Guest guest Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Hi Caroline, Prednisone usage can cause bone loss which makes -can- make people shrink. I may be dealing with this myself. I used to be five one and a half and now I am 5 feet even. Has your son had a dexa scan? Has he been to a chiropractor or an osteopath has his spine been filmed? Jodi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Hi Caroline, Prednisone usage can cause bone loss which makes -can- make people shrink. I may be dealing with this myself. I used to be five one and a half and now I am 5 feet even. Has your son had a dexa scan? Has he been to a chiropractor or an osteopath has his spine been filmed? Jodi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Hi Jodi, This is all brand new. He hasn't done anything, other than freak out. Is a dexa scan a bone density test? Once the term is over (another 6 weeks I think) he'll start following up on some of this stuff. 4 inches from 6 months of prednisone. Nasty. > Hi Caroline, > > Prednisone usage can cause bone loss which makes -can- make people shrink. > I may be dealing with this myself. I used to be five one and a half and now I am 5 feet even. > > Has your son had a dexa scan? > Has he been to a chiropractor or an osteopath has his spine been filmed? > > Jodi > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 I actually had the opposite happen. In my late 20's, I suddenly noticed I was eye to eye with my mom. I had them measure me at the doctor's office, and I had grown 3/4 of an inch! My mom was just glad she wasn't shrinking . That's a pretty dramatic change with your son though. Has he taken many steroids in his life? Holly Crohn's SCD 12/01/08 > > Does Crohn's make people shrink? > My son was at the doctor yesterday. He measured in at an even 6 feet. > They measured him at 3 different stations. A year ago he was 6'4 " . He'd been 6'4 " for a few years. > Does this make sense to anyone. I've heard Crohn's can stunt growth but never that it can make you lose inches. Has anyone ever heard of this? > > Caroline > 21 year old son w/Crohn's Colitis > Lialda > LDN > SCD 10 months > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 Hi Terry, Do you know some reasons for shrinking? Jodi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 Hi Terry, Do you know some reasons for shrinking? Jodi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2009 Report Share Posted April 9, 2009 Hi Terry, Do you know some reasons for shrinking? Jodi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Terry, He exercises daily, doesn't smoke or drink, and hasn't complained of any kind of back pain so I can't imagine it's a compression fracture. He would have felt something, wouldn't he? He is underweight (140 pounds and struggling). What type of pathological conditions could account for this. His GP just said it's not possible for him to shrink and his old records must be incorrect, but I KNOW my son was taller. Thanks Caroline > > Hi Jodi, > > Age is the most common factor in shrinking-we start at 30 and continue to shrink till 70 where it starts to taper off. Lack of calcium and Vit D, micro compression fractures of the spine, wearing out and flattening of the spinal disks, smoking, alcohol, sedentary lifestyle, being underweight are other factors. Long term use of steroids and malnutrition ie, starvation and malabsorption syndromes ( IBD) can lead to shrinking. But we don't shrink overnight. Also, it is highly likely that sudden shrinking can be due to a compression fracture in one of the vertebrae or some other pathological condition. I'm so short to begin with ( 5'2 " ) that I'm going to end up a midget. > > Terry > > > > > > > > Re: Shrinking > > > > > > Hi Terry, > > Do you know some reasons for shrinking? > > Jodi > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Hi Terry, My son definitely did lose the 4 inches. He's also lost some weight, so I guess he thought the dragging pants were just from them hanging lower on his waist. With a 30 " waist, his pants always seem to be falling off. BUT, he now admits he injured his back lifting weights a few months ago and was hurting pretty bad for a while. I suspect your first suggestion was correct...he probably suffered a compression fracture which went undiagnosed. He's off from school in another month. I guess we'll be adding orthopedist to the list of doctors he'll be seeing. Thanks again. Caroline > > As you have said before, Crohn's can stunt growth due to malnutrition and malabsorption. At six feet tall, this doesn't seem to be a problem for your 21 yr old son. It is hard to imagine that your son lost 4 inches in a year. Have you seen any evidence, like his pants are 4 inches dragging on the ground? My mother was on prednisone for 20 years for Rheumatoid arthritis and couple with old age, she lost approx 3.5 inches over 20 years. We could tell because her pants got too long and we had to hem them. I would think your son would have noticed that immediately. > It is very possible that the previous records were inaccurate. If you are so inclined, it might be a good idea for him to have a baseline bone scan as a comparison for later years. Pain is the most common complaint for compression fractures, but rarely, abdominal pain can be a sign of compression fractures. To ease your mind, perhaps a consult with an orthopedist might help. Best of luck to you and your son. > > Terry > Re: Shrinking > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Terry, > > > > Do you know some reasons for shrinking? > > > > Jodi > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Thanks. Definitely bone density testing once school ends. He's also been taking SCD legal calcium since he started Prednisone, and continues to take it even now that he's prednisone free. His calcium levels on his last blood test were w/in normal range. He's been gradually increasing the amount of yogurt he's eating...started with 1/4 tsp, and is now up to 1 tsp twice daily. I'm hoping to continue to increase amts and that this will help w/calcium levels also. Yoga is also a great idea. Last fall I suggested he take Yoga as a gym class, but convincing a 21 year old " GUY " to take yoga isn't all that easy. He opted for weight lifting classes and karate. Maybe next year... Thanks again for all your help. Caroline 21 yr old son w/Crohn's/colitis SCD 10 months LDN Lialda cortisone enemas (sometimes) > > Hi Caroline, > It's a shame he lost his 4 inches, but at least you have what seems to be an explanation. He's lucky he's so tall. The bone density is still a good idea, because he is underweight, and even though he was lifting weights, he might be at risk with some osteopenia ( low bone mineral density) due to the Crohn's and the prednisone. > Thanks for letting me know and keep us posted. > Terry > Re: Shrinking > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Terry, > > > > > > Do you know some reasons for shrinking? > > > > > > Jodi > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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