# Need advice with new post TT labs



## jackpot13 (Jul 10, 2011)

I had my calcium and PTH done this past Mon. 12/23 I am taking calcium 500mg plus D 200 IU 4 a day.

Parathormone, Intact [email protected] (12-88)

Calcium 9.5 (8.5-10.5)

My question is my PTH is still on the low end but my calcium is right in the middle. My Dr is in Europe until 1/7. Should I keep taking this much calcium? I am so constipated. My PTH is in the normal range but still low but is this functioning parathyroids? I'm so confused! What would you all do in this case. I have a standing order for calcium check every week. Will be checked again next Mon. The only reason I got the PTH was because I called the Drs office and asked for it. I'm thinking I don't like this ENDO to much. Thanks for your input. :hugs:


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

This is a horrible situation and you could also get kidney stones. I cannot advise you re personal experience as I never had the thyroid surgery.

You know there won't be much response over the holidays. Use your best judgement in the matter as you cannot afford to have reduced motility of the bowel.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Do you have a primary care physician you can call? Or did this endo set up a "substitute" you could call in his/her absence?


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## jackpot13 (Jul 10, 2011)

I did ask for a substitute Dr but was told there isn't one. She said she could message him. The thing is she didn't even have the lab results yet 4 days later! I called the hosp lab and they were sitting there. This office will not call for them. I went to hosp and got my own copies. I do like the actual Dr. but his staff leave something to be desired for sure! I did some research on the PTH and being in the 20s is normal functioning. Also Calcium has a very tight range and you should be in the mid 9s which I am. I am so afraid of getting the tingles again! LOL Don't want to end up in the hosp again. Guess I will keep taking my 4 tabs of calcium a day. Drink my prune juice every night. It does help somewhat. Thanks for your input.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Sorry we weren't of much help. I do hope you feel better soon!


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## miltomeal (May 17, 2011)

You could be constipated because of your pain meds. Anything with Tylenol 3 in it will make you constipated. I went thru this a few days after my TT and it was the worst ever, but as i weened off the meds the constipation went away quickly. I got off the pain meds asap after i found this out.


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## jackpot13 (Jul 10, 2011)

Sorry for the confusion. I never took the pain meds other than one dose the first night after surgery. After that just plain ol Tylenol. I really just wanted to know if a PTH of 20 ment my parathyroids were up and running. If so maybe I will back off of so much calcium. Thanks!


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## miltomeal (May 17, 2011)

Not sure I can help with that, but my ENT told me to go down slowly each week on the calcium. so I started with 3 pills a day, went to 2 until I heard that no parathyroid damage was done during the surgery. it was approx. a week and a half before I heard back from him that there was no damage, but he still wanted me to take 1 a day until the supplements were gone, but I quit taking them after I heard back. good luck!


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## SuzieSocialWorker (Jul 9, 2013)

I was told that if your PTH is detectable (in range), they are functioning. I thought this meant they would turn on my Calcium-maker and I could back off the pills, but that hasn't been the case for me either.

My worry has also been kidney stones, but I was told that you only worry about that if your Calcium is testing high (in the 11, 12+ range) for a long period of time. Otherwise I know we pee out the excess that isn't absorbed (so stay hydrated!). You are in range so I wouldn't worry. My Endo wants me to stay around 8.5 for my Calcium, only because I was already low before my surgery. Also, are you doing a higher calcium diet? That could help to lower your pill needs. They told me to increase soy milk, broccoli, yogurt, etc.

So these are questions for your doc. How in the world does your doctor not have someone on call?? My Endo group always has someone on call and they get right back to you. This is ethical medical practice, especially if you have something serious like hypocalcemia. I would most definitely message the doctor on their European vacay and not feel bad about it - they should have left their patients under someone's care!


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## jackpot13 (Jul 10, 2011)

Suzie thanks so much for your response. Like I said my PTH was 20 and my plasma calcium is always 9.5 which is good. A couple weeks ago when I started with all the constipation and abdominal cramping my ENDO said I could stop the calcium but if I started to feel tingly to get right back on it. I only went one day without it then got scared so went back to the 4 a day. Been doing 3 for the past 4-5 days. Going to start taking 2 today and hopefully I don't have a problem. I have to do something because this calcium is tearing up my intestines! They feel so tender. The thing I don't understand about this ENDO office is if there is no one covering for him for 3 weeks then why were they even open. I get my blood drawn on Mon. and start calling on Wed. and they never have the results! he told me he would call me the very next day to tell me what to do about the calcium. How can he call when he's in Europe!! I went to my hospital medical records and got my own labs. Since everything was in the normal range I didn't worry about it. It's pretty bad when I have to figure out things on my own. I get most of my questions answered right here in this forum by people who really care and have experience! And it's free!!! Thanks again for all the info. hugs1


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