Microsoft word - orthopaedic connection bone loss and antidepressants.doc

Orthopaedic Connection
Bone Loss and Antidepressants!
Bad Company
Transforming patient information into patient understanding.
Studies have shown that 20% of older patients suffer from depression. Depression is not in itself a normal part of aging. The rate of depression increases to 50% among patients living in nursing homes. What does this have to do with Orthopaedic Surgery you ask? A troubling association is present between depression, a type of drug used to treat depression and increased fractures and bone loss.
This is a very unhappy triangle.
Serotonin

Antidepressant drugs in this class of antidepressant medication insure that the brain gets enough Serotonin, which can improve your mood
and overall health. The five antidepressant drugs in this class are
Lexapro, Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac and Celexa. These drugs have always been
known to have side effects in some patients. Nausea, dizziness, fatigue
and headaches.
Side Effects on Bones

Several large studies in the last five years have indicated that there is a significant decrease in bone density and an increased risk of
fracture in older patients who take these drugs. This includes not only
vertebral (spine) fractures, but fractures in other parts of the body
also.
Options

First of all let me say that everyone who takes one of these antidepressants does not automatically get bone loss. You and your doctor have to weigh the benefits against the risks. Your doctor might want to give you an antidepressant drug in a different class than the five mentioned if there is concern about bone loss. There are at least 2 other classes of antidepressants that do not cause bone loss.
What You Can Do

 Get 1000 i.u. of Vitamin D per day  Get 1,500mg of Calcium per day from food and supplements  Engage in some type of weight bearing exercise each day for 30  Don’t smoke  Limit alcohol to no more than 2 drinks per day Hopefully, this sounds really familiar if you have been reading my Just Do It
Researchers will continue to investigate the connection between bone loss, fractures and antidepressants. You need to take the initiative and protect yourself with Calcium and Vitamin D and any other medication your doctor prescribes to promote
bone health. Add to this daily exercise, moderate alcohol intake and no
smoking.
Gratiot County Herald Archive and Office Website

What if I told you all the musculoskeletal information you need is in one place? It is! Log on to www.orthopodsurgeon.com and you will find –  The office website and library  Your Orthopaedic Connection  Gratiot County Herald Archive of every article I have written (complete text at the click of a mouse). It contains tons of information you or someone in your family can All of the information available contains what I am treating daily in the office and hospital. I urge you to log on and check it out. Our goal is simple – To help people return to more pain free, Good health. Good life. All the best to you.

Source: http://www.orthopodsurgeon.com/articles/archive/GCH/164.%20Bone%20Loss%20and%20Antidepressants.pdf