Question
My confusion seems to be increasing. Could this be due to my having hyperparathyroidism?
Answer
Answer authored by
Deva Boone
Deva Boone, MD is the founder of the Southwest Parathyroid Center. As one of the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the U.S., she has treated thousands of patients with parathyroid conditions.
Yes, cognitive symptoms like brain fog or confusion are associated with primary hyperparathyroidism.
These symptoms are non-specific, so they can be caused by other diseases as well. But if you know that you have primary hyperparathyroidism, then it is reasonable to assume that your parathyroid disease is at least contributing to or exacerbating the symptom. Even if parathyroid disease is not the only underlying cause of brain fog, it is a possible underlying cause that is typically easy to cure, which is not the case for many other conditions. It makes sense to get the parathyroid disease cured. If your symptoms do not improve, then you can evaluate for other causes.
In many cases, these symptoms improve after parathyroid surgery.
