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Hypoparathyroidism

Hypoparathyroidism and Pregnancy

Hypoparathyroidism can presents problems with low calcium for the baby in pregnancy. In order to prevent problems with bone development in pregnancy, women should take extra calcium and extra vitamin D. Also women should eat a diet LOW in phosphorous.

What to Do

You should take 0.5 mcg of Calcitriol daily. This is extra calcium.

You should take 100,000 International Units of vitamin D each day. The best way to achieve this is to take the prescription from your doctor and bring it to the pharmacist. It may be that this is an over-the-counter dosing. Otherwise, the pharmacist may be able to get you a filling.

You should take approximately 1000-1500 mg of calcium each day. You can get this by taking Tums or some equivalent. All the Tums-like supplements say on the bottle how many milligrams of calcium are in each tablet. For example, extra-strength Tums have 300 mg of calcium.  You have to take 4 or 5 of those Tums per day to get the necessary calcium supplementation. You would not have to take 4 or 5 at once, you can take them throughout the day.

What to Avoid

You should LIMIT or AVOID the following HIGH phosphorus foods:

  • Beverages – ale, chocolate drinks, milk, canned iced tea, beer, dark colas
  • Dairy products – cheese, custard, milk, cream soups, cottage cheese, ice cream, pudding, yogurt
  • Protein – carp, beef liver, fish roe, oysters, crayfish, chicken liver, organ meats, sardines
  • Vegetables – dried beans and peas, baked beans, chick peas, kidney beans, lima beans, soy beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, northern beans, split peas.
  • Other – bran cereal, caramels, seeds, whole grain products, brewer’s yeast, nuts, wheat germ.