Low PTH, low hair tissue calcium, and constantly craving high calcium foods. Help.

[DB_2014]

I’ve had two hair tissue analyses over the last 3 years, both showing extremely low calcium and magnesium with high potassium and sodium levels. I’ve had multiple calcium blood tests that all came back normal. I’ve also had two PTH tests, both putting me at the bottom of the range (18 on a scale of 15-65). I spent years as a paleo cult member avoiding dairy and eating lots of high phosphorus animal foods like red meat. Despite my low PTH and normal blood calcium, I constantly crave dairy. I find calcium seems improve my anxiety and sleep a little as well as reduce my appetite. I feel more grounded after a few glasses of milk.

These days, I also find that high phosphorous foods like meat or even coffee make me feel agitated and give me histamine problems.

Could I possibly be low in calcium even though my PTH is low and my blood calcium is normal? Is there any explanation for this phenomenon? I don’t think it’s hypoparathyroidism since my vitamin D is always in the top of the range and my blood calcium is normal.

 

[lampofred]

In "Fats, functions, and malfunctions" Peat writes "If the cells adapt to the increased [intracellular] calcium, rather than dying, their sensitivity is reduced. This is probably involved in the "defensive inhibition" seen in many types of cell. In the brain, DHA and arachidonic acid "brought the cells to a new steady state of a moderately elevated [intracellular calcium] level, where the cells became virtually insensitive to external stimuli. This new steady state can be considered as a mechanism of self-protection."

It could be that a build-up of arachidonic acid and DHA interacting with radiation (which causes intracellular calcium to rise) is making you insensitive to dietary calcium, so that even though your absolute level of calcium is ok, relatively you are hypocalcemic because calcium is not having the effect it should have due to reduced sensitivity intracellularly.

My wording is convoluted, I hope that made sense.

 

[laleto12]

up

 

[mostlylurking]

I’ve had two hair tissue analyses over the last 3 years, both showing extremely low calcium and magnesium with high potassium and sodium levels. I’ve had multiple calcium blood tests that all came back normal. I’ve also had two PTH tests, both putting me at the bottom of the range (18 on a scale of 15-65). I spent years as a paleo cult member avoiding dairy and eating lots of high phosphorus animal foods like red meat. Despite my low PTH and normal blood calcium, I constantly crave dairy. I find calcium seems improve my anxiety and sleep a little as well as reduce my appetite. I feel more grounded after a few glasses of milk.

These days, I also find that high phosphorous foods like meat or even coffee make me feel agitated and give me histamine problems.

Could I possibly be low in calcium even though my PTH is low and my blood calcium is normal? Is there any explanation for this phenomenon? I don’t think it’s hypoparathyroidism since my vitamin D is always in the top of the range and my blood calcium is normal.

Have you considered the possibility that you might have a thiamine deficiency? It is my understanding that a thiamine deficiency can cause a derangement in how calcium is handled in the body. A thiamine deficiency, which will block the mitochondria's ability to properly burn sugar, will make you lower in carbon dioxide which is needed to pull calcium out of the cells. It will also increase lactic acid which acidifies your blood and your body will pull calcium out of your bones to buffer (and lower) the acidity.

During my stint with severe thiamine functional blockage last year, I suffered from lactic acidosis for a few months; I shrank over an inch in height, even though my pth was low and I was drinking 2 quarts of 1% milk/day. My thiamine functional blockage was caused by taking an antibiotic, Bactrim. There are many pharmaceutical drugs that cause thiamine functional blockage.

link: Thiamine Repletion, Calcium Management, and the Heart - Hormones Matter

Mitochondrial Competence and Calcium Regulation​

Calcium regulation depends upon functioning mitochondria and a steady stream of ATP. Mitochondrial functioning, in turn depends upon the appropriate concentrations of Ca2+. The relationship between the two is reciprocal and dynamic. Failure in either, leads to failure in both.
Mitochondrial nutrient deficiencies lead to reduced energy metabolism and utilization and ultimately molecular hypoxia. Inasmuch as the heart requires an enormous amount of energy to maintain constant contractility, upwards of 15 times its weight in ATP – or about 6kg, every single day, mitochondria play a prominent role in heart function.
In the cases I see, presumed issues with Ca2+ mismanagement likely correspond to longstanding deficits in mitochondrial energetics evolving from some degree of metabolic inflexibility of the cardiomyocyte specifically, but likely, systemically. This metabolic inflexibility is both a consequence and a cause of insufficient thiamine and likely other nutrients that ultimately depress mitochondrial function and the capacity to produce ATP.

-end-

A thiamine deficiency will affect many things, including potassium:

Thiamine Deficiency Causes Intracellular Potassium Wasting - Hormones Matter

Whilst I always suspected a link between potassium and thiamine, I hadn't found research elucidating the mechanisms. Thiamine deficiency causes intracellular potassium wasting.

www.hormonesmatter.com

quote:
"Animal research in rats showed that chronic thiamine deficiency increases sodium tissue content in heart, liver and skeletal muscle by 18-35%, while also decreasing potassium content by 18-25%. Interestingly, although tissue levels were altered, plasma levels of these electrolytes remained unaffected and stayed within the normal-high range (sodium at 141.6 and potassium at 4.8). This means that blood measurements did not reflect tissue content."
-end-

I also found in a response by Dr. Derrick Lonsdale this snippet of information:
"Mild to moderate thiamine deficiency makes the brain controls of the autonomic nervous system hyperactive and a signal to histamine containing cells releases it. Hence the “histamine reaction”." link: Thiamine Deficiency Testing: Understanding the Labs- Hormones Matter

 

[Kaur Singh]

"Vitamins K, E, and A are important in regulating calcium metabolism..."

Calcium and Disease: Hypertension, organ calcification, & shock, vs. respiratory energy

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

 

[Phosphor]

I can't remember the exact wording of what I read when researching for someone else who couldn't quit dairy, but apparently it acts a little bit (this is where the wording escapes me) like a "drug that calms." So when you withdraw that "drug," you get craving. I would have to assume that if you stay off it completely for a few weeks, that the craving would go away as your body adjusts. I personally doubt it is a nutrient issue, because I know more than one person who is addicted to dairy.

 

[lampofred]

I can't remember the exact wording of what I read when researching for someone else who couldn't quit dairy, but apparently it acts a little bit (this is where the wording escapes me) like a "drug that calms." So when you withdraw that "drug," you get craving. I would have to assume that if you stay off it completely for a few weeks, that the craving would go away as your body adjusts. I personally doubt it is a nutrient issue, because I know more than one person who is addicted to dairy.

Calcium is as essential for life as something like sunlight. People feel good with sunlight and feel bad without it and crave it when it's gone but that can't be called addiction.

 

[brix]

I’ve had two hair tissue analyses over the last 3 years, both showing extremely low calcium and magnesium with high potassium and sodium levels. I’ve had multiple calcium blood tests that all came back normal. I’ve also had two PTH tests, both putting me at the bottom of the range (18 on a scale of 15-65). I spent years as a paleo cult member avoiding dairy and eating lots of high phosphorus animal foods like red meat. Despite my low PTH and normal blood calcium, I constantly crave dairy. I find calcium seems improve my anxiety and sleep a little as well as reduce my appetite. I feel more grounded after a few glasses of milk.

These days, I also find that high phosphorous foods like meat or even coffee make me feel agitated and give me histamine problems.

Could I possibly be low in calcium even though my PTH is low and my blood calcium is normal? Is there any explanation for this phenomenon? I don’t think it’s hypoparathyroidism since my vitamin D is always in the top of the range and my blood calcium is normal.

I have the same hair test... what made you want to get a hair test in the first place? what issues are you dealing with?

 

[Kaur Singh]

i wonder how long it would take for one's body to remineralize bones, teeth and other tissues
that had been mined for calcium
due to a diet that was low/devoid of it

follow your cravings

 

[Peater]

I can't remember the exact wording of what I read when researching for someone else who couldn't quit dairy, but apparently it acts a little bit (this is where the wording escapes me) like a "drug that calms." So when you withdraw that "drug," you get craving. I would have to assume that if you stay off it completely for a few weeks, that the craving would go away as your body adjusts. I personally doubt it is a nutrient issue, because I know more than one person who is addicted to dairy.

Are you thinking of opiates? I have read similar about dairy (not from peat of course)

 

[youngsinatra]

Do you know your vitamin D status? (25OHD)