Prednisone and Bone Loss

[Luciana]

A quick little question

How do you guys protect your bones while on Prednisone?

I've taken so much Prednisone in my life i already have slight bone loss, which shows on my DEXA scans. And i want to prevent it from happening any further since i will be on prednisone for the next couple of months too, while Stelara starts to work! (I'm currently on 50mg, reduced from 100mg)

Any suggestions welcomed!!

P.S If there is something like calcium drops (without additives and sugars etc) would be amazing, since i'm on a liquid diet.

Thank you so much!
Luciana

 

[Scipio]

Well, milk and other dairy products are good sources of calcium of course and have better bioavailability of the calcium than do calcium pills. But unfortunately many Crohn's patients can't handle dairy.

But beyond diet or medicines, the other thing you can do to strengthen your bones is to do weight-bearing exercises - running to strengthen you leg bones and weight lifting to strengthen your arm bones.

 

[Luciana]

Thank You!!

I don't drink dairy unfortunately. So will have to get into weightlifting

 

[awoenker12]

Well, milk and other dairy products are good sources of calcium of course and have better bioavailability of the calcium than do calcium pills. But unfortunately many Crohn's patients can't handle dairy.

But beyond diet or medicines, the other thing you can do to strengthen your bones is to do weight-bearing exercises - running to strengthen you leg bones and weight lifting to strengthen your arm bones.

If you can handle dairy products, it would be great to have some as part of your diet. Just because you have Crohn's doesn't mean you can't handle dairy. Everyone is different.

I totally agree with the exercise. Try to do either some running or walking for your legs, and weight lifting for your arms.

 

[aypues]

Why are you on such a high dose?
My doctors say anything over 40mg doesn’t really help anymore and just increases the side effects (like bone loss).

 

[Jo-mom]

If you go to a health store, they sell liquid calcium/magnesium. Also a product called CALM that has products with magnesium and calcium which is a powder where you add water.

 

[Luciana]

Why are you on such a high dose?
My doctors say anything over 40mg doesn’t really help anymore and just increases the side effects (like bone loss).

Reducing to 40mg on monday. Then 7 dats later to 30 mg etc.
bad flare in the hospital. Humira wasnt working.
Remicade also failed with lupus like syndrome.

Starting Stelara in a few days.
While gradually reducing Prednisone.

Hoping that everything will go smooth
Staying positive!

Luciana

 

[my little penguin]

I know your on liquid diet
Formula (vionex and Neocate jr etc...)
Modulen
All have easy to absorb calcium and other necessary nutrients for the body
Complete nutrition
They helped Ds dexascan greatly

 

[Jabee]

Unfortunately I was on Entocort for much too long (as well as prednisone during two severe flares that required hospitalization). I now have osteoporosis in my spine and osteopenia in my hips. I also have celiac disease so that doesn’t help nutrition wise. I was just diagnosed with rather severe Gastroparesis so I’ll be going to an endocrinologist for IV Reclast once a year. Just keep up with those Dexa scans and there are oral bone building agents that help a lot of people. Good luck with the Stelara.

 

[Jo-mom]

How long were you on Entocort for?

 

[Jabee]

I was on Entocort for nearly six years. Way too long in the opinion of my current GI. Varied dose between 3mg and 9 mg per day.

 

[Jo-mom]

Yes that would be way too long - typically entocort should only be taken for 3 to 4 months. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Luciana]

Unfortunately I was on Entocort for much too long (as well as prednisone during two severe flares that required hospitalization). I now have osteoporosis in my spine and osteopenia in my hips. I also have celiac disease so that doesn’t help nutrition wise. I was just diagnosed with rather severe Gastroparesis so I’ll be going to an endocrinologist for IV Reclast once a year. Just keep up with those Dexa scans and there are oral bone building agents that help a lot of people. Good luck with the Stelara.

The doctors did nothing to protect you from Bone loss while you were on Entocort? :-(

Are you able to do anything now?

Sending Love

 

[Jabee]

Thank you so much! My GI was old school so he was of the (incorrect) school of thought that it wasn’t as harmful as prednisone. So now I take lots of calcium and will be getting yearly infusions of Reclast, a bone-building drug.

Once I get my first infusion and have my next DEXA scan, probably in a year, we’ll see how things are.

Crohn’s just keeps on giving!

Love back to you.

 

[aypues]

Entocort is much less harmful for bones than Prednisone, a huge amount is filtered out by liver on first pass and it’s not systemic. That said, being on it for years is bound to do some harm eventually.