Parathyroid surgery question

[Deanne]

I'm a transplant patient, but I think dialysis patients are more likely to have parathyroid information, so please excuse me for posting my question here.

I developed hypercalcemia post-transplant and had 3 of my parathyroid glands removed last May. My calcium level is increasing again. I'm typing this from the lab, waiting for a retest now. After my surgery, the surgeon said he couldn't locate the fourth gland and said he thought it might be inside of my thyroid. Have you had anything similar happen? What was the result?

[hatedialysis2]

Have you checked your magnesium levels?  Magnesium is needed for calcium absorption otherwise it can build up and cause calcification.   If your doctor did check your levels did he/she chec RBC magnesium levels?  This is the true indicator of magnesium deficiency which most doctors never check or have a clue about.  Magnesium is depleted by some medications , , bad diet, and other reasons.   

Here is a link with more info.  http://www.magnesiumeducation.com/mg-ca-balance

Hope this helps.  Good luck!

[Deanne]

Thank you! That might help immensely! My magnesium was in the normal range at my last appointment, so my neph said I could discontinue the supplements. That might be a bit too much of a coincidence. She always has it checked and when my labs were run last week, it was slightly below normal. My PTH level was pretty good when she retested it yesterday, so she called today to send me back to the endocrinologist. I'm going back on the magnesium supplements to see what happens.

[hatedialysis2]

Please make sure that your doctor is checking your RBC magnesium.   Doctors will usually check serum magnesium which is where 1% of your magnesium store is and does not reflect true magnesium levels.  Check the link below.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20170394

Also, most magnesium supplements on the market have a very low absorption rate.   One of the fastest ways to get the magnesium into your cells where it is needed is to use magnesium oil spray (not an oil) and follow the directions on the bottle.  It can cause a little itching from the salts but you can wash it off after 20-30 minutes.    I stopped heart palps and leg cramps within 5 minutes with magnesium oil.  It does take a while to restore you magnesium levels to optimum levels.     You can find magnesium oil in health food stores and online.      Also, diet is number a priority.      sugar and carbonated drinks are some of the foods that deplete magnesium. 

[Deanne]

Thanks again - will do. I have some magnesium oil and haven't been using it because I hate the greasy feel of it. I'll have to drag it out and get over the ickiness. I broke my carbonated drink habit long ago. I need to work on my sugar habit. I'll talk to my doctor again about additional magnesium testing.