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Hypercalcemia is when there is too much calcium in the blood, often caused by an overactive parathyroid gland or diseases such as cancer or tuberculosis. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and muscle aches. Treatment depends on severity and cause, and may involve IV fluids, diuretics, or medication. Doctors may also need to address the underlying problem causing hypercalcemia.
When people have hypercalcemia it means they have an abnormally high level of calcium in their blood. This often occurs when the body fails to regulate calcium levels, most often because the parathyroid gland is overactive and causing the body to release too much calcium into the bloodstream. There are other potential causes of hypercalcemia including lung and breast cancer and diseases such as tuberculosis. Certain medications such as lithium can also cause this condition, as can taking excess calcium supplements.
Mild hypercalcemia won’t necessarily have any symptoms, but when blood calcium levels rise, people can experience a range of symptoms. They may experience nausea, vomiting, need to urinate more often, and have persistent stomach pain. As symptoms progress, muscles and joints may ache and people may feel confused or feel very tired. Age can exacerbate symptoms; those with slightly high blood calcium levels are more likely to have symptoms if they are over 50. Often no symptoms are present and the condition goes undetected unless a blood test is done.
Doctors confirm hypercalcemia by looking at blood calcium levels with a simple blood test. However, determining the cause may not be that simple. Sometimes there is a clear cause, such as having tuberculosis or a person taking lithium. Other times, doctors may need to figure out the root cause. This could include more blood tests to determine parathyroid function and further scans of the body to look for cancer or other diseases.
Treatment for hypercalcemia depends on the severity and cause. If it’s mild and the underlying disease isn’t causing the condition, people may be told to take extra fluids. When moderate cases are present, doctors might choose to treat with IV (intravenous) fluids to help release calcium for the body or a combination of diuretics and IV fluids. Significant severity could indicate dialysis or treatment with drugs such as calcitonin, which can help rid the body of excess calcium.
Doctors also need to address whatever problem is creating too much calcium in the blood. So the treatment could be very variable. When the parathyroid gland is overactive (primary hyperparathyroidism), doctors may decide to remove it because hypercalcemia is likely to remain if the gland continues to ask the body to release more calcium. This demand can over time lead to serious complications such as osteoporosis, the development of kidney stones or severe heart rhythm irregularities. When the presence of other diseases creates hypercalcemia, particularly the advanced stages of some cancers, doctors and their patients must decide whether treating the condition makes sense and helps improve survival or patient comfort.
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