

Is it something that could go away? As in, reversible? I can't really find anywhere else that anyone mentions osteopenia in my records.

I'm just plain confused!
arriscolwell2008-02-26 22:02:24HI Katie, I have it in my hands and feet, my hands have improved with Actonel combi, for prevention of osteoporosis. Regards Janie. I have osteopaenia from taking a lot of prednisone in my younger years. now it has turned to osteoporosis and i have bone density test every 6 to 12 months and take calcium. I have never heard of anyone having it that young. Mine is mostly in the lower spine.If I were you I'd bring this up to your doctor. It may be that you need to be on either calcium supplements and/or something like Actonel, depending on what new tests show. You really should get a current body scan for osteporosis. And in the meantime, eat lots of yogurt and if you like dairy, load up on skim milk and low fat cheeses, assuming you're not lactose intolerant. I am lactose intolerant - now. :(

however, when I was young, I was a dairy-a-holic. So I guess that was a good thing?

Honestly, I'm still really confused!!!
I think I can help with this, although it is confusing.

Daughter had xrays that noted 'osteopenia'. AP dr. said, "What are they telling you to do for this?" Um, nothing. "Why does she have it? She was never on pred, not on any RA meds long enough." Don't know. "Why aren't they looking for a cause?" Don't know. Then he said it just must be inactivity, but I said it couldn't be because she is dancing, running, etc.

OT said don't worry, children's bones spread out, thin out as they grow. They look osteopenic, but are really just growing, it is normal.

Ped said true, but a pediatric radiologist would be trained to consider that, so these were done at a children's hospital and that would be taken into consideration.

So, I started giving her vitamins with D in them on my own, worried her bones were ready to snap. Then had another reason to internet stalk the radiologist on the original report, and it turned out he was not a pediatric radiologist, nor was he even board certified in radiology.

So I pulled the films and we paid to have them reread here by a board certified pediatric radiologist, and ta-da - "normally mineralized".

Osteopenia can be reversed by calcium and D supplements and weight bearing exercise. That is what my mom did (calcium and exercise, no D). It is not a scary dx like osteoporosis, unless you have risk factors like pred use, etc.

O.o

I'm callin my mom. LOL I used to have milk constantly, and she put me in gymnastics.....I wonder if that has something to do with it? Hmmmm!

Thank you Suzanne. :) What you said sounds logical.
I have osteopenia in my hips and lower spine. When I went into menopause so early (32/33) they wanted to basically do a baseline bone density scan. They were surprised at the results. The first one they did only showed in my hips.....a year later it was also in my spine. It's not dramatic; but its a concern.

You don't take any RA meds at all Katie? Have you ever?

They do think the osteopenia is caused by years of medications I've been on for RA. It's very common in RA patience. Doesn't always mean cause for alarm though.

Lovie, when you say RA meds, do you mean just prednisone, or do all RA meds cause this too?All I've been on so far is NSAIDs. At age 4/5 I'd only ever been on baby asprin and liquid children's Ibu.

Can that cause it?

Lin; they made it sound like all the DMARDS I've taken; but they may have just been referring to Predisone. I've taken Predisone too many times to count over the years but every time it's been fairly short courses. Never more than a couple of months at the most.

I wouldn't consider myself a heavy predisone user at all over the years.

Katie, my daughter was Motrin (ibuprofen) for awhile, but the AP dr. said that wouldn't cause it.

Now, it warns "may cause dizziness" so perhaps kids taking it have more broken bones, but not due to osteopenia!