Hyperparathyroidism (Parathyroid Disease)

If you have parathyroid disease, skip my blog and go straight to the webpage of one of the best (and most informative) surgeons in the nation specializing in curing hyperparathyroidism: Dr. Norman.

If you don't, it's still pretty interesting reading, so read this, donate to the New Shooter's Fund and then go read the pages put out by the Norman Parathyroid Center.

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Calcium is what allows your body to transmit electricity. Your body runs on electricity, so a proper calcium level in your blood is very very important! Normal is in the 9.x range on a serum calcium blood test. In the 10s, you need to be reading Dr. Norman's web pages on hyperparathyroidism, because you very well may have it. In the 11+ range, if you haven't had a stroke, don't wait until you do . . . you have at least one bad parathyroid gland.

The thyroid gland is and does something different to the parathyroid glands. The parathyroid glands "only" regulate the level of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in your blood. The parathyroid glands are the only organ you have FOUR of because God knows they are important. When your blood calcium varies by 0.1 or 0.2 your PTH level is altered so that the calcium level corrects within a few minutes. If you have highly variable calcium levels, you need to get another doctor after reading Dr. Norman's writing. It is important for your well-being to have a steady blood calcium level in the right range . . . and regulating this is the job of the parathyroid glands.

The only disease a parathyroid gland gets is hyperparathyroidism. In English, that's when you have too much PTH. This leads to high blood calcium. High calcium leads to:

Loss of energy. Don't feel like doing much. Tired all the time. Chronic fatigue.

Just don't feel well; don't quite feel normal. Hard to explain but just feel kind of bad.

Feel old. Don't have the interest in things that you used to.

Can't concentrate, or can't keep your concentration like in the past.

Depression.

Osteoporosis and Osteopenia.

Bones hurt; typically it's bones in the legs and arms but can be most bones.

Don't sleep like you used to. Wake up in middle of night. Trouble getting to sleep.

Tired during the day and frequently feel like you want a nap.

Spouse claims you are more irritable and harder to get along with (cranky, bitchy).

Forget simple things that you used to remember very easily (worsening memory).

Gastric acid reflux; heartburn; GERD.

Decrease in sex drive.

Thinning hair (predominately in middle aged females on the front part of the scalp).

Kidney Stones.

High Blood Pressure (sometimes mild, sometimes quite severe; up and down a lot).

Recurrent Headaches (usually patients under the age of 40).

Heart Palpitations (arrhythmias). Typically atrial arrhythmias.

And when you treat a few thousand patients per year, you learn the rules:

1. There are no drugs that will make parathyroid disease better. None.
2. Nearly all parathyroid patients have symptoms.
3. Symptoms of parathyroid disease do NOT correlate with the level of calcium in the blood.
4. All patients with parathyroid disease have fluctuating calcium levels and PTH levels.
5. All patients with hyperparathyroidism will develop osteoporosis.
6. Taking osteoporosis drugs will NOT help bones that are being attacked by a bad parathyroid.
7. Parathyroid disease will get worse with time in all patients. It will not stay the same, nor will it get better on its own.
8. There is only one treatment for parathyroid disease (hyperparathyroidism): Surgery
9. Nearly all parathyroid patients can be cured with a minimal (<20 minutes, 2" incision)operation.
10. The success rate and complication rate for parathyroid surgery is VERY dependent upon the surgeon’s experience.

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The Rules and Symptoms lists above, as well as the general knowledge, come from the excellent parathyroid.com web page. Used without permission, but I seriously doubt Dr. Norman will object.