Parathyroid level high/normal calcium

[Tiggerific]

Hi all, I am now 9 months post op (RNY). I have been vit D deficient since before the surgery and have had several loading doses and long term supplement which only stopped again 4 weeks ago. I was found 3 months ago to be B12 and folate deficient too and I have had a loading dose (1 injection every 2 days for 2 weeks) of B12 and then another single injection last week (every 3 monthly now) and Folate has been prescribed for daily use.

My recent bloods have found me to be vit D deficient yet again, low zinc and high parathyroid! I know that calcium is usually affected when the parathyroid is deranged but my calcium level is normal this time.

The practice nurse I saw today was not very alarmed about the parathyroid (I of course was!) and she said its high because of vit D deficiency and more vit D would probably sort it out, but as I have said I have been taking vit D for a very long time and I have always had a low reading when tested.

Do I need to be concerned regarding the parathyroid level even tho my calcium is normal at the moment? I dont want to end up with bone problems because of being neglected by my health care professionals!

Anyone else had these problems???

 

[Tiggerific]

bump*

 

[Retfordmag]

I'm the opposite, I am pre op.

Got call off docs the other day advising me that due to blood tests (can only assume from seeing bariatric surgeron) my calcium levels were low and I needed to start and take calcium tablets. Also got to have tests again in 4 months time to check parathyroid levels and also bone chemisty

 

[OOnion]

I would not worry too much over those labs...what you need is to get out in the natural sunlight minimum 30 mins a day with no sun protection on - that will get your levels up xx

 

[OOnion]

Oh and if you smoke - stop that, as that eats up a lot of Vit D and other essential minerals and vits! x

 

[penelope1008]

Hi my last two tests have shown a high parathyroid, low zinc, low iron & low vitamin d. The parathyroid is apparently nothing to worry about & triggered by hormones released as we lose weight, the rest is being addressed by additional supplements above the multi vitamins, omeprazole, mebeverine, glucosamine & calcichew. Some for other conditions rather than the usual post op supplements. Like you I'm 9 mths post op & nearing my target only 2more stone to go. I find I have to check with the dietitian as my GP is unsure of what is needed to supplement the supplements I'm taking & seems to need to consult her or a colleague at our local main hospital ( not the hospital where the NHS funded bypass was done). I'm almost having to teach him what to do regarding my aftercare. God help me when it's handed back fully to him in July as Bournemouth only do 1yrs post op support before handing over your care to your GP. Time will tell.

 

[chrisa]

God help us all i think our own GP's know very little bout our new conditions and are very non commital which isn't very good for us if you think there is a problem. I haven't been seen since my op in August last year I had to cancel one then oteh one they cancelled its next month, did you feel that you were defficient in these vitamins, what symptoms?? xx

 

[penelope1008]

When the first results came back to GP a month after they were taken in Bournemouth I had been feeling tired but as it was the run up to Christmas we had been charging back & forth to Wales when test done visiting our son in hospital for a month I'd put it down to that & perhaps not getting enough food in. So when I was told I had low iron I think my body thought that's it there's something other than just being tired so the tiredness came to the fore with avengence as if I'd been given permission to feel tired so felt as rough as hell.
Since then it's in the background but not as bad & I take care to take care of myself & not over do it. The zinc was aggravating my hair loss & it eased with the extra. The vitamin D had been there since the pre op checks but they only decided to add something after my last test dietitian said take. An extra Calci chew but I'd already brought some vitamin d tablets as I wasn't impressed by the GP's suggestion to sit out in the sun. Lol
GP was writing to dietitian but I phoned her in the mean time to ensure I got what I needed ASAP. It's ridiculous sitting in the surgery educating him on the surgery it's effects & possible additional treatments I may need. Next visit I'll have to bring up the subject of my varicose veins which are now very obvious on my right leg. I've had them for over 20yrs but as for a lot of that time they were hidden in my blubber they weren't so obvious. Now there are lots of the on the inside of my knee & down the inside calf even the beginnings of some on the front of my shin and ankle, not pretty.

 

[Tiggerific]

Has anybody had vitamin D injections instead of oral meds? My vitamin D is floored and oral meds are just not working

 

[Retfordmag]

I would not worry too much over those labs...what you need is to get out in the natural sunlight minimum 30 mins a day with no sun protection on - that will get your levels up xx

Hope my health improves next week, off to Benidorm for a week!!!!

sick of being run down and exhausted

 

[angiemason]

i had a letter asking me if i was sure i was taking all my meds, my calcium is still low and i take 4 a day, my iron still very low 3 a day and my vit d multi vit twice a day and 1 very high strength vit d, i sat out on sunday for two hours reading my kindle, my son said mum you're burning i said i know and it's deliberate. i've been off work again this week so tired and aching all over not to mention bl..dy freezing bbbrrrrr

 

[Retfordmag]

I'm on two calcium carbonate a day but still feel so tired and occasionally feel week, shaky and as if I am going to collapse

 

[Retfordmag]

Don't know if it's the tablets working or me catching the sun out here in benidorm but not felt this good in ages

 

[chrisa]

YOu enjoy it girl wish i was there with ya xx

 

[Retfordmag]

Girl? I wasn't last time I looked lol

 

[Retfordmag]

Think I spoke too soon, been back home for a few days and starting to feel like crap again, tired all the time , afternoon naps along with 10hours plus sleep every night :-(

 

[angiemason]

oh dear it's not good take care x

 

[girlygirl1]

I am pretty much housebound and I worry constantly about the lack of sunshine/Vitamin D.

I read last week about a Vit D spray - involving just one wee 'skoosh' daily onto the tongue. A girl who works in theatre and seldom sees the sun was feeling rundown, weak, lethargic etc. She mentioned in an article that she'd been prescribed such a spray by her GP. So I went online and within minutes had found what I was looking for.

I've had the spray for five days now. It contains 1000 doses, so it will last ages, and it was around £7-£8.

Might be worth a try? I hope you get your other issues sorted out asap. One thing I notice again and again here is the lack of support offered to post-op patients by GPs and even - shockingly! - by their bariatric teams, at times when the patients really need that help.

 

[Paula Garner]

I had very low vit d levels and the endocrinologist suggested that I buy vit d containing 5000iu of vit d, as the calichew prescribed by the GP is too lower dose. I buy mine on Amazon and they are £10 for 360 tabs. That's a years supply for £10.

 

[girlygirl1]

I have two big tubs of Healthy Origins Vit D capsules - think I bought mine on Amazon - like yours they contain 5,000 iu per softgel.

I read somewhere that you can overdose on Vit D but I don't know how much you'd have to take for that to happen. When you consider that 1000iu is regarded as 500% of the average daily requirement, 5,000iu is a lot... but if your levels are low you definitely need it.

I am supplementing Vit D because I checked a list of symptoms of deficiency - I had every single one on the list - and because I am more or less constantly indoors I realised I simply had to be majorly short of D. Funnily enough, after one week of using the spray and also taking one softgel daily I feel a bit better. Could be psychological but if I feel even better next week then i'll know I really needed that Vit D!