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Grand Magnate
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,306
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Grand Magnate
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,306
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Where do you live? That would help, for starters. It sounds like you're under the NHS in the UK! 
How about you print off the article and highlight the area that discusses what happens to someone when a BP cuff is put on them! Slap a two sentence letter on it and mail it to your primary doctor. And you can say it wasn't even you who thought of it but a patient advocate who thinks the fact that you're not receiving care is BS. 
Your situation makes my blood boil. And I'm an extremely calm person.
You may not have a parathyroid problem but this highlights how unscientific your doctors were being about your reaction to the BP cuff.
Anyone else have any ideas?
Annie
Under "Physical" in the article.
Quote:
Muscle cramps involving the lower back, legs, and feet are common in patients with hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia. Tetany develops if hypocalcemia is severe. In some patients, laryngospasm and bronchospasm may be life threatening.
Increased neuromuscular irritability from hypoparathyroidism-induced hypocalcemia may be demonstrated at the bedside by eliciting the following signs:
Chvostek sign: Facial twitching, especially around the mouth, is induced by gently tapping the ipsilateral facial nerve as it courses just anterior to the ear.
Trousseau sign: Carpal spasm is induced by inflating a blood pressure cuff around the arm to a pressure 20 mm Hg above obliteration of the radial pulse for 3-5 minutes.
Hypocalcemia of primary hypoparathyroidism may cause extrapyramidal choreoathetoid syndromes in patients with basal ganglia calcifications.[2]
Parkinsonism, dystonia, hemiballismus, and oculogyric crises may occur in approximately 5% of patients with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism.[3]
Spastic paraplegia, ataxia, dysphagia, and dysarthria have been documented in association with hypoparathyroidism-induced hypocalcemia. Severe hypocalcemia causes papilledema, which improves with treatment of the calcium derangement.
Emotional instability, anxiety, depression, confusion, hallucinations, and psychosis have been described in patients with hypoparathyroidism when the calcium level is low. Normocalcemia corrects these conditions.
Chronic hypocalcemia, as observed in primary hypoparathyroidism, is also associated with ocular cataracts; abnormal dentition; and dry, puffy, coarse skin. In severe hypocalcemia, a prolongation of the QT interval is observed on ECG, and congestive heart failure may develop. Correction of hypocalcemia reverses the cardiac effects of hypoparathyroidism.
In patients with autoimmune polyglandular syndrome, idiopathic hypoparathyroidism is associated with adrenal insufficiency and moniliasis. Moniliasis may affect the skin, nails, oral cavity, and vaginal cavity. It is frequently intractable. The underlying etiology is likely a defect in cellular immunity. Some authors advocate the term HAM syndrome, ie, hypoparathyroidism, Addison disease, and moniliasis (HAM), to denote these cases.
In a study of 33 patients with hypoparathyroidism, Rubin et al concluded that the disease causes bone to assume unusual structural and dynamic properties.[4] Examining biopsies of the iliac crest, the investigators found that, in comparison with biopsies from 33 patients with no known metabolic diseases, the individuals with hypoparathyroidism had greater cancellous bone volume, trabecular width, and cortical width. Moreover, the patients with hypoparathyroidism demonstrated profound suppression of dynamic skeletal indices, including mineralizing surface and bone formation rate.
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Last edited by AnnieB3; 12-27-2012 at 02:20 PM.
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