From the Guidelines
Hyperphosphatemia typically causes symptoms such as itchy skin, red eyes, joint pain, and bone pain when phosphate levels exceed 5.5 mg/dL, and as phosphorous levels rise further, patients may experience muscle cramps, weakness, numbness around the mouth, and in severe cases, cardiac arrhythmias or seizures. The symptoms of hyperphosphatemia are primarily due to the binding of excess phosphorous with calcium, forming deposits in soft tissues and disrupting normal cellular function, particularly affecting the cardiovascular and nervous systems 1. Some of the key symptoms include:
- Itchy skin
- Red eyes
- Joint pain
- Bone pain
- Muscle cramps
- Weakness
- Numbness around the mouth
- Cardiac arrhythmias or seizures in severe cases Hyperphosphatemia often occurs alongside calcium imbalances, causing additional symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and confusion 1. Regular monitoring of phosphorous levels is essential for those with kidney disease or other conditions that affect mineral balance, as prolonged hyperphosphatemia can lead to increased morbidity and mortality 1. Treatment focuses on addressing the underlying cause, typically kidney disease, and may include dietary phosphorus restriction, phosphate binders, and in some cases, dialysis 1.
From the Research
Symptoms of Hyperphosphatemia
The symptoms of hyperphosphatemia are not explicitly stated in the provided studies. However, the following information can be gathered:
- Hyperphosphatemia is correlated with an increased rate of mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular diseases in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients 2.
- Hyperphosphatemia in CKD is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality 3.
- Hyperphosphatemia can lead to secondary hyperparathyroidism, vascular calcification, and renal osteodystrophy 4.
- Elevated parathormone levels, abnormal bone mineralization, extra-osseous calcification, and increased risk of cardiovascular events and death are often associated with hyperphosphatemia 5.
Treatment and Management
Some key points about the treatment and management of hyperphosphatemia include:
- Restricting dietary intake of phosphate and using oral phosphate binders, such as lanthanum carbonate and sevelamer carbonate, can help improve hyperphosphatemia 2.
- Phosphate binders can help control plasma phosphorus levels, but they all have safety, tolerability, and compliance issues that need to be considered 5.
- Treatment options for hyperphosphatemia include dietary restriction, phosphate binders, and efficient dialysis removal of phosphate in CKD patients on dialysis 3.
- Non-calcium-based phosphate binders, such as sevelamer, lanthanum carbonate, and magnesium salts, are available and can be effective in lowering serum phosphorus levels 3, 6.