Concerned about Vitamin D overdose

by Sherry
(Minnesota)

My doctor recently called with my Vitamin D test results and is prescribing 50,000 units one time a week... my test number was 28 and she explained it should be 40...should I be concerned about taking 50,000 units one time a week?


I haven't filled my prescription yet...

Comments for Concerned about Vitamin D overdose

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FILL IT!
by: DASH

My vitamin D levels were in the 60's and I had to quit taking my prescription, as the doctor did not test me prior to prescribing but after. Most people in the upper US have low Vitamin D. We are not in the sunshine or by the oceans to get either the sun or fish we should get. I must get enough through all my good eating.


However, I do know that Vitamin D is a fat soluable vitamin and you need to be re-checked but with those low numbers you should fill your prescription and be glad you have an intelligent doctor.


Retesting would be in order at some time because Vitamin D does store in the liver. It does all kinds of stuff...... so trust that doctor, I think....


dash
too much vitamin d
by: concerned2

My own level was tested and came back at 21, my doctor prescribed 50 mu capsule twice weekly for 8 weeks....upset stomach, extreme fatigue...does this last, when done I am to take 2000 iu s a day...not sure about all of this!
Nausea and Fatigue
by: Kerri Knox, RN-The Immune Health Queen!

I'm not sure why you would have nausea and fatigue since taking the vitamin D. It COULD the the Prescription Preparation that you are taking. Researchers say, "Vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol, should not be regarded as a nutrient suitable for supplementation or fortification."





More About Vitamin D



Yet, that is what your doctor has prescribed for you!! All prescription Vitamin D is made from Vitamin D2, when researchers say that we should only use vitamin D3.


So, you may want to change your vitamin D to Vitamin D3 Supplements instead and see if that makes you feel better.


The next problem is that your doctor should be getting you ANOTHER vitamin D level after that 8 weeks of therapy. It's unlikely that 8 weeks is going to bring you up to the 'Optimal' vitamin D level of between 40 to 80 ng/ml.


But your doctor is likely going to think that getting your level to the lowest normal level on the laboratory test, usually 30 ng/ml, is going to be fine.


A Vitamin D Level of 30 is NOT fine, it SHOULD be between 40 to 80 ng/ml.



The next problem is that your doctor is already planning on putting you on 2000 IU's per day. That is likely to be way too low. If you read my Vitamin D Requirements page, you'll see that researchers generally recommend between 3800 to 5000 IU's per day.


So, while your doctor seems to be more assertive than some doctors, you really need to be doing your own research to see what the best research is so that you can ask critical questions of your doctor.


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Health Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Easy Immune Health.com
Vitamin D toxicity
by: P.J. Poutsma

An annual check-up revealed that my Vit D level was at 28. The Dr. prescribed 50,000 IU to be taken 1x weekly. Re-testing after 2 months showed my VitD level to be at 48. I was told to continue taking the 50,000 IU/weekly for 6 more months. After that time, retesting revealed my level to be at 127!!!


Before the test results were communicated to me, I felt terribly ill, I had vertigo, causing involuntary arm+leg movements.

The Dr. had no time to see me, I was told to go to 'urgent' care. Two days later I received a letter from the Dr.'s office/nurse saying to stop taking the Vitamin D for 1 month and then to resume taking the supplement 2-3x/month, since I had now reached toxicity levels.

I stopped taking the Vitamin D altogether and suffered about 3-4 more severe vertigo attacks. Ended up seeing an Ear Specialist who ordered a MRI. I now have tinnitus.


Prior to taking the 50,000 IU Vitamin D supplement, I had NO ear problems nor did I suffer from vertigo. This Dec. I will be re-tested for my Vitamin D Level. Needless to say I will not go back to that doctor who let her nurse decide what to describe and for how long...


Based on my experience I believe that overdosing on Vitamin D can be poisonous!
Hmmm. Very Interesting, but NOT an Overdose
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Hmm,

That is all very interesting, but it's NOT likely to be a vitamin D overdose!! But, if, after reading this and trying my suggestion, you STILL believe that you had an overdose on Vitamin D- then I highly recommend that you get in touch with Dr. Reinhold Vieth and/or ANY of the Vitamin D Scientists on this page- although I believe that Dr. Vieth would be particularly interested in your case- IF it truly is.


So, first- there are No recorded overdoses on less than 10,000 IU's in ANYONE, ANYWHERE, even when taken for YEARS. And you were on only 7000 IU's per day.

Second: A vitamin D level of 127 ng/ml IS NOT A TOXIC LEVEL!! Go to my Normal Vitamin D Levels Page and look at the chart of Vitamin D Levels. Dr. Mercola says that over 100 is 'excessive', but ALL agree with that statement, and they also all agree that there have never been any known toxicities with a level of less than 150 ng/ml (and more likely 250 ng/ml according to Dr. Bruce Hollis).


THIRD: Tinnitis, Vertigo and Muscle Twitching are NOT Vitamin D Toxicity Symptoms. But they ARE Signs of Magnesium Deficiency!!!


So, anytime you make Vitamin D, you MUST use up MAGNESIUM, and since most people are mildly magnesium deficient, I think that you triggered some further magnesium deficiency!!


So, a test..


Go to my Magnesium Dosage page and follow the instructions there. That just MAY clear up your symptoms!!!


If it doesn't, then please do call Dr. Vieth as he'd be interested in your case of 'toxicity'.


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Health Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Easy Immune Health.com
vitamin d2
by: Anonymous

I had an experience similar to P.J. Poutsma's.

Doc put me on 50,000 i.u. once a week of ergocalciferol. After several weeks, I developed severe tinnitus. It's been eleven months, and the ringing is still bad. I also had muscle twitching, dry mouth, and I was up almost every hour at night to urinate.

Those symptoms have abated, and I'm praying the ringing stops.

Vitamin D is the latest fad. Just like vitamin E and vitamin C was before. People, be very careful with megadoses of vitamins. They are not natural.
Megadoses of Vitamin D ARE Natural
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

I'm sorry about your experiences, but again, your tinnitis is likely due to induced magnesium deficiency as I outline on my Magnesium and Vitamin D.


While megadoses of some vitamins truly aren't found in nature, Vitamin D megadoses ARE. If you go to a sunny place on Vacation for a week and lie out in the sun, play in the sun and generally get a tan all week, you can get up to 20,000 IU's per day. That would be about 140,000 IU's in one week.

A two week vacation could get you almost 300,000 IU's per vacation. And lifeguards in Hawaii very often were shown to have levels over 100 ng/ml just from sun and without any problems.

So, megadoses of Vitamin D ARE natural and most people's negative side effects of vitamin d are from:

* Latent Magnesium Deficiency
* Latent Vitamin A and K Deficiency
* Rancid oils in the pills

And many of your symptoms could very well resolve if you 'topped up' on these vitamins- many many people's negative reactions to vitamin d HAVE gone away after taking these vitamins and getting rid of the pills with rancid oils.

Not EVERYONE'S negative symptoms are from those two things, but the majority ARE and if everyone were to make sure that they were magnesium sufficient before starting vitamin d therapy, and they were to make sure to get a professional quality No Oil Vitamin D Supplement, we would see FAR FAR fewer Vitamin D Side Effects such as you are describing- which is NOT an overdose by the way...


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System
Unit Relationship
by: Randy G.

I just need to know what the relationship between "MU" and "IU" is. I've been on 2000 IU's per day, now the Dr. wants me on 50 MU's per day.

Thanks
Same Dosage
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Hi Randy,

I've never heard of vitamin d in dosages of 'MU'. But vitamin d IS also measured in micrograms, which is denoted as 'mcg'. 50 mcg would be 2000 IU's, so if he is putting you on 50 mcg per day, then your dose would stay the same.


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System
4000IU D3 caplets per day
by: jtalle

My tests had shown I was deficient in D3. I started taking 8000IU until bloodwork showed it was too much. I dropped to two caplets for 4000IU in the morning, daily.

That's when I found I could eat habanero peppers with no burning sensation on my tongue. Sure, wipe it in my eyes and it's burning hell. I'll be able to tell the next day, too. But my tongue doesn't register anything.

My cheeks do feel warmth, but not pain. All I really get is the wonderful flavor of the pepper - cayenne, jalapeno, whatever. (I just don't like the taste of serrano)

I do like hot peppers and can eat food cooked with cayenne. I do sweat, but not every time.

When I drop down to 2000IU (1 caplet AM) sensitivity returns after about three days. Double the dose and wait three days, the immunity returns.

I'm wondering if the reason those who live in South Central Asia can tolerate capsaicin is because they get so much sunlight?

I may just start taking 4000IU all the time and grow ghost peppers.

(When trying this at home, remember that all other mucous membranes continue to be sensitive to capsaicin. Wash your hands repeatedly and keep them out of your nose, eyes, whatever - because you will regret it. :)
Vertigo from Vitamin D3
by: Anonymous

I can't say positively my vertigo is from a Vitamin D3 overdose but I didn't have it until I was on only 4,000 iu of Vitamin D3 liquid for a few days.

I then had vertigo for 2-3 days. I stopped the vitamin D3 and felt better after a few days. I restarted it thinking it was a coincidence. After being on it for about 3 days, I got another case of bad vertigo last night. I have discontinued it. It is a very pure form and I only had to take one drop to get the 4,000 iu. I may try again in a month or two. But if it happens again, then I know for sure.

My vitamin D levels were very low via my blood test and the doctor recommended I take vitamin D3 or get out into the sun for 30 minutes a day. I chose the liquid vitamin D3. He said it could take up to a year to bring my levels up. Maybe 4,000 iu is way to strong for me to start at. I don't know. But, I'd rather be low on D3 than suffer from vertigo which is completely disabling.

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