Hypercalcemia
What is hypercalcemia?
Causes of hypercalcemia
Symptoms of hypercalcemia
Remedies for hypercalcemia
What is hypercalcemia?
Hypercalcaemia (Hypercalcemia) is an elevated calcium level in the blood.
The normal range is 9-10.5 mg/dL or 2.2-2.6 mmol/L. Sometimes a single test may give a high reading which may be asymptomatic. In this case another test should be done.
Causes of hypercalcemia
- Release of calcium from the bones. This can be caused by body acidity, mineral imbalance, particularly boron deficiency.
- Excessive intestinal calcium absorption. Causes include a diet with non-organic calcium, deficient gut bacteria.
- Insufficient renal (kidney) calcium excretion.
Symptoms of hypercalcemia
- Kidney or liver stones.
- Bone pain.
- Abdominal pain, nausea / vomiting.
- Excessive production of urine, constipation.
- Depression and confusion.
- Fatigue.
- Anorexia.
- Pancreatitis.
- Abnormal heart rhythm.
- Over time, hypercalcemia can lead to precipitation of calcium in various forms such as kidney, liver and gall bladder stones, bone spurs, and the hardening or deposition of crystals in most organs, blood vessels, muscles and joints. This can contribute to a wide range of symptoms and diseases (tendinitis, gout, arthritis, heart disease, cataracts, etc.)
Remedies / treatment for hypercalcemia
- Boron. Supplement with borax.
- Increase hydration, drinking more water.
- Increase salt intake by using more sea salt (NOT refined salt) in the diet.
- Diet. Avoid pasteurised dairy products, low-fat dairy products, and processed foods high in polyunsaturated fats and low in saturated fats. Try to eat a living food, traditional type diet as recommended in my recipe book. Get a range of minerals in the diet, particularly magnesium. Enjoy an alkaline-forming diet.
- Probiotics. Vitamin K2 (menaquinone) is one of many vitamins that probiotic microbes make in your digestive tract. If the bacteria in your gut are out of balance, you may be deficient in K2 and several other B vitamins. A deficiency of vitamin K2 causes deposition of calcium on the artery walls and atherosclerosis.
- Drugs. Several pharmaceutical medications can cause calcium precipitation, particularly NSAID drugs. Try to avoid all pharmaceutical drugs (in consultation with your doctor).
- Supplement pills. Avoid high levels of vitamin A and vitamin D taken in pill form. Hypercalcemia is a classic sign of vitamin D toxicity, though this cause is unusual. Avoid all calcium compounds taken in pill form. I do not recommend calcium tablets - ever.