Elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH): How is it treated?

Posted by ladybugmg @ladybugmg, Sep 27, 2018

After I had a nonfasting blood test yesterday my doctor tells me that I have elevated PTH. Is anyone else dealing with PTH and if so would appreciate learning about their experience and how it was treated or is untreatable. Thank you for sharing.

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@plstroud

My calcium levels and Vitamin D are both smack dab in the middle of normal ranges. My PTH level this last time was 76 but has been higher - 88 - in the past. I had seen an endocrinologist several years ago but he passed the high level off as unimportant since my calcium was in the normal range. I have had kidney stones many years ago but nothing I can confirm lately. We are supposed to perform a bone density test as my NP has said she wants to see if I have suffered any bone loss. My Vitamin D was deficient in the past and I had been taking 2000 iu but upped it to 4000 iu daily during Covid after the initial reports that some doctors said appeared to point to less Covid severity risk for those with good Vitamin D levels. I am now curious to see if I indeed have a tumor. I think I will try a different endocrinologist this time. I just got the latest lab test results within the last week so I'm still digesting all of this to plan my next move. Any help from this forum is appreciated.

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You should also see an endocrine surgeon given your history of kidney stone. You may check pth with ionized calcium

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Pth 158 calcium 9.9 normal and high vitam d
Anyone with experience like this ???

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@nova1976

Pth 158 calcium 9.9 normal and high vitam d
Anyone with experience like this ???

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My situation is the same. Everything normal other than PTH of 177, discovered accidentally in January 2020. My endocrinologist is monitoring blood and urine and said I may never need surgery to remove a gland. Have you had bone density test? That is important too.

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@nova1976

Pth 158 calcium 9.9 normal and high vitam d
Anyone with experience like this ???

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CALCIUM: All that I know is the
primary doctor had me back for two more blood tests because of the high calcium. They have told me nothing else yet. No numbers to go by. I quit taking the vitamin D when I got the first notice.
I was never told in the past that the supplement could be risky and I have been taking it for years.

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@tsch

My situation is the same. Everything normal other than PTH of 177, discovered accidentally in January 2020. My endocrinologist is monitoring blood and urine and said I may never need surgery to remove a gland. Have you had bone density test? That is important too.

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Not yet. They are doing mri tomorrow to check for gland
Tumors. I’ll keep you posted

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Interesting. I have not had an MRI, and have had 2 ultrasounds which did not "see" the parathyroid glands. My doc is not pushing for surgery as long as I have no symptoms and no bad levels of calcium etc. there is a type of HPTH which has normal calcium levels. I hope you do not have a tumor. I wonder why your docs looking for this when mine isnt. Tumors I have read are rare, so hopefully you will not have one.

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@tenclawz

CALCIUM: All that I know is the
primary doctor had me back for two more blood tests because of the high calcium. They have told me nothing else yet. No numbers to go by. I quit taking the vitamin D when I got the first notice.
I was never told in the past that the supplement could be risky and I have been taking it for years.

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I take vitamin d (25000 iu per week) and a low D level can be connected to hyperparathyroidism. D is very important and maybe you should have doc check your D levels before you quit it. Elevated calcium can mean that PTH is taking it from your bones. In my opinion, you should be seeing an endocrinologist, and not be treated by your primary.

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@nova1976

Pth 158 calcium 9.9 normal and high vitam d
Anyone with experience like this ???

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High Vitamin D is not a bad thing. Mine is about 40-50.

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@tenclawz

CALCIUM: All that I know is the
primary doctor had me back for two more blood tests because of the high calcium. They have told me nothing else yet. No numbers to go by. I quit taking the vitamin D when I got the first notice.
I was never told in the past that the supplement could be risky and I have been taking it for years.

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Can you get copies of your blood results? We can and it would help you if you could see other numbers. Doc should certainly tell you more than it sounds like he/she has.

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In 1990 I had surgery for parathyridectomy. No other medical care or follow up for this for 20 years.
My PTH is about 100+ whenever I have lab work. My Nephrologist has me taking randomly increasing amounts of Calsitrol. [Spelling could be wrong] Also Vit. D3 daily
I had a large, blocking kidney stone a year ago that required emergency surgery. All is well now.
EGRF is 38
My next doctor visit is in October.

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