Parathyroid Q&A is a community of experts and patients dedicated to understanding and treating Parathyroid Disease.

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Parathyroid Disease Basics

Learn about parathyroid disease, what causes it, how is it diagnosed and how is it treated. Questions tagged here are a great starting place to understand the disease and surgery.

What is Parathyroid Disease?
Parathyroid disease refers to problems with the parathyroid glands. Almost everyone has four parathyroid glands, located in the neck near the thyroid. These glands exist to regulate blood calcium levels, so parathyroid disease is fundamentally a problem of calcium. The calcium in your blood is kept in a very tight range - your body doesn't want it too low or too high. The parathyroids are what ...
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I have a calcium of 11.1 mg/dl (age 55, female). We still need to order other labs. I have so many symptoms consistent with hyperparathyroidism. A lot of the reading I’ve done seems to say that they don’t do surgery under 12 as it “should” be asymptomatic. Can an 11 level cause symptoms?
Yes! A calcium of 11.1 mg/dl can definitely cause symptoms! I have had patients whose calcium levels never went above 10.5 mg/dl and they were absolutely miserable. The symptoms of primary hyperparathyroidism are unrelated to how high the calcium is. Any calcium above normal (above 10.0 mg/dl for a person over about age 40) can cause symptoms. Parathyroid disease is only rarely asymptomatic...
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I'm a 36 year old woman, and my calcium levels have been trending up for the last 4 years and my health has been in a rapid decline. I now have osteopenia. The fatigue and brain fog is so bad most days I can barely concentrate or function. My recent calcium was 10.5 mg/dl and I haven't had my PTH checked recently but last time it wasn't elevated. I am waiting for new lab orders. Before the increasing calcium the last few years I lived in the low 9s and that is where it seemed to stay (9.2-9.4 mg/dl) and looking at the trend it is now consistently high 9s with the highest being 10.5. I am terrified my health is going to keep declining. Do you do consults for people in my position?
Thank you for sharing your information. Your picture is definitely concerning for [primary hyperparathyroidism](https://https://www.southwestparathyroid.com/disease). A calcium of 10.5 mg/dl is a little high for your age. Sometimes people in their 30s can have calcium levels in the low 10s, which then drop into the 9s as you get above about 40 years old. But 10.5 is a little higher than what I ...
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