Hi Brianna, When I was 26, I was given a bone density test and was told I had osteoporosis with the bones of an 80-year-old (QUOTED).  I don't know definitely why I got it, but the only thing that I can attribute it to was an eating disorder (9 years at that time I'd had it).  Other than that, IMO it is NOT genetics, and does NOT run in families.  It gradually increased to osteopenia using Tums only (I refused medication at the time--long story).  To this day I have osteopenia but it has been maintained as is for a few years now.  I never had a normal bone density.  But one of the things that was most likely caused by it was the fractured hip (from a stress fracture--I never fell).  But IMO I dont think it is common in a person's 20s.

Melissa.

I do take Calcium and Vit. D and magnesium now with a multivitamin and potassium everyday to maintain and hopefully improve my bone health.

Melissa.

Melissa,

Yeah, I don't know either, but I do know I have it.  It is possibly from my asthma meds... they have side effects of higher chance of osteoporosis.

Brianna

How's the Forteo working, and when will you start to see differences in test results from using it?

Melissa.

The Forteo isn't bad!!

Actually you should totally look into it. The only really bad side effect is the risk of osteomalacia but the risk of that is really really small.

The needle is really really small and the injection isn't too bad, it hurts a bit but not too much. It says a lot when I say it isn't bad becuase I hate needles. 

As for when I  will start seeing results I am not too sure but I would say in about a year, or some where around there.  I will have repeat bone density at that time and possibly another bone biopsy.  They are thinking that they want to do another bone biopsy just see how things have changed but they haven't decided yet.  I do know however that if they do that the guy that did my last one will do this one. He has agreed to do that for me. He is AMAZING!!!! He also told me when I saw him wensday that if ANYTHING orthopedic or not comes up to call him and he or my endocrinologist would get me in and see me and see what needed to be done.  So all in all everything is going good right now, I am on almost like a maintance type of therapy with the forteo. They also are working with my vitamin D.  My last level shows that I need more vitamin D to raise my level but that we are on the right track because it hasn't dropped. So this is good.  It's all working out now, and I am confident that everything I am doing will help to keep my bones strong.

Brianna

P.S. Seriously though I do STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to ask your doctor about forteo.  It's great. The way it works is different than any other osteoporosis medication because it just ups the production of our Osteoblasts or the cells in our body that make new bone, instead of doing what other traditional osteoporosis medications do and shutting down the Osteoclasts, or cells that break down our old bone.

It's not very common, unless you have a family history or have another disease that is causeing it! Most people who get this so early in life suffer from aging disorders or disorders that limit their ability to absorb vitamin-d and calcium!