Important Warning from Doctors: Stop Taking Vitamin D Immediately If You Have These 4 Symptoms

 

Vitamin D plays an essential role in bone health, calcium absorption and normal immune function.

For people who are deficient, vitamin D supplements can be useful—and sometimes medically necessary.

But there is an important detail many people overlook:

More vitamin D isn’t always better.

Taking excessively high doses of vitamin D supplements can cause vitamin D toxicity, also known as hypervitaminosis D.

Although this condition is uncommon, it can become serious because excessive vitamin D may cause calcium to build up in the bloodstream—a condition called hypercalcemia.

Here are four warning signs worth knowing, particularly if you take high-dose vitamin D supplements.

1. Nausea, Vomiting or Loss of Appetite

Persistent nausea can be one of the symptoms associated with excessive vitamin D.

You might experience:

Nausea or vomiting
Reduced appetite
Constipation
Unexplained digestive discomfort

These symptoms aren’t unique to vitamin D toxicity, so having an upset stomach doesn’t automatically mean you’re

.

Vitamin D plays an essential role in bone health, calcium absorption and normal immune function.

For people who are deficient, vitamin D supplements can be useful—and sometimes medically necessary.

But there is an important detail many people overlook:

More vitamin D isn’t always better.

Taking excessively high doses of vitamin D supplements can cause vitamin D toxicity, also known as hypervitaminosis D.

Although this condition is uncommon, it can become serious because excessive vitamin D may cause calcium to build up in the bloodstream—a condition called hypercalcemia.

Here are four warning signs worth knowing, particularly if you take high-dose vitamin D supplements.

1. Nausea, Vomiting or Loss of Appetite

Persistent nausea can be one of the symptoms associated with excessive vitamin D.

You might experience:

Nausea or vomiting
Reduced appetite
Constipation
Unexplained digestive discomfort

These symptoms aren’t unique to vitamin D toxicity, so having an upset stomach doesn’t automatically mean you’re

taking too much vitamin D.

However, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite are recognized symptoms of excessive vitamin D and the resulting high calcium levels.

If you’re taking a high-dose supplement and these symptoms persist, discuss them with a healthcare professional.

2. Excessive Thirst and Frequent Urination

Are you suddenly drinking much more water than usual?

Are you waking up repeatedly to urinate?

These symptoms have many possible causes, but they can also occur when excessive vitamin D causes calcium levels in the blood to become too high.

NIH lists both excessive thirst and increased urination among possible manifestations of vitamin D toxicity.

The resulting fluid loss may also contribute to dehydration.

Don’t automatically blame vitamin D, though. Diabetes, medications, urinary problems and several other conditions can cause similar symptoms.

3. Unusual Muscle Weakness or Fatigue

Feeling tired occasionally is normal.

Persistent or unexplained weakness is different.

Vitamin D toxicity and hypercalcemia

can cause muscle weakness, and people may also experience fatigue or confusion.

Again, these are nonspecific symptoms.

Fatigue and weakness can have dozens of causes, ranging from poor sleep and anemia to thyroid problems and other medical conditions.

The important clue is the combination of symptoms with high vitamin D supplementation.

4. Confusion, Dehydration or Other Unusual Symptoms

As calcium levels rise, vitamin D toxicity can affect more than the digestive system.

Possible symptoms can include confusion, dehydration, pain and changes in urination. Severe cases can eventually affect the kidneys and heart.

This is why suspected toxicity shouldn’t simply be treated by switching to another supplement.

Blood testing may be necessary to determine what’s actually happening.

Why Can Too Much Vitamin D Be Dangerous?

Vitamin D helps your digestive system absorb calcium.

Normally, that’s beneficial.

But extremely high vitamin D levels can lead to excessive calcium absorption and hypercalcemia.

this can potentially contribute to:

Kidney stones
Kidney damage
Soft-tissue calcification
Abnormal heart rhythms

In extreme cases, NIH notes that vitamin D toxicity can cause kidney failure, cardiac arrhythmias and other serious complications.

Fortunately, toxicity is unusual when vitamin D is taken appropriately.

How Much Vitamin D Is Too Much?

For adults, the NIH lists a Tolerable Upper Intake Level of 4,000 IU (100 mcg) per day from all sources for routine intake.

That number needs an important explanation.

4,000 IU isn’t the point at which toxicity suddenly begins.

Healthcare professionals sometimes intentionally prescribe doses above this amount for a limited period to treat vitamin D deficiency.

MedlinePlus notes that toxicity generally involves very high doses and says that, for most people, symptoms occur with intakes above 10,000 IU per day.

So don’t compare a medically prescribed dose with an internet number and automatically discontinue treatment.

Sunshine Cause Vitamin D Toxicity?

Generally, no.

Your skin regulates vitamin D production, so excessive sun exposure isn’t considered a typical cause of vitamin D toxicity.

NIH states that high vitamin D levels are almost always caused by excessive vitamin D intake from supplements.

Food is also unlikely to provide enough vitamin D to cause toxicity under normal circumstances.

The biggest concern is usually inappropriate or excessive supplementation.

Check More Than One Supplement Bottle

Here’s an easy mistake to make.

Someone may take:

A standalone vitamin D supplement + a multivitamin + calcium with vitamin D.

Each product may look reasonable by itself, while the total vitamin D intake is much higher than expected.

MedlinePlus specifically recommends checking all supplement labels because combination vitamin products can also contain vitamin D.

Look for both Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).