High Blood Calcium Levels
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Hi Ladies
I am going to join this thread, just got blood results today and all was normal but I did notice by Calcium is on way high end of normal at 10.3. I know I should not borrow trouble and normal is normal but I usually run in the 9's. I had a 10.1 4 months ago and it went back down.
My Alk Phos is totally normal and everything else as well. Can someone please help calm my nerves?
If it were bone mets would it present first as raised calcium, would it not involve the ALK PHOS?
I am stressed out. I hate doing any type of tests period, there is always something there to think about.
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Hi Ladies
I am going to join this thread, just got blood results today and all was normal but I did notice by Calcium is on way high end of normal at 10.3. I know I should not borrow trouble and normal is normal but I usually run in the 9's. I had a 10.1 4 months ago and it went back down.
My Alk Phos is totally normal and everything else as well. Can someone please help calm my nerves?
If it were bone mets would it present first as raised calcium, would it not involve the ALK PHOS?
I am stressed out. I hate doing any type of tests period, there is always something there to think about.
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Hello mmm5
If I were you I would get a blood test done to find out my level of parathyroid hormone. If this is high, then chances are you have hyperparathyroidism (an over active parathyroid gland), which can be dealt with. When I was diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism at the same time as breast cancer, my alkaline phosphatase level was normal. Alkaline phosphatase is normally elevated in hyperparathyroidism. Calcium levels also go up and down with hyperparathyroidism. The key factor in hyperparathyroidism is an elevated parathyroid hormone level.
Try not to worry and take the first step by finding out your parathyroid hormone level.
Good luck.
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What were your gal's symptoms of Parathyroid issue?
Did any of you have weird bone pain in hands and feet lower legs?I have been reading up on it and fit the bill across the board, but wondered what other symptoms you have had?
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Is there anyone in the forum that was diagnosed with TN BC and hyperparathyroidism at the same time or diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism before or after developing TN BC? I had the two diagnosed at the same time and think that there is an interconnection. Research shows this in quite a few cases. The diagnosis is usually made through a blood test looking for elevated calcium and elevated parathyroid hormone. I would like to hear from you if you fit this description.
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mmm5, I don't think you should be concerned about a reading of 10.3 -- its still within the range of normal. My understanding is that with bone mets the blood calcium level runs very high and also the mets have to be fairly advanced for this to happen, so it is unlikely to be the trigger that leads to the diagnosis.
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I had a 10.8 reading and my onc ordered a parathyroid test and another calcium level test. No parathyroid disease and my calcium went back to normal...about 9.7. That was two weeks after the first blood test. She said she didn't know what was up with that....the change. LOL
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Hello SandiLee
I just wanted to let you and others concerned know that I had the full surgery to remove one of my parathyroid glands and the adenoma on it on Wednesday November 11th. I was able to leave the hospital the next day and am now recovering at home. The high calcium level became normal immediately and now appears to have stabilised in the middle of the normal range. I have had very little discomfort following the surgery. My voice is completely normal and I am just very tired from the anaesthetic. My consultant told me the other three glands looked normal and that they must now be kicking in. I have a small 2 inch incision mark on the neck. I have a follow up consultation with the consultant in three weeks. I am hoping to find out what my parathyroid level is now, because all the tests have been about calcium levels. She did tell me that the adenoma was big and that she thought I had had it for some time and before the breast cancer. I am consequently still convinced that there is a connection between hyperparathyroidism and the development of breast cancer. I tend to think that the hyperparathyroidism has caused the breast cancer, with the connection being calcium deposits. I shall now concentrate on trying to cure my osteoporosis.
I hope that this message will reassure everyone thinking about having a parathyroidectomy. I look forward to any comments you might have and am still hoping to hear from anyone who has triple negative breast cancer and hyperparathyroidism.
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Sylvia I am so pleased everything went well......I have PM'ed you!
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Hi,
I posted to this thread a few months ago when my first high calcium levels (or high end of normal) were noticed just as I was finishing my radiation treatments. Since then, my bone scan was normal (no bone mets - phew) and a DEXA was normal, so no osteoporosis developing just yet. My PTH is also slightly elevated, so onc is pretty certain it's parathyroidism. I went back to all my labs from chemo (I had neoadjuvant) and noticed a steady increase in calcium levels as I went through chemo. As I had a hysterectomy to go with my lumpectomy and node removal, I am wondering if chemopause followed by real menopause kicked it all off. I guess we will never really know.
I met with an endocrinologist shortly after all this started and HATED him - talk about not a fit for me. I talked to two friends who had thyroid cancer and found out who their endo was and got an appointment with him - that was November and I see him in early January. Since my body was put through hell last year, I decided to give it a break and not do any more tests involving radiation until I saw him (except for my routine mammo which is right after the first of the year). In the meantime, I've dropped all my chemo weight plus some extra - 25 lbs through Weight Watchers, worked on getting in shape, starting taking the extra calcium and Vitamin D as has been suggested. I am also on Arimidex which I am sure is not good for my bones but I am having no side effects at all from it thankfully. I had joint and bone pain that even was present before I started Arimidex (in fact it was at its worst while I was in radiation) and it did disappear once I started on the calcium and Vitamin D. My doc has been seeing the studies on Zometa and its benefits in preventing recurrence in women who had cancer diagnosed premenopausally and started me on it in November - so even if bisphosphonates might not help osteoporosis in people with parathyroidism, it might be a bonus to get this drug to prevent recurrence. But your comments are making me rethink my decision to go slow on doing the parathyoid surgery if there is a possible link between breast cancer and parathyroid issues. I'll meet with the new endocrinologist and go from there I guess. I'd like to see what my current labs are given having a few months out from treatment and just being left alone (except for the Zometa infusion), dropping 25 lbs, being on calcium and Vitamin D, exercising and just eating a healthy diet. I know I feel a lot better than I did a few months ago. But I'm going to continue to follow this thread because what I am hearing here anecdotally seems to mirror some of the issues I've been having. I'll continue to post again as I learn more about my situation. The comments here that the surgery was simple and did correct the problem without major issues are encouraging.
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A word of caution, PaleRider.....if your calcium levels are already elevated, you should NOT be supplementing with calcium.
Sam
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Hi Sam,
That advice is contrary to the advice of my oncologist and the one endocrinologist that I saw (the one I disliked). What is the reason? I am seeing another endocrinologist in a couple weeks and will ask but I'd like to understand better the concern you've raised.
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I too was taking supplemental calcium......until I read the advice on www.parathyroid.com.
According to the endocrinologist on that site, the extra calcium,which is being leeched from your bones if you have parathyroid disease, is then deposited in various parts of your body.....blood being but one place. There is a possibility of kidney stones and calcium deposits elsewhere (? breast??) and even of strokes.Makes sense to me........I am staying clear of supplemental calcium until my hyperparathyroidism is sorted.
Ckeck out that site - of course it is biased in favour of the author's own expertise, but it really does explain it all in layman's terms and very comprehensively.
Sam
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Hello Pale Rider
I read your posting with interest. I agree with Sam about being cautious. If you have read my postings you will know that I was diagnosed with breast cancer and hyperparathyroidism at the same time. Both my oncologist and consultant surgeon told me not to take calcium supplements while I had the hyperparathyroidism, as it just caused the blood calcium level to go higher with all kinds of consequences, especially kidney stones.
Even if you have only slightly elevated calcium you should get your parathyroid hormone level checked and also ask for a Sestamibi scan to find out whether you have an adenoma on any of the four parathyroid glands, as this will cause malfunctioning of the gland, resulting in elevated parathyroid hormone and calcium in the blood. This was my case. I have had one of the parathyroid glands removed to remove the adenoma on it. You can see my posting on the Hyperparathyroidism section of this forum. I had a full operation and my parathyroid hormone level and calcium returned to normal by the day after surgery.
I would not delay with all this, because hyperparathyroidism is one of the main causes of osteoporosis, as it causes calcium to leach from the bones into the blood.
Once you have done all of the above, and if you have developed osteoporosis or other bone problems (I feel chemo and radiotherapy treatment contribute to bone thinning) then the advice given to me was to start treatment with calcium and vitamin D to help the bones, and then have DEXA scans to monitor what is happening with your bones. I have decided not to touch any of the bisphosphonates as I feel they are lethal. Everyone on this forum will ultimately have to decide what they will and will not do for their breast cancer, hyperparathyroidism, bone problems etc.
You may like to have a look at www.health-reports.com/Osteoporosis.html. There is all kinds of information there.
I have read quite a few articles about how you must take magnesium with your calcium, otherwise it is not absorbed. I have also read theories that bone problems are due more to magnesium deficiency than calcium.
All of you may like to read the latest information about bisphosphonates and breast cancer prevention at www.breastcancer.org.
You may also like to read about the latest research on broken genomes behind breast cancer at www.sanger.ac.uk.
Sylvia
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Thanks Sam and Sylvia.
I have had my PTH measured and it too is in the high end of normal, which is why both doctors felt that parathyroidism is the issue. I've also had a DEXA, which was normal - in fact I have the bones of a 20-year old, so I am not in immediate risk of osteoporosis, though I do agree that ignoring this problem could certainly lead to it in time. I am not avoiding the issue - my 81 year old mom broke her ankle due to osteoporosis October 08 and she died in July because her congestive heart failure had advanced because of her inactivity. I have no illusions.
The endocrinologist I saw in November ordered a Sestamibi scan as well as an ultrasound of my parathyroid, but I disliked him so very intensely, I decided to seek out another endocrinologist. I have two friends who have had thyroid cancer and recommended their endo. I see him on 1/11 and will assess if he is a fit for me and will follow through on this testing if he is. While I recognize that I can't ignore this issue, I also have been a human pin cushion for the last year (I found my lump one year ago today) and wasn't excited about submitting to more tests involving radiation and felt like my body and my soul needed a break from it all. This wasn't aggressive cancer that needed to be addressed immediately like I faced a year ago today; instead it's something that needs attention but it can wait till I find a doctor to address it who is not a dissmissive jerk.
My pervasive body aches disappeared very shortly after I started calcium and Vitamin D on my oncologist's advice, and the endo I didn't like agreed I should continue with it for now. I actually have no symptoms at all and feel great at the moment, and don't feel inclined to change things up until I have a doctor tell me that I absolutely must. My vitamin D blood levels have improved and my blood calcium and PTH had improved slightly when tested in November - but are still in the high normal range. But I will discuss the issue with the new endocrinologist when I see him on 1/11. And yes, I have seen www.parathyroid.com - it was the first thing that came up in Google when I was trying to learn more about the disorder. I learned quite a bit, but agree that the doctor who wrote it had a strong bias.
Thanks again for your input and I will continue to follow this thread and will post updates as I move forward. I am interested to hear what you and others say and find it interesting that so many BC patients also seem to be affected by this. The first endo I talked to dismissed any linkage at all and later I read on the Internet from several other patients who had seen him that this guy is a jerk, so it wasn't just me having these feelings. As we all know too well, we've got to be comfortable with the docs we work with.
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Hello Pale Rider
I have just read your latest posting and wanted to say that I wish you luck on January 11.
Sylvia
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Thanks Sylvia for your wishes.
My appointment yesterday went much better this time. The new endocrinoligist was MUCH better. He walked in the room, introduced himself and said, "Well, you've had quite a year haven't you?" So it was obvious he had reviewed my records before I showed up unlike the other guy. We talked for quite a while, he answered all my questions and encouraged more. He wants me to take 2000 units of Vitamin D only, get calcium through food sources only for a week or so (except for a multivitamin) and then repeat the blood and urine tests. I am also going forward with the ultrasound and Sestamibi scan since I am comfortable moving forward with this guy. I've lost 30 lbs since the last tests were done through Weight Watchers and am within a couple pounds of my goal and in much better physical shape than just a few months ago (I took my onc's advice to lose the extra weight if I could seriously). So having a little time off from all the medical stuff has been a good break and a chance to reclaim a body I can recognize. I also had my first mammo this week since treatment and it was perfectly clear.
So we will see in a couple weeks when all of this is done.
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Hello PaleRider
I was glad to hear that you are now in good hands and that you feel comfortable with your new endocrinologist. It sounds as though everything will go well from now on. If your new blood test shows elevated parathyroid hormone, even if the calcium is only slightly elevated, I would go ahead with surgery.
Congratulations on losing 30 pounds in weight. That is a real achievement. I have a friend who does some work for Weigh Watchers so I know that they help people tremendously. Keep up the good work.
I can understand how you needed a break from all the medical treatment, as it is very wearing going for appointments. I was glad to know that your first mammogram since treatment was clear.
It looks as though you are starting the New Year on a good footing. Keep it going.
Please let me know about your progress.
Good wishes.
Sylvia.
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Well, pretty good news from the lab tests. After two weeks of taking a multivitamin only (200 mg calcium), no other calcium supplements and 2000 units of Vitamin D3 daily, both my blood calcium levels, 24-hour urine calcium level and my PTH are all now completely normal. My sestamibi showed the possibility of a very tiny adenoma (I saw my scans afterward and concluded that if there was anything at all, there might be something very small on my lower right - the radiologist read it exactly the same way). So we found it early. My blood test for Vitamin D3 level was now on the high side. The doc wants me to drop taking any multivitamin that contains any calcium, make sure I get calcium but only from dietary sources, drop Vitamin D3 to 1,000 units and redo the blood test in 4 months. If I go high again, we'll go back to looking at that adenoma again. Since my bone density test was so good (I have the bones of a 20-year old and I'm physically very active), this seems a reasonable course for the time being. The trick I'm dealing with is finding is any kind of multivitamin without any calcium. What I've learned online is to either mix and match individual supplements or use children's vitamins (several don't contain calcium). I'll do a little shopping today and come up with something. But at least now I have a diagnosis and we have a game plan. If surgery is needed down the road, so be it, I'm not worried about that, and at least we know what we are dealing with, and for now, my levels are all back to normal, we caught this early, and we are managing the problem.
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Hi,
I am also worried about high calcium levels-every blood test I have had for the past several years except for one have shown high levels that are just over the high end-10.4, 10.6, 10.7. Should I be concerned? I just finished radiation last week and am glad that is over with, but am still trying to figure out the pain in my non-cancer breast and chest wall that has been steadily increasing for the past 2 years. Could any of this be related? I am so confused. Chest CT, thoracic MRI, bone scan were all negative. I realize that the two issues may not be realted, but would appreciate any insights.
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Hi ladies,
Would you mind sharing with me what the normal ranges are for both PTH and for blood calcium levels? I am getting mine tested now-- my internist had been monitoring me for a few years, and he concluded that I didn't have hyperparathyroidism, but I am not certain that this the case. I know I had elevated PTH levels, but do not have any copies of my labs to discern what they were over the past 3 years. I intend to get a copy of my charts so I can check it out for myself. It stinks, because I feel like I am being my own doctor most of the time.....
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I once had a high blood calcium of 10.4. Each lab has difference reference values. At my lab the maximum range is 10.2. This test really freaked me out but I think that I'm ok. Every other calcium test has come back between 9.4 and 10.0. My PTH was smack dab in the middle so I'm not sure what the 10.4 was all about. If your PTH is elevated (do you mean out of range or higher end of range) then you may very well have hyperparathyroidism. Actually, the definition of hyperparthyroidism is an abnormally high production of parathyroid hormone which leads to the high calcium numbers. You may want to see an endocrinologist if your doctor isn't giving you the answers you need or if you don't trust his opinion.
I think that with high calicum if your PTH is normal or high then hyperparthyroidism is the main culprit. If the PTH is low or out of range low, then malignancy is the probable cause. A PTHrP test would conclude if low PTH along with high calcium is due to malignancy. Definitely get a copy of all of your blood work.
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I also had high calcium levels but a normal PTH so my onc thought it was from cancer. I found the parathyroid.com site and emailed Dr. Norman as what he thought my next step should be. He emailed me back at 4:30 AM and said bluntly that it was not the cancer - definitely hyperparathyroid disease and needed surgery. If it was cancer my PTH should be extremely low as the the parathyroid glands would go to sleep if calcium was high - made sense. I found an endocronologist at Weill-Cornell in NYC who did a similar procedure as mentioned on the website. The operation was very easy - took 1/2 hour- little pain and I feel much better. They found two diseased glands. I still have pain from the cancer, but nothing like I had been experiencing. Everything mentioned on parathyroid.com was what I experienced. I was concerned that Dr. Norman was a charlatan but now I am very appreciative of his website and his dedication to this particular disease.0
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Hello Everybody
I was looking at this thread today and was disappointed to find that there had been no postings for exactly a year! It is sad when threads go dormant, because it means that we are not being kept up to date with any new information or experiences with high calcium levels. It would be useful to know if people are still being diagnosed with breast cancer, high calcium levels and hyperparathyroidism.
My comments today are about what has happened to me recently. Having been successfully operated on to cure my hyperparathyroidism seventeen months ago, I was surprised to learn, having had an annual full blood test with my GP, that I now have borderline hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). It was my biggest fear when I had surgery that I would go from hyperparathyroidism to hypoparathyroidism. Now it seems I might be heading towards hypothyroidism.
It is only because I do not appear to have all the symptoms that I have not been given thyroxine tablets, but my GP said I might need them in the future. She said that my brain was struggling to make my thyroid produce hormone thyroxine.
I would welcome any comments or advice.
By the way, I have been trying to locate my thread about breast cancer and hyperparathyroidism. Does anyone know how I can locate it? I have done the usual search procedure. Do threads get deleted?
Sylvia
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I hope there are in fact some people still reading this thread, Sylvia! It has just become very relevant for me.
I just learned my routine 3 months post-op blood work (I had a lumpectomy) showed my serum calcium was elevated--11.1. I followed a week later with an ionized calcium level, which was also elevated at 5.9. My parathyroid hormone, taken at the same time, was 47, which is supposed to be in the middle of normal. I have read the parathyroid.com site backwards and forwards. I'm not quite sure what to think of that site, but according to that doctor, my numbers could still indicate a parathyroid tumor, as he says the parathyroid hormone test should not be "normal" when the calcium is high--that the PTH should instead be low. I am so confused!
I should add that I had a Dexa prior to starting Armidex a couple of months ago that showed osteopenia, despite consuming tons of dairy all my life. I also had a kidney stone five months before I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
My oncologist has ordered a bone scan to look for mets. Can this really be happening? I was diagnosed with stage 1 with no lymph node involvement, was in the low recurrence range on my Oncotype DX test, and told I would most likely live a long life...could I really have mets this soon? I have no pain at all and feel great. Someone earlier on this thread said elevated calcium should not show up even with mets unless they are pretty far advanced, but I can't find this info by searching the internet. Anyone know where I could find info on this?
I really don't know what to do next, other than have the bone scan, about which I am a nervous wreck. I would appreciate any ideas...and hope! Thank you!
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I had high calcium levels in 2004 - had various tests and a scan and a parathyroid tumor was discovered. Had the gland removed, it was benign, spent, one night in the hospital. Everything was painless and the only reason I had to stay overnight was because they needed to check the calcium levels every few hours. Since then I get my calcium checked every few months. I also have osteoporosis and thought my bone aches were due to that, but after the parathyroidectomy I had no more bone aches.
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srbreastcancersurivor,
Thanks for your response. Was your parathyroid hormone level also high, or just the calcium? How did your doctor determine you had a parathyroid tumor?
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Hello Everybody,
I was glad to see that people have started posting on this thread again. I have probably said this before, but I think that everyone who has been through treatment for breast cancer should get their calcium and bones checked out and on a regular basis. Even if you have only slightly raised levels of calcium in your blood, you could have a problem with your parathyroid. You should also get your parathyroid hormone level checked out. Mine was very high with slightly elevated calcium in the blood.
Someone mentioned ionised calcium. What exactly is this and how do you get tested for it?
A special sestimibi scan will show up an adenoma on one or more of the parathyroid glands. These are usually benign and can easily be removed. PTH and calcium levels return to normal almost immediately.
High levels of calcium do not always mean the cancer has spread to the bones, as my own case shows.
Undetected high PTH and elevated calcium can lead, in fact I feel will lead, to undetected osteoporosis. Since treatment for breast cancer, which affects the bones, can also lead to osteoporosis, I think that it would be prudent for everyone to have regular and frequent DEXA scans. By the time I had a DEXA scan, five years after diagnosis, I had osteoporosis, even though in 2006 a hospital check up (not a scan) gave no indication of this.
I would love to hear from anyone that has had breast cancer treatment and/or parathyroidectomy and now has thyroid problems.
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EClaire:
I don't remember if the parathyroid levels were high as I only went to my internist, not a specialist. He had me urinate into a container for a day then added some chemical to the container and I did the same thing for another day (that whole process was really irritating) When they tested the urine they found out I was dumping calcium like mad so I was scheduled for a scan of the parathyroid gland. That took about 45 minutes, then there was a half hour wait and then back again for a 20 minute scan. It was like getting an MRI, but I was not in a tube - just had a big box-like container hovering over my face. The scan determined I had a tumor on one of the parathyroid glands so surgery was the next step.
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My high calcium levels were discovered when I went to the doctor for dizziness! Also it was discovered I had a left bundle block and my BP was too high. So I was glad I had gone. The bundle block was nothing serious, but a year later I developed AFIBS (no connection apparently) and I was also put on BP medication. A few months later I had a bone density test and I found I had the bones of an 85 year old. (I was 69 at the time)
I blame myself for the osteoporosis. If I had gone for annual blood tests the high calcium levels would have been discovered and maybe I could have avoided the osteoporosis. But after going for annual tests for embryonic cancer cells (after my first breast cancer) I was sick to death of doctors and tests and felt fine -ran 45-50 miles a week- so I just didn't bother (for many, many years)
Bad mistake - I should NOT have gotten osteoporosis with all that running I did so I think my calcium levels were probably high all along and I just never went for blood tests.
I now go every 3 months -
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