Posted by Racer on February 6, 2005, at 9:48:02
In reply to Re: Osteoporosis treatments? female questions » Racer, posted by CareBear04 on January 10, 2005, at 23:46:19
Let's see, the DEXA scan is easy and quick -- filling out the paperwork takes longer than the scan itself. You just lie there, it's a little like an x-ray.
Yes, you can get osteoporosis in your twenties, or even teens, from AN. And no, you don't have to have total amenorrhea to lose bone mass. If you're irregular, you're likely not ovulating, which would mean that your hormones would be a bit screwy, thus putting you at very high risk. And birth control pills haven't been shown to help with bone loss in AN. Bad news for a lot of folks, but there it is. It is true that it's a question of hormones protecting your bones, so it you lose your periods entirely, you are at much higher risk, but you're at high enough risk even with periods.
General risk factors for osteoporosis are things like being white or asian, being thin, being female, being older, etc. You're at least two of those things, so you've got a high enough risk to be worth checking. If you do have bone loss, take it very, very seriously. Go see a dietitian right away, and don't think to yourself that you can worry about it later. If you have any idea of ever having children, it's time to deal with this right now, not later. None of the meds are safe for pregnancy, and they stay in your body for years. That means that you have to do everything you can right now to improve your bone health.
poster:Racer
thread:423440
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/health/20050105/msgs/453936.html