Discharged from Hospital - Blood tests normal

Hi there,
I'm not sure whether this has ever been discussed before but thought it was worth posting. My blood results showed a raised calcium(2.65) last March and I've been under the hospital since , having been diagnosed with PTH in July 2013 but then put on a 6 month watch and see . My January appointment showed a slightly lower reading but the consultant told me that when I went for my blood the next time(July 2014) to make sure the tourniquet was released as soon as the needle was inserted. I told them this and when I went for my follow up on Wednesday this week , I was told and shown on the computer screen that where they were previously coming up red and raised ,they were now all in the normal range (black). Consequently ,the consultant said he would discharge mebut before I went wanted me to do 1 more blood test to make sure. I did this and celebrated by going to the coast for the day with my hubby. At 3.30 that afternoon the hospital rang to say they had got the blood results and the readings were high and needed me to go back asap to repeat the test. So much for good news I thought. So what was the difference between the two tests - the one i had at the beginning of July ,the touniquet was released ,the one I had on Wednesday ,they had trouble getting the blood,the tourniquet wasn't released and I had to keep clenching and unclenching my fist to keepthe blood flow and even then it was very slow. I looked it up on the internet and there has been some research on this which shows that when the tourniquet is not released it gives high readings of protein and CALCIUM in the blood. i went along the following day explained this to phlebotomist and she made sure the tourniquet was released andI unclenched my fist and they rang me that evening to say my blood results were normal. So, I don't know whether my problem has been this all along and thats why my readings were high in the first place. My vitamin D levels were low initially and the consultant has told me to keep taking the Vit D but otherwise I'mok.I'ma bit shell shocked at the moment and not sure if I can believe it. I don't know if this will help anyone but I just thought that any info helps ,
I'd just like to say , this forum has been invaluable in the last 18 months and I wish you all the very best for the future , Molly

Hi Molly,
I have been see by rheumatologists once a year for the last 8 yrs, had my bloods taken each year and nothing was ever said about several above normal calciums until my GP repeated my bloods in January and advised me that I had high calcium and PTH levels.  I thought how did this suddenly appear as had only had bloods done last November and the letter said all bloods were fine. When I asked for an explanation his answer was he thought they were all cuffed specimens, which I gather means the tourniquet is not released and can raise the calcium levels.  Since then I check they always release the tourniquet.
Hugs Sue

Wow, thanks for that, I haven't noticed what they do but I'll pay attention from now on.

Molly - this area of cuffed and uncuffed speciments can, in my experience, be an absolute minefield.

I am sitting here waiting to see Mr F Palazzo at the Hammersmith Hospital because a recent neck ultrasound revealed a 2cm pHPT adenoma in my neck. And I was told by an endocrine surgeon that I consulted on this matter that all my relatively high-in-the-range calcium levels were all due to the fact that it was difficult to extract blood from my veins, and all these highish-calcium readings were due to them being "cuffed specimens".

As I understand it, and please correct me if I am wrong here anyone, the cuff being left on or too tight actually affects the albumin level in the blood specimen taken, and only indirectly affects the adjusted calcium level and not the serum calcium level per se. The reason it affects the adjusted calcium level, which is often the only calcium reading that endocrinologists take into account, is that it is the level of albumin in the blood that is used to calculate the "adjusted calcium" level, and it is this that will be affected by an altered albumin level (caused by the cuff being too tight, or left on).

Before going into Payne's formula and all the complications of adjusted calcium, Molly, do you have the following readings from the same blood draw:

Serum calcium
Albumin
Adjusted calcium
Vitamin D
PTH

It is this combination of readings that will indicate whether or not primary hyperparathyroidism is a possibility in your case or not.

Before twittering on further about this, I'll just wait to hear from you to see if you have any/all of these readings from a recent blood draw.

I look forward to hearing from you on this soon.

Love from Tigerlily xx

Sorry, Meggy, got your name wrong - cheers, Meggy!!

Sorry, Molly - wrong again !!

Tigerlily xx

Hi Tigerlily,
I'm sorry but no I haven't got the readings you have specified, I understand what you are saying but rightly or wrongly I'm going along with the all clear. I have read many of the posts on the forum and I know the symptoms I have and the people who have posted on here . I actually feel fine and the other option of surgery and some of responses  of people who have had surgery , hey maybe Im just a coward but I feel a weight lifted from my shoulders just because I don't have to go back to the hospital again for now .
Love Molly x

Molly, the fact that you feel fine is fabulous, just ask your gp for an annual blood test (don't know your age but that could be routine anyway) and then you've got the peace of mind that anything out of the ordinary would be picked up. And then enjoy your freedom:-)

Hi Molly

Sorry - brain fog means I couldn't remember all of your HPT story - but if you feel well and feel a weight has been lifted then going with the all clear sounds good to me!

It's all about how we think and feel after all, isn't it?

Bless you - go forth and enjoy yourself!

Love from Tigerlily xx