Wanting to pick ya brains again :D

My gran (74 yrs) has just been diagnosed with Osteoporosis. She has been given medication, 1 tablet once per week to help increase the bone density. She appears to be very fit and healthy.

1 year ago she suffered a heart attack but has came on in leaps and bounds and over this past year or so has lost quite a bit of weight - around 2 stone ! She thinks it's great because she can get around a lot easier, finds it easier walking her dog and she is now a lot more active.

Problem is her GP is referring her to a Geriatric Consultant because she thinks she has lost too much weight. Since the beginning of January she has lost 5lbs!! She says she is eating but it doesn't sound like she is eating biggish meals like she used to.

My question is (finally!) does anyone know if Osteoporosis can cause weight loss ? I've searched the net but can't find anywhere that says it does. I'm really close to my gran and a little worried about all of this. Her GP has done blood tests and chest xrays but found nothing. She was diagnosed having Osteoporosis after having a bone scan.

Grateful for any info/experiences you might be able to share.

Claire , this is off the top of my head ..so I could well be wrong ..but I thought osteoporosis meant that the bones became honeycombed , and therefore easier to break...? If they DO become honeycombed , it would make sense to find they don't weigh as much as before wouldn't it?

Mel

Hi ClaireB, haven`t seen you for ages :)
My mum has osteoporosis she`ll be 88 in June & my sister has it also. Mum was also misdiagnosed with Parkinsons disease last yr while she was in hossy with something else. Her GP got her an appt with a Geriatric Consultant(I believe you can wait ages to see one) & it was him who picked up the misdiagnosis! It`s best for all of us if we are not overweigt but the disease in itself will not cause weight loss. There`s your answer :) It`s common name is brittle bone disease & my mum was on a trial medication for it but as it didn`t agree with her she`s been taken off it. It can also be caused by long term use of steroids. Mum has only been on them 18mths. She is under the care of a rhuematologist & I think your gran will be referred to one eventually because of the osteoporosis. I`ve got me mum on loads of supplements, have a look into them :) By the way they came round a couple yrs ago to give routine vacs for flu & mum told me about it a few days later. Of course I went mad(cos of the steroids she` on) & she more or less told me I didn`t know what I was talking about. Last yr she told me she talked to the rheumatologist about her flu vac being due shortly & was it ok for her to have it, he told her she should give it a miss this time!!!!!!! And speak to him first before she has it this yrs????? She was a bit impressed with me.....but only a bit :) Wanted to know why he hadn`t told her himself & what would have happened if she hadn`t have asked him & got all stroppy with me then. :) :) What does you gran weigh now?
Christine, Spain.

Sorry for the delay, just back online today. Thanks for the replies.

Aunty spoke to Gran's GP on Friday again. Apparently she is baffled because my gran appears fit and healthy and her blood tests/chest xray was normal. Apparently this consultant should see her pretty quickly and she is very nice. We have the consultants name so if we don't get a letter this week my Aunty will be phoning them to chase it up as we want her seeing ASAP.

She is about 4ft 10, very small build and currently weighs 6st 1lb. She was never a big lady but since her first heart attack about 11yrs ago she put on a bit of weight and got up to 8½ stone. If her weight stays the same then she will be fine as she looks okay, the worrying part is why she has continued to drop weight when she says she is eating properly - which I am not convinced of :-(

Thanks again. I plan on looking into this Osteoporosis more.

Sounds just like me mum in weight & height Claire :) Lets know how she gets on.
Christine, Spain.

Could it more of the other way around? ie weightloss has caused or worsend the osteoporosis. Thin ladies are more prone to it.
Gentle weightbearing exercise like walking and a calcium rich diet are helpful along with her medication.
Aileen