Steroid use and bone loss

VaderisBaddAss

VaderisBaddAss

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So here's a quick background. I've been suffering from PSC (a liver disease) and Ulcerative Colitis. Back in 2004, I had a really bad colitis flair up and to contain that docs put me on prednisone with a weening off schedule and was on it for about a month tops. Fast forward to Jan 2011, I received a liver transplant and was on steroids for about a week tops.

Now, December 2010, I had a bone density scan (routine for transplant patients) and have severe bone lost-like osteoporosis bone loss. (ugh!). Anyway, the dr said the bone loss could have been from the steroid use, but I don't even know if I've used steroids long enough for that to happen? There could be one other contributing factor...basically I have very low estrogen production as well, which apparently protects the bones too, so maybe that caused the bone loss. But I'm just not sure about the steroid use, does that mean if I do have a UC flair up can I/should I not allow them to put me on steroids?
 
Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid. It's not an anabolic androgenic steroid. Prednisone causes Glucocorticoids-induced osteoporosis.
 
VaderisBaddAss said:
Could u dumb that down a little? It can cause osteoporosis, despite only taking it less than 2 months?
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Corticosteroids are a class of chemicals including both the steroid hormones that are naturally produced in the adrenal cortex of vertebrates and analogues of these hormones which are synthesized in laboratories. Corticosteroids are involved in a wide range of physiologic processes including the stress response, immune response and regulation of inflammation, carbohydrate metabolism, protein catabolism, blood electrolyte levels, and behavior.

Glucocorticoids such as cortisol control carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism and are anti-inflammatory by preventing phospholipid release, decreasing eosinophil action and a number of other mechanisms.
Click to expand...

30mg of Prednisone can cause steroid induced osteoporosis in as little as three months. Everyone experiences it differently though because everyone doesn't have the same bone density or metabolize compounds exactly the same.
 
Oh thanks, that does help. I was on 40mg for a while at one time I do remember, so I bet it was the steroids that caused the bone loss, but also, I think my low estrogen level was a contributing factor as well. Thank you!
 
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