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Questions and Answers

Hypercalcemia

Hypercalcemia refers to high blood calcium levels. It is most often caused by primary hyperparathyroidism.

I have had high calcium levels for over 30 years, but have never been diagnosed with parathyroid disease. I’ve never had any health problems. Do I have primary hyperparathyroidism?
In most cases, persistently high calcium levels indicate primary hyperparathyroidism. But we need more information to confirm the diagnosis. To diagnose primary hyperparathyroidism, we check the calcium and PTH together. If something else (not parathyroid disease) is causing the high calcium, then the normal parathyroid glands will be suppressed - that is, they will make very little hormone. Th...
FHH Diagnosis Primary HPT Hypercalcemia
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Is this primary hyperparathyroidism? Over the last year my calcium levels have been: 10.5, 10.9, and 10.6 mg/dl. My PTH was 57 pg/ml. I'm 75 years old. My physician said that my PTH is normal and so this cannot be primary hyperparathyroidism.
These are classic labs for primary hyperparathyroidism. Your calcium is high for your age. PTH levels can only be interpreted in relation to calcium levels. If your calcium is normal, then you expect the PTH to be in the "normal" range listed on the lab result. But if the calcium is high, normal parathyroid glands will be suppressed, and thus the PTH should be low (under 20 pg/ml). If the PTH i...
Diagnosis Hypercalcemia FAQ
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I just found out on routine bloodwork that my calcium is 12.4 mg/dl. I know I need parathyroid surgery but I won't be able to see the surgeon until next month. Since my calcium is so high, I'm worried that my health is going to deteriorate before I get this operation. How quickly do I need to get this done?
The odds are that you have had high calcium levels for years. Your calcium did not jump from normal range to 12.4 in a day, or you likely would have noticed acute symptoms of high calcium (nausea, vomiting, confusion). Since this was found incidentally, it is very likely that you have had rising calcium levels for a while. The severity of primary hyperparathyroidism is unrelated to how high the...
Hypercalcemia Operation
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