Low Calcium Post Surgery

[dscoochie]

I am one week post completion surgery and I am still having calcium issues (mostly tingling on my face).  I am on 2000mg calcium and 0.5 rocaltrol (vit D) twice a day.  

I have my post op tomorrow.  I'm sure the surgeon will suggest something, but I was hoping from some first hand experience information on calcium issues.  Does the calcium and vit D dose sound right? How long will this tingling last?  Should I be drinking tons of milk or is that a BAD idea?  I know nothing about this and would love some advice.

Thanks so much!  

[shannon828]

Mine lasted for just about 7 days.  I was instructed to take the Calcium with Vitamin D whenever I felt the tingles coming on- I found a supplement that contained both at Trader Joe's and would take two 1000 mg pills.  I wish I knew why some people have them and some people don't.  Just another fun aspect of the delightful journey known as Thyroid Cancer!

BTW- welcome home!!!  I hope that despite the tingles you are feeling OK :)

[katekos]

You may want to ask at your appointment if they ended up removing any of your parathyroids, and how many if they did.  I had surgery in January and now only have one parathyroid so am still on calcium 3x's per day and calcitriol, my parathyroid is finaly starting to kick back in but it's still a bit low to be able to take me off all that completely yet.  Sometimes if I feel any tingling I will take a tums (that's in addition to what I already take) just as a quick fix.
Good luck at your appointment.

[dscoochie]

Katekos - your ONE parathyroid is starting to kick in after 6 months?  Wow, that's an amazing parathyroid.  I thought you needed more than one to function w/o calcium pills.  I'm very happy for you!

BTW, I still have three parathyroids left.  God, I hope they kick in soon, these tingles (even though I'm taking tons of calcium) are driving me mad!!!

Can you tell me how much calcium and calcitriol you are taking daily?

[katekos]

Yeah they said you only need one parathyroid, although I would have prefered more - lol!
I take calcium 3x's per day (it's 500mg calcium + vitamin D (200 I.U.)). Then I take calcitriol 2x's per day ( 0.25 mcg), although at my Endo appointment 2 weeks ago we agreed that I could just do 1 calcitriol 1x per day but that if I started feeling any tingling or anything to start taking the calcitriol again.  My Vit D levels are still a little low but are improving and calcium levels are staying in the normal range, my parathyroid is in the normal range but still low so that's why the Dr. didn't want to reduce any of the other meds yet, just slowly weaning me off.  Every Dr. I spoke with after surgery said it would be at least a few months for everything to start to really normalize.

How did your appointment go?