Hyperparathyroidism - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

watfam4 · 09-24-2009, 09:43 AM

I had something show up on my blood (elevated PTH) and I was wondering if anyone else has seen this issue.

I am going in for a bunch of test tomorrow to help determine the cause. But a little online research indicates that it "could" be caused by a vitamin D deficiency. Ironically, I had recently cut back on the vitamin D thinking that I might be overdoing it (like 5x RDA of D in my daily multi and calcium supplements).

noholes · 09-24-2009, 11:48 AM

I think that PTH is your parathyroid. IF you google the subject it tells you that it can be from a vitamin D deficiency. It is not a thyroid (although located right tnext to the thyroid gland)and mine was off as well. They have noticed patients starting to have a problem with this a litle further out from surgery. I was told start taking D3. Hope that helps.
Amy H

watfam4 · 09-24-2009, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noholes

I was told start taking D3. Hope that helps.

I am thinking, in hindsight, that this is my problem. I have been consistently taking my multivitamins that have D, but it turns out that the multi has D2. I started taking the Calcium Citrate (without the D) thinking that I was already getting it in my multi. Of course the D that come with the Calcium Citrate is the D3 that we really need.

I am hoping that upping my Vitamin D this is the solution. I really do not need any thyroid issues...

Step two is to get my butt outdoors and soak up some sun. I live in Florida, there really is no excuse

Vikkator · 09-24-2009, 01:32 PM

I just got my bloodwork results back and it said the same thing. Let me know what you find out.

watfam4 · 09-24-2009, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vikkator

I just got my bloodwork results back and it said the same thing. Let me know what you find out.

Will do.

I am seeing the endocrinologist next week to get the results. When I spoke with him on Monday he was telling me about how the parathyroid is also involved in how we utilized Calcium (who knew), so I'm really curious to what he might find.

watfam4 · 10-12-2009, 07:13 AM

Well after a bunch of blood work, a bone scan, and a parathyroid scan, the doctor did not find anything. The good news is that my parathyroid is normal (no surgery required). The doctor suspects that the elevated PTH levels are related to my malapsorption of Calcium (although my blood levels were normal). Basically, the doctor has had me increase my Calcium (+D) and I'm going back in 6 months for a follow-up.

mistymee · 10-12-2009, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by watfam4

Well after a bunch of blood work, a bone scan, and a parathyroid scan, the doctor did not find anything. The good news is that my parathyroid is normal (no surgery required). The doctor suspects that the elevated PTH levels are related to my malapsorption of Calcium (although my blood levels were normal). Basically, the doctor has had me increase my Calcium (+D) and I'm going back in 6 months for a follow-up.

From what I've learned here on TT about our calcium absorption.. the calcium that is showing up in our blood during these tests is not a good indicator of the calcium in our bones as the blood will leach it from our bones (and teeth!) to keep the blood levels up.

Was this your first scan or was their a baseline to compare to see if though your bones are good now, that they're 'less good' or 'the same' as before? Or is this now going to serve as a baseline?

I'm getting my bone scan on monday, but I wish I had a baseline to compare to to see how I'm really doing. I guess next year we'll be able to tell.

I take 50,000 IU of Dry form D3 which I order from Vitalady.com - Protein Supplements, Vitamins & Minerals, and Safe Snacks! for cheap. I take 3 a week.

watfam4 · 10-12-2009, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistymee

From what I've learned here on TT about our calcium absorption.. the calcium that is showing up in our blood during these tests is not a good indicator of the calcium in our bones as the blood will leach it from our bones (and teeth!) to keep the blood levels up.

Was this your first scan or was their a baseline to compare to see if though your bones are good now, that they're 'less good' or 'the same' as before? Or is this now going to serve as a baseline?

I'm getting my bone scan on monday, but I wish I had a baseline to compare to to see how I'm really doing. I guess next year we'll be able to tell.

I take 50,000 IU of Dry form D3 which I order from Vitalady.com - Protein Supplements, Vitamins & Minerals, and Safe Snacks! for cheap. I take 3 a week.

My doctor said pretty much the same thing. He hypothesized that my high PTH levels were from my parathyroid trying to compensate for low calcium levels by leeching it from my bones (people who have over-active parathyroid glands have high levels of calcium in their blood). So my high PTH may be what was keeping my blood calcium in the normal range.

This is the first bone scan I've had done, so this will be my baseline for next year. The good news is that this is the first time the PTH levels have shown elevated, and it appears to coincide with the inadvertent removal of D3 from my vitamin regiment. Hopefully it is something that simple (knocking wood)

DPaul · 10-20-2009, 02:31 AM

From what I understand, I would still be concerned if the serum calcium levels are normal and the PTH is elevated. The only time your PTH should be elevated is if you have low serum calcium levels.

What type of scan did you have? An ultrasound or a sestamibi scan? The sestamibi scan is the better of the two by far but that can even miss damaged parathyroid glands. Normally we have four of them located in our neck - one superior and one inferior on each side. There have been cases of more than four however and they can even be located in the chest which a sestamibi scan would not pick up. A catscan might.

I'm going for my parathyroidectomy on 6 November.

Vikkator · 10-20-2009, 06:19 AM

I'm having the PTH test this Friday and a bone scan next week. I had a second blood check last week and the PTH levels were down from the last test, but my doc says I should still get the PTH test, just to make sure. I'm also due for a bone scan and figured I might as well go for it.

I did read here a while back that I should be taking the vitamin D3 (as opposed to D2), and I just started taking that recently, so that might be why the levels came back down, but I still want to make sure there's nothing else going on. I'll let you all know what I find out.