Connect
24 hour urine calcium test
I was diagnosed with OP back in February. My spine is -2.7 and hips -2.0. I just started HRT last Wednesday along with Progesterone. My Endo wanted me to do another 24 urine test as the one I did 3 months ago was a bit high with result of 306. (Max is 300). She had told me to cut back on sodium. Which I found odd because I never salt my food. I then realized the chicken I was using along with feta cheese for my lunch salads had over a 1,000mg of sodium! So I stopped that immediately. Was using the Cronometer app and was keeping my sodium around 1500 but rarely more than 2000mg depending on the day. I started making my own saltless taco seasoning, marinades for chicken, again don’t salt my food. I cut back every way I could think of. I rarely go out to eat maybe once a month. I just did another 24 hour test and the result was even higher, 315! I literally cried.
The Dr who prescribed the HRT is not my Endocrinologist. As the Endo doesn’t know I started it yet. The endocrinologist is appealing my insurance to start Evenity which I’m sure will get denied again. Otherwise I’ll start Fosomax. Even though I tried it for osteopenia and had severe back pain for 2 nights I’d rather go back to that than Prolia. Or I might just stick with HRT for a year or 2 and see what happens.
Anyways, it’s so disheartening to do the best you can do, follow the rules and the numbers still don’t work in your favor. Not sure if the HRT would affect the urine calcium numbers or not. When my first result of 306 came back my Dr dismissed that it could be hyperparathyroidism. I don’t know. Again it’s just disheartening.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.
Connect
Your Endo should be giving you a battery of tests to look for any reason why you're having osteoporosis. They even check to see if you have Celiac disease. But I'm in the same boat with you. My 24 hr urine test showed that there was calcium leakage from my bones and out from my urine. Her only solution is to take a drug similar to a water pill and eat /drink less sodium. I think reducing sodium in your diet is as bad or worst, as reducing sugar as it's in everything you consume. If anyone knows a good solution as to why our calcium is expelled from our urine and what we can do to eliminate this problem naturally, please help share your knowledge. Thank you
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsYou're probably doing this already, but I would read the label on everything you eat! I had to reduce/eliminate extra sugar and it was worth it as my liver enzymes returned to normal.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsThe 24hr urine calcium is among the diagnostic tests to rule out secondary cause(s) of osteoporosis. There are several reasons for increased urine calcium output, including high intake of salt (sodium), animal protein and refined sugar. Your endo may have asked you to reduce salt intake to see if that's the reason for your borderline high urine 24hr calcium.
You probably want to let your endo know that you've started HRT, since estrogen affects urine calcium output too.
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/80/12/3458/2649772
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 Reactions@mayblin
My plan is to call Endo tomorrow. I had 2 birthday parties this month for my grandsons. I literally ate nothing at either party because one had pizza and sub and the other was pasta and fried foods. So everyone ate around me. I ate a yogurt on my way to both parties just so I ate something. Like I said I’m doing everything I can to think of. So I hope Endo has another idea.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
9 Reactions@rudysmom, it takes a lot to get into a new eating pattern and you’re clearly trying your best. 🫂
Since you just started HRT, the estrogen effect that can lower calcium output may not show up yet - I was mainly pointing it out so your endo can keep it in mind for future results. Glad you’re calling them tomorrow, hope they have fresh ideas for you.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsMy endo checked Vitamin D. It was 62, and she told me to ease up on supplements.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsLook into this more…get to the bottom of it….probably more tests…another specialist or a 2nd opinion…blood/urine chemistry is complicated ! good luck !
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 Reactions@seelex02 That happened to me as well. It's been trial-and-error to find the right amount of D3 supplement. I used 4000/day for a while, and then when my D3 level was getting to 60 or so, I cut back to 1000. It then started dropping, so now I'm at 2000 and that seems to be the happy medium.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@rudysmom - How did your doctor coach you on taking calcium in your diet and supplements the day you were collecting your urine? Did he/she say to stop calcium? Take calcium as normal? Restrict calcium for a few days??? And yes, reducing sodium is step one for trying to reduce your urine calcium, especially for people with hypercalciuria. Dr. Fredrik Coe has shown this pretty clearly. Attached is a picture showing the relationship of urine sodium (which is driven by daily sodium intake) and urine calcium. Here is the article if you want to go deep into why this happens https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/2015/08/29/idiopathic-hypercalciuria-ih-general-facts/ .
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 Reactions@michaellavacot
I got no directions. I get between 1200-1400 mg of calcium a day in my diet so I don’t take any calcium supplements. It is in my daily vitamin but haven’t taken that in over a week I did take my 1000mg of vitamin d that morning though. I try to keep my sodium around 1500 but that’s not always possible but I still don’t go over 2000 unless I go out to eat, which happens once or twice a month. Or sometimes none.