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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Epilepsy / December 2005Bone density issues and medications
This is my first new topic post to this group although I've been reading the messages for going on 15 years. When I was 25, I rolled my Datsun 280Z and because it was 1984, you can guess that my seatbelt was unused. My head went thru the passenger side window as the car rolled, so I ended up with an open head injury on the right side of my head. I had a stroke on the operating table and ended up as a left-hemiplegic with a seizure disorder. My neurosurgeon started me on phenobarbital and dilantin that day. My first seizure happened in the late 80's when there was bad generic Dilantin on the market. They quickly progressed to Psychomotor seizures, so my doctor dropped the Phenobarbital and added Mysoline. I stayed on Dilantin and Mysoline for almost 20 years. Finally at age 43, I fell a the school I was working at. I broke my left hip and I was not a canidate for a total hip replacement because of my muscle atrohy. So I have 4 big screws in my hip. The reason my hip fractured so easily was because my seizure medications were slowly striping calcium and other minerals from my body leaving my 43 year old body with severe Osteoporsis. I have been on Fosamax 70 m.g. weekly since and my bone density tests show that I'm gaining back 1 to 2 percent of my bone mass every two years. I have been on 2 grams of depakote ER since 2002 and it also robs your bone structure. So this is my long winded explanation to convince anyone on anticonvulsant medication to get a bone density test if you have good insurance or you can afford the test. I've gotten so much out of this group that I thought I'd give something back that I learned the hard way. Jim Jim, You are so very right.I have been on Dilantin along with many other AED and since 1997 and finally had my first Bone Density test done las week. For some reason I thought it involved needles so I just did not have it done. But also there was a time I did not have the insurance. Well at my PCP they do it at their office and it is just so simple.Do to another issue I seen the DR and she looked at the results that day and put me on Boniva which you just take once a month. And vitamin D and calcium. I sure wish I had done this test so much earlier. I am not sure but if the Dr starts to see that your bones are getting effected they can start you on something before it gets to bad. So like Jim said have that test done. And it is so very easy. M finney Jim, You are so very right.I have been on Dilantin along with many other AED and since 1997 and finally had my first Bone Density test done las week. For some reason I thought it involved needles so I just did not have it done. But also there was a time I did not have the insurance. Well at my PCP they do it at their office and it is just so simple.Do to another issue I seen the DR and she looked at the results that day and put me on Boniva which you just take once a month. And vitamin D and calcium. I sure wish I had done this test so much earlier. I am not sure but if the Dr starts to see that your bones are getting effected they can start you on something before it gets to bad. So like Jim said have that test done. And it is so very easy. M finney > Jim, > You are so very right.I have been on Dilantin along with many other AED [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > start you on something before it gets to bad. So like Jim said have > that test done. And it is so very easy. M finney I think *Dilantin, *Tegretol and some other AEDs can affect Calcium levels in bones (related to density above?). Both my prescriptions for my 2 meds. listed said to tell all Drs. and Dentists I was using xxx med. My Dentist said it was because of a possible calcium-robbing side effect in some people, and it would often show up first in Tooth health, before it might be found by Bone tests, unless those were done regularly. He changed my Dental checkup rates from each 6 months to each 4 about 1994. In my case, with continued Tegretol use of varied doses, I've had no side effects from it. But others may. G./ Sorry I posted twice. It was my fault. I did not think the computer was posting it. I did not mention the teeth and I really should of. But do to reasons way before I started having seizures after my last child was born. I started having some problems with my teeth. My the time he was grown I had dentures. So I never mentioned how the AED meds can affect you teeth.But they also can affect you gums. So why I left that out I don't know because I do know about it.Please Forgive me. But I did not know you could get enough calcium fromTums.Mary Finney Hi Jim Thanks for the info....interestingly enough I was too my nerologist and was checked over and under and we had a good chat ... and just as I was leaving she said oh by the way!! tegretol"which I take" is a calcium robber so you should be taking calcium supplements ...so now I take a few tums in the morning and at night as she said that was one of the best calcium supplements and the most cost effective.. cheers jim > This is my first new topic post to this group although I've been > reading the messages for going on 15 years. When I was 25, I rolled my [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > can afford the test. I've gotten so much out of this group that I > thought I'd give something back that I learned the hard way. Jim I'm glad I've started paying attention to this newsgroup again because I have had trouble with my teeth for years. Dentists have paid more attention to teeth grinding during fits than drug side effects and I was prescribed covers to be worn all the time on upper and lower teeth. Doctors did not pay any attention to the painful gum bloating effect of phenytoin. The combination was too much of a nuisance and I just wore a top one only during the night. Unfortunately, my latest replacement was not made well and tried to move some of my teeth. Since I've stopped using it, one of my molars has broken and left different teeth feeling pressure due to mental tension. This was soon after my dentist retired so I'm lucky that the broken tooth was already too dead to be painful. Positive suggestions: a) clean teeth thoroughly as soon as possible after eating b) eat plenty of calcium via food such as cheese (but don't forget its fat) c) try things such as calcium fluoride (which I take in non-medical tablets to help with varicose veins). My husband reckons that being classified as non-medical they'll only have tiny amounts of anything likely to be effective. Cheers, Chris L. > This is my first new topic post to this group although I've been > reading the messages for going on 15 years. When I was 25, I rolled my [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > can afford the test. I've gotten so much out of this group that I > thought I'd give something back that I learned the hard way. Jim > c) try things such as calcium fluoride (which I take in > non-medical tablets to help with varicose veins). My husband > reckons that being classified as non-medical they'll only have > tiny amounts of anything likely to be effective. Don't know if you are using the homeopathic calcium fluoride which I think may have low doses of fluoride. However, fluorical has an astonishing 3.75 mg of fluoride. Just so you know here are fluoride's side effects, including seizures, from emedicine.com: http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic181.htm Gastrointestinal signs predominate Hypersalivation Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea Abdominal pain Dysphagia Mucosal injury Electrolyte abnormalities Hypocalcemia Hypomagnesemia Hyperkalemia Hypoglycemia Neurologic effects Headache Tremors Muscular spasm Tetanic contractions Hyperactive reflexes Seizures Muscle weakness Cardiovascular Widening of QRS Various arrhythmias Shock Cardiac arrest New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof www.FluorideAction.Net >> c) try things such as calcium fluoride (which I take in >> non-medical tablets to help with varicose veins). My husband [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof > www.FluorideAction.Net Canada has had Fluoridation added to our drinking water since ~1970. I don't know what the equivalent dose of Fluoride is per day of average adult and child use from our tap water, as it's effectively used in everything from Coffee and Tea, to baking and food preparation for entire households, from children to adults.. 3.75mg is 4/1000 of a gram, about the weight? of a Poppy seed. I realize that some chemicals or medications can be potent in extremely small doses. But that doesn't explain why the whole population of Canada (all 33 million of us) don't have massive levels of Cardiac arrest, Diarrhea, abdominal pain, muscle spasms, or Shock, if that was a General Population-wide pandemic. My seizures are caused by damage from Encephalitis that I had in 1979 and I haven't had any of the symptoms listed above before or after that time. I'll read the articles posted later today or tomorrow. This is a busy time of year... G./
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