Friday, June 18, 2010
After recently interviewing Dr. Tara Allmen (who created the informational DVD, “Menopause in an Hour”), I am increasingly focusing on avoiding osteoporosis. But how can you tell if you’re at risk?
Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz addressed this question in a column (li...
Hi,
I have a very serious disease that almost didn't get diagnosed because all the symptoms are symptoms of menopause: mood swings, foggy thinking, insomnia. My vitamin D level was checked, it was low, so I was told to stop take more calcium and vitamin D. I kept getting worse, but every new doctor I went to told me the same thing and started questioning my sleep habits, my coffee consumption, and if I might be depressed. If only one of them had checked my calcium level before telling me to take more--1200mg a day, they would have discovered my hyperparathyroid condition. I went through 7 doctors who never looked beyond my menopause to try to figure out why I was feeling the way I was. The dosages of calcium and vitamin D they put me on were actually doing me great harm. So if you have persistent synptoms that don't go away, don't just write them off as menopause. They could be parathyroid related. Get your calcium, PTH, and vitamin D levels checked.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences!
Dorian
And what I forgot to mention, if hyperparathyroidism isn't treated (surgery cures it) you will absolutely get severe osteoporosis.