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[Souris]

CLKD, when I had my blood tested a week ago, it showed my calcium levels had spiked quite a bit from my normal steady level over many years, to slightly elevated. If it's not caused by a benign parathyroid condition (which another blood test seemed to rule out), then high blood calcium is very often an indicator for several kinds of cancer. Cancer has always been one of my biggest health anxieties. I've had to force myself to stop Googling about the calcium levels, because I was finding nothing but dire explanations, and it was making my anxiety worse. Even though my doctor isn't as worried as I am, I'm terrified she's not taking it seriously enough and that I'm just at the "start" of it showing up. I know she'll probably test my levels again later this month, so I'm on pins & needles waiting until that time. I keep having all these unusual stabbing pains in my shin, along with other aches and pains.

I also have a low white-cell count, which is also scary, and plays into my fears about cancer. I do have a history of that from about 10 years ago, though -- after being monitored for awhile, the doctors' working theory was that it was a rare side effect of a medicine I take for my ulcerative colitis. They switched my medicine and my levels went back up until this past year, when they started dropping again.

I had an OK day on Friday and Saturday, but my anxiety and fatigue have shot up again yesterday and today. I've been trying sleeping with a lavender essential oil diffuser going, listening to relaxation music, and trying deep breathing and meditation, but it's still hard to relax and sleep. I woke up several times in the night again last night.

I feel like everything is falling apart. It's so hard to function and do my job and all the other things that a person has to do. I'm single, so I've only got myself to rely on for getting things done. I feel like a basket case. It's next to impossible to turn my worries off.

[jennyr265]

Hi Souris,
Please check out the symptoms of hyperparathyroidism. Bone pain is a classic symptom as the calcium is being drawn from your bones as a result of the parathyroid dysfunction. Do you know what your parathyroid hormone level was? It may be within the normal range but inappropriately high - calcium and pth should be in a suppressive relationship. Both levels may need to be monitored over a few months to give a diagnosis.
I had all of your symptoms - bone pain, dehydration, dry mouth, anxiety, brain fog etc. All of these can be, of course, menopause related but if they are presenting with a high calcium level that's a strong indicator of hpht.   It's a very common condition in peri/post menopausal women.
I know it's easy for me to say but try not to worry too much and ask for more blood tests for the calcium and pth.
There's a US site - parathyroid.com with lots of information as well as the Uk site.
As CLKD suggested maybe try some relaxation therapies.

[Souris]

Hi Souris,
Please check out the symptoms of hyperparathyroidism. Bone pain is a classic symptom as the calcium is being drawn from your bones as a result of the parathyroid dysfunction. Do you know what your parathyroid hormone level was? It may be within the normal range but inappropriately high - calcium and pth should be in a suppressive relationship. Both levels may need to be monitored over a few months to give a diagnosis.
I had all of your symptoms - bone pain, dehydration, dry mouth, anxiety, brain fog etc. All of these can be, of course, menopause related but if they are presenting with a high calcium level that's a strong indicator of hpht.   It's a very common condition in peri/post menopausal women.
I know it's easy for me to say but try not to worry too much and ask for more blood tests for the calcium and pth.
There's a US site - parathyroid.com with lots of information as well as the Uk site.
As CLKD suggested maybe try some relaxation therapies.

Thank you, Jenny. My Intact PTH was actually on the low side of normal, 28 out of a range of 12-72. And my PTH-related protein, another marker, was also on the low side of normal -- <0.4 with a standard range of < or = 4.2. So I really don't think that's the cause of the high calcium, though we will keep investigating.

I'm so sorry to moan and obsess on this, when everybody has their own issues to worry about, but it's about all I can think about right now. It's super-hard to function.

I've tried some guided relaxation meditations the past two nights, but don't think they really helped much. I can GET to sleep, I just can't STAY asleep. Stupid sleep problems make everything worse!! 

[CLKD]

Hey you! moan away - there's usually someone to listen!  It's what sharing is about.  Getting it out of your head and onto paper, you may find that others have experiences - moaning is allowed here and no topic is taboo 

Relaxation therapy needs to be practiced.  I would sit down with a  on my lap and we would both sleep  .  Tense/relaxation muscle exercise can be practiced anywhere, even in the supermarket queue.