Evidence Hub

Proton pump inhibitor-induced hypocalcemic seizure in a patient with hypoparathyroidism

Milman S, Epstein EJ

Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, 2011

20 citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of proton pump inhibitor-induced hypocalcemic seizure in a patient with hypoparathyroidism.

METHODS: We describe the clinical history, physical examination findings, and laboratory values of the patient and briefly review the relevant literature.

RESULTS: A 48-year-old woman with a history of postsurgical hypoparathyroidism who was taking calcium carbonate, 1500 mg 3 times daily, and cholecalciferol, 1200 IU daily, presented with a generalized seizure in the setting of hypocalcemia 12 days after initiating therapy with the proton pump inhibitor lansoprazole. Physical examination revealed a positive Chvostek sign. Electrocardiogram was notable for a prolonged QT(c) interval of 576 milliseconds. Laboratory data were notable for the following values: total serum calcium, 5.3 mg/dL; ionized calcium, 2.51 mg/dL; and intact parathyroid hormone, 5.8 pg/mL. The patient's condition responded to therapy with intravenous calcium gluconate, oral calcium carbonate, and calcitriol. As an outpatient she remained asymptomatic off lansoprazole, treated with calcium carbonate and calcitriol.

CONCLUSIONS: Caution should be exercised in prescribing proton pump inhibitors to patients with a history of hypoparathyroidism treated with calcium carbonate supplementation because severe hypocalcemia is a potential adverse effect.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free