High PTH

[del]

Over the past few months hubby's PTH has been steadily increasing. It is now up to 1300. Normal reading for dialysis patients is less than 300!!  You are not treated here until your readings are over 1000!!  He is supposed to start sensipar - we have the script filled . His dialysis nurse called and left a message on Monday that he was to start taking it but she wanted to talk to us first.  She has been on sick leave since then and we have not had a chance to talk to her . She is supposed to be back to work on Monday so we are going to wait until we talk to her before he starts taking it. 

Hopefully the sensipar will work and he will not need surgery.

[Zach]

Sensipar usually works pretty well.
But you need to watch out for a low serum calcium because it reduces calcium absorption in the gut.

 

[Zog]

Good luck with Sensipar.  That stuff made my wife have a sour stomach.  She had to take Phenergan with it. 

She eventually had to have a parathyroidectomy last January after her PTH went over 2000 for several months despite everything we did.  Her parathyroids were the size of shooter marbles.  They are only supposed to be pea sized.  She had to have 3 3/4 glands out of the 4 removed.  Get it under control now.  Once those glands go crazy and get big they don't like to shrink.

She is in the 100's now and feels a lot better.

[del]

Hubby has been taking sensipar for 2 weeks now with no side effects at all!!  He had calcium and phos checked last week and everything was perfect.  He will get his PTH checked when he does regular monthly blood work on Monday.  Hopefully the level will have gone down some!!

[Stoday]

He's lucky. I can't take sensipar, known as cinacalcet hers in the UK. I've developed an alergy to it.

[Marina]

I  can't  believe  they  let  PTH  rise  to  1000  before  it's  treated!   that's  a  dangerous  level.

My  dr  started  me  on  sensipar  3x/week    as  soon  as  myPTH  climbed  to  the  low  400's.

Sensipar  works  beautifully.   

But  like  zach  says,  keep  a  close  eye on  calcium   levels.
Sensipar  lowers  both  calcium  and  phos levels  so  more  calcium  might   be  prescribed,  and  less  binders.

For the  most  part,  my  phos  is  in  the  low  3 sometimes  lower)  thanks  to  sensipar  so  I'm  able to  enjoy  cheese  and  nuts  at  least  once/day   

[paris]

Good to hear that hubby's numbers are looking good.  And it is great that he has had no side effects.  He is a pretty tough guy and has a great caregiver!!  That is a good combination.