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Can Calcium Supplements Cause Elevated Calcium Levels In Blood?

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Posted on Tue, 25 Oct 2016
Twitter Tue, 25 Oct 2016 Answered on
Twitter Mon, 14 Nov 2016 Last reviewed on
Question : Calcium in blood of 10.5 for a woman. Can taking calcium supplements elevate calcium in blood
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Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
yes...

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

yes, it is possible. The body usually manages calcium excess but consuming too much calcium may cause elevation of its blood levels. Other causes will have to be excluded though.

Your calcium levels are not that high. Most labs consider 10.5 to be marginally normal. The albumin level has to be taken into account as well. If your albumin levels are low then your calcium is definitely high. Otherwise it may be normal. Sometimes other factors may come into play like technical matters during blood drawing.

So in conclusion, although your calcium is not really high, checking the albumin levels first and repeating the test is recommended. If it's high then measuring the PTH (parathormone) levels is the next step. Primary hyperparathyroidism is one of the most common causes. When all significant causes have been excluded then the calcium supplements can be blamed.

I hope it helps!
Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3815 Questions

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Can Calcium Supplements Cause Elevated Calcium Levels In Blood?

Brief Answer: yes... Detailed Answer: Hello, yes, it is possible. The body usually manages calcium excess but consuming too much calcium may cause elevation of its blood levels. Other causes will have to be excluded though. Your calcium levels are not that high. Most labs consider 10.5 to be marginally normal. The albumin level has to be taken into account as well. If your albumin levels are low then your calcium is definitely high. Otherwise it may be normal. Sometimes other factors may come into play like technical matters during blood drawing. So in conclusion, although your calcium is not really high, checking the albumin levels first and repeating the test is recommended. If it's high then measuring the PTH (parathormone) levels is the next step. Primary hyperparathyroidism is one of the most common causes. When all significant causes have been excluded then the calcium supplements can be blamed. I hope it helps! Kind Regards!