Hello! Thank you for your time! My 22-year-old daughter has had the following calcium levels over the past year: 10.0, 10.4, 9.9, 10.0 and 10.3 mg/dl. She is taking 5000u vitamin D and her last check of Vit d 25-OH level was 60 ng/ml. She has Hashimoto's and takes armour. Her albumin stays around 4.9. Is there any need for concern or need to test her PTH level? Thanks so much!
Thanks for asking. At her age, these calcium levels are within normal range.
Teenagers and young adults can have calcium levels in the low to mid 10s (mg/dl). This is just normal at that age. Over time, the calcium levels will tend to drop into the 9s and stay there, usually by around age 40.
Her levels are fluctuating a bit into the higher end of normal for her, and I suspect this is due to the Vitamin D. She is taking a high dose, much more than most people really need. High doses such as 5,000 units daily can be fine for short courses, but very few people need these kind of doses long-term. Her Vitamin D 25-OH of 60 ng/ml is on the higher end of the true normal range, and is high enough to push her calcium into the high range.
I typically recommend taking 1,000 to 2,000 units of Vitamin D daily, unless there is a clear indication for taking more. I like to keep Vitamin D 25-OH levels in the 30 to 60 ng/ml range. Going higher than this can cause elevated calcium levels.
Hashimoto’s disease is a common thyroid condition that will not affect her calcium levels.
In short, she does not need to check PTH levels at this time, but I would recommend dropping down on the Vitamin D supplementation. Around 1,000 to 2,000 units daily is more than enough for most people. If she wants to use the 5,000 unit pills, then taking a 5,000 unit pill once a week is usually sufficient.
