Parathyroid adenoma vs thyroid nodule

[hokyma]

Does anyone know how best to decipher between what is a Parathyroid Adenoma vs Thyroid Nodule via Ultrasound?  
Both my calcium and PTH levels are high normal (at the same time) and VERY high Calcium Oxilates in urine.  Neck ultrasound noted either 2 thyroid nodules or 2 bad parathyrd glands.  My Endoc is just kind of brushing it under the rug and not explaining much and says "not sure what's up".  Sestimebi very grainy and 'negative'.  

For years, my calcium level has remained in the 10's (10.1-10.4)-is this normal to see consistently higher over years?  We're talking 6-7 labs over 5 years all showing 10+ for calcium.  It's all so confusing....

Thanks


Hokyma

[medicmommy]

Hello! Having had the parathyroid adenoma experience, I think you will find the information on the website, parathyroid.com as very helpful...It explains all the symptoms (which are very different from a hot thyroid) and also addresses the sestamibi question...It also has a wealth of other information...I do believe this site and Dr Norman (who is the Dr of it) saved my life...I ended up having a tumor the size of a chicken egg and my calcium levels got so high that I was having cardiac and blood pressure problems...i'd had 7 kidney stones in 2 years, and had also developed gall stones...Even my female hormones were messed up, giving me perimenopausal symptoms (BAD hot flashes)...I was blown off for 4 years until I had a kidney stone that got stuck and placed me in the hospital...Good luck...it sounds to me like your issue is indeed hyperparathyroid...                                  

[Thypatient]

It is all so confusing, isn't it?  The website mentioned above might help.

Good luck with all that.

[hokyma]

Thanks for the comments - I've read the para.com site numerous times over the past weeks and I'm totally thinking my Doc(s) are being exactly what this site says NOT to allow them.  I just wonder WHY the Docs are SSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOO closed minded as this being the cause fairly clearly to me and not wrapping treatment/surgery up timely.  

I just don't understand how or why it's so confusing on an ultrasound to tell between a thyroid nodule and a bad para'd gland.  My symptoms are clearly not thyroid related.  

FRUSTRATED FOR YEARS.....but I do feel finally like we are getting closer-at least with the likely cause of all my problems/health issues-if I could just get these darn Docs on the same page (of course, they know it ALL and don't REALLY listen 1/2 the time).  urgh


Hokyma

[medicmommy]

I know that frustration...I had to argue with my first Dr just to get a PTH test done...and when it came back 3x higher than it should have been, she said,"Oh, well, I've tested for HUNDREDS of these and only had 1 come back positive..." (I had just told her I had 11 of the 16 symptoms and refused to leave the office until she ordered the test...)
Something that really helped me...keep a copy of your medical record including all your labs tests...Carry it with you to Dr appts..sometimes, you will have something in it that your Dr hasn't seen, and it will help them "fit the puzzle together"...In the last year, mine has been invaluable to me...(they do look at you a bit oddly at fist!LOL)
If you need a good parathyroid surgeon in Seattle, WA (USA) I can recommend one...Good luck...

[sammyG53]

First of all good luck to you. You are doing the right thing by getting information and becoming informed.

For years I had passed a stone or two and never had the calcium levels high enough to warrant further testing. Go figure. Finally they did get high enough to trigger more tests. They showed all of the signs for HPT.

While going through the nuclear imaging tests they came back inconclusive and finally the most simplest test, the ultra sound found "something". While having the surgery they found the adenoma they were looking for AND a bonus papillary carcinoma thyroid nodule! Lucky me and I truly mean it! A two for one surgery!

The less invasive procedure that the parathyroid.com site "markets" would not have exposed the small bonus thyroid nodule. I had TWO problems and the ultrasound only saw one. I was in surgery for three hours and the doctor was very honest with me afterwards in stating that the adenoma was not where the ultrasound suspected it to be!

If the ultra sound shows something let your ENT do his/her job. Go for the surgery, it was not a difficult procedure. The kidney stones and breaking in a new pair of shoes were worse than the surgery!

sammyG53
HPT TT 11/07