If you’re short and skinny (at all), and in your 20s, 30s, or 40s get your bone density checked NOW

[swpocket]

@oneluv Ah, thank you. I will clarify. At 48 years old, I am really shocked that I have osteopenia. And if I had caught it earlier, I could have been taking some action this whole time. For example, if I had gotten a scan at age 30, 35, 40, 45, I would have learned of this deficiency sooner.

I mentioned my fitness level and health only to express my confusion with what could have caused my low bone density. I really have no idea how in the world I have low bone density. Other than being short and a low-ish weight, I am at a loss for why I would have this. So I want other small, strong, active women who also believe they are at a low risk, to get a scan, so they will not end up like me at 48 with osteopenia.

I do not have solutions for anyone because I have no idea what I could have done wrong the past few decades. I just wish I had gotten the scan in my 20s or 30s.

 

[knowthespirit]

@swpocket It can be hereditary too

 

[oneluv]

@swpocket Gotcha, thanks for the clarification and the message, so I better go get scanned!

 

[trby]

@oneluv Do weight bearing exercises.

 

[sifer]

@swpocket I feel this. I had a dexa a year and a half ago and while I didn’t have any issues, my bone density was absolutely lower than it should be and they told me that I really needed to keep an eye on it because it’s going to get worse as I age.

 

[angelicnwaiting]

@swpocket I was on the depo Provera shot for almost 10 years before they had a "black box warning" for it for sapping the calcium from our bones. My back is trashed. I suspect alot of other birth control meds we take do similar to our calcium supply as depo did to mine.

 

[hoffmanlesa]

@swpocket Question: is consuming a lot of cheese going to meet my calcium needs? Lol

 

[jobsworth]

@swpocket Any good recommendations for getting 1,200 a day?

 

[swpocket]

@jobsworth No more than 600mg should come from supplements, and there’s Calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, and others. I don’t know the difference, but the dietician at the bone clinic instructed me to get calcium citrate. I take two 300-mg tablet per day, but not at the same time. Our bodies can only absorb ~400mg or calcium at a time.

Here is a helpful list from the bone clinic.

These yogurts have 420 mg of calcium. These special tunas have between 800–1,000 mg of calcium. So you’d want to only eat half a can at a time, since you can only absorb that much calcium. They’re unlike normal tuna, because the bones are actually ground up in these, which gives them that higher calcium content.

 

[jobsworth]

@swpocket Thank you so much!

 

[swpocket]

@jobsworth Oh! And stick to the correct calcium recommendation for your age. Don’t do 1,200 unless you’re a teen or a female in her 50s. Too much calcium will cause kidney stones, so don’t go over!

 

[preteristview]

@jobsworth Some types of tofu have a good amount of calcium too

 

[swpocket]

@preteristview Yes! Tofu is mentioned in the list I linked above & here it is again.

 

[preteristview]

@swpocket Oops sorry, somehow managed to miss that!

 

[kenbrace]

@swpocket I am perimenopausal and at my last appointment I asked for a dexa scan and I was told it isn’t covered until I am post menopausal. But no one told me it was only $45!!! Heck…second PSA coming here…a coronary calcium score is also NOT covered under insurance ever and I paid $50 out of pocket for one of those! Just tell me how much it is and let me decide if I want it. I seriously figured it would be an expensive test so I just blew it off. Ooooo I’m so mad!!!

Ok so spend $100 for your health everyone! Go get yourself a coronary calcium score and a dexa scan!!! (Coronary calcium score is a quick 2 minute CT scan that tells if your arteries have hardened calcified buildup in them and what your risk is for having a heart event in the next 1-5 years etc…). It isn’t a necessity but if you have a history of heart disease in your family or have high cholesterol it’s one of those things we can’t see inside our bodies and it’s peace of mind to do maybe every decade or so depending on your score according to my dr…yep the same one that said I’m not eligible for a bone density scan. Example mine was zero so he said I can wait 10 years to do another but if someone’s was high then they would probably want to assess them sooner to keep an eye on any near blockages etc.

 

[ronnie32]

@kenbrace I hate to be a party pooper but I’m in the healthcare field in the US and must forewarn you to check your insurance coverage before expecting to pay $45. OP paid what she did then converted that to US dollars, but in a completely separate healthcare context than the USA. Some plans will pay for a bone density test if you meet criteria (age, history of fracture, etc) and others might reject the claim and leave you with the bill. As you commented here, your insurance has specific criteria. You could find a place that accepts “self pay” or “cash pay” and bypass insurance altogether but you must specifically request that price.

TL;DR- Americans, check your insurance coverage before a test to ballpark your payment. Love, someone who just paid $1400 for blood work.

Edit: cash pay option

 

[ronnie32]

Further clarification:
The reason to request the cash price is because that is different (usually lower) than the negotiated price with the insurance company, so if you run the insurance and they reject it, the bill is even HIGHER.

Oversimplified example:
Your insurance pays 80% for a DEXA after age 50 and 0% under that.
Imaging center sets the price for a DEXA to $2,000 for insurance companies then “negotiates” to collect $1,000 from the insurance company (This is Monopoly money to them). When you turn 50, you pay the remaining 20% or $200.
Under age 50, if you use your insurance, they reject the claim entirely and you get a bill for $1000.

Secret insider tip is that to save the hassle of all the insurance negotiations, the imaging center may be willing to accept $150 from you “cash pay” and not bother with insurance at all. Then it doesn’t matter your age.

You may still need an order from your doctor, but you don’t HAVE to use your insurance for the test.

This works for A LOT of prescription drugs, testing and some appointments and surgeries in the US… it never hurts to ask, it’s your choice to run the insurance!

 

[kenbrace]

@ronnie32 Yikes! Yes, I guess I shouldn’t have assumed. Same with the coronary calcium score…I’m sure it varies on area. I did call around to find the cheapest since they all are out of pocket. I’ll do the same for a dexa scan. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[daniel1960]

@swpocket Looking at your post history, it seems like you have done a lot of extreme dieting and are aiming for the low end of healthy BMI. I don’t blame you given society’s emphasis on thinness, but I would argue that osteopenia is not unexpected at your age if you have emphasized being thin for so long. I think it’s probably healthier for young women to aim for the higher end of BMI healthy range and get there with a focus on building muscle, with only small periods of time spent in fat loss phases. I also think running is very bad for bones and joints for most women. Not trying to offend you, but I think there’s more to this story that others should take into consideration.

 

[swpocket]

@daniel1960 Thank you. I mentioned occasional fasts to the dietician at the bone clinic, and she was pretty confident that my three 72-hour fasts over the the past 5 years, and my one 5-day fast in 2019 would not have has an effect on my bone mineral density. Bones build and deteriorate MUCH slower than that.

Other than those 14 days total (3, 3, 3, and 5) I’ve eaten pretty normally my whole life. As an adult, I’ve never weighed below 120lbs, except for just a few days around 117. And on the other side of the coin, anytime I’ve eaten “intuitively” and stopped tracking calories, I’ve crept up to 140lbs, and even 150 lbs during Covid.

I realize that any kind of fasting will seem extreme to certain people. But even the dietician encourages intermittent fasting up to 1 meal a day. (As long as you get all your nutrition in, obviously.) Going 12, 14, and 16 hours without food is actually good for us. The practice of eating continually throughout the day is relatively recent, keeps our insulin levels high, and is partly to blame for 40% of the US population being obese.

I did ask her if a 72-hour fast every year or so (which is my frequency – actually a little less, but tomato) would affect bone health, and she said she couldn’t see how it could. Bones build very slowly over years, and they deteriorate more slowly than during a 3-day fast.

120lbs at 5’3 is the weight I’ve been the most my adult life. (I weighed 125 when I graduated high school. Definitely not the smallest of my friends. And this was early 1990s, when our activities kept us small; not calorie restriction from looking at too much social media.) While it’s lighter than many people, it’s still a bit heavier than the “underweight” category. I do not meet any criteria for an eating disorder. I mention that, because women who’ve had actual EDs like anorexia and bulimia are at greater risk.

I do appreciate you bringing it up. And I did tell the dietician at the bone clinic about the nature and length of all my fasts. As it stands, occasional (annual) 72-hour fasts are not considered disordered. To the contrary, the recently-discovered benefits of autophagy actually won the 2016 Nobel Prize in physiology. The cell-regen benefits of a 72-hour fast are undeniable.

For anyone interested, Dr. Jason Fung is a wealth of knowledge on the subject.

It doesn’t appear that my few fasts have contributed to my low bone density, but I’m happy to be wrong, so I’ll continue to investigate and check other sources.