One of the world’s foremost authorities on vitamin D metabolism and physiology said, “Worrying about vitamin D Overdose or toxicity of vitamin D is like worrying about drowning when you are dying of thirst.” He challenged anyone in the scientific community to present even a single case of vitamin D toxicity in adults from ingestion of up to 1,000 ug (40,000 IU) a day. Vieth’s challenge remains unanswered and his work remains unrefuted.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient with therapeutic use in some cases, but that does not mean it is devoid of potential toxicity. Ingestion of vitamins in quantities larger than recommended for the maintenance of good health leads to overdose of vitamin D. It causes toxicity and varies from individual to individual according to one’s metabolism. The symptoms of overdose of vitamin D may also vary.
Vitamin D is responsible for two important functions. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which promotes utilization of calcium and phosphorus in the body by enhancing absorption of these two minerals from the intestine. It is required for normal mineralisation of bone and it plays an essential role in the homeostatic regulation of plasma calcium concentration.
There are two sources of Vitamin D in humans. It is either obtained through ingestion of appropriate foods in the diet or photolysis of 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin. Once vitamin D is absorbed, it gets bound to a specific globulin and reaches the blood to the liver.
The vitamin D requirements do not vary just with age, pregnancy or lactation, it also varies with the quality of the diet one is taking. Any recommendation for vitamin D supplementation must be made only after careful scrutiny of the diet. The indiscriminate use of over-the-counter vitamin D preparations for irrational reasons can be dangerous. People must be made aware of the potential hazards of overdose.
Some symptoms of overdose of vitamin D are experiencing weakness in the muscles, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness, and weight loss. The overdose can also raise blood levels of calcium. It can give rise to mental confusion. High blood levels of calcium can cause abnormalities in heart rhythms. Cases have been reported of Calcinosis also. Calcinosis is the deposition of calcium and phosphate in the body’s soft tissues such as the kidney. They can be caused by vitamin D toxicity.
Vitamin D overdose symptoms should be checked by your doctor. If there is a feeling that you may be suffering from vitamin D overdose, its best to visit a doctor. As usual no depending on self-help, help from person who has undergone it himself or another round of `over-the-counter’ medicines. Your body’ working may be best observed by the doctor and medicines or treatments prescribed accordingly will bear results that are faster and more effective.
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I am amazed! First Purva Mewar quotes Dr Veith (whose challenge has never been taken up), then goes on to warn everybody of the toxicity of vitamin D.
If vitamin D is so toxic WHERE ARE THE BODIES.
Perhaps he/she is getting vitamin D2 mixed up with vitamin D3.
Is he/she a doctor by the way, if so who pays for the research. I take it the comments that are made in the article have come from research. In the article there is mention of reported cases of Calcinosis. Calcinosis is the deposition of calcium and phosphate in the body’s soft tissues such as the kidney. They can be caused by vitamin D toxicity. Again where is the evidence. You just cannot says a substance is dangerous without stating the source.
I am in my late 70s and take 5,000 IU vitamin D3 a day. I have been amazed how much more muscle definition I have and I feel so much stronger. If you have full body exposure in the sun in the middle of summer your body can make 20,000 IU of vitamin D in around 30 minutes. If he/she is correct then we should all be dead or at least suffering from all those ailments he/she is touting.
Heaven preserve us from experts
You should research this a little better. Our bodies can take the natural vitamin D from the sun as you mentioned but when it comes to vitamins there is a limit. As your Doctor to give you the limit with vitamins. Everybody’s body is different and maybe you can withsand more than the normal person and or maybe you don’t have the effects now. I would really look into that if I was you.
Sandra
i take 2000 iu s of vitamin d3 daily i have been very anxious lately and somewhat rapid heartbeat could this be caused by to much vitamind3????
Yes definately! I just finished throwing up for over 14 days straight after injesting just 1000IU of D3 daily. I am now seriously anemic from it. I am left with residual pain in my upper left quadrant. Not only did I violently throw up every morning but I also became seriously constipated. That is a key sign of hypercalcemia that was induced by the vitamin D3. If D3, (which is a chemical compound), is so safe, then why is it used as the main active ingredient in at least 3 rat poisons? Rat B Gone, Rampage, and Quintox. People do the research for yourself.
Some how I missed this post I too had anxiety from only 400mg daily. After reading about the constipation I recalled that too I am not sure what Hypercalcemia is but think it is too much calcium I will look it up. I am seeing nothing but good things about vit D till it cures cancer fixes depression ect ect ect… there seem to be a lot of people who think it is a cure all.
I have been searching about vit d for awhile now and stumbled upon a site called the Marshal protocol where they are think vit D is a hormone not a vitamin.
I do not have a good grasp of this protocol really but they do think it affects the immune system not in a good way. If my little understanding of it is correct the idea is too keep the vit D low to help improve the vitamin d receptor which is a huge part of the human immune system. They say that bacteria/viruses have shut down the vitamin D receptor and high vit D hinders its repair.
So they keep vit D low to improve the receptor and after it has healed some add antibiotics to kill the bacteria.
This protocol supposedly heals everything -lupus -diabetes- depression-arthritis – fibromyalgia chronic fatigue – MS- the list is long.
I know this is more than anyone wants to really know but who know maybe it does work and can help somebody. There is chat room where people are posting they are getting better I looked at some of the talks on utube from the doctor and he looks sensible but who knows.
ps it was the comment that Vit D was used in rat poison that reminded me of the Marshall protocol I figured if it kills rat maybe it does it by destroying their immune systems. So why all the hype about vit D curing everything lately? I cannot pick up a magazine without reading an article about upping Vit D for good health.
That is too much vitamin D, 2000 is too much.
Reduce it so that it does not cause you any health problems
I am suffering from D3 toxicity. I suddenly became gripped with depression, joint pain, anorexia (lost 14 pounds), brain fog extraordinaire, extreme fatigue. For 155 days, I’d taken 60kIUs/day. The instruction on the label was wrong; s/h/said ‘1 drop twice/day’; actually said ‘1 dropper twice/day’. D levels were within toxic levels, although calcium, while elevated was not outside norman range; kidneys tested okay as did thyroid. Main concern now is later T1 impact. I have done my homework. I know my body. Joint pain went away within 48 hours (previously non-existent-Dr. Barry Sears Omega 3); appetite increased right away also after ceasing all D. It pays to pay attention!
I was taking Vit. D3 for a couple months and about a month ago I had a heart attack. I first thought it was anxiety like severe anxiety and as a precaution went to the ER. They found an abnormal EKG reading but my blood pressure was130/80. They rushed in to catherization and angioplasted and stented my circumflex artery which according to them was completely blocked.
Is there a chance that they misdiagnosed the heart attack, I consider myself healthy except for smoking, I ate right, exercised , took care of emotions. I have stress too with taking care of my mom with alzeheimers
I was taking Biotec Emulsion Vitamin D. Very dangerous stuff. I have experienced vitamin D toxicity. Although my calcium levels are within range. It also caused tinnitus. Once one builds up vitamin D levels, maintenance should be no more than 400IU a day. Also, the sun doesn’t create 10,000IU of vitamin D daily. It only creates what is needed.
Vitamin D antagonizes iron stores in the body and tinnitus can be a symptom of low iron levels. Please get them checked and supplement as nessasary.
I’m trying to look up anything I can on this toxicity of vitamin D. Went to the Doctor and was tested for vitamin D deficiency. Turns out I tested at 16! The doctor said he was going to put me on a high level to boost me up. When I went to get the prescription I saw that he gave me 50,000IU to take every week for the next 8 weeks. Ever since I have taken it 3 days ago I simply cannot keep anything inside of me. Others say that they have constipation but I have the opposite and this happens within 1/2 hour of eating anything.
I cannot find a single thing on this type of reaction to a large dose of vitamin D.
Any suggestions?
I forgot to mention that I have also been diagnosed with Lupus that complicates everthing even more- especially my kidneys.
I also take 50,000 a week for 8 weeks. I have the same thing going on. I’v been going to the bathroom alot more. My problem is that I’m really fatigued. I’ll fall asleep sitting up on the couch.
I am an 80 year old female. I only take Estrace and Fosamax prescription drugs. I take calcium w/D and a multi-vitamin. About six months ago I added 2000 iu of Vitamin D. I was already getting 1500 iu with the calcium and multi-vitamin. About 2 months ago I started being extremely dizzy, broke out in a rash and blood pressure went up tremendously. From average of 120/70 to 170/98 with extreme dizziness. Vitamin D was the only thing I was taking different. I stopped taking the D about 10 days ago. The dizziness has stopped and so has the high blood pressure. I was also very fatigued and that seems to be improving.
Could this be a Vitamin D overdose?
My mum is also nearly 80. She has been receiving injections from a doctor for Vitamin D. She has been feeling very dizzy, has feelings of nausea & weakness. I took her to my Doctor for a second opinion – he ran some blood tests on her and she is massively over the normal levels in the blood and she has high blood pressure he has put her on some tablets for that now and ordered a heart test. I am quite concerned about the overdose!
I am sorry to hear about your mother I am not a doctor but do wonder if she has too much vit D in her system now maybe taking something to remove the Vit D would be a sensible suggestion? I am not sure what that would be but would have thought the doctor would think to do that first rather then just treating the symptom treat the cause. I know my blood pressure went thru the roof when I took 1000mg of vit D just one time.
At my last checkup I was told that I’m deficient in D, so I got a bottle of 1,000 IU D3 tablets. A few days later I got a really bad sore throat that wouldn’t go away and I’ve been having far more frequent bowel movements. I’ve tried doing my own research, but keep getting stymied when the articles I find keep throwing around Big Words without explanation (and researching those topics only leads to more Big Words…), so I have no idea if the D3 is causing the sore throat or not.
The sore throat started on the left side and actually felt much like a canker sore, only about halfway down my throat. That cleared up after about 2 1/2 weeks, but now the right side is doing the same thing. Usually when I get a sore throat, it’s on both sides and most often is followed by other cold/flu symptoms after a few days (nausea, fever, cough, etc.) This has been going for over half a month and no other symptoms that I’ve noticed besides the slight upswing in bowel movements. I haven’t found anything connecting D toxicity to sore throats, but I did note something regarding thyroid troubles, and my lifestyle and body type do put me at risk for hyperthyroidism. Could the D3 be irritating my thyroid, and that’s why I have a persistent sore throat? I’d normally ask my doctor, but am concerned that my limited health insurance wouldn’t cover it, and I can’t really afford the $20 copay right now, let alone a full medical bill…
I broke my foot too in Jan this year a few months late a bone density test which showed I have osteopenia ( this word is coming up in misspelled so I will explain it as it was explained to me not osteoporosis but the stage before it) I was told to take 1500 mg of calcium and 1000 mg of Vit D3 daily. I was concerned about the calcium as I previously had kidney stones and was told at emg not to take calcium supplements as that was the only preventative they knew.
The first day I took both vit D and Calcium I fell asleep shortly after taking them and could not get up the entire day. The second day I thought I would just take the vit D as I knew calcium could be used as a sleep aid ( warm milk) So I just took the vit D3 1000 mg. Shortly after within the hour likely less I had balls of blinding light around both eyes. I checked my blood pressure as my heart was going nuts I don’t recall what it was but it was way up there. I had a horrible head ache ended up in bed for the second day.
I stopped taking both returned to the doc who sent me to an endo speciaist. She redid the blood work and did a 24hr urine collection. Had me take vit D3 400mg once a day. This dose I was better but seemed to build up in a couple of days causing anxiety and eventually insomnia. I was to do this for a month and could not tolerate it. I tried to call the doc but found her never in her office. So I limped along doing a few days on and then off so I could get some sleep. I was not a very nice person while doing this test mood was bad and my personality changed to nasty. The last wk of the test I took the vit D3 every day at the end of the test the result were that my vit D was even lower then before I took the 400mg for most of the month.
I tried to get this specialist to explain this to me but she did not seem to know what could be the issue I swear I did take the vit D3 most of the month. She said it was not a huge amount of so maybe it was not enough to make a difference it sure made a difference in how I felt.
I also lost 10 pound while taking the Vit D I have not idea why but assume it was water as it soon came back. I did feel I had more energy while on the Vit D but that may have been due to the anxiety I could not sit still.
I have no idea what to do next she has washed her hands of me and I think the entire test while maybe not a complete waste of money and time has sure left more questions than answers.
I am going to take this up with another doctor eventually but was wondering if any other person here has had the same experience?