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- $Unique_ID{BRK00424}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{What Causes Paget's Disease?}
- $Subject{Paget's treatment Musculoskeletal Connective Tissue osteitis
- deformans hyperactive bone softer bones pelvis thigh skull pain stiffness
- headaches loss hearing increasing skull size weariness energy salicylates
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication medications Etidronate disodium
- Synthetic salmon calcitonin headache}
- $Volume{M-17}
- $Log{
- Symptoms of Paget's Disease*0007701.scf
- Diagnosing and Managing Paget's Disease*0007801.scf}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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-
- What Causes Paget's Disease?
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-
- QUESTION: I am a long time sufferer from Paget's Disease, and find it
- difficult to believe that all that can be offered as treatment are some simple
- pain pills. Can you tell me a bit about this disease, what causes it and what
- medications can possibly help me?
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-
- ANSWER: Your desire to know more about your condition makes you the kind of
- reader I enjoy responding to, in the hopes that this information can be of
- help to you. Paget's disease of the bone (also called osteitis deformans) is
- a chronic disease occurring in adults where hyperactive bone is replaced by a
- softer bony like structure in various parts of the skeleton, such as the
- pelvis, thigh bone and skull. Bone is in a constant state of remodeling, a
- process of breakdown and build up. However in Paget's, the new bone is faulty
- and can not perform all the duties of normal bone. The cause is unknown, but
- about 3% of adults over the age of 40 suffer from the condition, with men more
- commonly affected in about a 3 to 2 ratio over women. Many times there are no
- symptoms, but when they do occur they include pain, stiffness, headaches, some
- loss of hearing, increasing skull size and a general feeling of weariness and
- loss of energy. The diagnosis is often made by chance on an x-ray, taken for
- other reasons, which shows the typical pattern of bone growth. Generally pain
- may be controlled by salicylates and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
- medications such as ibuprofen. Two other medications are used to successfully
- treat and control the condition. Etidronate disodium may be taken in a dose
- of 5 to 10 mg per kilogram of body weight, in a single dose each day for 6
- months. Synthetic salmon calcitonin may also be effective.
-
- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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-