having a DEXA/strontium - Osteoporosis Message Board

phylwill1152 · 05-08-2007, 05:43 PM

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]On Thurdsay I'm having a DEXA...the first since i started taking strontium in August 06. Are there any things i should do before i have the scan? Seems i read on a thread that you should stop taking it for a couple of days before, is that correct? I've also found a couple of differnt adjustment articles..how do i know which is the right one to suggest if the lab doesn't have a set of their own? Is there on difinitve scale to use? Or should i take the 2 i have and let them do what they want. I sure don't want them to read it like a regular DEXA. I'm not even sure if most labs are aware of strontium or how to adjust the findings. thanks for the help...and keep your fingers crossed that my BMD has improved since last year as a result of the strontium I'll post the results when i get them back.

I'm also having xrays taken for a curve in my spine in my lower back that wasn't there a few years ago. Have any of you had that happen? take care...phyllis

DesertBloom · 05-08-2007, 06:10 PM

Hi Phyliss: I hope your technician is willing to do these adjustments, because most have never heard of it, unless you are going to a place that deals with this on a regular basis. Below is one of the articles and if you have the other one take that too. Good luck!! They also need to know the dose amount and length of time taking it. I don't know if you are suppose to stop taking it, so maybe some else will know that.

[url]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_u ids=10677790&dopt=Abstract[/url]

phylwill1152 · 05-08-2007, 08:14 PM

Thanks Desertbloom...that is one of the articles i printed out. We live in a small town , the last DEXA i had was sent to a bigger lab to be read...hopefully they will be aware of the adjustments that need to be made for an accurate reading. That is the article i'll be taking since its more current than the other one i found.

When i saw the dr. yesterday i ask him about the nTX urine test and he hadn't even heard of it. I took in one of the post from the board that explained it and gave it to him. He said he'd look into it and thanked me for telling him something new. I'm lucky to have a dr. that isn't offended by my bringing articles everythime i see him..bet he's glad its only twice a year...hahaha. take care...phyllis

DesertBloom · 05-09-2007, 11:00 AM

Hi Phyliss: I'm glad your Dr is one of those who likes to be educated by his patients!!!! We can all learn something new everyday

Where I live the labs are not that familiar with this test, but since I've had it several times they are now handling it much easier. I was talking to my Dr about how the lab looks at the order for the test, like it's in some foriegn language, and she laughed saying this isn't a new test, but maybe a lot of Drs just don't order it.

Below is a little history on NTx test's, if you want to include it with what you already gave your Dr. and some info on osteo as well. NTx was approved by the FDA in 1995. When I have the test done, all the Dr writes on the order is "2 hour urine-NTx (n-telopeptide)." You can also do the same test through a 24 hour urine or blood test, but I've never had either of those, and of course there are other bone marker tests as well.

[url]http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/health/boning-up/796_bone.html[/url]

Good luck again with the Strontium measurements, and the NTx. My insurance lets me do the NTx 4 times a year, but each insurance is different. The test isn't expense like a dexa either. The most important thing is the collection process for the urine, so make sure the Dr gets that straight. Just in case you want to verify the collection process, here it is. Discard first morning void, wait 2 hours to urinate then collect 2nd void and refrigerate until you get it to the lab.