Hyperparathyroidism (OT?)

[tattooyu]

Does anyone have any experience with hyperparathyroidism? Does it correlate to apnea in any way?

The parathyroids are four glands usually behind the thyroid whose sole job is to control calcium levels. My father had hyperparathyroidisml; it can be hereditary. Anyway, my last blood tests showed that my calcium level was high-normal, and I have symptoms that very much sounds like it could be that. The symptoms can be kind of vague and some people are asymptomatic.

Has anyone had one or more parathyroid glands removed with an MIRP procedure?

[fidelfs]

If you look the website http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ you will see the symptoms and one of them is sleep apnea.

My guess that either way hypo or hyper will cause sleep apnea.

[tattooyu]

I am asking specifically about hyperparathyroidism. The thyroid and parathyroids are different glands.

Thanks, though!

[sleepsalot]

My girlfriend's dad just had one of his parathyroids removed because he had hyperparathyroidism. I know he was a horrid snorer and actually now that i think about it I remember him gasping and such... i know it might seem weird that I know what he does in his sleep but I have seen him snoozing on the living room couch haha. Thanks for bringing this topic up, I never thought about a correlation being possible between the two conditions. However, I have not seen him while he was asleep for a couple weeks so i will ask his wife if she noticed a difference? Well, I couldn't answer your question knowledgeably but I hope this seems relevant enough! Best of luck!

[tattooyu]

I'll bet he's feeling a LOT better after two weeks (according to online sources). Do you know if he had the MIRP surgery? If so, he would have just a one inch scar right near his Adam's apple.

http://www.endocrineweb.com/MIRP.html (A few clinical photos, but nothing too gross)

[sleepsalot]

The day after his surgery he already seemed livelier so I would say you are probably right about him feeling great. Hmmm, I am not sure if he had that done, but he has about a 3 to 4 inch scar across the center of the collar bone region on his upper chest so probably not? Anyways, I will definitely ask him! The surgeon said that they had to actually sort of "move things around" (meaning his thyroid im assuming) to get at his parathyroid, but I figure this is because they checked both sides of his neck while in surgery. He was in for about an hour and a half but they made him wait something like seven or eight hours once the general wore off. i know this is a fairly common condition among US residents, as is OSA, so it seems as though it is possible the correlation is larger than it seems? Sorry just thinking "out loud" haha. Oh I saw your post about the one on the way! Congrats, I can't wait to someday do the same!

-Jordan

EDIT:
Okay, he did have the MIRP surgery but I believe the only reason his scar was so large is because the surgeon "checked out" both sides of his neck while in surgery.

[sleeplessinaz]

Hello---me---I have had one parathyroid glands removed and I now feel so much better!! Only one went bad and was overacting causing some high calcium in the blood stream. Only a point hiher than normal but from what I found out--it is deterimental to your health so get it looked after as soon as possible--DO NOT WAIT!

They made a small incision in the neck area and removed it --I don't even have a scar from it--it was quick and easy and I cannot believe what a difference getting it out made on my life. I was so fatigued and lifeless ( i also have Hypo thryroidism too--so that was a double whammy!)----
GOOD LUCK and don't wait ---go find yourself a GOOD surgeon!!

Carrie

[tattooyu]

Thanks sleeplessinaz. I'm going to review my last blood results, which were not that long ago. Even if my calcium was on the high end of normal, I'm going to have my doctor test again but this time include PTH.

What were your calcium and PTH levels prior to the surgery?

[sleeplessinaz]

Hi--I am taking a guess at what my levels were back then--I am too lazy to go look it up in the file cabinet. LOL! I think the normal is up to 10.6 (or 10.4) . I was at 10.8 then at 11.0---so it was not that much higher than normal but it is DEF. a warning sign though. It needed checked. How do they check it? well for me they injected me with some kind of radio active dye and I went home for 2 hours. Then came back to the lab and they took pictures of my neck for a few minutes. The pictures showed the one bad Parathyroid gland just sucking up all the dye and then they knew which one was the culprit. it was def over active!!! I then took the pictures to a general sergeon and he removed the bad one --no problem. I felt SOOOOOO much better after that was done--it was so wierd that something so small can cause so much havoc with your body. It will pay you to get those calcium levels checked!! My family doctor missed it entirely!! It was not until I went to get the dreaded Colonsocopy that the Endocrinolgist saw my blood work and said you have something going on with your parathyroid as your calcium levels are high. My family doctor never said anything about the levels being high---it went unnoticed for maybe a whole year or so. Now i have osteoporisis due to that one little Parathyroid gland sucking all my calcium out of my bones for over a year--UGH!

Carrie

[tattooyu]

Thanks for all the info sleeplessinaz. I'm upstairs now, so I'll check my last labs (three months ago) in a little while. From what I understand, that osteoporosis will reverse itself as your calcium levels normalize, yes?

Looks like my calcium was 9.2, then 9.8 within the last year. I'm due for a check-up in a few months, so we'll see what it is then. Last time, he ran TSH for my thyroid and that was normal, I may have him run a full thyroid panel (TSH, Free T3, Free T4 and Thyroid Antibodies) since TSH isn't always an indicator alone. I may also have him test my PTH levels for parathyroid as well.

[sleeplessinaz]

Hi Tatoo--:) Glad you are under the cut off then for the parathyroid gland problem. I am not sure what the "normal" levels are for men, but for women it is 10.8. I do take medication for the thyroid though which has nothing to do with my parathyroid problem. I have to take it for the rest of my life now.

You are correct in the fact that my osteoporosis will reverse itself since the calcium levels have normalized. It has been reversing very slowly and I am on Boniva once a month. I am fifty years old so Osteo starts around this time in life anyhow --so I am at a constand battle!! LOL! But I do get Dexa Bone scans once a year to make sure it is improving. I also get blood work done every 6 months to check my Thyroid levels, and A1C as I used to have diabetes. Thanks to CPAP I lost about 30 pounds and have almost gotten off all my diabetes meds.

Good luck with your blood test and keep an eye on those levels as it is hereditary.

Carrie

[Muse-Inc]

Thanks for the heads up on rsing calcium levels. Mine have been in the 9s; 10.2 on last test. Will keep an eye on this now.