• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Parathyroid UK Homepage

The national voice for people living with parathyroid conditions

Hypopara Helpline 01342 316315
  • Donate
  • About us
    • Our Teams
      • Board of Trustees
      • CEO & Management Committee
      • Support Team
    • Our Medical Advisors
    • Our history
    • Annual reports
    • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
  • Home
  • Hypoparathyroidism

    Hypoparathyroidism

     

    Read our Quick Guide to Hypopara

    Suspect you have hypopara?

    Recently been diagnosed with hypopara?

    Find out more about hypopara

    What is hypopara?

    Causes of hypopara

    Diagnosis of hypopara

    Symptoms of hypopara

    Treatment of hypopara

    Related reading

    Thyroid cancer

    Thyroid surgery

    Related conditions

    CaSR

    • A quick guide to hypopara
    • Suspect you have hypopara?
    • Recently been diagnosed?
    • Causes
    • Diagnosis
    • Symptoms
    • Treatment
    • Thyroid cancer
    • What you should know before – and after – thyroid surgery
    • Calcium-sensing Receptor (CaSR)
    • Related conditions
  • Living with Hypopara
    • Get support
    • Self Help Guide
      • Understanding the basics
      • How to manage your calcium levels – practical steps
      • Understanding your tests
      • Understanding your medication
      • Diet
      • Exercise
      • Employment and Benefits
      • What else can I do to help myself?
    • For Women
      • Your hormones and calcium
      • For our hypopara mums
      • Your pregnancy, birth & breastfeeding journey
    • For Parents
      • Fertility and starting a family
      • My baby has hypoparathyroidism
      • Looking after children with Hypopara
    • Emergency ID items
    • Patient stories
    • Hypopara patient videos
    • Hypopara patient podcasts
  • Hyperparathyroidism
    • Support
    • Your parathyroid glands
    • Primary Hyperparathyroidism
    • Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
    • Tertiary Hyperparathryoidism
    • Parathyroid cancer
    • Patient stories
  • Get Involved
    • World Hypopara Awareness Day 2022
    • Become a member
    • Donate
    • Shop
    • Fundraise for us
    • Sponsor a fundraiser
    • Support Groups
  • Resources
    • Patient information leaflets & other publications
    • Support Groups
    • Emergency ID items
    • Find a Doctor
    • Guidelines
    • Key Research on Hypoparathyroidism
    • Newsletters
      • World Hypopara Awareness Day 2021
    • Key Research on Primary Hyperparathyroidism
    • Useful links for patients
    • European and Global Hypopara organisations
    • Health Organisations
  • Join us
  • Medical Professionals
    • Our Medical Advisors
    • Guidelines
    • Research
    • Order resources
    • Learning resources for healthcare professionals
      • Hypoparathyroidism for professionals
      • Hyperparathyroidism
      • Patients’ lived experiences
    • For Endocrine Nurses
    • For GPs
  • Get support
  • Self Help Guide
  • For Women
  • For Parents
  • Emergency ID items
  • Patient stories
  • Hypopara patient videos
  • Hypopara patient podcasts

Gillian

Gillian had a baby in 2013 and felt better than she had done for very long time since her surgery, but she put on a lot of weight too. After walking and exercising to lose weight she went all the way, completing Tough Mudder to raise funds for charity and then qualifying to be a fitness instructor. And she has also succeeded in gradually cutting down her calcium meds to zero!

Gillian writes: I was very fed up being overweight after having a baby, so after about six months I decided to start walking about four miles a day with the baby in his pram. After a couple of months I’d lost a stone in weight and my calcium levels didn’t seem to be too badly affected by the exercise… in fact if anything I noticed my symptoms less. I was enjoying being slimmer and getting some exercise, so, on my next appointment at the endo clinic, I went armed with information from Hypopara UK and the world-wide web and asked if my calcium tablets could be reduced, alfacalcidol increased and could I have some prescription vitamin D3 please? (If I cut my calcichew down, I’d be cutting out prescription strength vitamin D and I thought it was very important to keep that the same.)

To my delight, my endo was very happy to comply. He gave me a prescription for Fultium D3, reduced my calcichew to one tablet a day and increased my alfacalcidol from 1.00mcg to 1.5mcg per day. I reduced my calcium to one tablet a day very slowly and found I felt ok. One day I saw an advert for an all ladies Boot(y) Camp, which was exercise classes done outside and it sounded like a great fun.

So, wanting to lose more weight, I filled out the health screening form, explained my medical conditions and went along at 6.30 am the next day! Yes…6.30 AM! We were running, jumping, skipping, slamming a battle rope, doing something that almost resembled press ups and it was fantastic! I went home after 30 minutes of this crazy exercise class, tired but buzzing and feeling great. I took a little extra calcium, but I was fine and there were no crashes. I continued with these classes for another 12 weeks and lost another stone in weight.

Many inches of fat disappeared and lo and behold … I had some muscles appearing. The instructor, Louise, asked the class one day if anyone fancied joining her and some others in completing Tough Mudder to raise funds for Children In Poverty. I signed up and started extra training with her. I also joined the local authority gyms and was exercising quite intensely four to five times a week.

All the while my calcium supplement was just one tablet a day. I gradually reduced it for a year and one day decided I didn’t need it at all. So, didn’t take it … and I was fine. I was still exercising every day for at least 30 mins at high intensity and I was fine!

We completed Tough Mudder on 26 June this year and, although I was concerned about my calcium levels and had taken medication with me in a waterproof (and mudproof) bag, I had again been fine! I hadn’t had any emergencies, no crashes. The worst was cramps in my calves towards the end, when we had started to slow down around about Mile 11 or so, but even that was manageable. And I wasn’t the only one, many participants were starting to cramp up, so it was normal.

Boosted by my success in completing Tough Mudder, and finding I could do all this exercise with very little in the way of symptoms or side effects, I decided I wanted to do more and become a fitness instructor. So, with the help of my Instructor, Louise, I found a course and went for it. I accomplished my goal and qualified as a Level 2 Fitness Instructor in July this year.

However, I wanted more, so I started College in September and am now studying HNC Health, Fitness and Exercise. Once I have completed that next year, I will do an 18-week HNC Personal Trainer Course. I’ve also passed a course to become an instructor of classes in a maximal intensity exercise programme called Fatburn Extreme. I thought when I had my thyroid removed and ended up with hypopara, that life would never be the same again … and it hasn’t!

With help and support from Hypopara UK, and an understanding endocrinologist, I have managed to hop, skip and jump, (literally) back into life.

more stories
« Hannah
Fiona »

We are proud to be affiliated with:

ESE logo

Our information is also endorsed by:

BMA logo
British Thyroid Association
World Hypopara Awareness Day logo

We are members of:

Rare Diseases UK logo
Genetic Alliance UK
National Voices logo

Footer

Twitter
Parathyroid UK
Parathyroid UK
@ParathyroidUK

Delighted to announce that winner of the World Hypopara Day Party prize for best UK post by a child is Amelie-Eve. Congratulations to Amelie met our CEO Liz Glenister last week to receive her giant teddy. We hope you’re enjoying the bear hugs, Amelie! facebook.com/groups/… pic.twitter.com/vaDc…

reply retweet favourite
4:51 pm · 17th June 2022
Twitter
Parathyroid UK
Parathyroid UK
@ParathyroidUK

Hypopara patients from a record 48 countries joined our awareness day party this year! (27 last year.) We had over 3,000 views, reached nearly 7,000 people with posts from people with post surgical, autoimmune, idiopathic, genetic, HDR, PHP, congenital & ADH. #HypoparaDay2022 pic.twitter.com/ONcr…

reply retweet favourite
4:49 pm · 16th June 2022
Twitter
National Voices
National Voices
@NVTweeting

Today one of our members @ThyroidTrust have released a new T3 Prescribing Report, highlighting the poor access to T3/liothyronine📰 Read the report in full here👉bit.ly/3NM3NOb twitter.com/ThyroidT…

reply retweet favourite
11:04 am · 14th June 2022 ·
Retweeted by Parathyroid UK
Twitter
Omair Shariq
Omair Shariq
@OmairShariq

John Bilezikian provides an update on upcoming guidelines from the 5th Intl. Workshop on Hyperpara highlighting involvement of multiple groups inc. @TheAAES. Grateful for opportunity to contribute as a (very) Jr. member of the surgical taskforce led by @DrNancyPerrier #ENDO2022 pic.twitter.com/63oE…

reply retweet favourite
11:44 pm · 12th June 2022 ·
Retweeted by Parathyroid UK
Twitter
Joy Wu
Joy Wu
@JoyYWu

Congratulations to John Wass, MD, MA, FRCP, winner of @TheEndoSociety Outstanding Leadership in Endocrinology Award #ENDO2022 pic.twitter.com/vtIP…

reply retweet favourite
11:38 pm · 12th June 2022 ·
Retweeted by Parathyroid UK

Read our quick guide to hypoparathyroidism

All about hyperparathyroidism

Parathyroid UK
6 The Meads
East Grinstead
West Sussex
RH19 4DF

Contact us

Hypopara Helpline: 01342 316315

© 2022 Parathyroid UK · All Rights Reserved · Privacy · Disclaimer · Site by Charity & Biscuits.