Calcium too high!

[dscoochie]

Nearly three weeks ago I had a completion thyroidectomy for thyca.  I stayed in the hospital for 5 nights due to calcium issues.  I was ordered to take 2000mg of calcium twice per day, and 0.5mcg of rocaltrol twice per day.

Two weeks later, I went for bloodwork, the results of which I received today:

Calcium 2.73
Hi (Range 2.10 - 2.55)

Phosphate 0.83
Normal (Range 0.80 - 1.45

PTH 0.3
Lo (Range 1.3 - 6.8)

Help - what does this mean?

My Endo said to lower my calcium to 500mg twice a day (1/4 the previous dose) and rocaltrol 0.5mcg to once per day (1/2 the previous dose).

Thanks!

[ChitChatNine]

Yeah .. I went once thinking I had a lump and they assured me in my case it was fluid .. and that fluid sometimes gets my fingers tingling if it presses on a nerve such as during pregnancy .. I had prego induced carpel tunnel pretty severely which left 2 fingers numb for many months!!

Cheryl

[Thypatient]

"The things in life we thought we'd never have to know....oh, the joys a not having a thyroid..."  Ha, Ha!  How true!

Also true is what ChitChat said about too much calcium.  We've got to be careful on that front too!

"I get alot of FLUID RETENTION in my armpit lymph node area (but not the actual nodes)..."  ChitChat, that's now given me yet something else think about, oh my.

[ChitChatNine]

Only thing I can tell you about too much calcium is that you are at risk for kidney stones ...... I meant to mention that dschoochie so be certain they test and retest often.

:)

C~

[dscoochie]

And thank you for your help, thypatient and cc9.

[dscoochie]

PTH is parathyroid hormone. HPTH is hypoparathyroid hormone (meaning too little).

Rocaltrol is prescription Vitamin D3 (Vit D is necessary for the absorption of calcium).  

The things in life we thought we'd never have to know....oh, the joys a not having a thyroid...

[ChitChatNine]

What does PTH stand for ... I can only assume since adding calcium that is why so high .. it was not a natural am't being created?

What is Rotracal ?

And Where is a Dummy Icon for me? LOL

[Thypatient]

I should have added, the tetany tingling feelings and parathyroids coming back to life feelings are really only my own observations and theories of what's going on.

Tetany feels like tinglings, especially around the mouth, in the hands and feet, across the back.  The other feels like a fizzing feeling.  Like when the feet wake up after having fallen asleep.  That didn't happen all the time but when it did, I'd feel better and was able to lower calcium.

It makes sense that now that your calcium level is high, because your feeding your body so much calcium, your PTH would now be low.  It’s the hormone needed in the bone to blood transfer of calcium and now is not needed, again, because there’s so much calcium.  All that calcium is probably saturating your bones and then going into the blood on it's own - it's doesn't need the pth hormone to help.

I know it’s confusing.  Maybe parathyroid.com’s Parathyroid Intro page might help.  There’s a shaded box as you scroll down with quick facts about the process.

Perhaps others can explain it better; hope you get more feedback.

[dscoochie]

I guess its possible...kinda weird though, now that I've taken my calcium (lowered dose) and rocaltrol (lowered dose) my hands feel a bit better...

I really dont understand the whole hpth thing and I suppose its just one more thing that I'm going to have to become an expert on!!!

If anyone could shed some further light on what may be happening with my calcium and pth (why calcium so low and now so high,and how did calcium get so high with still negligable pth?), I'd greatly appreciate it.

[ChitChatNine]

CRAZY THOUGHT HERE ........... do your lymph nodes in your armpits feel like they are retaining fluid as in "the time of the month" .... sometimes the menstrual cycle, hormones can go wacko after surgery or changein med dosing and I get alot of FLUID RETENTION in my armpit lymph node area (but not the actual nodes) and you may want to ask this Dr. if this is happening if it pressing on the nerves causing a carpel tunnel sensation ???????

It is happening to me right now since lowering my synthroid from 88 to 75 along with other female issue I need to discuss with my Endo ... it is really annoying .. feel great in one dept and lousy then in the other ???

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

C~

[dscoochie]

Sorry about my breakdown a few posts above - I was really anxious last night.

What is the difference between tingling and tetany tingling?  

I have "tightness" in my hands with some tingling.  It comes and goes throughout the day.  Like I said, my PTH is way low, my calcium is high.  ????

[pep88]

Any vit D tests done?  I had tingles no matter how much calcium I took.  The only thing that got rid of the tingles was the vit D.  Vit D allows all that calcium to be utilized by the body and I was very deficient.  Just a thought...

[Thypatient]

I know it's frustrating but give it time.

Have to add that I some tingling I think were the parathyroids coming back to life.  But I also had some continued tetany tingling, so it got confusing.  It all has continued to diminish as time goes by, I'm happy to report (I know way too much about this).

Hang in there.  (You know you are quite a tooper, really.)

[dscoochie]

I dont know what I feel anymore...when I asked the endo why I was still feeling some tingles (but far fewer than before) she said it didnt have anything to do with hypocalcemia because my calcium is way high.  I'm starting to think I'm imagining everything.  This is making me crazy and I'm sick and tired of it all.

I hate thyroid cancer and I hate calcium issues and I hate everything right now.  Why cant I just feel good - am I asking for too much?

[Thypatient]

I agree.

It just sounds like you don't need all that calcium because your parathyroids had kicked in and now things are going in the other direction.  Cutting back should help.

You're not having tetany symptoms like tingling, are you?

[ChitChatNine]

I am clueless but wanted to stop by and say I read your post.

The calcium will regulate with the new dosing I think.  And that means your para's are beginning to work again is what I *think* .. but what good am I responding if all I do is *think* .. sorry :(

C~