Osteoporosis/body armor

[newfsmith]

This has not been a good year, as for the first time health problems have seriously affected my riding, I've only gotten 2500 miles in this year, my lowest total milage in 5 years. I took another fall just before my husband's surgery. The radiographs showed a slight, non-displaced fracture, but also that I had fractured my thumb on my PMC ride. (Yes, both the ER doctor and radiologist that reviewed the film then missed it.) Fortunately, I was very good (for me) about wearing my splint and it healed with pretty good alignment. While my Primary doc was looking at my results, she asked about my kidney stones & then just as I was leaving she asked about my bone density test. It seems that I have just crossed the line from osteopenic to osteoporotic in my hips, although my spine is still only osteopenic. Now I have my first experience of 2 health problems, with some contradictory indications for treatment. This does make me feel old.

I am considering getting some body armor or HipGuards for riding. Has anyone tried them? Do they shift much, can you ride in them for 6 or 8 hours? What are the best brands for women?

[Trek420]

Newfsmith,

Do you lift weights? Can you add that?

I'd be more concerned with getting some weight bearing excersise in there too than the body armor. Internal body armor you might say

[newfsmith]

Yes, I do lift weights daily at work, I also walk 8 to 10 K steps at work, and I have been taking Fosamax for 2.5 yrs. Prevention has failed, the horse is out of the barn, I now have full blown osteoporosis. I am really afraid I may break my hip at work when some big dog bounces me around the room. That would be the end of my career and possibly the end of cycling as well. If I'm to be proactive now, I have to be thinking about protecting my hips both at work and riding.

[wavedancer]

I have osteoporosis also. Luckily the only bone I have broken has been a minimally displaced rib fracture after a mountain-biking mishap. I have landed on my hips a LOT , and have come away with colorful bruises and hematomas. I definitely think about the fracture risks.

I am wearing some hip pads most of the time when mountain biking now. I got some liner shorts that have some 3/8 inch closed cell foam in them. The original shorts were by Six-Six-One, but the shorts did not fit right. So I took the foam pads out and sewed some fleece pockets on the inside of one of my older pairs of shorts and have been using the foam pads in them. They work pretty well and have cushioned a few direct hits. What I really need, though is some kind of flexible, breathable foam that I could dip my entire body into before heading out on the trails! As my BF says, I am one "technicolor Bay-Bee"

In addition to Fosamax and calcium (1200mg a day), I also try to get at least 1000 units of vitamin D daily. Research is showing that vitamin D may be more important than previously thought for preventing bone loss. I need to do more weight-bearing exercise, also. And of course, improve my riding skills so I spend less time on the ground!

[emily_in_nc]

At what age (or is it more based on bodyweight, family history, or ???) is it recommended to start being screened for bone density? I'm 45 and slender, but I still menstruate regularly. I also run (not long distances -- 2 miles or so at a time) on the treadmill and trails a couple of times a week, mountain bike (irregularly lately), do long hikes on weekends, and lift weights a couple of times a week (nothing too intense and more upper body than low). My primary-care doc hasn't mentioned bone screening yet, and I didn't think to ask at my last yearly physical (August). Is this something I should have done fairly soon -- or not until I reach menopause or age 50 or ???

Thanks!!
Emily

P.S. Only broken bone I've ever had was pelvic fractures from a road cycling accident in April 2005. I hit the pavement at a pretty high speed right on my ilium, though, and no mention was ever made by my orthopedic surgeon that my bone density may have had anything to do with causing the fractures.

[spokewench]

But, if you are 45 and a cyclist it probably would not be a bad time to start.

A year or so ago, there were articles out that endurance cyclists, including men, should be very careful about their bone density; apparently there were some studies where even though you are fit, you don't put enough pressure on the bones, not weight bearing enough, and you are depleting your body a lot with the endurance training - hence - low bone density.

It is also a good idea if you are a cyclist to help your bones by doing some weight lifting or weight bearing exercise so that you are building your bones, take calcium etc.

Also, I'm no expert, but I've heard that even if you have lower bone densities that you shouldn't give up on the weight bearing exercise, you can help your bones from degenerating as quickly and I've even heard you can stop the loss from increasing.

I'm 46 and had a bone density test at the age of 42. It wasn't because I'm good at having tests, but because my husband is an x-ray tech and he was using me as a guinea pig on his company's new bone density machine! Free tests! Yeah!

[newfsmith]

At what age (or is it more based on bodyweight, family history, or ???) is it recommended to start being screened for bone density? I'm 45 and slender, but I still menstruate regularly. I also run (not long distances -- 2 miles or so at a time) on the treadmill and trails a couple of times a week, mountain bike (irregularly lately), do long hikes on weekends, and lift weights a couple of times a week (nothing too intense and more upper body than low). My primary-care doc hasn't mentioned bone screening yet, and I didn't think to ask at my last yearly physical (August). Is this something I should have done fairly soon -- or not until I reach menopause or age 50 or ???

Thanks!!
Emily

Generally speaking, as long as you are menstruating you are probably producing enough estrogen to prevent serious calcium loss from your bones. You are still in the category where you may be able to keep adding with supplements and the exercise you are doing, although that is unlikely. Most women stop adding to their bones in their twentys, and start to have a mild loss of density in their thirties. The biggest loss is in the 2 or 3 years after menopause. You are small, which increases your risk, but you may have offset that with your active lifestyle. Still it would be worthwhile mentioning it at your next physical, especially if you are having any perimenepausal symptoms. It is good to see where you are starting from, and to have a baseline to compare to a couple years after menopause. Keep in mind that many health insurance companies only allow scans every 2 years.

[maryellen]

i would definitely encourage a baseline bone density test. late august i crashed and broke my arm at the shoulder joint in 3 spots as well as a fracture at the base of my thumb--and frankly, it just wasn't that bad a crash. i've been taking fosamax or other meds for bone density since 2002 when i had my first scan. *and* i'm still menstruating.

can't necessarily count on orthopedists to suggest testing. i'd asked them re in the past and their responses were essentially "whatever." fortunately i had a physiatrist who thought my fracture history was suspicious and sent me for a scan over 4 years ago. would have been nice to know whether i'm losing bone in perimenopause or never had good bone density to start w.

calcium, vitamin d, and weight-bearing exercise for all...

[Grog]

The reason why doctors might not be encouraging you to have the test taken is that, despite all the pushing done by drug companies, the test is still very controversial, and the benefits from the drugs not so certain. Bone fractures may be a problem, but testing bone density and taking drugs to try to improve it might not be the solution we'd hope it to be.

I'm sorry this is not very helpful. But I taught I'd share this piece of information. If you are concerned about fractures, you should talk to your doctor about it.

[annie]

Emily,

A good indicator of whether or not you need to be tested for bone density is your genetic history. If you've got family members who have/had osteoporosis/ostepenia, then you might want to be tested. I requested a bone desity test 4 years ago. (I was 47 then and not yet pre-menopausal.) My maternal grandmother had severe osteoporosis, and passed away at age 96 after having fallen and broken her pelvis. My mother was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis at age 70, despite leading a very active life, walking and lifting weights almost every day. So my genetics did not look promising! Which is why my doc was willing to order the test. As it turned out, I do indeed suffer from osteopenia (pre-cursor to the most severe osteoporosis.) I am now on fosomax. I've taken calcium supplements for years! I know cycling can actually be detrimental to my bones, so I try and run a couple times a week. Jumping rope is also a great activity for bone-building. Walking may help a bit, but it is the impact of harder landing that stresses the bones and helps keep them strong. Anyway, sorry to go on so........ it's a condition that easily hides itself. If you have a history in your family, I'd recommend having a test. If not, you may have to wait until your doctor is willing to order a test. Or choose to pay for it yourself. Tough decision for anyone.

annie

[suzieqtwa]

This month I was told to get a bone density test. I guess I should have had one sooner...but I always felt so strong ,and healthy. Anyway, I went through menopause at the age of 40 ,I have been on HRT for 13 years. I ran for 3 years ,and did the Portland Marathon last year. I'm a thin build (125 lbs). Well I just found out 3 days ago, I have ostepenia in my hips. I was SHOCKED as I have fallen on the pavement from running several time ,and never broke anything. I have a lot to learn ,and measures to take to try ,and stop it. Fosamax has a lot of bad side effects. I'm in the dis belief stage right (when did I become my grandmother). I always felt so healthy ,and indestructible. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow ,to try ,and find some solutions. ; (( Im 52.

[velogirl]

Suzie, you sure don't look 52 in your photo! Dang, whatever you're doing, keep doing it.

[DarcyInOregon]

For everyone reading this thread, there is an excellent book titled "Bike For Life - How to Ride to 100" by Roy M. Wallack and Bill Katovsky. Chapter 9 is titled "Cycling and Osteoporosis." It is a really good chapter and tells how many famous cycling athletes had to retire from the sport early because of severe osteoporosis. The authors describe the disease, how it may occur, how to prevent getting it, or how to keep the disease from getting worse. An example of one athlete is cited, and that is Tammy Jacques, a mountain bike champion who had to retire at the age of 32 because of severe bone loss. She worked with weight training, and took Fosamax, and a year later she had improved her bone density by 10%. Of course, it may be because she was young enough for her body to still build bone density.

This is just a personal comment by me. It is about cheese and dairy products. I am someone who has struggled with being overweight. During the years that I lost weight, I always paid attention to my nutrition, knowing what is in my family history, which includes the females getting osteoporosis. Everywhere, in books and on television, the experts say don't eat cheese because it is too high fat and too many calories. I always had the wisdom to realize that cheese is high in calcium, and made cheese or dairy products a part of my daily calories. Sometimes I wonder how many females have more severe bone loss because they considered many dairy products to be too caloric, and thus didn't eat enough dairy, and thus didn't get enough calcium over the long-run.

I am in the process of signing up for my bone density test. Suzie's test results shocked me, because if you met Suzie in person like I have, you would say, "wow, what a young beautiful healthy vital woman." Honestly, Suzie looks around age 40, not almost age 53.

And my mom had it and an older sister just got the diagnosis a few months ago. So I had better get my bone density test now, and find out what is what before it is too late.

[bambu101]

Some interesting comments on dairy products and osteoporosis. I grew up on a dairy farm, and for about 25 years drank whole, unpastureized, Holstein milk. This is the kind that the cream rises to the top, and has to be mixed into the milk before you can drink it. I'm sure this sounds nasty to a lot of people, and I currently drink 1% milk.

However, after the urging of my OB-GYN, I had a bone density test about a year ago, and it was off the charts (in a good way)! The results were more like the bone density of a 25 year old, and I am almost 53 and 2 years post-menopausal. I was happy, but not really surprised.

I think that a lot of women give up cheese and dairy products because of the high fat and calories, as Darcy said.

[Bad JuJu]

Hey Bambu, I remember that milk. Of course, I was a city kid, so our milk came in glass bottles, not straight from the cow, but it still had the cream on the top and you had to give the bottle a vigorous shake before opening and decanting the thick, white, delicious milk. My brother and I drank that stuff like water.

I haven't had a bone density test in a couple of years, but my last one, when I had been in menopause for about a year, was excellent. I can't digest milk any longer, but I take calcium supplements and try to choose other foods high in calcium such as lowfat yogurt.