Consistently High Ionized Calcium

by Mark
(Arizona)

My ionized calcium has been tested 4 times in the last 4 months and every time it has been out of range. In addition, I have osteopenia, low vitamin D, a lump in my neck and joint/bone pain. However, my serum calcium is up and down and my PTH is normal. Doctors haven't been able to explain much. Any ideas beside hyperparathyroidism? I'm a 52-year-old male.

Thank you!

Comments for Consistently High Ionized Calcium

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Parathyroid Disease
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Hi Mark,

You absolutely have to assume that you have parathyroid disease until you see an endocrinologist that specializes in parathyroid disease and he tells you that you DON'T have it- otherwise you do.

Please THOROUGHLY read through the entire website at Parathyroid.com and see why this is the likely explanation for your osteopenia and low vitamin d as well.

You do NOT need to have an elevated parathyroid hormone level to have parathyroid disease. If your calcium is high and you have parathyroid disease, then your parathyroid regulating mechanism is broken and may not be elevated. But when calcium is elevated AND you have osteopenia and low vitamin d in a man (very unusual), then I would suggest that you INSIST on getting an appointment with a PARATHYROID SPECIALIST (not JUST an endocrinologist).

If your doctors don't agree, then see one out of pocket and fight with your insurance company about it later. Or threaten your primary doctor with a lawsuit if they don't give you a referral- because if they are wrong, you get worse and worse health and osteoporosis and they deserve to be sued if they don't know enough about parathyroid disease to know that parathyroid hormone can be normal even with severe parathyroid disease.

Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System

Follow to question
by: Mark

Thanks for the info.

My ionized calcium has been high 5x out of 5x now. And yet, in spite of this and my other symptoms, my GP says HPTD isn't my problem and can't direct me to a parathyroid clinic because she doesn't know of any.

Time to find a new doctor right? But where? None seem to be able to figure this out even though the numbers are there in black and white. There needs to be a better understanding of high calcium and a better way to diagnose HPTD. It's so frustrating.

I feel for you...
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Ughhh! Western medicine sucks! It's not as though parathyroid.com's info is so complicated that only a brain surgeon can understand it, all the docs need to know is:

High calcium= parathyroid disease

until proven otherwise. Why this is such a hard concept for them to understand, I don't know. My suggestion to you would be to contact parathyroid.com and ask where a suitable doc is, then try to get a referral there.

Sorry I can't give you any help other than that, but at least you have a lead that you can follow. I'd be interested in knowing how it turns out. Good luck...

Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System

Thanks
by: Mark

Thanks so much. Knowledge in vital and I'm trying to gather as much as I can about parathyroid disease.

I have been in contact with Parathyroid.com, et al. Apparently, there are some "magic numbers" that need to be reached before a lot can be done. Seems if your PTH is in the normal range, even if your ionized calcium is consistently elevated and you have osteopenia and low D and a lump in your neck, it complicates the diagnosis and there's not much you can do in the meantime (except feel sick.)

I'm so baffled at how many doctors don't even believe it to be a real problem. And how many, regardless of what the Hippocratic Oath says (and your blood test and scan results), are unwilling to try to find a solution to help their patients feel better.

There needs to be better research into how to better diagnose parathyroid disease.

Thanks again.

Thanks for sharing
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Thanks Mark.

Frustrating. I do hope that with the possible malabsorption problem (I hope that's OK to share) that you don't wait for a diagnosis and simply attempt a gluten free diet on your own. Please read my page on Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity to see why you may never get diagnosed with that particular problem!

I recommend this to ALL of my clients because it's a widespread problem. Also, look into using Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 15-Ounce Tubs (Pack of 2) as your primary source of fat. It seems to be able to bypass much of the normal fat absorption processes and seems to work very well for those with fat absorption problems.

Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System

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