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primary hyperparathyroidism

What does it mean when your Calcium is 10.7 mg/dL and your Albumin is 4.9 g/dL?

There are two main issues here. First, what does a calcium of 10.7 mg/dl mean? And second, does the albumin change that? Let's address the calcium first. If you are over the age of 30, then that calcium level is high. The most common cause of high calcium is primary hyperparathyroidism. To make that diagnosis, we first have to look at a calcium and PTH level together. If your calcium is hig...

Diagnosis primary hyperparathyroidism Vitamin D Albumin

I am 69. My calcium levels have run consistently 10.8 range for the past 2 years. It has been 11.9 and 11 as recently as a few days ago. My PTH was 86 in September 2021 but is normal range now. However I feel really bad. Fatigue, difficult concentration, tingling lips, constipation, absolutely no appetite with weight loss, nervous internally and eye sight changes. Could I have parathyroid issues even with a normal PTH? I have seen doctors but they just say they don't know why my calcium is high or what is causing my symptoms. My whole life has changed. I'm desperate for answers and where to find them. Please help.

Your lab results indicate primary hyperparathyroidism. You are experiencing the classic symptoms of the disease, which should improve once you get it treated. The diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism is based mostly on calcium and PTH levels, but you do not need to have a "high" PTH to make the diagnosis. The important thing is the calcium and whether the PTH is appropriate given the ca...

Diagnosis Hypercalcemia primary hyperparathyroidism

Can excess parathyroid hormone cause loss of energy?

Yes! One of the most common symptoms of parathyroid disease is low energy. Excess parathyroid hormone (PTH) usually causes elevated calcium levels. Both the elevated PTH and elevated calcium levels cause problems throughout the body. The most common symptoms are often non-specific: fatigue, low energy, insomnia, aches and pains. These symptoms can be debilitating. Excess PTH can also lead t...

Symptoms primary hyperparathyroidism

My blood report reads: Calcium 10.4, PTH 85.3, Vitamin D is 58.5, Albumin 5, Calcium Ionized 5.19. I am 58 years old. I have stopped taking 5000mg of Vitamin D, tho my doctor said I should have an MRI to see which thyroid needs to be removed. Does this make sense? Thank you very much.

Thanks for writing. Your blood tests indicate that you have primary hyperparathyroidism. You have a calcium level that is high for your age, with a high PTH. Most of the time, primary hyperparathyroidism is caused by a benign parathyroid tumor, or adenoma. The treatment for this is removal of the parathyroid tumor. Sometimes, imaging can show which parathyroid gland is diseased. Your doctor...

Diagnosis Imaging Hypercalcemia primary hyperparathyroidism

I'm an adult female and have had elevated serum calcium for a few years ranging from 10.4 - 10.8 (mg/dl), however my ionized calcium from the same blood draws has been either normal or only the slightest bit above normal. My PTH ranges from normal to in the 80s (pg/ml). Which calcium is more accurate in my case - the serum total or the ionized? All other serum values are normal (metabolic, phosphorus, D.) Thank you!

Great question! Usually when we check calcium levels, we are checking the total serum calcium. This is the level that is included in a metabolic panel (basic or comprehensive), one of the standard lab tests that you will have if you are simply getting "routine labs." Calcium is present in your blood in two forms: 1. Ionized, or "free" calcium, that is floating around as a calcium ion. 2. Bo...

Diagnosis Hypercalcemia primary hyperparathyroidism

My calcium is 10.5 mg/dl, my PTH is 53 pg/ml, my Vit D 25-hydroxy is 21 ng/ml. My doctor wants to start me on Vitamin D daily. Everything I’ve read says not to treat the low Vitamin D, if this could be primary hyperparathyroidism. Not sure what to do! How is taking Vit D going to lower my calcium level? I am 47 years old.

Let's summarize your results: Calcium at 10.5 mg/dl is elevated for your age. PTH at 53 pg/ml is not suppressed, which is inappropriate for the elevated calcium level. Vit D 25-hydroxy at 21 ng/ml is on the lower side. These numbers strongly suggest primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT). In the context of pHPT, taking Vitamin D supplements is not the recommended course of action. Why? Bec...

Hypercalcemia primary hyperparathyroidism Diagnosis Vitamin D Vitamin D deficiency

Hi, last week I learned my calcium level was 10.6 mg/dl, my pth level is 49 pg/ml, vitamin d level 29 ng/ml. My doctor wants me to start taking 1000mg of vitamin d. I’m reading that this is dangerous and most likely it’s parathyroid disease/tumor. Could you help me with this? I’ve never taken calcium or vitamin d. I’m 68 years old.

Thanks for reaching out. I'm glad that you are researching your health condition and taking control of your care. Your lab results show an elevated calcium level and non-suppressed PTH level, which indicates that you have primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT). The relationship between the calcium and PTH is essential here; in the presence of elevated calcium, the PTH should be suppressed if th...

Diagnosis primary hyperparathyroidism Vitamin D

I had a parathyroid adenoma removed when I was 37 years old. I am now 73 years old and have been diagnosed with a second parathyroid adenoma (calcium is 10.8 mg/dl and PTH 78 pg/ml) which will require surgery. How common is this and are most doctors aware it can reoccur?

Thanks for asking! There are a couple of aspects to your question. First, how common is it to have recurrent parathyroid disease? It's hard to get firm numbers on exactly how many people end up having more than one parathyroid operation, because patients often follow up with different providers, and a recurrence can take many years to present (like in your situation). So I can't give an exa...

Multigland disease Primary HPT Operation Outcomes Pathology primary hyperparathyroidism

My calcium is 11.9 mg/dl. Ionized calcium is 5.7. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is 65. Random urine calcium is 11.9. I have an overwhelming overall discomfort/pain. It’s so bad I can’t work anymore. Do I have hyperparathyroidism? I am 62 years old.

Your labs are classic for primary hyperparathyroidism. A diagnosis of parathyroid disease is based on labs, specifically calcium and PTH levels. At your age, your calcium levels should be in the mid to high 9s (in mg/dl) range. A calcium of 11.9 mg/dl is definitely high. Most of the time, high calcium is caused by parathyroid disease, but not always. To confirm the diagnosis, we need to eva...

Hypercalcemia Diagnosis primary hyperparathyroidism

My PTH is high (118 pg/ml), but my calcium is normal at 9.6 mg/dl. My urine calcium 24hr is 207. What would this indicate? Normal? Way weird?

Thanks for asking! The short answer is that your labs are in a gray zone, so with just this information, it is not possible to make a definitive diagnosis. To figure out what is going on, I would need to get a thorough history and would want to see more labs. I'll go through my process here. There are two possible diagnoses that could explain your labs: 1. Normocalcemic primary hyperparathy...

Secondary HPT Diagnosis primary hyperparathyroidism Normal calcium

I have both high pth (140) and high calcium (10.4). A Scan of my parathyroid glands showed normal. What should I do to lower these?

Thanks for writing. Your scenario is fairly common. Your labs are classic for primary hyperparathyroidism (high calcium and high PTH), but your parathyroid scans are negative (no parathyroid tumors seen). So what should you do to lower the calcium and PTH? **Short answer: A parathyroid operation.** Long answer: Parathyroid surgery is the only way to cure primary hyperparathyroidism. ...

primary hyperparathyroidism Diagnosis Treatment Parathyroid Disease Basics Imaging

Do I need to take Vitamin D? My latest calcium was 10.7 mg/dl and PTH 60 pg/ml. My doctor is very concerned about my Vitamin D of 15 ng/ml, and says that I should get my Vitamin D level up with supplementation before undergoing parathyroid surgery. Someone else said I should not take Vitamin D. Should I take it? (I am 50 years old.)

This question comes up a lot with parathyroid patients! Most patients with primary hyperparathyroidism will have low or low-normal Vitamin D levels. And many of them are told to take Vitamin D supplements. I do not recommend doing this, and I'll explain why. Your labs indicate primary hyperparathyroidism because your calcium is elevated and the PTH is inappropriate for that calcium. When yo...

Vitamin D Vitamin D deficiency Parathyroid Disease Basics primary hyperparathyroidism

Two of my sisters and I all have been diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism. I had parathyroid surgery at age 55 (two parathyroid tumors removed), my younger sister at age 58 (three parathyroids removed) and we are realizing my older sister has had it for years. We are now all mid 60's, early 70's. My younger sister who had 3 removed still has issues with the remaining gland...she doesn't know what to do. I believe we probably do have a genetic link and years ago I was told that my ovarian/uterine very early stage cancer at 43 could also be connected to some kind of genetic link to the parathyroid issue...is this the MEN 1 gene and if so where do you go to get tested for that?

Thanks for writing in! Since you and two sisters have had high calcium levels, it is almost certain that there is a genetic component. There are a few important issues to address in your case before we get to your question. First, were you cured after parathyroid surgery? Have your calcium levels stayed in the normal range (under 10.0 mg/dl) since your parathyroid operation? It sounds like y...

Genetics MEN1 primary hyperparathyroidism Etiology: the cause of parathyroid disease

I have very high urine calcium, 455 then 433 mg/24 hr. Serum calcium level of 10.3 mg/dl and PTH 44 pg/ml. I'm 58 years old. Little bump by jugular vein. Pressure at times behind my thyroid. Do you think it’s primary hyperparathyroidism?

We diagnose primary hyperparathyroidism with serum (blood) calcium and PTH levels. Based on those, it looks like you have primary hyperparathyroidism. A calcium of 10.3 mg/dl is too high for adults over about 40 years old. A high calcium, combined with a non-suppressed PTH, indicates primary hyperparathyroidism. A high urine calcium (also called hypercalciuria) is not necessary for the diag...

primary hyperparathyroidism Hypercalcemia Urine calcium