Question 1

i have mild kidney disease and nephropathy . my blood test shows low ionized calcium and my urine test shows increased calcium loss. i have symptoms of cramping all over. what is the treatment for this?

Accepted Answer

: People with moderate/severe CKD, not mild, have low serum Ca but not high urine Ca. iPTH level needs to be done to rule out primary hypoparathyroidism as the cause which is in opposite with CKD patients who have secondary hyperparathyroidism. If iPTH is normal or low, hypoparathyroidism is confirmed. You need Ca supplement + active D3 to keep Ca around 8-8.5 mg/dl +/- thiazide diuretic.

Question 2

my ionized calcium es 1.22 is that low?

Accepted Answer

Don't think so.: Each lab report should have a reference range of "normal" values. The reference range changes from lab to lab because each lab runs their test differently. Automated (machine) analyzers tend to have less variability, and in most of those machines, an ionized calcium of 1.1 to1.2 Is about in the middle of the "reference range".

Question 3

what does an elevated or low ionized calcium results mean?

Accepted Answer

Ionized calcium: Measurement is more accurate than total calcium because it measures the amount of calcium in the blood that is actually available for cellular metabolism.  Many possibilities for causes and consequences of low or high calcium, too many to list here. Ask your doctor to interpret your results for you.

Question 4

what does it mean if my ionized calcium in the blood is low?

Accepted Answer

Hypocalcemia: You should see your physician. Hypocalcemia has many causes, lab error, Vitamin D deficiency, hypoparathyroidism, pseudohypoparathyroidism, kidney disease or end stage renal disease causing vitamin D deficiency, critical illness, drugs, post-parathyroidectomy, malabsorption,etc. Signs to watch for are muscle spasms , parenthesias, numbness around the mouth. http://tinyurl.com/p22ebrx

Question 5

what is the true measure of hypocalcemia? low ionized calcium, or low calcium? thank you.

Accepted Answer

Ionized: Hi. Ionized calcium, done right, is the BEST measure of hypocalcemia (or hypercalcemia). Total calcium taking albumin into account is good, but ionized is the gold standard.

Question 6

what can prolonged low ionized calcium in the blood do to one's body? how dangerous is it?

Accepted Answer

It's not good: low calcium levels cause a lot of problems, and can eventually be extremely serious. You might notice twitching and spasms or cramps.

Question 7

what's the difference between low ionized calcium and low calcium? which one is the true measure of hypocalcemia?

Accepted Answer

Both: If you can measure (rarely done), calculate (complicated formula) or estimate (calcium minus albumin), you will get the ionized calcium. About half of the calcium in the blood is ionized and this is the active form. In real-life, this means that a lot of sick people with low albumin also have low total calcium but needn't worry as the physiologic ionized calcium is what's regulated.

Question 8

educational question   pseudohyperphosphatemia (falsely high phosphorus), often caused by paraproteins.  can this occur with low ionized calcium?

Accepted Answer

Unclear question: Low ionized calcium does not cause pseudohyperphosphatemia.
Wish you good health! - Have a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk and milk products, nuts, beans, legumes, lentils and small amounts of lean meats. Avoid saturated fats. Drink enough water daily, so that your urine is mostly colorless. Exercise at least 150 minutes/week and increase the intensity of exercise gradually. Do not use tobacco, alcohol, weed or street drugs in any form. 
Practice safe sex, if you have sex.

Question 9

what triggers the intact pth to become high? is it the low calcium? or what triggers having low ionized calcium, is it the high intact pth?

Accepted Answer

Several reasons: There are several triggers to high PTH, and you will need to see your doc for workup. Some things that can do this are of primary cause (happens on its own i.e. adenoma), low vitamin D levels, somewhat advanced chronic kidney disease, low calcium levels. As always, labs are just labs, but the clinical context is where the importance lies. Please follow up with your doc about this.

Question 10

long-term low d (19), calcium 10.5-10.7, ionized calcium 5.7, pth 86-118. dr. prescribed vit d, and no further action. should she get another opinion?

Accepted Answer

Low Vit D: Please send normal values for the lab that was used. Different labs have different values. Offhand the Ca seems bit high. Also they should have a plot of PTH vs serum Ca to aid in interpretation. Would see what Vit D does. What does did they start with?

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Doctor answers about:

Low ionized calcium symptoms

A member asked:

I have mild kidney disease and nephropathy . my blood test shows low ionized calcium and my urine test shows increased calcium loss. i have symptoms of cramping all over. what is the treatment for this?

A member asked:

My ionized calcium es 1.22 is that low?

A member asked:

What does an elevated or low ionized calcium results mean?

A member asked:

What does it mean if my ionized calcium in the blood is low?

A member asked:

What is the true measure of hypocalcemia? low ionized calcium, or low calcium? thank you.

A member asked:

What can prolonged low ionized calcium in the blood do to one's body? how dangerous is it?

A member asked:

What's the difference between low ionized calcium and low calcium? which one is the true measure of hypocalcemia?

A member asked:

Educational question pseudohyperphosphatemia (falsely high phosphorus), often caused by paraproteins. can this occur with low ionized calcium?

A member asked:

What triggers the intact pth to become high? is it the low calcium? or what triggers having low ionized calcium, is it the high intact pth?

A member asked:

Long-term low d (19), calcium 10.5-10.7, ionized calcium 5.7, pth 86-118. dr. prescribed vit d, and no further action. should she get another opinion?

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