Hypercalcemia — also known as high calcium levels — happens when you have too much calcium in your blood. Although there are many causes for hypercalcemia, it can happen when you have a parathyroid disorder, are taking certain medications, or your kidneys aren’t working properly.
UPMC experts provide personalized, multidisciplinary care for people with hypercalcemia. Their goal is to find the cause, restore normal calcium levels, and reduce the risk of complications.
Hypercalcemia — also known as high calcium levels — happens when you have too much calcium in your blood. Although there are many causes for hypercalcemia, it can happen when you have a parathyroid disorder, a genetic condition, or your kidneys aren’t working properly.
Hypercalcemia is classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on your blood calcium level.
Types of hypercalcemia include:
Finding the cause of your hypercalcemia will help your medical team to deliver effective treatment. Many factors can cause or contribute to hypercalcemia, including:
You may be at risk for hypercalcemia if you:
Hypercalcemia is often diagnosed after routine blood work, so it is usually treated before serious, long-term complications develop.
Although complications are rare, they may include:
Depending on the cause, you may not be able to prevent hypercalcemia. However, you should talk to your doctor before taking calcium or vitamin D supplements to ensure they are safe for you — especially if you have a family history of hypercalcemia or another condition that causes high calcium levels.
Hypercalcemia affects 1% to 2% of the general population. It is more common among people who have cancer, older people, and people with parathyroid disorders.
In most people, hypercalcemia is diagnosed during routine blood tests and treated early, before symptoms develop.
If hypercalcemia is left untreated for a long time or is severe, symptoms may include:
Symptoms of hypercalcemia usually don’t develop unless your condition is severe. If you have symptoms of hypercalcemia, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor right away. You should also talk to your doctor if you have a family history of hypercalcemia or a personal or family history of parathyroid disorders.
Hypercalcemia is usually diagnosed with a blood test to check your calcium level.
During your visit, your doctor will:
Your doctor will order a blood test to check your calcium level. Because other hormones, vitamins, and minerals can affect your calcium level, your doctor may also order other blood tests to check your levels of:
Most people can recover from or manage hypercalcemia with treatment and ongoing monitoring. However, if your hypercalcemia is caused by cancer, a kidney disorder, or a genetic condition, more follow-up care may be needed.
The goal of hypercalcemia treatment is to find the cause of your high calcium levels and return them to normal.
If your hypercalcemia is mild and isn’t causing symptoms, you may be able to treat it by reducing the amount of calcium in your diet or adjusting your calcium supplement dose.
Your doctor may recommend:
Your doctor may recommend reducing the amount of calcium in your diet, drinking more water, or taking fewer calcium supplements.
Your doctor may suggest medications, including:
If your condition is caused by a parathyroid disorder, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove your abnormal parathyroid glands.
When you choose UPMC for hypercalcemia care, you will receive:
By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2025-04-24 by Cary Shiwarski, MD, PhD.
