# Constipated FMers: Have you tested for hypercalcemia? (PTH)



## mally (Jan 8, 2002)

10 years ago I was dx'ed with FM. Recently I realized that my FM may actually be due to the fact I'm hypercalcemic.My PTH level is 18 (below 28 is considered non-parathyroid hypercalcemia when calcium is high, and my serum calcium is 9.8. My calcium tested 10.4 upon treadmill exercise.)I suspect my hypercalcemia has been progressive since childhood (as has my jaundice been progressive).I'm curious as to what percentage of fibromyalgics have actually been tested for hypercalcemia?


----------



## moldie (Sep 25, 1999)

I haven't had the test, but I have a feeling that something is amiss with my calcium absorption. I once had an elevated alka phosphatase level and I have developed osteoporosis. Do you know if this may be an indication or would this be the opposite finding? Maybe it has to do with where the calcium in the body is going to. Instead of going to your bones, it settles in different systems it shouldn't.


----------



## mally (Jan 8, 2002)

y'know, I myself have been confused re: the difference between osteoporosis and [non-osteoporosis-hypercalcemia].This I do know: Throughout my life, when I'd occasionally have hard falls (I was even once knocked down to the ground by a careless biker, and another time I had fallen from my bike) yet I never broke any bones. Not in my entire life.So I assume my bones must be very high density, which isn't the case with osteoporosis.Yet I have hypercalcemia which is associated with poor absorption (or is that resorption?) & osteoporosis is associated with that too.Get my confusion?I can't find even ONE website explaining, in simple language, non-parathyroid-non-cancer hypercalcemia & how it compares & differs from osteoporosis.BASICALLY, I'd like a comparison of:non-parathyroid-non-cancer hypercalcemia vs. osteoporosisnon-parathyroid-non-cancer hypercalcemia vs. chondrocalcinosisANOTHER Q:I'm also prone to genital sores. Might that be due to dehydration caused by my hypercalcemia?


----------



## weener (Aug 15, 2000)

Hi Everyone:Can someone explain this to me in simple layman terms. I think I ate too much turkey and eggnog the brain isn't working too good today.


----------



## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Same goes for me! I'm not absorbing much of this "lingo". I just had a bone density test a month ago and it shows I'm in stage one of Osteoporosis. Doc wants me to be sure I get at least 1500 mg. of calcium daily------which I've been doing for 20 years already!!! Figure that one out.Anyway, can someone explain this stuff plain and simple, if there is such a thing?Karen


----------



## mally (Jan 8, 2002)

The only links I was able to find were either cancer-related hypercalcemia or childhood-hypercalcemia.In any case it jives with my own experience. Since the cancer url says that symptoms of hypercalcemia are dehydration, constipation, inability to think clearly & pain.And the childhood url says that too much cow's milk intake (among other stuff) can cause constipation.Indeed, I was pumped with too much milk as a child (against my will). I'm sure that aggravated my hypercalcemia.Here's the urls: http://www.graylab.ac.uk/cancernet/504462.html http://www.allina.com/Allina_Journal/Sprin...6/bergeson.html


----------



## admflo (Dec 1, 2001)

Mally, I'm confused. You stated that your calcium serum, is 9.8 or 10. That is normal. What are the other values you are speaking of?


----------



## admflo (Dec 1, 2001)

Weener, your brain fog may be caused by the eggnog. Too much sugar. I get that sometimes. I have to double up on protein the next day and it goes away.


----------



## mally (Jan 8, 2002)

admflo, I responded to you in another post, & also I responded to the PM you sent me (but perhaps you haven't enabled that function, & therefore didn't receive e-notification?in 1998 I'd gone to the endocrinologist for a g.h. stim test, which is when I underwent the treadmill-type of exercise prior to the g.h. test. At that time my calcium levels were 10.4So a couple months later, in 1999, upon someone's advice over the Internet, I had a PTH test done. Whereupon my calcium levels were 9.8 and my PTH 18. And it said on the printout that when calcium is high and PTH is less than 28, that's non-parathyroid hypercalcemia.I thought that since 9.8 is close to 10, that's still high.Can you PLEASE tell me, what IS the average serum calcium levels of the general population?Are you sure 9.8 isn't quite higher than average? After all, what percentage of the population actually has their calcium levels tested? Calcium levels aren't usually included on standard blood tests, after all. Not even internists check for that; I know, since I've been the route.


----------



## admflo (Dec 1, 2001)

I look at calcium levels every night and I'm pretty sure the norm is around 8-9. I will double check that. Also, Is PTH, parathyroid Hormone?I think I know what test you are referring to with the treadmill. Anyway, I will get back to you.


----------



## admflo (Dec 1, 2001)

I researched the University of Virginia's website.OK, normal serum Calcium is 8.5 to 10.5, below 6 is dangerous and above 13 is dangerous. A normal PTH is 10-65 pg/mL. Bear in mind there is anionized Calcium level also but that is used for reference.


----------



## mally (Jan 8, 2002)

Hi, again. I don't think you understood my above question.I *already was aware* of what the medical establishment cites as "normal range".What I *want* to know is *REALITY*.In the Real World:*What is the MEDIAN READING among the general populace for calcium levels?*You said you check calcium levels every night. I guess you mean that you check it among patients in the hospital?If so, is their range more often 8-9, rather than 9-10?Because, if so, that would mean that 9.8 calcium IS on the high side.


----------



## admflo (Dec 1, 2001)

9.8 is still considered fairly normal where I work and would not be treated.


----------



## mally (Jan 8, 2002)

Still, are patients' calcium-levels more often 8-9, rather than 9-10?


----------



## LoriAnn (Jan 31, 2002)

Hi Mally,I haven't really responded to most of your posts because the hypercalicemia (hope I spelled that right) didn't seem to apply to me, but in case you missed my latest post please check out www.celiac.com, it seems there is a connection between it, IBS, FM and Celiac diease.PS It seems to me that 9.8 may be high for someone who has done everything to lower the rate. If you had not, that number may be substantially higher?


----------



## admflo (Dec 1, 2001)

The usual calcium level I see is around 8.5-9.0. The docs were I work don't treat unless something is over 12 or 13.


----------



## mally (Jan 8, 2002)

Ah, finally I got my answer. In fact, my calcium is practically a FULL POINT ABOVE what you usually see.Now if only calcium tests were henceforth included in routine blood tests for EVERYONE (not only hospital patients) then perhaps they'd see that calcium levels may be substantially higher among people with fibromyalgia-plus-IBS than among the rest of the population.As of now, calcium tests are only taken by endocrinologists, as far as I know (& maybe not always).Who do they think they are, to say what's "normal" & what isn't? Do people have to be basket cases before they're acknowledged as having problems? For example, in order to qualify "officially" as growth-hormone deficient, you have to be a basket case, with ABNORMALLY low levels of growth hormone. If you're just a bit above that (as I was) then you're considered "normal".







P.S. Lori, when checking out the celiac site I didn't see anything about hypercalcemia.


----------



## LoriAnn (Jan 31, 2002)

Hi Mally,I'm not sure which page I saw it on, there are dozens of categories and sub categories, literally hundreds of pages of info, when I'm feeling better I'll go back and find the exact page and let you know.Lori


----------



## LoriAnn (Jan 31, 2002)

Hi Mally, I did a search on the site, came up with these two matches, hope it is helpfulLori1: Diagnosis & Treatment of Celiac Disease: A Gluten-Free Diet vitamins, with resulting problems such as liver disease (from vitamin A toxicity), and hypercalcemia (from vitamin D toxicity) which can cause confusion, constipation, ... http://www.celiac.com/treat.html 92% 2: Diseases Which Resemble Celiac Disease and Related Disorders severe hyperparathyroidism, secondary hyperparathyroidism, and familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia: multiple different phenotypes associated with an inactivating ... http://www.celiac.com/similar.html 90%


----------



## mally (Jan 8, 2002)

OK, I read the first url, & I don't have celiac disease, because I don't have osteoporosis. I never fractured a bone in my life (abnormally so, since I've had some hard falls. If anything, my bones are super-dense.What's exasperating to me is this:I suspect that *other* FMers with constipation *(not only me)* may have higher than average calcium levels.Yet everyone seems to be treating me like an exception. Maybe IBS-FMers should have their calcium levels tested & see whether their levels fall within the 8.5 to 9 range, or whether their levels are closer to 10 like mine.


----------



## LoriAnn (Jan 31, 2002)

Hi Mally,I can't speak for everyone else but my levels are normal, because of the serious IBS-D and inability to tolerate dairy I have frequent tests to check for low levels of things like that.I'm not sure if you are the exception but it would seem so.Lori


----------



## mally (Jan 8, 2002)

Lori, when I spoke of IBS-FMers, I actually mean *constipated* FMers.If you're not prone to constipation, then it stands to reason your calcium levels would not be high.I rather was directing my statement at the former. They should check their calcium levels. That's actually what this subject header is about:*Constipated FMers: Have you tested for hypercalcemia?*


----------



## LoriAnn (Jan 31, 2002)

My apologies.Lori


----------



## CaseyL (Jul 23, 2001)

Mally - for what it's worth, I was looking over some of my old blood test results and found that my calcium is consistently in the 9.7 - 9.9 range and I am D type. I rarely ever get C, only if I've taken too much Imodium.


----------



## mally (Jan 8, 2002)

> quote:quoted by CaseyL:Mally - for what it's worth, I was looking over some of my old blood test results and found that my calcium is consistently in the 9.7 - 9.9 range and I am D type. I rarely ever get C, only if I've taken too much Imodium.


What you told me is worth alot! Thanks so much, because now that you've told me this, my theory is shot, and I won't pursue it.Y'see, I might have said that your fibromyalgia is connected with higher calcium levels.But if so, then (according to my theory) you'd also have to be the IBS-C type.


----------



## mally (Jan 8, 2002)

*Re: Vitamin D toxicity (LoriAnn)*I was just recently informed that I have Vitamin D toxicity CAUSED BY genetic hypercalcemia (missing genetic marker), & that my body will shut down if I don't get my liver functioning.I was informed that my jaundice is due to too much vitamin D, & that calcium & vitamin d are not being absorbed. Not sure if that means I have to eliminate tuna & salmon which I've been living on.Also, that my sore toes stem from liver blockage which will worsen as I stop processing bile correctly & have problems with cholesterol & digestion. And that my bleeding problems are related to hypercalcemia, as estrogen is a calcemic hormone. And that the pain in face, teeth & cheeks are from inflamed nerve endings & tight muslces, since lack of calcium is causing a constant static muscle tension, & between that & bone density dropping, my nervous system is screaming back at me with each compression of bone as I chew. And that my poor saliva, dry hair, etc. are caused by hypercalcemia. And that it caused difficulty for body to concentrate the urine, thus never allowing me the benefit of liquid I ingest, as it would be urinated. And that I need to watch out for amino acids such as arginine, solanine, atropine, tyramine.


----------

