Re: Proton pump inhibitors linked to hip fractures

[Guest guest]

I have been on a few different kinds of these over the last 2 years - I

am currently taking Aciphex. I was thinking of asking my doctor for a

Dexascan. It seems that it could have an effect on bone density.

Anyone else thinking the same?

>

> Don't know how many of you have seen this, but I know a lot of us are

> on this kind of drug to protect our stomachs from NSAIDS or other

> drugs. (I am on Nexium)

>

> http://health.msn.com/healthnews/articlepage.aspx?cp-

> documentid=100151000 & GT1=8816

>

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[Guest guest]

--- In , " maggiemac52 " <maggiemac52@...>

wrote:

>

>

> I have been on a few different kinds of these over the last 2

years - I

> am currently taking Aciphex. I was thinking of asking my doctor

for a

> Dexascan. It seems that it could have an effect on bone density.

> Anyone else thinking the same?

My doc has been on top of the bone scans because of both my RA and

the fact that I am still on prednisone. Because of those, I am also

on Actonel, have my vitamin D level monitored & take more as needed,

and take 1800 mg of calcium citrate with D & magnesium daily. The

result is that I have actually gained slightly in bone mass since my

baseline (pre-RA) bone scan.

But it definitely seems to me that we have so many strikes against

us (this is just one more for many of us) in terms of bone density

that it makes sense to monitor it, and proactively work to prevent

bone loss.

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I also have been on several different kinds stomach acid drugs, too.

Did take Nexium for year. It wasn't on my hospital's formulary last

year so I switched to Protonix. Earlier this year I had a bone

density scan and it showed I have osteopenia. Do take lots calcium

and magnesium daily. Not sure what a Dexascan is though.

Debbie L

--- In , " maggiemac52 " <maggiemac52@...>

wrote:

>

>

> I have been on a few different kinds of these over the last 2

years - I

> am currently taking Aciphex. I was thinking of asking my doctor

for a

> Dexascan. It seems that it could have an effect on bone density.

> Anyone else thinking the same?

>

[Guest guest]

It's just another name for a bone density scan, AFAIK.

The problem, as I understand it from the article, is that by cutting

down on stomach acid, it makes it hader for the calcium supplements

you take to be absorbed by your body.

> >

> >

> > I have been on a few different kinds of these over the last 2

> years - I

> > am currently taking Aciphex. I was thinking of asking my doctor

> for a

> > Dexascan. It seems that it could have an effect on bone

density.

> > Anyone else thinking the same?

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I read somewhere that falling was the number one cause of hip fractures.

The news media uses a play on numbers to make their story more interesting

most of the time. 3 times as many fractures are caused by people taking

" Brand X " medication. That normally means that instead of .3% of the people,

it turns out to be .9%, maybe as many as 2 people from the study controls.

It just sounds better the other way. It's the same type of reporting that

happened to Celebrex, low actual numbers, but big percentages. Who knows the

actual truth?

I'm taking Prilosec daily and haven't had any noticeable effects. I plan to

worry about it when it actually affects me.

Dennis in Eastexas

" It's not Rocket Surgery "

[ ] Re: Proton pump inhibitors linked to hip fractures

> It's just another name for a bone density scan, AFAIK.

>

> The problem, as I understand it from the article, is that by cutting

> down on stomach acid, it makes it hader for the calcium supplements

> you take to be absorbed by your body.

>

>

>

>

>> >

>> >

>> > I have been on a few different kinds of these over the last 2

>> years - I

>> > am currently taking Aciphex. I was thinking of asking my doctor

>> for a

>> > Dexascan. It seems that it could have an effect on bone

> density.

>> > Anyone else thinking the same?

[Guest guest]

Thanks !

That's good to know. I have an appt with my GI in mid Jan. I will

talk to him about this.

Debbie L

> > >

> > >

> > > I have been on a few different kinds of these over the last 2

> > years - I

> > > am currently taking Aciphex. I was thinking of asking my

doctor

> > for a

> > > Dexascan. It seems that it could have an effect on bone

> density.

> > > Anyone else thinking the same?

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

>

> I read somewhere that falling was the number one cause of hip

fractures.

Actually, from what I understand, with people with significant

osteoporosis, the spontaneous fracture of the hip causes the person

to fall. (falling can't be good either, of course... you can

fracture all kinds of things that way. :-)

> The news media uses a play on numbers to make their story more

interesting

> most of the time. 3 times as many fractures are caused by people

taking

> " Brand X " medication. That normally means that instead of .3% of

the people,

> it turns out to be .9%, maybe as many as 2 people from the study

controls.

<snip>

> I'm taking Prilosec daily and haven't had any noticeable effects.

I plan to

> worry about it when it actually affects me.

The article was fairly even handed. They weren't suggesting that

people stop taking them, they were just warning of possible side

effects, and that people shouldn't be popping them like tums. I

doubt many people on this board are in that category. We take them

because we HAVE to take other drugs that do bad things to our

stomachs.

I take Nexium and although I am able to get by with taking it only

every other day, below that, I run into trouble. This news isn't

going to change what I'm doing either. But for people who AREN'T

taking calcium and keeping an eye on their vitamin D levels and bone

density, it's just one more added risk factor to what we already

have as people with RA, and a lot of us on prednisone as well.

Of course, if I could get off the prednisone, I might not need the

Nexium, but that's another story.<g>

[Guest guest]

I've been taking the Prilosec OTC for a couple of years, since my new/old

Rheumy gave me the anti-inflammatory the fired one took away. I found that I

could almost take one pill every other day, so I tried half a pill each day.

That was the winning combination, with an occasional Rolaids thrown in when

it's too bad. I'm also taking 1200 mg of Calcium daily, hoping it helps.

I gave up on quitting Prednisone, it's much better with it in my life. I

don't recall any GI problems with it, but it certainly showed it's worth

when I moved to Lodine XL. That messes with my stomach a lot.

Dennis in Eastexas

" It's not Rocket Surgery "

[ ] Re: Proton pump inhibitors linked to hip fractures

> I take Nexium and although I am able to get by with taking it only

> every other day, below that, I run into trouble. This news isn't

> going to change what I'm doing either. But for people who AREN'T

> taking calcium and keeping an eye on their vitamin D levels and bone

> density, it's just one more added risk factor to what we already

> have as people with RA, and a lot of us on prednisone as well.

>

> Of course, if I could get off the prednisone, I might not need the

> Nexium, but that's another story.<g>

>

>

[Guest guest]

If I have to stay on prednisone, I will. But if I _can_ get off it,

that would be my preference. I don't like the 25 lbs I've gained in

the last year.<g> I know that part of that is that I've gotten less

exercise than I did before RA... I was pretty active. But I'm sure

it's also largely the prednisone.

So far, every time I drop down another mg, I'm miserable for a

couple of weeks, but then I'm not much different than on the higher

dose from that point on. To me, that says that the problems I have

for those first couple of weeks are really from becoming dependent

on the prednisone itself, rather than the RA causing the problem.

I know that some people have no (reasonable) choice other than to

take prednisone semi-permanently, but I'd like to see whether the

other meds I'm on now (Humira, Mtx & Voltaren) can do the job alone

first.

>

> I've been taking the Prilosec OTC for a couple of years, since my

new/old

> Rheumy gave me the anti-inflammatory the fired one took away. I

found that I

> could almost take one pill every other day, so I tried half a pill

each day.

> That was the winning combination, with an occasional Rolaids

thrown in when

> it's too bad. I'm also taking 1200 mg of Calcium daily, hoping it

helps.

>

> I gave up on quitting Prednisone, it's much better with it in my

life. I

> don't recall any GI problems with it, but it certainly showed it's

worth

> when I moved to Lodine XL. That messes with my stomach a lot.

>

> Dennis in Eastexas

> " It's not Rocket Surgery "

>

> [ ] Re: Proton pump inhibitors linked to hip

fractures

>

>

> > I take Nexium and although I am able to get by with taking it

only

> > every other day, below that, I run into trouble. This news isn't

> > going to change what I'm doing either. But for people who AREN'T

> > taking calcium and keeping an eye on their vitamin D levels and

bone

> > density, it's just one more added risk factor to what we already

> > have as people with RA, and a lot of us on prednisone as well.

> >

> > Of course, if I could get off the prednisone, I might not need

the

> > Nexium, but that's another story.<g>

> >

> >

>