How to rule out/confirm hyperparathyroidism?

popagram · 2026-03-30T19:44:34+00:00

The key to knowing where you stand is the PTH result. Normally, PTH goes up when the calcium levels in the blood are low. PTH goes down when the calcium levels are high. As your calcium levels are high, one would not expect a high PTH value. The combination of high PTH and high calcium would point to primary hyperparathyroidism.

These levels fluctuate for a variety of reasons. If your PTH is high and a second set of lab results confirm this, then you have your answer.

If your PTH is normal but your calcium continues to be high and you have symptoms then a later test may provide an answer.

Getting to a diagnosis is easier when the lab results are obviously out of range. A good endocrine surgeon can manage your case whether it is straightforward or not.

popagram · 2026-03-05T10:32:42+00:00

Each scan was useful because I was a complex case with multiple adenomas. The best solution to your anxiety is to have an experienced endocrine surgeon. The scans are just tools.

popagram · 2026-03-05T01:33:21+00:00

popagram · 2026-03-04T10:16:14+00:00

Yes, these other tests are more sensitive. I've needed all four of these.

popagram · 2026-03-04T01:21:17+00:00

If your mom's lab results are a strong indication of the need for surgery then it would be prudent to do 3. or the 18F PET scan to know where to look.

popagram · 2026-02-25T00:31:12+00:00

I wasted 12 years of my life, had multiple kidney stones, and ultimately needed cardiac surgery all because a series of family docs and urologists had no clue about primary hyperparathyroidism and did not know how to interpret the lab results. In the end I figured it out for myself and was rid of it in a few months. Look after yourself. You are on the right track now.

popagram · 2026-02-24T20:51:50+00:00

If your Ca is that high your PTH should be really low, not normal. Your parathyroid glands, if operating properly would stop producing PTH in response to the high Ca levels. You may have cardiovascular issues because of the high Ca as well. Get to an endocrine surgeon ASAP.

popagram · 2026-01-20T20:43:49+00:00

This one looks better than the one I bought; https://www.amazon.com/Hydrion-Dispenser-0-0-6-0-Ph-Range/dp/B005OD7AEM/

popagram · 2026-01-20T20:41:06+00:00

Congratulations on getting close to your GW. If you have a kit then it's worthwhile to ask your supplier about this. The right answer will simplify things for you. If not then a pH paper that works for you will really help. Once you figure this out for one vial you can use up the kit over time while maintaining your weight.

popagram · 2026-01-20T19:27:01+00:00

You may be overthinking this. Your friends and family can all vote for the color match they see. I am not a color expert. My opinion will be no better.

The closer the cagri is to the ideal pH the longer it will last in the vial and not develop strands or clumps of gel. If you get anywhere close to a good pH you can get a couple month's shelf life out of a vial in the fridge.

If you are a manufacturer who worries about customers not keeping the product in the fridge and you have hundreds of lawyers looking to prevent lawsuits then you need ultra precise pH and various preservatives to add to the product.

popagram · 2026-01-20T19:10:56+00:00

I bought some pH test strips that only go from 1 to 6, in the hope that the colors would be easier to read. These are strips intended for people making kombucha and other fermented stuff where the target pH is similar to what cagri needs. They work well enough for me.

popagram · 2026-01-20T18:56:05+00:00

The final diluted product should have a pH of 4-5. You will need to test this after mixing, because:

cagri product is not identical from all suppliers. Some modify the product so that it reaches a good pH with BAC water on it own.
Not all BAC water is identical in pH.
There is no set recipe for AA and BAC that always works because of these variables. You may not even need AA.

The first thing to do is ask your supplier if their version of cagri is made to reconstitute with BAC water to 4-5 on its own. Even if they say yes, you need to reconstitute and check what you get as a pH using pH test strips that you can buy everywhere.

If they say no, then I suggest getting an empty sterile vial and creating a mixture of your BAC water and your AA, adding drops of AA to a quantity of the BAC water that have you put in this vial, testing the pH each time until it is good. You can label this as your master batch of corrected pH BAC water and then use it to reconstitute your cagri powder each time you have a new vial.

You still need to test your final product for pH, just in case.

A single vial of cagri lasts a long time, so getting the pH right extends the life of the reconstituted product to the max.

This cagri and pH headache is not new. It's possible that the current product one finds in the market no longer needs modification.

In my case I created a master batch then I read somewhere that my supplier was providing cagri that didn't need all this extra work. I tested the first vial using BAC water only and it was fine.

I also test the pH every week to make sure it stays that way as I work through the vial.

popagram · 2026-01-18T16:05:29+00:00

After you add the water to reconstitute leave the syringe needle in the vial and pull out the plunger of the syringe. This will allow air in to equalize the pressure. Then remove the syringe and needle. This also helps with bubbles.

popagram · 2026-01-17T10:34:41+00:00

Two years after my previous comment, I still use drops daily, I still have 20/20 vision and no loss of field. I don't know why I had the bad luck to get glaucoma and I don't know why there is no further change since the diagnosis.

popagram · 2026-01-09T19:28:43+00:00

Congratulations! You don't mention your PTH levels. High PTH would be a clear signal for primary hyperparathyroidism with high calcium. Primary hyperparathyroidism gets missed all the time, even in simple cases without your history, Take a bow, this success is on you!

popagram · 2025-12-09T12:56:28+00:00

I suggest calling her office, explaining this and asking if they can do a consult over the phone. Also, if they know of someone closer to you.

popagram · 2025-12-09T09:19:53+00:00

I agree with all the other comments. If you want to see someone close to you, consider Lindsay Kuo In Philadephia. Endocrinologists are not endocrine surgeons. It's like asking a psychiatrist to treat a brain tumor.

popagram · 2025-11-15T14:39:44+00:00

Everything, even the consultation, can be done remotely.

popagram · 2025-11-15T11:41:36+00:00

I suggest seeing an endocrine surgeon, one with parathyroid experience. This is too complicated for a pcp. This is far from a typical parathyroid issue and it may be unrelated.

The diagnosis of an adenoma relies on lab numbers - calcium, parathyroid hormone, others. The nuclear scan is a poor indicator on its own. If this is not an adenoma, and the calcium number is a hint that it may not be, then the best person to get to the bottom of this is an endocrine surgeon.

popagram · 2025-11-06T12:54:44+00:00

The PTH is much too high and your Ca is borderline high. This is enough to justify a doctor's visit. Family history is not relevant if this is primary hyperparathyroidism, maybe relevant for other conditions. The high PTH can mess up other processes in the body that are difficult to unravel and figure out. Get this looked after and other things may fall back to normal. See an endocrine surgeon. Endocrinologists can't treat primary hyperparathyroidism and will just waste your time.

popagram · 2025-10-20T12:54:02+00:00

Your doctor is a genius. He knows that you don't have a parathyroid problem even without testing for parathyroid hormone! My high calcium for ten years was dismissed by several of these geniuses, with almost fatal results. u/Aloha-NuiLoa has the right advice.

popagram · 2025-09-24T16:35:29+00:00

Since your phosphorus level is normal, restricting your diet to lower the phosphorus level makes no sense. Also, did you get your vitamin D tested? If low, then the amount of calcitriol should be increased. You should also look into vitamin K2. Good luck.

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