Vitamin D and high calcium in blood

I have just been told by my doctor that I have high Blood Calcium Level. One of the causes can be high doses of Vitamin D.


I have been on Vitamin D 50,000 IU every other week with no real improvement so was put on 50,000 IU every week which I have been doing for approx 6-8 weeks now. Also in this same blood work my Vitamin D level is 47. Even though my D level is good, could it still be the possible cause of my high calcium level?


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Blood calcium levels and vitamin d
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!



No, your calcium level is NOT elevated from the vitamin d that you are taking. If you read the Blood Calcium Levels page, you'll see that 'High' doses of vitamin d don't cause high calcium levels, but Overdose on Vitamin D does.

So, since your level is NOT at overdose levels, your calcium level is high from something else. In the meantime, you should STOP taking vitamin d, however, until you see an endocrinologist and ONLY start taking vitamin d again with the SPECIFIC recommendation of the endocrinologist.

This is because having high calcium levels while taking vitamin d can drive even more calcium into your organs and tissues that CAN lead to calcifications. Having a high Blood Calcium Level is one of the very few Vitamin D Contraindications.

So, you need to make sure that you get an endocrinologist appointment to find out WHY you have a high calcium level, and in the meantime, you should go to Parathyroid.com and read everything that you can about parathyroid tumors- the most common cause of high calcium levels- so that you can know more than your endocrinologist and have all your questions ready for him when he works you up for parathyroid dysfunction.


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System
Vitamin D High Calcium parathyroid
by: Dave S

Thanks Kerri,

U were right on with the contraindication for Vitamin D when one has high serum calcium. I consider myself well read but had missed this until reading parathyroid.com the other day - where this is mentioned as an aside. You were also correct that you need to see an endocrinologist - but bring him the printouts from parathyroid.com because you will need to educate him as well.
me too
by: Anonymous

same here. i had a really low Vitamin D Levels in 2010. it was 13. my dr had me do the 50,000 iu thing and then i started feeling better and thought i had read that i could take up to 20,000 units a day and that i what i did .. for 2 years.

i was checked again in 2013 due to being exposed to toxic mold and my calcium level was 10 something and my parathyroid hormone was 100. i was told you stop taking all of my supplements and i've been to the parathyroid site, to a parathyroid surgeon and he believes that my megadosing with the d3 is the reason for my high calcium.

i've had 2 more labs since then and my calcium is now 40 and my parathyroid is 77. that was about 2 months ago and i'm having the labs done again on monday and being referred to an endro. i think there needs to be more info out there as far as overdoing it with d3.

i never thought it could cause issues and i know parathyroid.com says there is no connection between high d3 supplementation and high calcium but i beg to differ. my calcium was also on the low side when i started the megadosing. but yeah, i would certainly want to find out if there's parathyroid stuff going on because that is bad news.
You overdosed
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen

By definition, you overdosed on Vitamin D. There are quite literally thousands of websites dedicated to warning people about the remote possibility of overdosing on vitamin d.

When someone overdoses on Vitamin D, by definition, they must have a high calcium level at the same time as a high vitamin d level. I'm not sure why your doctor was not aware of this. And parathyroid.com does have a section on High Calcium Levels Being Caused by Excess Vitamin D. In fact, there are literally thousands upon thousands of sites warning everyone not to take too much vitamin d.


Kerri Knox, RN
High calcium
by: Keli

My vitamin d level is low, calcium level at 10.1 or even at 10.2- hyperparathyroid level normal . My urine calcium level normal- my endocrinologist couldnt figure me out and just threw out there i was diabetic. A1c test normal level and fasting glucose 78-80- i have dropped that endocrinologist and now just seeing my pcp. Not sure if i need to stop the vitamin d-level is 47.

I take 50,000 IU twice a week. Not sure what happened 3 years ago but i have had everything checked but my heart. I do not know what to do anymore should I stop the vitamin d and see if calcium goes down? I was taken off of estrogen for 6 months now due to a scare with mammogram but just a calcium deposit but due to family history of breast cancer pcp suggested i stop after 15 years.

Confused as to what i need to do. I work for a dermatologist and asked her just feel lost. Rheumatologist not much help either. I keep spending money on doctors and try this medication and I am just tired and I don't know where or what to do anymore.
Low Vitamin D, Calcium serum 10.1, PTH 13
by: Anonymous

Hi Kerri,

For about 3 months I was taking high dose Vitamin D3 for tendonitis, about 10,000 IU a day. My level before taking that much was 22, after 3 months it went up to 38. I stopped taking it because it wasn't helping the pain and I heard good and bad things about Vitamin D3. I am also magnesium deficient, I did the RBC test and it came back 49.

Had calcium serum tested a few weeks ago it was 10.1 and I thought the D3 was causing this as I read that high dose D3 can be a reason for high calcium. I told my doctor that I might have parathyroid tumor, she ordered calcium serum, PTH and D3. Calcium was again 10.1, PTH 13 and D3 dropped to 29, these tests were done at the same time.

I've been reading on parathyroid.com that if your calcium is OVER 10.1 then you most likely have a tumor and your PTH will most likely be elevated and D3 is low. Since my calcium is not over 10.1 and PTH is low, would you be able to give me an idea of what that means? I don't have the money to do the surgery as it would most like have to be out of pocket. My insurance is with Kaiser Permanente and I don't trust them to do the surgery if I needed it.

Thank you.
Low d high calcium
by: Anonymous

I currently found out I have low vitamin d and high calcium. I haven't been taking any supplements. Is it safe to start taking vitamin d? Will it help bring down my calcium?
parathyroid.com
by: Kerri Knox, RN

Please read Parathyroid.com

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