A man who took too much vitamin D was sent to the hospital for eight days because he kept throwing up and lost 28 pounds in three months.
According to a case report that was published in BMJ Case Reports on Tuesday (via press release), the unidentified middle-aged man had more than 20 additional supplements in addition to other the daily recommended quantity of vitamin D as part of a regimen that a private nutritionist had prescribed in the UK.
The man started experiencing stomach discomfort, vomiting, leg cramps, ringing in the ears, dry lips, increased thirst, and diarrhea after taking the supplements for a month. He stopped taking them, but his problems persisted.
According to Cleveland Clinic, sunlight has a lot to do with getting an adequate amount of vitamin D in terms of health benefits.
Man Took Seven Times More Than Recommended Vitamin D Levels
The patient's vitamin D levels were seven times the allowed level, and because vitamin D helps control the body's calcium levels, his calcium levels were also dangerously high, according to a blood test. His kidneys were at risk of injury, according to the test results as well.
According to Healthline, vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, but too much of it can result in "excessive absorption" and "excessively high" blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia). Other "possibly harmful symptoms" might result from this.
For instance, the patient's testing indicated he had "acute renal damage." Hypercalcemia also causes kidney issues, as well as other symptoms, including hallucinations and cardiac anomalies. It is also the "primary consequence" of vitamin D toxicity (hypervitaminosis D), according to the Mayo Clinic.
Although the man's situation was unusual, the authors noted that high doses of vitamin D could have "debilitating" effects on the body.
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Vitamin D Overdose Explained
Vitamin D is a nutrient that people naturally obtain through diet or regular sun exposure. Furthermore, despite some research that suggests many individuals may not have enough vitamin D levels, there is no proof taking extremely high doses of vitamin D or other supplements will have a positive impact on health.
On the other hand, inappropriate supplementing is virtually always a factor in vitamin D intoxication, also known as hypervitaminosis D. There is no information on how frequently it occurs. However, a 2016 examination of U.S. Poison Control Data discovered more than 25,000 incidents involving vitamin D that were recorded between 2000 and 2014.
The majority of reports of sickness were mild to moderate, with no associated fatalities. However, the authors of the present analysis did see a pattern in which exposures appeared to increase in frequency with time.
Who Should Take Supplements?
For certain people, including those with blatant nutritional deficiencies or expectant women who require additional folic acid, supplements might be helpful. But a lot of doctors are still dubious about their use for the typical individual.
Gizmodo, citing a reputable group of specialists, recently advised against using vitamin E or beta-carotene supplements to ward off cancer or heart disease, noting a lack of strong evidence for their health advantages and some indications that they may potentially be hazardous.
Although vitamin D overdoses are uncommon, they serve as another illustration of why supplements aren't always as helpful or safe as people would think.
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