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A middle-aged British man was hospitalized due to excessive uptake of Vitamin D (Hypervitaminosis D) for months. His doctors found an overdose of Vitamin D supplements in his diet. Professionals are warning people about symptoms of Vitamin D overdosing.
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What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D or Calciferol is both a nutrient and hormone. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in a few foods or consumed through supplements or the sun. It helps the body use phosphorus and calcium to strengthen bones and make teeth. Vitamin D is found in fortified milk, fish, eggs, orange juice and cereals. The body also makes this vitamin when exposed to sunlight, therefore, it’s also known as The Sunshine Vitamin. Its deficiency leads to fatigue and rickets.
Who should take Vitamin D supplements?
Vitamin D supplements are taken when the body does not get enough Vitamin D through food. These supplements are available in two forms, Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3. Obese individuals, postmenopausal women, elderly people, women and men consuming steroids for a long time, people suffering from parathyroid and kidney disease and breastfeeding mothers should take vitamin D supplements.
What happens when Vitamin D is taken in excess?
Doctors warned that overdosing on Vitamin D results in serious health conditions. According to a case report published in the journal British Medical Journal (BMJ), a millennial man in the United Kingdom was bedridden due to heavy Vitamin D consumption.
The patient lost 12.7 kilograms and had symptoms like vomiting, dry mouth, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. According to doctors, these symptoms were shown one month after when the patient started taking supplements as per the diet plan suggested by the nutritionist.
Under the diet plan, the man had been taking 150,000 IU (International Units) of Vitamin D (the daily requirement is 400 IU). He was also taking additional supplements, such as Vitamin K2 100 mcg (micrograms) (daily requirement is 100-300 mcg); Vitamin C, Vitamin B9 1,000 mcg (daily requirement is 400 mcg); Vitamin B6; Vitamin B2; omega- 32,000 mg (daily requirement is 200-500 mg) and other probiotic supplements.
The doctors took blood samples of the patient that showed increased Vitamin D, calcium and magnesium levels. The blood tests also showed improper functioning of the patient’s kidney. The patient was made to stay for 8 days and treated with intravenous (inside veins) fluid for rehydration. After the treatment, his calcium levels returned to normal, but Vitamin D levels were still high.
“A common misconception with dietary supplements, including vitamin D, is that if some is good, then taking more is better,” said Shelby Yaceczko, an Advanced Practice Clinical Dietitian at the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Unfortunately, that is not the case, and although it’s important to maintain normal vitamin levels, it’s also very important to avoid taking higher doses than what is considered safe.”
An excessive dose of Vitamin D can be harmful. It can show symptoms; weakness, drowsiness, vomiting, bone pain, depression, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeat, peptic ulcers, high blood pressure and renal failure. The only way to identify these symptoms is routine blood work. Without this, the patients become at risk for toxicities. Hence, people should consider taking nutrition advice from experts and seek their help to avoid overdosing on Vitamin D supplements.
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