 Posted 21/08/2011 17:48:46
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After being told I could be waiting quite a few months for a DEXA scan (and thus follow up treatment if necessary) in Spain, I decided to come back to the UK to see a GP at the practice I am still registered with, as I'm visiting relatives here anyway. But now I'm wondering whether it was worth bothering to see the doctor at all.
First of all, my old doctor has left and a new one didn't have a clue how to deal with me.
When he found out about my hip fracture he immediately wanted to put me on Alendronic Acid, without even referring to my medical notes or suggesting a DEXA first.
When I questioned this, he got very defensive and tried to 'tell me off'. Said that I was "silly even questioning taking AA" and should be looking after myself as I could break my other hip and fracture the bones in my spine at any moment!
Now remember, my last DEXA showed osteopenia, not osteoporosis, so his remarks were (I felt) not only possibly unfounded, but also undiplomatic to say the least!
I tried to be polite and assertive but not aggressive, but this man has serious problems with women questioning his opinion!
I told him I could not take AA or any other bisphosphonate as I am undergoing a course of dental treatment which will last several months or even years (this is true as I can only afford so much at a time  ). And my dentist will not do intensive work with patients on bisphosphonates. I also told him I am diagnosed as having IBS, am intolerant to Aspirin, Ibruprofin and derivatives, and to broad spectrum penicillins (it's all on my medical notes), as well as having intolerance to many foodstuffs and additives. But he said "well you just need to be able to sit up for 30 minutes after taking this".
As to my dentist refusing to treat my teeth if I am taking AA (I need root canal work, new crowns, some extractions and implants to replace them - incidentally, my jaw is fine for implants according to a very recent x-ray), the GP said I should find another dentist. I don't think so!
The GP wouldn't even listen to my request for Strontium Ranelate if required by the scan (although I admit I could have trouble with the aspartamine additive, but he wasnt to know that), but did say that "if you are still silly enough to refuse AA when your scan results came back", he would put me back on HRT, as that seemed to work for me before. With a side remark about "some of you women seem to prefer risking breast cancer to jaw problems. I don't understand that way of thinking at all." As if there were no other choices. 
I repeated my request for a DEXA scan and this time he listened and filled in a form for this and then, just so he could prescribe me something, he prescribed me some Adcal-D3 dissolve (he obviously had taken note of my stomach problems by prescribing the effervescent variety). I said that my diet is already high in calcium (higher than necessary actually), but he said he could not prescribe D3 on its own, so this would have to do.
He also said that Vitamin D blood testing was no longer done, but, "you'll be fine with those tablets".
Apart from getting a DEXA scan possibly a little earlier than planned, I truly feel I have wasted my time seeing a doctor here.
After the DEXA results, if they show degeneration in my bones (which I admit they probably will), I will have the choice of AA or HRT and NO Vitamin D blood test.
Not a great choice really. Think I'm thinking of going back to Spain and getting everything I can done there. And if the doctor there prescribes AA, I'll just order Strontium Citrate from the internet instead.
And the weather there is better too!
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Posted 24/08/2011 22:57:02
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Tammy
I think you went to my doc! Reading all about other peoples experiences had made me query the level of competance of most GPs. I have had to change GP, and I am glad that I did, now I get regular blood tests for Vit D and a whole range of other things, my new GP even test for bone turnover. This is a test taken at intervals and you measure the last test against the most recent to see if your bone density is decreasing. (it's called a PINP test).
Like you I have had invasive dental treatment, and the consultant said 'You worry too much about osteonecrosis of the jaw, you are far more likely to break a bone'. And my argument that bisphosonates are not the only drug just fell on deaf ears.
But I did manage to get SR prescribed, but it caused diaorhea and so have had to come off it.
My fight back consists of diet and exercise. And Vit D and supplements. I have an alkali diet and do as much exercise as I can.
Take care - and do keep posting.
Sarah
Tscore Lumbar spine -3.3, Femoral neck -2.6, Hip -2.2
Alkali diet (+ no caffeine/sugar/salt/rhubarb/spinach) and exercise and supplements of Vit D (2,000IUs daily), Vit K2 as MK7, vit K2 Menatetrenone, Cod liver oil.
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Posted 25/08/2011 20:19:02
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Hi Sarah,
I am beginning to think the same about the competency of most GPs, or perhaps we simply expect too much from them? But either way, I do wish some of these docs wouldn't insist that they know best when they obviously do not know it all!
It's sad because my previous doctor was excellent - a woman who was actually interested in finding out the latest resaearch and who communicated with, rather than spoke down to, her patients. But she has now moved to a practice at the other end of the country. Oh well!
I will definitely be looking for another GP at that practice to speak to and then if I get no joy i suppose I will have to change practices. It's such a lottery, isn't it?
The annoying thing is that I could have followed the route of accepting the AA precription and just not taking them and going back a few weeks later and asking again for Strontium Ranelate 'because the AA doesn't suit me'. But this just seems so wrong and an awful waste of everyone's time and money!
I have a suspicion that Strontium Ranelate may cause me an upset stomach too, as aspartame usually does. But given the chance I would try it anyway and hope for the best, as it is a small amount of aspartame and just might not push my intolerance limits.
I've seen your post about not relying on medication and I guess I am going to have to follow the same route. Not from choice but from necessity!
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Posted 02/09/2011 21:35:03
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Well, I now have the date for my DEXA - end of September - and then a 2 week wait before I can see my GP for the results.
So, not too long to wait until all is revealed.
I'm not sure that I want to know the results, but I suppose that is completely natural.
In the meantime, I've decided to start on a careful regime of supplements.
I'm not taking the Adcal the doctor prescribed, simply because I know I take a lot of calcium in food already.
But I have begun with Vitamin D 1000 iu to begin with.
Magnesium 133mg and zinc 10mg (oxide, but it was cheaper, so I'll try it for now).
Boron 3mg
I began with the vit D one day, added the magnesium and zinc the next day, and the Boron the next.
Once I know these are not causing me any problems, I'll add Vitamin K2 50ug (k2-7 - I'm waiting for the k2-4 from the internet).
I also want to add a multi vitamin or immuno supplement, but want to find a good one, so I'm still looking.
The amounts of vits can be higher, but I'm starting low and building up slowly, as I have a slightly dodgy tummy and want to moniter this every step of the way.
Once I get my DEXA results, I'll think about beginning Strontium Citrate - low dose at least to begin with.
Exercise - I already do a great deal of walking (and more since I had to exercise to recover from my hip injury). But I am starting some 'yoga for osteoporosis/osteopenia' exercises this weekend.
And will then look into weight training exercise (or perhaps the exercise used by Annabel Lee - slow burn?).
This is all quite slow, rather than jumping into things.
I feel good right now and don't want to mess things up.
As to the possibility of going back on HRT, it is pretty low risk for me (I don't need to take the two-hormone pills and family history is low risk too) and I did feel fine taking it (in fact, the slight weight gain helped my normally skinny figure), so if offered again, I will probably bite the bullet and take it.
But we'll see.
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Posted 07/09/2011 15:55:28
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Tammy
Really admire what you are doing. Very sensible to take it slow and build up your supplements slowly. I have just run out of mine and need to get some more and no idea, apart from Vit D, what I should get.
When I looked on the labels most of the supplements were 'carbonate' not 'citrate' and I want good quality supplements! So will have to research the bes supplements.
Sarah
Tscore Lumbar spine -3.3, Femoral neck -2.6, Hip -2.2
Alkali diet (+ no caffeine/sugar/salt/rhubarb/spinach) and exercise and supplements of Vit D (2,000IUs daily), Vit K2 as MK7, vit K2 Menatetrenone, Cod liver oil.
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