Severe Hypercalcemia in a Patient Taking Chronic Shark Fin Supplements

Authors

Sumanth Reddy, HCA HealthcareFollow
Bishwas Upadhyay

Files

Division

North Texas

Hospital

Medical City Arlington

Specialty

Internal Medicine

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2025

Keywords

hypercalcemia, nutritional supplements, shark fin extract

Disciplines

Internal Medicine | Medicine and Health Sciences | Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases

Abstract

BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION: In this study, we discuss a case of an 86 year old Vietnamese female who presents with severe hypercalcemia, 15.0, who presented with progressively worsening physical debility which resulted in the patient being wheelchair bound after being found to be taking chronic calcium supplements. Hypercalcemia is a metabolic abnormality that is known to cause muscle weakness, changes in sensorium, dehydrations, nausea, anorexia, polyuria, constipation, fatigue, and depression. CASE PRESENTATION: Patient is an 85 year old female with significant medical history of osteoarthritis who presented to the emergency department for generalized fatigue for the past 2 weeks. Patient reports that she has been progressively weaker. She had not been able to eat anything since the day prior to admission due to nausea and some coughing. Patient also reported pain and weakness in bilateral lower extremities for the past few months. She reports pain in both knees, worse in the right side. Since the pain onset, she has had progressive difficulty, over a 6 month period, with ambulation that resulted in the patient requiring use with a wheelchair. In the emergency department, blood work was significant for Calcium 15.0, elevated Vitamin D at 148 and suppressed parathyroid hormone. Initial imaging obtained was negative for any acute fractures. Further workup for malignancy was negative. Further history revealed patient had been taking 2000 units of calcium supplement extracted from shark cartilage for at least 6 months, reported by the patient. These supplements were discontinued and the patient was treated with medical management of her hypercalcemia. Her calcium improved with treatment back to normal limits at discharge and patient’s mobility improved over the course of the admission. DISCUSSION/LEARNING POINT: In this patient with severe hypercalcemia, workup was negative for malignancy and identifiable cause of her hypercalcemia was related to extrinsic use of calcium supplements from shark fin extract. This case demonstrated the severity of hypercalcemia that can develop with chronic calcium supplement use. In patient’s with severe hypercalcemia such as this, it is important to consider extrinsic causes of severe hypercalcemia in addition to differentials including malignancy. Patient who are taking supplemental calcium/vitamin D should be aware of the potential side effects of toxicity and severe hypercalcemia such as muscle weakness, changes in sensorium, dehydrations, nausea, anorexia, polyuria, constipation, fatigue, and depression and should prompt medical evaluation

Original Publisher

HCA Healthcare Graduate Medical Education

Recommended Citation

Reddy, Sumanth and Upadhyay, Bishwas, "Severe Hypercalcemia in a Patient Taking Chronic Shark Fin Supplements" (2025). North Texas Research Forum 2025. 32.
https://scholarlycommons.hcahealthcare.com/northtexas2025/32