hIGH BLOOD CALCIUM

My mother, 69, suffers from high blood pressure and pain in her back. She is otherwise fit. Our family physician suggested a blood test to check the calcium level. The result showed a moderately high calcium level in her blood. What should I do now?

High blood calcium or hypercalcaemia leads to pains in the body, kidney stones, constipation and high blood pressure. It appears that your mother has hyperparathyroidism (excess secretion of parathormone from the parathyroid glands located in the neck). She should have a matched calcium and parathormone estimation done on her blood. If the level is really high, then it would be necessary to remove the parathyroid glands surgically. However since she appears to be pretty much fit except for her back pain, I would suggest that a conventional treatment may be the right choice.

Overactive thyroid

I am a 45-year-old man and was diagnosed as having Graves’ disease (a condition in which the thyroid gland starts secreting excessive hormones into the blood stream) in 1999. I was initially treated with Neomarcazole and then underwent a surgery (hemithyroidectomy) in 2002, but nothing worked. I received radio-iodine treatment in 2004, which seemed to work. I, however, had a recurrence of the disease and my test results are like they were prior to the radio-iodine treatment. Please advise a cure.

Excessive secretion of hormones by the thyroid gland into the blood stream results in weight loss, palpitations, protrusion of eyeballs, sweating, etc. I suggest you consult an endocrinologist who has access to radio-iodine therapy. He can prescribe a fairly high-dose therapy for you. This may help in knocking out your gland completely. He can then prescribe thyroxine pills. Unfortunately Graves’ disease is a condition that can keep recurring. Moreover, if you have eye problems associated with the thyroid gland, then you should be put on steroid tablets before, during and after your radio-iodine treatment.

LOW blood SUGAR

I am a 27-year-old woman. I have suddenly started suffering from recurrent fits. Tests have shown that I have a blood sugar level of 20 mg/dl. What is ailing me? Please suggest a remedy.

Your fits are due to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). It is caused by an over secretion of insulin. This usually results from a small tumour of the pancreas, which once localised, should be surgically removed. While awaiting surgery, you should have the drug Phenytoin as it has an anti-insulin effect. Moreover, there are drugs like Diazoxide and Hydrochlorthiazide which can be used to bolster your sugar levels if your blood pressure permits it.