Dizziness Following Parathyroidectomy

pearlseeker: Yes, I had a thyroid nodule removed at the time of my parathyroidectomy. There is no indication whatsoever it was damaged at that time. I became hypothyroid 7 months after surgery. My TSH had been normal up to that time and was found on routine testing. I was surprised I had a thyroid nodule and even more so when I became hypo thyroid. I do not like taking meds either. I do take Levothyroxin 50MCG. I have read also that Synthroid may be better. I would be curious to see the cost difference. I may try one month to see if I can see a difference. I have begun extra VitD supplement and I think it is helping also. I did use VitE oil ,not D...lol.I hope your scar tissue becomes softer. Don't get sunburned there as that could make it very tender. Best of luck to you. txg

texgranny: Maybe it took 7 months for the thyroid to respond to the invasive surgery. My TSH was always in the 2's. But it went to 3.9 after the surgery (2 weeks or so.). Hope it does not go up anymore. Did you start out on 25 mcg of levothyroxine? I think I will stay on the generic since it is working. It is important to stay on the SAME BRAND of generic. Have you heard about the cow hormone? It is natural, but my surgeon said the synthetic is more reliable. We are on pretty low doses, from what I have read. So, for now...I will wait and see how this goes.

You are lucky you did not have adhesions from your scar tissue. No one warned me this could happen. It is a real pain to have to massage the incision area...above and below and on it. with Vit. E. I try to do it, hoping it will break down the adhesion.

Your calcium reading is ok, then? Is your energy back? I try to walk 30 minutes every day...and get a good night's sleep. This helps me keep my energy up.

pearlseeker: I still don't believe my thyroid was disturbed during surgery, especially since I had the MIRP prodedure. Anyway it is what is now...lol. Just had recent labs and TSH 1.5, T3 30.5, T4 10.2 all within the "normal" range. My calcium was up some which concerned me. 10.3 still in the normal range too, but I like it better in the 9.7-9.9 range. Not sure what's up with that. I certainly don't have hyperparathyroidism anymore. My energy level is low, could be depression, but I will just have to work through it. Check with your Dr about RX for incision area. Years ago I had problem with scar and Dr ordered a cream that sure helped area. Of course I can't remember what is was. Stay in touch. txg

Hi, I had the MIRP in Tampa with Dr. Norman's group on November2. Very expensive for no apparent reason, but I was spooked by the local surgeon when he said he would have to dig around looking for my tumor, so I figured the extra $1500 was worth it if I could avoid post-op irreversible hypocalcemia and a larger-than-necessary surgery. I didn't want my healthy parathyroids messed with at all. My MIRP in Tampa went smoothly--17 minutes. the adenoma was behind my esophagus and would have been challenging to find for an inexperienced surgeon

My only complaint is that the testimonials on the website gave me the impression that I would feel like doing handsprings within 48 hours of the procedure. I was shocked at how sore my neck was--for a good 2 weeks. No dancing for me! Also, I continue to have tingling in my feet, fingers and face-- and dizziness when I get up quickly. I'm definitely improving, and most of my leg aches are gone--but it wasn't the "miracle" instantaneous cure I had been led to expect. I am troubled by a return of muscle (calf) cramping and weird jumpiness in my legs in the evening.

Does anyone know about this and any potential connection to calcium levels? What about other minerals and vitamins? Iknow that calcium affects phosphorus and magnesium---maybe my whole system is having trouble coming to a new equilibrium? I'm taking citracal. Maybe I need something more?
I appreciate finding the testimonials of others who are having some difficulty post-op. I'm thinking that our bodies became used to rising calcium levels for YEARS, and it may take more than 2 days for everything to go back to normal! Best wishes to everyone!

:-) I'm glad to have found this site. I thought I was loosing my sanity after having two parathyroid glads removed exactly one week ago today.

I continue to feel tingling in both my right hand and left foot and a little dizzy, but overall much better. I haven't had my first post operative visit with my surgeon as of yet until Oct. 11. I am taking 2,000 units of calcium and this must be helping.

I hope to resume my afternoon walks which always helped me deal with the backaches prior to the surgery.

I haven't seen my scar yet as I was told to keep this bandage on until the surgeon removed it at my first visit. Any suggestions on what to use to prevent any scarring?

I sincerely hope everyone reading this feels like they once did and can return to the life they always enjoyed.

Recovery is different for everyone. I had three removed . It has been a long road since surgery (March 2008). My surgery was very successful, but the toll the high calcium took on my body is another story. I don't have dizzy spells anymore thank goodness. Give yourself time. Get plenty of rest and do your follow up exam. I am happy to report that my latest DX Scan was GREAT and my Osteoporosis has reversed. The large lump on my arm (calcium deposit) is gone. Never had kidney stones before surgery, but have had VERY small ones recently. I only take calcium every other day now due to the KS. I also supplement with Vitamin D3. Be kind to yourself and PLEASE do your labs. They tell the story. Best of luck...txg

Welcome princessrabbit,

I'll bet you will be feeling better soon. Tingling is usually caused by low calcium. I suggest that you ask your doctor if you should take more calcium for a while.

Doctors differ on how to treat the incision. I have heard of some who say not to put anything on it but I was instructed to put antibiotic ointment on it every morning and to rub Vitamin E on it every evening for two months. I don't think you can avoid having a scar but if the incision is well placed and heals well, your scar won't be very noticeable.

Do as much as you feel like doing but don't push things. You will be glad that you had the surgery.

Best wishes - mass

It has been almost 6 weeks since my surgery. after about a week I started to feel quite good. I seemed to over do things and had a setback that kept me in bed for another week. finally after a month I started to feel excellent,more energy than I have had for a long time so I was doing even more than I had done befor the surgery. Well, I had another setback I ended up in bed for another 4 days. Felt terrible. I feel some better now but not great. I have had my blood work done again recently waiting for results. The doctors just send me home or I can't get in to see anyone. All my other blood tests come back normal but I don't feel good. Does anyone have any feedback for me?

I am so glad to have found this blog to find out what really can happen with parathyroid surgery. I am 64, female, and had 2 parathyroid tumors removed 5 days ago.Like many on here, I was expecting to be feeling great after a couple of days after reading the Tampa website and from what my surgeon said.  Three days out I experienced feeling totally weak, tingling all over, numbness and totally spaced out. I could hardly remain standing. I was panicked, thinking my calcium had dropped to the floor even though I was taking calcium and eating lots of dairy. The surgeon's nurse told me to get to the lab and have it tested. It was normal, which freaked me out-what was happening then??  Visited urgent care-he set up a thallium stress test for the heart as I had had all kinds of other heart test and nothing showed. He had no idea what was going on, but wanted to rule out cardiac. Then I came home and found this blog. I see these are physical reactions that several people have had, so now I will just wait for awhile and see what happens.(will cancel the heart test)  Am doing much better today, though the tingling is still there. Fortunately, I think the surgery turned out well-no throat tightness as some have reported. I had mine locally, by a surgeon who does 2-4/mo. of these. The incision was 2.2 inches, and took 3 hours. My calcium was 11.9, PTH 154, both very high prior to surgery. Vit. D was 13, extremely low. Instructed to take 3 Tums 3Xday, and dairy with each meal, 2000, Vit.D3. (this information so people can compare)

 I think surgeons and endocrinoligists working with hyperparathyroidism need to let patients know that they might experience things like tingling, faintness, dizziness, spacing out, and tell them what to do about it, or at least not to panic.  I have never, on any official medical site, seen the post operations symptoms reported by many here. Obviously, I am not alone in my experience and would have felt much better knowing that all those physical sensations were not unusual. I will post again in a week or so and report. I find it so helpful to read other people's experiences.  

I am now 3 months post surgery and still having constant tingling in my feet, with periodic numbness/tingling in my hands and around my mouth. Tests are all normal-Calcium 9.3. Endo has no idea why the tingling is still there. Otherwise, feel pretty okay. Energy is better, but not back to where it was before I got sick. Brain is functioning normally and no more spaced out feelings. Still have occasional feeling like someone "plugged me in" to a light socket-it feels like a mild electric charge through my body-definitely wierd-never had it before surgery. Endo prescribed Calcitriol but that has not helped the tingling. I am going to try upping the supplemental calcium to see if that helps. Reading through this whole blog, it does not seem like anyone on here has found an answer to this problem. I figure I'm on my own to find a solution as Drs. do not seem to have a clue on this. If I do, I'll post.

Have they checked your Vitamin D level? I'm not sure if it could cause your problems but would be worth a check. I have had two parathyroid surgeries with no post surgery problems but have taken large amounts of calcium plus calcitriol.

Sure hope all that annoying stuff goes away soon. mass

This is my first time writing on this site -- I've learned a great deal here...but after reading your comment, I just had to join in! I'm six weeks post-op, have had my calcium and PTH rechecked three times and they are both within normal range.


However, I am still having the constant tingling as well...and no one seems to be able to help me. I also have tremors in my hands from time to time, and muscle spasms in my calves, which feel tight.


I've been taking anywhere from 1200 - 2400 mg of Calcium (my doctors say take 1500 mg.) plus Vit. D and some magnesium.


My surgeon tells me I'll feel better soon, my primary care doctor says all of my blood work looks fine (except something went wild with my liver values), but a new Endo says that my B12 is very low. So he's now checking to see if that might be causing the tingling -- along with possible autoimmune disease, and/or pernicious anemia (which prevents B12 absorption). So now I'm taking oral Vit. B12, 1000 mcg. I've read that if you don't take care of low B12 you can get nerve damage.


I don't know whether this is from the parathyroid surgery, from B12, from both -- and what doctor to listen to. I'll be curious to see if you get any answers...and will let you know if I hear anything. Sorry you are experiencing this...and hope we both get some relief soon!

I also had surgery in Tampa. I have the same symptoms. My surgery was 6 mos. ago. It has been very hard, but I am better than I was. Just wondering if you are better now,since your post was last year.

Oh, sorry to hear you are experiencing the symptoms as well. I am now 3 years out of surgery. I am no longer feeling spaced out, and the feelings like my whole body is buzzing or "electric" are gone, thank goodness. I still have constant tingling in my feet, however. It is much improved, so that, while constant, it is at a level that is just mildly annoying vs. overwhelming. After consulting a neurologist, Endo, my family doctor and everyone else I could think to ask, I delved into studies on the internet. I did finally find a study from Mayo clinic that found that a small proportion of people will get peripheral neuropathy following surgery. It didn't matter what surgery, but they just did. (Sorry I don't have the citation available). They experimented with infusing immunosuppressant drugs and found that helped. I did not want to go that route as that is major drug therapy with its own side effects (It is what they do with people after organ transplants!) For me, the symptoms just started to gradually subside. I did try a homeopathic concoction called "Nerve Fix", available at health food stores, that did seem to help a bit. It is interesting, though, that I have run into at least 4 women that I have encountered in my normal social circles, who have had parathyroid surgery, so it seems much more prevalent than the statistics would indicate. Also, two of those besides me, had developed the neuropathy! So, I think that is not uncommon either. After this whole experience, I have come to the conclusion that one really has to research the internet on one's own to find answers. While doctors know a lot, they don't know everything. The neurologist I consulted thanked me for the information on the post-surgery neuropathy study! I guess there is just so much out there, they can not keep up. Good luck to you.

Thank you so much for your response. Glad to here you are much better. I do believe I am gradually improving. I still have tingling in my right hand and left foot,and when I am tired my left foot feels somewhat weak. It is a weird feeling ,however it doesn't bother my standing or walking. It also doesn't hurt ,but is annoying. I am hoping and praying this will all eventually go away. Would not do surgery if I had it to do over. Had no symptoms before surgery and agree they do not give you warning of any of this in Tampa. At least the terrible tremors and shaking have subsided ,and I feel more like myself than I did 2 mos. ago. I take Citracal 3times a day ,magnesium and vit. D as well as a multivitamin. We all have to take responsibility for our own healthcare. The medical doctors have not been any help . It has now been 7 mos. so maybe one day I will also feel well again.