Symptoms of Excess Vitamin D and How to Prevent It

Javier Colomer 3 min. of reading Vitamins Leave a comment

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin—technically a hormone—that plays a crucial role in health, such as helping the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus, essential for bone formation.

Studies show that vitamin D can reduce cancer cell growth, help control infections, and reduce inflammation.

An excess of vitamin D may cause:

Hypercalcaemia: excess calcium in the blood.
Common symptoms: nausea, vomiting, weakness, and/or confusion.
Severe symptoms: kidney problems, tissue calcification, and/or heart arrhythmias.

Index

1 How to Know if You Have High Levels of Vitamin D?
2 How Does Excess Vitamin D Affect Long-Term?
3 How to Regulate Your Vitamin D Levels?
4 Symptoms of Excess of Other Vitamins:

How to Know if You Have High Levels of Vitamin D?

To determine if you have higher-than-normal levels of vitamin D (hypervitaminosis D), the best method is through a blood test.

Vitamin D toxicity is usually found in people with pre-existing kidney disease or medical conditions causing hypervitaminosis, regardless of external consumption.

However, you might notice symptoms like stomach discomfort due to the accumulation of calcium in the blood (hypercalcaemia), leading to nausea and vomiting, along with a feeling of weakness or increased urination.

Vitamin D levels above 125 nmol/L (50 ng/mL) are considered too high.

How Does Excess Vitamin D Affect Long-Term?

The main consequence of excess vitamin D is hypercalcaemia. This results from too much calcium in the body, which can affect the kidneys (forming calcium stones), the heart (arrhythmia), the muscles (ataxia), and weaken the bones (future osteoporosis).

Symptoms of vitamin D toxicity related to hypercalcaemia may include:

Loss of appetite.
Nausea and vomiting.
Constipation.
Dehydration.
Increased thirst (polydipsia).
Frequent urination.
Confusion, lethargy, and fatigue.
Muscle weakness and difficulty walking.
Bone pain.
Kidney stones.

How to Regulate Your Vitamin D Levels?

To reduce levels, stop taking products containing vitamin D and calcium. Also, increase your intake of vitamin K through food or supplements, and maintain proper hydration.

Follow healthcare professional guidelines if high levels of vitamin D are detected.