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Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

By Published On: October 30, 20246.8 min readViews: 130 Comments on Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

Taking too much vitamin D in supplement form can lead to vitamin D toxicity, a rare but potentially dangerous condition. This vitamin D overdose shows up as higher calcium levels in the blood or hypercalcemia. Symptoms may include digestion problems, increased urination, fatigue, confusion, bone pain, and high blood pressure.

Vitamin D toxicity is more common in people with certain medical conditions, such as granulomatous disorders, spina bifida, lymphomas, and dysregulated vitamin D metabolism.

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In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements the way it regulates prescription drugs. That means some supplement products may not contain what the label says. When choosing a supplement, look for third-party tested products and consult a healthcare provider, registered dietitian nutritionist (RD or RDN), or pharmacist.

Most Common Symptoms of Too Much Vitamin D 

Excessive effects of vitamin D can lead to higher calcium levels in the blood—a condition called hypercalcemia. It is often diagnosed at an early stage during routine blood work.

Most people with hypercalcemia will not have symptoms. However, symptoms can occur in people who have taken high doses of vitamin D for a long time or in someone who has taken an extremely high dose over a short time.

Symptoms caused by high calcium levels can vary, depending on the cause and how long levels have been elevated. Symptoms may include:

  • Digestive troubles—nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, and constipation 
  • Increased thirst
  • Increased urination 
  • Muscle weakness or twitches 
  • Fatigue or feeling extremely tired 
  • Confusion
  • Bone pain 
  • Bone loss or fragile bones that might be prone to breakage
  • High blood pressure

Higher doses may cause more severe side effects, mainly a weekly 20,000 to 50,000 international unit (IU) dosing, the highest prescribed dose. However, long-term supplementation of vitamin D3 in doses ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 IU appears safe when taken correctly. 

Higher doses are typically prescribed to people whose bodies do not adequately process vitamin D due to some health conditions. Such conditions include asthma, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, rickets, and tuberculosis. The higher dose is often prescribed to correct or prevent deficiency. 

Use High Dosages Only Under Medical Supervision

Many people do not have side effects from the 50,000 IU dose, but this high dose should only be taken under a healthcare provider’s supervision. Never take high doses of vitamins or supplements without a healthcare provider’s approval.

Rare Symptoms From Vitamin D Supplements

The daily recommended dose for children ages 1 to 18 and adults is 600 IU. The numbers are less for babies and higher for adults over age 70. Healthcare providers might prescribe higher or lower doses based on specific health concerns. 

Supplementing with vitamin D can lead to side effects. It can also lead to longer-term but rare problems. Such rare effects include:

  • Abnormal heart rhythms: High calcium levels in the blood can interrupt electrical heart activity and contractions, leading to changes in heart rate patterns.
  • Kidney troubles: This includes kidney stones, kidney damage, and kidney failure.
  • Calcification (hardening): High blood calcium levels can lead to calcium deposits in the kidneys, heart, arteries, and other tissues.

If you take high doses of vitamin D and experience symptoms of hypercalcemia, let your healthcare provider know. They can request blood work to check your vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus levels. A phosphorus test helps determine if you have kidney damage.

Healthcare providers consider vitamin D levels low if a person has 20 nanograms (ng) of vitamin D per milliliter (mL) of blood or lower. If levels rise above 50 ng/mL, you might experience adverse effects.

Risks of Vitamin D Deficiency

Some people are at a higher risk for vitamin D deficiency (insufficient vitamin D). They include:

  • Those who cannot get outdoors (because they are frail or homebound)
  • People living in care facilities (such as a skilled nursing facility) or correctional facilities
  • Those who wear clothing that covers their skin when they are outdoors
  • People with dark skin tones
  • People whose bodies do not adequately process vitamin D due to a health condition, such as chronic kidney disease or liver disease

Researchers suspect people with dark skin tones get less vitamin D because the higher level of melanin in darker skin limits the rate of skin synthesis. This is when the top layer of your skin (epidermis) activates (synthesizes) vitamin D when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

People in the above-listed groups can benefit from vitamin D supplementation throughout the year and not just in the winter months, when there is less sun exposure.

Vitamin D Overdose and Medical Conditions

Vitamin D toxicity is rare, even in people who take supplements. For symptoms of toxicity to present, you would need to take significant doses over a long period. Even so, research suggests that with the increasing use of vitamin D treatments, incidents of toxicity have become more frequent.

Many of the causes of vitamin D toxicity are inappropriate prescribing, not taking vitamin D as prescribed, and the use of high-dose and unlicensed preparations. Many cases are preventable with appropriate use, proper formulation, and avoidance of unlicensed products. 

Vitamin D toxicity is more common in people who have certain medical conditions. This includes people with:

In people with dysregulated vitamin D metabolism, vitamin D intake raises the concentration of vitamin D in the body, leading to toxicity.

Complications 

Altered Mental State

Hypercalcemia related to vitamin D toxicity might alter a person’s mental state. Symptoms of an induced mental state related to vitamin D-induced hypercalcemia include confusion, depression, and psychosis. In rare cases, a coma might occur.

One study examined the case of a 64-year-old man who accidentally took 200,000 IU of vitamin D because he did not understand the medication instructions. He showed an altered mental state and other severe hypercalcemia symptoms.

The man was agitated and confused for the first 10 days of his hospital stay, but symptoms started to improve as his calcium levels dropped. It took 18 days for his calcium levels to get back to normal.

Kidney Problems

Vitamin D toxicity can lead to a kidney injury or kidney failure. Too much vitamin D causes high calcium levels, leading to water loss from too much urination and kidney calcification.

Hypercalcemia can also lead to blood vessel constriction and decreased kidney function. It might cause severe complications in people who have existing kidney disease, such as anemia (reduced blood cells), bone weakness, and severe swelling from fluid retention

Vitamin D Flush: Hype or Helpful?

The term “vitamin D flush” refers to removing excess vitamin D from the body. While there is no quick way to do this, the first step is to stop taking vitamin D and calcium supplements.

The management of vitamin D toxicity has three stages. The first of these is stabilization and supportive therapies, which might include intubation, intravenous fluids, and intensive care for people with extremely high vitamin D and calcium levels.

Additional measures include correcting hypercalcemia using loop diuretics, bisphosphonates, glucocorticoids, or calcitonin (bone hormone drug), and renal replacement therapies if the kidneys have been affected. 

When to See a Healthcare Provider 

If you are taking vitamin D supplements or a prescribed higher dose and start to experience signs of hypercalcemia, let your healthcare provider know. They will request blood work to check vitamin D and calcium levels. Depending on those results, they may reduce your vitamin D dosing or have you stop taking supplements altogether.

Taking vitamin D in high-dose supplements is never a good idea without checking with a healthcare provider. Discuss supplementation with a healthcare provider to ensure you are taking appropriate doses.

Summary  

While it is rare, vitamin D toxicity can occur, manifesting as hypercalcemia. Common signs of hypercalcemia include digestive problems, fatigue, appetite loss, frequent urination, high blood pressure, and heart abnormalities. Complications of hypercalcemia include an altered mental state and kidney problems. 

Vitamin D toxicity is more common in people who have medical conditions where it is necessary to prescribe higher supplement doses. To reduce your risk, avoid high doses and do not start taking supplements without approval from a healthcare provider.

If you are on a higher dose prescribed by a healthcare provider, you should report side effects and get your blood work tested regularly. 


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