Hi I got notified of this thread and thought I would chime in.
The way to check your parathyroid is not a dexa scan. A dexa scan will help you determine if you have osteopenia or osteoporosis. If you do then that will indicate you “already hit the ground” with a calcium problem and they will now help. Like you, I wish to know before I hit the ground. You should not suffer bone loss before anyone checks your calcium and PTH.
A PTH blood test will tell you if your Parathyroid hormone is making excess parathyroid. If it is it is the body’s natural response to high calcium in the blood. The glands are a regulator. Bear in mind many labs report normal ranges to be what a healthy 20 year old can have. They can be as high as 88. But for someone like me at 56, I should never be above a 65. My results of 79, or 88 or even 94 were considered normal by two doctors and only slightly elevated by my general practitioner because of how normal is reported, when in fact it was too high and a warning bell. But as all hormones do, it fluctuates throughout the day. (So do calcium levels.) You need several tests to catch the norm. Right before my surgery I showed a 114. But the week before it was a 56. LOL Either an anomaly or a mistake by the lab as all my PTH was between 78 and 100 all year.
Calcium in the blood should never be above 9.9. No matter what anyone tells you. Most doctors follow an inaccurate diagnosing parameter that waits until your calcium is well over 10, like an 11 or 12, and wont react immediately unless it’s 12/13 or higher. They believe how high calcium is is the indicator. It’s not. It is how long you have lived with any numbers above 9.9. Again, all the endocrinologists I saw ruled out parathyroid because my calcium was between 10.0-10.4. And twice 9.8 or 9.9. But my average over 10 years years (one test per year) was 10.1. However, my symptoms were worse than people who had an elevated 12 or 13, and I actually had three tumors. I now only have one parathyroid gland left but I am 100% cured. Takeaway: calcium levels in the blood matter even at the lower end of their “cut off.”
Calcium in the urine is another test to see if your body is dumping high amounts of calcium. Mine was. They simply put me on hydrochlorathiazide to retain more and dump less. They ignored it as an indicator that something was wrong with my calcium production and how my body was using it.
I can’t say if your issues are related to parathyroid, but it is the only regulator your body uses to regulate calcium levels, and it is the only job those glands do. If you want to explore that possibility I suggest visiting Parathyroid.com. Dr Norman and his team are the world’s leading experts and surgeons in the world. Believe me when I say it is the clinic doctors and surgeons go to when they personally have the issue. They have a plethora of articles and medical studies and journals and clear science for you to learn from before ever having to see anyone. Ignore the “infomercial” feel of the site. It is a legit, highly respected clinic, but due to lack of acceptance by the medical community years ago (blocked by arrogance and egos,) they had to get the word out somehow and grab people’s attention. They are simply screaming from a mountain top to save lives, and many at that, mine included. 56,000+ to be exact. They provide more information and science up front then even the leading surgeons in Chicago did. Chicago barely shared anything.
If you have a calcium issue related to parathyroid, this site will let you know. They also have an app that was priceless to me. I entered all my blood test results from the last 10 years into it and the gauge needle flew to the extreme red for hyperparathyroid. I only had one year’s worth of PTH results from 4 tests last year but it was enough in light of all the other parameters. And I had 16 of the 22 symptoms for years.
Whatever blood tests you get or have gotten over the years, I would let their site and their app judge the significance before your doctor, who doesn’t seem to be thinking beyond the step by step instructional manual literally created on a whim. Dr Norman has a publication to a medical journal that shows that in flying colors.
There are other calcium conditions unrelated to parathyroid, but parathyroid must be completely ruled out first, and accurately, before chasing the other possibilities or you can hurt yourself further. I had mine inaccurately ruled out three times last year but had three tumors removed in December after doing my own research. Chasing all the other possibilities would never have cured me at all.
While I’m 100% fully cured of hyperparathyroidism, I’m left with severe advanced osteoporosis from it and presently trying to build back my bones without their extreme osteo meds. I won’t consider using those unless my dexa scan next January does not show my numbers improving.
)
smh