Image: Shutterstock/ Albina Gilsic
When you have fibromyalgia you come to appreciate how many things in your body can seem to break down. And you also see how the delicate balance between everything in your body really serves to keep everything functioning correctly. But you probably know better than just about anyone how one seemingly minor thing in your body can create a huge number of complications if it’s not functioning correctly. That includes things like hyperparathyroidism.
Essentially, it’s a condition that develops when your parathyroid gland produces a bit too much of a hormone called, unsurprisingly, parathyroid hormone. And the result of that overproduction can make conditions like fibromyalgia much harder to deal with. So what is hyperparathyroidism? How does it affect fibromyalgia? And what can you do about it?
What is Hyperparathyroidism?
The parathyroid glands are a collection of four small clumps of tissue located in your neck. They produce parathyroid hormone which filters into the bloodstream and helps to regulate the amount of calcium flowing through your body to help your bones grow and keep your organs healthy. When you have hyperparathyroidism, your body produces too much of this hormone.
There are two kinds, primary and secondary. In a case of primary hyperparathyroidism, the parathyroid itself becomes enlarged, which means it produces too much of the hormone. Generally, this seems to happen randomly (though excess levels of vitamin D may contribute). But the condition can also be the result of a tumor growing near the parathyroid and some people’s genes seem to trigger it as well.
In a secondary case, another condition causes excess calcium in the blood which leads to the swelling of the parathyroid. There’s a wide variety of secondary conditions that can be to blame. These include severe vitamin D deficiencies or calcium deficiencies as a result of digestive system disease and kidney failure.
The easiest way to diagnose the condition is with a simple physical examination by a doctor to tell if your glands are swollen. And excessive calcium in the blood is another good indication that you have it.
How Does It Affect Fibromyalgia?
The symptoms of the condition are very similar to those caused by fibromyalgia. They include fatigue, muscle pain or weakness, depression, forgetfulness and frequent urination. So it’s easy to imagine how suffering from it would make your fibromyalgia much worse.
You’re basically getting a double dose of the worst symptoms. And just as importantly, the symptoms mimic the symptoms of fibromyalgia so closely that it’s easy to mistake one condition for the other. And since getting a fibromyalgia diagnosis is so difficult in the first place, that can severely complicate getting effective treatment.
So, if you think you might be in the early stages of fibromyalgia, it’s worth checking your neck to see if your parathyroid glands are swollen. And a few extra blood or urine tests to look for excess calcium could be a good idea as well. Raise the issue with your doctor and see what they say.
What Can You Do About It?
If you do have hyperparathyroidism, there are a few things you can do to treat it. Calcimetic drugs essentially mimic the presence of calcium in the bloodstream. This can trigger your parathyroids into releasing lower levels of hormones and alleviate the symptoms.
And bisphosphonates help prevent your bones from releasing calcium, which helps prevent the osteoporosis that sometimes arises as a result of the condition.
But the most common treatment is surgical removal of the swollen glands. It’s an extremely effective cure, resulting in the elimination of symptoms for roughly 95% of people with the condition. The greatest risk comes when all four parathyroid glands are effective. In this case, the surgeon might remove three glands and most of the remaining fourth so that you still have some parathyroid tissue left to maintain calcium levels.
As with all surgeries, there is the possibility of complication. Common complications include damage to the nerves that control the vocal chords and permanent reduction of calcium in the blood stream, which will require dietary supplementation.
Obviously, your doctor will be able to evaluate your risks for surgery and give you a recommendation on treatment. And you should consult with a doctor in all cases of parathyroid issues.
But the condition is very treatable. So if it is affecting your fibromyalgia, you can almost certainly get the issue resolved. And let us know, do you have this condition? Did it seem to be related to your fibromyalgia? Tell us in the comments section below.
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