Hyperparathyroidism Support Group
Hyperparathyroidism is overactivity of the parathyroid glands resulting in excess production of parathyroid hormone (PTH). Increased PTH consequently leads to increased serum calcium (hypercalcemia) due to 1) increased bone resorption, allowing flow of calcium from bone to blood, 2) reduces renal clearance of calcium, and 3) increases intestinal calcium absorption.
Constantly feeling tired is really getting to me! Amount of sleep doesn't matter! It's a struggle to get through each day and even when I try to nap in the afternoon I can't.
The weather is miserable here too! We're getting some snow. It's not snowing heavily but snow just makes the ice more slippery.
I'm glad that Dr. Norman wrote back to you. I know he'd have some choice words to say about my doctor!
Just pace yourself with the housework. It would be really difficult being so stiff and sore
Did you ever feel like you're mind is foggy like you're in a daze? I feel like that today. Maybe it's due to the fatigue and also it's 3pm. I've read that between 3 and 4pm there is a dip in the metabolism that can make one feel sluggish.
I hope that the weather improves so you can go out for coffee tomorrow.
Yes my mind did feel foggy before my op. I could not concentrate or even follow anything on tv (nor at work which is why I gave it up) and my eyes used to feel like they were burning sometimes, you know, a bit like when you have the flu, I felt like I also had pre-flu most days. I was in a daze most of the time. I was out food shopping with my husband and I was walking slowly and couldn't concentrate on anything and my husband kept tying to rush me not realising at that point it was due to the HPTH.
I also had trouble remembering things and prior to the PHPT I had quite a good memory. What is interesting re work is I used to do lots of typing - I typed all the hospital referral letters for all the patients and I found that my typing speed (which was normally very fast) was slowing down and I found that I was typing some of the medical words wrong or couldn't remember them properly when before I had no problems whatsoever, in fact I was known for my speed!
My head doesn't feel foggy now and my typing speed has gone back up again (years ago it was 84 words per minute on testing). I also got a lot of headaches and was aware of my blood pressure fluctuating so could feel a bit light-headed sometimes.
Regarding the dip, I used to get one lunchtimes, about 12.00 ish and I could easily have fallen asleep at my desk at work and when I got home from work, I did used to fall asleep! It's the excess calcium in the blood affecting the systems of the body.
Do you have the bone aches/muscle aches and stiffness? I was really hoping that the aches and stiffness would go after the op but as Dr Norman says it will likely take 1-2 years so a nice long wait!
It was so cold, wet and windy today and I felt so stiff that I rang my friend to re-arrange it. I will be seeing her on 20 March with my other 3 friends I went out with recently - she couldn't make the last get together so we are arranging another meal next month.
Be careful you don't slip over in the snow and wrap up warm when you go out. The thing I find is that, aside from a few hot flushes still (I'm 55, but my doctor keeps telling me I look young for my age)!!
I really do feel the cold.
Hope you have a well day tomorrow. Mind how you go.
tampapatient
I've also read that the fogginess can also be a result of hypothyroidism. I'm on 50mg on synthroid. I've read on here that if thyroid levels aren't at optimal levels there will be more symptoms. I don't feel dazed all of the time but fairly often. I'll go to look something up on the internet and forget what it was I wanted to check. I'll go to the kitchen and forget while I was there. I also have a good memory but I've noticed I've forgotten how to spell words that I never had a problem spelling before. That must have been horrible at work!
Did you get dizzy? I get dizzy sometimes but I'm wondering if that is due to blood pressure fluctuations.
Also my hands have a tremor. I've read that some of my medications can do that. It's most noticeable before or between meals when I hold my hands still.
Also I sometimes feel like I have low blood sugar between meals. I'll feel weak, very dizzy almost like I'm going to pass out. This isn't all of the time.
Yes, I do get stiff muscles and joints. I hope that your stiffness and pain subside soon. Also not just the bone pain but leg cramps sometimes. Sometimes I think the cramps are due to dehydration and other times I wonder if it could be parathyroid related. Supposedly it's low calcium which causes muscle cramps but I had them before my other surgeries.
I'm glad that you will be able to see your friends in March!!! I'm looking forward to my movie Friday. I really feel the cold too! It really bothers me! I hope that you have a good night!
I typed you a message and lost it all!!! Arrghh! I don't know how you can save text on here or even if there is a way.
Sorry for the delay in reply, there has been a lot going on and I have been very tired and stiff.
We are having massive floods here in the United Kingdom at present and the rain is set to continue for several days yet, it is the worst it has been in 25 years. Normally we get snow at this time of year, the weather has gone barmy! Luckily we are above sea level where I live but in other places 5,000 homes have been flooded, it's really awful. But some local roads round here too are flooded and the motorway was part closed today,
In answer to your questions, I didn't really get dizzy spells as such but I could feel my blood pressure go up and down a bit sometimes and felt a bit of a wobble.
Regarding tremor, I didn't have a tremor as such but my hands used to feel jittery sometimes and make typing more awkward. My husband has a slight tremor of one hand but it is a familial one.
I don't get cramps but before my op used to get restless legs which kept me awake and that is horrible but not since the op.
Sorry to hear you have stiffness and muscle aches.
What have you decided to do about getting your referral? Are you going to try going to see the maternity cover doc?
I hope you keep well and warm from all that snow. Take care, hope you enjoyed your movie. I am going to send this before I lose any more text!! Take care.
Tampapatient
I'm sorry you lost the first message you typed! There is no way to save it on here. I usually copy the text so I can paste it if it's deleted.
That's horrible about the flooding! I'm glad that you're not living in a flood zone! Back in spring 2008 the river flooded here. The parking lot of my mother's apartment building was flooded. the building itself wasn't flooded but they were worried about underground power cables so they evacuated her building. The Red Cross put us in a motel room for a week. We had food vouchers.
I haven't really decided what to do about getting the referral since it would be really hard to get a hold of the doctor since she's only there for a few hours Tuesdays and Thursdays. The rest of the time the office is closed.
I enjoyed the movie and my time out.I'm not feeling well tonight. I hope I'm not coming down with anything.
Sorry to hear that you were not feeling well yesterday. I am still amazed at how difficult it is for you to see a doctor where you are. People in England moan about our health services from time to time but it's not as difficult here as it is there by the sound of things. What happens if you have an emergency? Do you have to just go straight off to hospital? I don't know how your medical system works over there.
The Red Cross were really good to you when you had your flooding in 2008. The people here whose houses have been flooded have to claim off their insurance companies (if they are insured). I think they have to foot the bill themselves otherwise.
Round here where I live the motorway is still part closed apparently and there has been quite a bit more rain so some flooding on some local roads and some not that far from us have been closed. We have never known it to be this bad. We won't be going very far. We did have some plans in place to visit a friend and her husband (who has prostate cancer) who lives 2 hours drive away but we have said we will change it to March as it would likely take us about 6 hours to get there if we tried to visit next week!
I do feel sorry for you that you can't get your appointment with the doctor. I was getting to a really low point before my op and my symptoms were getting worse and I can only begin to imagine what it must be like for you. It's a shame you can't move. Did you say you used to live somewhere in America? What made you move to Canada? Your whole life is being put on hold really because of that one thing - that you can't get to see a doctor to get your referral and get the treatment you need. Is your boyfriend supportive?
Take it easy today and I hope you feel better later and that you are not coming down with anything. Hugs.
tampapatient
I'm feeling better today than last night, My regular family doctor is on maternity leave. The doctor who replaces her is only there two days a week. My family doctor has different hours every day and one week a month she's on call at the hospital so she's not there at all. If there's an emergency I have to go to the ER otherwise an after hours clinic. At the clinic though they can't do any testing and only see you for five minutes.
I'm sorry the motorway(highway?) is closed where you are. I wish you could go to see your friend.
I lived in the states when I was married but divorced so I had to move back here. I'm Canadian. I really do wish I could move somewhere else but without medical insurance in the states its too hard to pay for things. My ex husband was in the military so I had insurance through the Air Force. In Canada we have medicare that pays for most things but not prescriptions. My boyfriend has extra insurance through his job and I am on it too. Yes, he is very supportive.
Glad to hear you're feeling better than yesterday. I now seem to have picked up a cold so feeling rather yukky.
Yes motorway is our word for highway and some of it was still closed today in fact we are due to have heavy rain for a few more weeks yet which is unprecedented so those poor people who have to evacuate their homes. We have a tree down today blocking one end of our road but luckily it goes round in a loop so could be worse.
I remember you saying your doc was on maternity leave it just sounds such an uphill battle to get anything done. Would it be possible to leave a message with the receptionist/secretary at your surgery and ask them to contact you if they have any cancellations of appointments or is it possible to book an appointment in advance? Just a suggestion, I don't like to think of you suffering over there and just because your doctor won't refer you when you need to be referred. In England we can usually book an appt up to 4 weeks ahead. I'm very glad to hear that you at least have a supportive boyfriend. It must have been horrible going through a divorce and having to move back to Canada.
I just gave my 2 dogs (cavaliers) a hide chew to chew on and they both got a piece stuck in their throats!! so I just had to put my fingers down their throats to pull out the pieces that got stuck - needless to say I have now thrown the chews away. The things you have to do when you have pets! I didn't see the 2nd rescued mouse again so he must have had a safe getaway and my cat (Boots) hasn't' brought anything more in thank goodness.
I hope you get a good night's sleep. I have taken some Paracetamol so hope I will too. As long as the dogs don't snore..............
Have a good day tomorrow and keep well.
tampapatient
I'm sorry to hear that you're under the weather and hope you feel better soon.
No my doctor won't book an appointment that far in advance. The doctors here are very overloaded with patients which is the reason it's so hard to get an appointment. I was on a waiting list for 2 years before I got my doctor. The system in England sounds much easier.
I'm glad that your dogs are ok. I hope that you rest well.
Yes, unfortunately I do now have a cold but hey, mustn't complain.
My family practice has several doctors and various nurses who help and a phlebotomist so even if I can't get an appt with my doctor (who only works part-time, there is another one there I can see who is also part-time or if neither of them are there, I can see someone else. It doesn't usually take long to get an appt, within a day or two if you don't care who you see. Some times it takes longer in other parts of the country but it's still a good service all things considered. The Practice looks after about 9,000+ patients I think. I wonder why there is such a shortage of doctors where you are. As it's such a big country I would have thought there would be more doctors.
I guess you will have to wait until your doc comes back from maternity before you can try again to get a referral.
I hope you feel okay tomorrow and have a good day.
Take care.
tampapatient
Did you ever trouble with lack of appetite where many times you have to force yourself to eat more often? My appetite has really gone down.
I hope your cold is short lived. Were you able to get your hearing aid? The rain must be making your stiffness and soreness worse.
Your doctor's office sounds much more efficient than mine. I think the reason we have a doctor shortage is due to the government not offering enough incentive for doctors to practice here. It's more to their benefit to practice elsewhere according to what I've read.
My history with PHPT is a little complex. When I got to 50, I was quite fit and could walk long distances. I then started having trouble with my digestion. Every so often I would eat something and very soon after I would be sick and I lost a bit of weight. This went on for some considerable time and I now know coincides with having the tumour for 5-6 years. I eventually worked out that if I ate something that had cream cooked into it then I would be severely sick soon after so therefore started avoiding those foods. Strangely I could still have cream cold in coffee or on a dessert but not when it was cooked.
Then when I developed "polymyalgia" (which Dr Norman refutes), I was unfortunately put on steroids and at the higher dose this made me feel hungry even though I really should not have been and I also put on a stone in weight. As I got to the lower doses almost a year later I started to feel less hungry and when the PHPT symptoms got worse I did in fact start to feel less hungry with that. I also stopped eating calcium-rich foods before my op so as not to feel worse so I could travel to Tampa.
I don't feel particularly hungry now but I am not worrying about the weight at the moment as I can't walk too far still or exercise and have been eating calcium-rich foods to help my bones and more protein to improve my low serum albumin result.
I believe it could be the disease making you feel less hungry, loss of appetite I think is one of the many symptoms of this disease. Maybe you could avoid foods that are appetite-suppressants such as carrots and perhaps eat more foods that give you energy. Beetroot is a good food proven to give people energy for longer. Until you can get your referral I don't know what else you can do to improve your appetite, you don't want to get too thin as that won't help you or your bones.
My cold is a nuisance. We are going for a special meal with my best friend from school days and her hubby tomorrow so hope it doesn't spoil things. I haven't got my new hearing aid yet - it should be arriving in the post in a couple of weeks. Yes the rain and cold and damp does make my stiffness worse.
I hope you feel well tomorrow and have a lovely day. Take care.
tampapatient
Thank you for relating your hyperparathyroidism history. I was diagnosed the first time because a doctor thought to run the calcium and pth test. It was a doctor filling in for my doctor. That was when I was married. I don't remember my calcium level but I know my pth level was 165. I had gone to the doctor due to feeling weak and tired(like having low blood sugar) between meals. The doctor said it was rare but he wanted to run the test anyway. I had had kidney stones in both kidneys that had required two surgeries.
My boyfriend has a cold too. I hope I don't get one because a cold or any type of respiratory infection makes my asthma worse. I double the doses of asthma medication when that happens. I've even had to take prednisone a couple of times. Thankfully not for long because prednisone has many bad side effects. I hope that your cold gets better soon.
I hope you sleep well and have wonderful dreams! Take care!
You had a very astute doctor in America who picked up your PHPH. That must have been awful having kidney stones, I know it is very painful but I have been lucky enough not to get them, I think about a quarter of people who have HPT develop kidney stones all the more reason why doctors should make calcium checking routine, it is an inexpensive test too.
I hope you manage to duck your boyfriend's cold. Mine isn't too bad today, some viruses are worse than others and this one is not too bad.
Had a fantastic lunch today. We went to this place called the Crazy Bear and it is such an amazing place. It is owned and was designed by a designer and the decor and atmosphere is out of this world. It is so opulent with leather seats and lots of mirrors and chandeliers, some really huge and beautiful tables. And the toilets/bathrooms - my goodness! All black and gold with subdued lighting and lots of mirrors and circular glass wash basins with automatic water which rains down like waterfalls - a truly amazing and opulent place. The sort of place you go to just for a special occasion.
We were sent a Groupon special offer voucher for half price tickets and it's nearly Valentines Day so thought we would try it and who better to go with than your best friend and her husband (who also went to our school, but a year older). The drinks were expensive but we had a fabulous lunch which was a 7-course taster menu and it was incredible. You could not fault it. It really was a treat.
Tomorrow early evening I am out with the same friend again together with another mutual school friend (we were all at school together) and we are meeting at a pub so that will be nice as I haven't seen my other friend since before Xmas. So I am having rather at nice time at present! I will also be having a pub meal so will have to go on a diet soon after all this hahaha.
The weather here is still atrocious and is set to continue for weeks and weeks, we have never had so much rain, rivers are flooding all over the place. The climate has gone mad!
Keep well and hope you have a restful sleep this evening. Take care.
tampapatient
Yes kidney stones are horrendous! What's also horrible is for a week after both surgeries I had to have a stent in so my ureter wouldn't swell shut. That stent caused me unending pain because my body was trying to push it out! Medication didn't help only heat! I was peeing blood too. :( I really hope to never have to go through that again! I had a kidney stone show up on a scan last year but when they did another scan it was gone. It must have passed.
The crazy bear sounds like a wonderful place! I'd love to see pictures! I'll try looking it up! I'm a real foodie! Both my boyfriend and I are pescatarians which means we eat fish and seafood but no other meat. Wow, pub food is amazing too! I've heard about English pubs but have never been to one. There's an Irish pub I went to with my mother. The food was better than but when my boyfriend and I went the food was bland. Maybe a different chef?
The weather has gone mad here too! We're supposed to get 20 to 30 cm of snow Thursday into Friday! Also more snow on the weekend!
I hope you rest well and have a wonderful time tomorrow!
Darkness Embraced