Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms

by Patsy Dawson
(Auburn, AL)

My pharmacist just filled a prescription for vitamin D, giving me 50,000 units of Vitamin D per day.


My vitamin D level is 94 ng/ml.

Is this too high?

I have several vitamin D overdose symptoms.

Comments for Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms

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What are your Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms?
by: Kerri Knox, RN-The Immune Queen!

Hi Patsy,

Hmmmm. I have several questions for you. First of all, what are the Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms that you are experiencing?

Second, are you SURE that they told you that your Vitamin D Level was 93 ? Could it have been 9.3 ? Or possibly even O.93 ?


So, a normal Vitamin D Level is between approximately 30 ng/ml to 100 ng/ml depending upon the laboratory. But on NO LABORATORY REPORT would you be considered as having Vitamin D Toxicity!! In fact, most researchers place consider 100 to 150 'Excessive vitamin D', but would still not consider that Vitamin D Toxicity as there have been few to no Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms at these levels.

So, it would be EXTREMELY unlikely that you have Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms. However, it is very possible that you simply are experiencing symptoms of something else that match up to some of the Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms.



As far as your Vitamin D Level is concerned, please call the office and have them clarify your Vitamin D Level. For one thing, it would be VERY unusual for you to have a Vitamin D Level of 93 ng/ml unless you were already taking high doses of Vitamin D in the first place or you were sunbathing for hours most days.


Second, why would your doctor prescribe you Vitamin D 50,000 IU's per day if your level was already on the high end of normal?


I am inclined to think that your Vitamin D Level is much lower than 93 ng/ml and that you are Not experiencing Vitamin D Overdose symptoms, but actually experiencing similar symptoms that are due to something else- possibly even Vitamin D Deficiency!!


Kerri Knox RN - Functional Medicine for Immune Health

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Health Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Easy Immune Health.com
50,000 IU's of Vitamin D in Error
by: Patsy Dawson

No doctor prescribed this for me, my prescription was filled incorrectly.

My level was 94 ng/ml but my calcium level was 9.2. I have not taken the D for 2 weeks now, that is when it was discovered that my prescription was filled in error.

I have been taking 50,000 of D for 6
months because of an error!!

My symptoms are extreme nervousness,
nausea, joint pain, fatigue. I also have shortness of breath, but I have MVP and fybromualgia.

Patsy
Could it be Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms?
by: Kerri Knox, RN-The Immune Queen!

Hi Patsy,

I'm sorry to hear about the mistake that was made. So were you taking 50,000 IU's per DAY for the past 6 months??





More About Vitamin D


That's a lot of Vitamin D!!


But really the mistake may have been a blessing in disguise. If your level is ONLY 94 ng/ml, then you were probably VERY Vitamin D Deficient in the first place- and now you are not!!

But you don't just get Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms because you've taken lots of Vitamin D. You get Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms because you are Vitamin D toxic. And you are NOT Vitamin D Toxic at a level of 94 ng/ml, so it's not likely that what you are feeling are Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms.


The confirmation that your Calcium level is within normal limits also makes me believe that you have not overdosed. Calcium Levels are generally elevated if you have Vitamin D Toxicity.


But it would probably be a good idea to get another Vitamin D Level drawn in order to make sure.


When did you begin to have the nausea, joint pain and fatigue?


Does your doctor know about your Shortness of Breath? If it is new to you or you have NOT had an extensive work-up for it, then you really should call your doctor right this minute or even go to the emergency room.

In a woman, shortness of breath could be the only symptom of a heart attack so it's nothing to mess around with!!!


Kerri Knox RN - Functional Medicine for Immune Health

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Health Queen

Functional Medicine Practitioner

Easy Immune Health.com
Vitamin D toxicity
by: Bex

My doctor gave me a prescription of vitamin D at 50,000 IU. She told me I was very low in Vitamin D. Yet I found out later that though I may have been on the "lowish" side, I was not deficient.

I was to take 50,000 IU of vitamin D for 5 days straight. Then level off at taking one capsule once per week.

After only 2 days of taking the prescribed 50,000 IU, the symptoms began. I developed extreme dizziness (nearly passed out). Stupidly I thought it was just a "coincidence" and didn't engage my brain enough to consider "what have I done differently?". So more symptoms began and more dizzy spells. Then drowsiness, nausea, dry mouth, abdominal cramps, etc. Because of how bad I felt, i was alarmed and soon engaged my brain as to what might be causing such sudden and alarming symptoms. I stopped after the 5 days. But the symptoms have continued regardless, though at times it eases. It has been over 2 months.

I have been in touch with a different local doctor and he agrees that it was likey the vitamin D considering the symptoms and when they occured. As I have not had anything like this ever in my life and my diet, nor my lifestyle has altered, the only difference was the vitamin D. He said that part of the problem maybe my difficulty in metabolising it properly, which maybe why this occured. He personally does not recommend a patient using such a dose everyday for 5 days, but he said some doctors do this and it's not dangerous.

I would like to point out that though others maybe ok with this, there are other who are not. I have now spoken with more people who have had similar problems on even lower doses than mine. It has been a very unpleasant experience and not one I'd wish on anybody. I am living everyday with nausea, fatigue, and thirst and the rest.

I wish I had NEVER taken the stuff.

Evidentally doses like this can indeed make people very ill. I am far from the only one who has had similar take place and have been active on a blog discussing it with others also.
Vitamin D Side Effects...
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Hi Bex,

I'm so sorry to hear about your experiences with Vitamin D. While I can say that your effects are VERY RARE, in fact so rare the literature just simply does not mention them, that doesn't mean much to you when you have to experience these problems.

Also, I notice that you were taking Prescription vitamin D, correct? I have noticed that nearly everyone who has written in to me regarding side effects of Vitamin D nearly always is taking prescription Vitamin D.

It would be great if you would refer people to the page Taking Prescription Vitamin D, you might want to think Twice.

Vitamin D2 is not even the same nutrient!

So, you should be asking people who took Vitamin D and had the same reaction if they have taken Prescription Vitamin D.


And Bex, you STILL need Vitamin D. Even 'lowish' vitamin D is a BIG problem, so you may want to consider tanning as an alternative to taking Vitamin D. Take a look at and In home D-Lite System Vitamin D Producing Tanning Bed
. Vitamin D offers TONS of protection against chronic illnesses and you don't want to forego Vitamin D because you had a reaction to a supplement.


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Health Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Easy Immune Health.com
your post helped me thank you
by: Anonymous

i just return home from the local e-r myself,I'm on Prescription Vitamin D also,I found myself sleeping for 3 day's only to get up for a bite to eat and something to drink and a quick trip to the rest room & then straight back to bed.

My symptoms also include extreme dizziness, sickness to my stomach also.

I have had a bad wisdom tooth and thought this may have been the cause of this,But now that i have turn to google and found this blog. I know what these symptoms are from now.

I'll stop taking this and maybe I'll be able to stay awake and walk straight and maybe I wont feel as if my eye's are going to pop out of there sockets,,,no more vit-D for me pill form that is, I'm sticking to the sun light.....
What One Pill Can Do
by: Deb

I took one Vitamin D 50000iu pill and within six hours ended up in the emergency room. Hives, nausea, hard to breath, dizzy and weak, bone and muscle pain, massive confusion, restlessness and loss of sleep. Constant urinating and lack of feeling, unable to drive due to confusion and short term memory loss. It's been 5 weeks and I'm still have all these side effects and I'm told it will take months to get out of my system.


I never have taken vitamins because they always make me sick and before the doctor perscribed this she never asked any questions. I would advise on any new medication to ask till their sick of you and read any information given to you before you take it.

My family and I have all suffered for this and we have been told we will just have to wait and see if what happens. For something that was supposed to do so much good it did more harm. Doctors need to be more informative and listen to the patient.
You could have read everything..
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

You could have read everything that there is to read about vitamin d (which is NOT a medication -it is a nutrient) and you would not have found ANYTHING that would have told you that you could have had a reaction like that to it.

You did NOT have a Overdose on Vitamin D but a severe allergic reaction- and there is just no way to predict that.

And while I DO agree that your doctor should listen to you, if YOU didn't tell him, there would be no reason to suspect that you would have an allergic reaction to vitamin d.

Allergic reactions to vitamin d are EXTREMELY rare- and it's probably not the 'vitamin d' that you are allergic to, but something in the pills. If you can go out into the sun without having an allergic reaction, then you are NOT allergic to vitamin d, but probably the oil or a filler in the capsule.




So, since you STILL NEED to have vitamin d, if you don't have an allergic reaction in the sun, then you need to either:

1) Be getting regular full body sun exposure

OR

2) Get an In Home D-Lite Vitamin D Producing System Tanning Bed
for year round vitamin d.


If you skip this and don't get vitamin d because you had a bad reaction to a pill, then you are putting yourself at risk for SEVERE osteoporosis and a whole host of other problems in the future due to the strong connection between:

Breast Cancer and Vitamin D

Fibromyalgia and Vitamin D

MS and Vitamin D


and a ton of other health problems. Please make sure that you get your vitamin d regularly for the rest of your life from SOMETHING that doesn't cause you to have a reaction.


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System

 


PS: If you found this website helpful, please consider using the
Easy Immune Health Product Store the next time you purchase your supplements online. Thank you for visiting my site!
Large doses of Vit. D
by: Kim C.

About 15 yaers ago I began having aches and pains all over, arms, hips, legs, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I began having tremors or shakes.
My doctor asked my if I am an( alcoholic).

I replied no. I became very ill, I had a bone density test done because I have degenerative
disc disease. I had 4 disc fused together in the lumbar spine. The bone graft failed and 1 year
later my spine was full of fluid, surgery #2.




This was why I was sent for the bone density test.
I have osteoporosis. I was sent 2 years ago to an endocrinologist because I was diagnosed with
secondary hyper-parathyroidism. My Vit D level
was an 8. I was placed on Vit.D 50,0000 iu a day
for the last 1-1/2 years. My level just reached
90. I have to be monitored every 6 weeks to
make sure that I am not toxic. I am still on
the same dosage, because as soon as he lowers my dosage my levels drop fast. I have been tested
for malabsorption, celiac diesase. You name it
I have done it.

2 weeks ago I had a severe Migraine and the next morning I was so weak in my arms, I couldn't lift a coffee cup. The ER doctor took xrays of my arms, gave me a script for demerol and sent me home to follow up with my rheumatologist. He sent me Immediately for an MRI w/wo contrast. They said the migraine was so severe that it cause a vascular abnormality. My calcium level hangs around 10.2. But he doesn't believe that I have a tumor of one of the parathyroids and has not even
done an ultra sound to check it out.
I go to him on Tues. We'll see.

Thanks for listening,
Kim C.
Quite a Story...
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Hi Kim,

That's quite a story. I do have a couple of comments for you that might help you out.

First of all, you would probably be interested in going to Parathyroid.com and see what they have to say about parathyroid tumors. That was actually the first thing that I though of for you, was that you might have a tumor.

And with your numbers, your doctor just 'thinking' that you don't have a parathyroid tumor seems pretty irresponsible. He should find out for sure, but an ultrasound won't do it. Be sure to read their pages there so that you are armed for your appointment on Tuesday.


Next, a lot of your problems seem like they are Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms. Both migraines and the inability to absorb Vitamin D are signs of magnesium deficiency. But don't rely on a Magnesium Level to determine this.

Magnesium blood tests are useless, and symptoms should be relied upon much more than blood tests in this case.

I'd love to hear what happens after your appointment after you read parathyroid.com. If your doctor is not responsive to you wanted to be tested for parathyroid tumors, you may just want to get a second opinion with an endocrinologist who specializes in the parathyroid.

Let us know what happens.


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System

 


PS: Don't forget to get your FREE Ebook when you Sign Up For My Newsletter
What a bad trip from vit D
by: Julie

Like others on this article I was prescribed 50,000 on a Tuesday and another 50,000 on following Thursday.
After the first dose I was so sleepy it would have impaired my ability to drive. Besides my stomach had a horrible feeling of having eaten a bomb. I had mental confusion too.After the second dose I got even worse from those symptoms above besides a panic attack.



The problem with doctors is they treat every person like the same. Every person is DIFFERENT and require different dosages and treatments. What is healing for one can be a torture for another. A 10,000 vit D dose can have the effect of 100,000 of vit D on another system. I really do not believe I had allergy to vit D, I don't have any kind of allergies whatsoever. And I have been taking vit D in lower dosages for many years and very happy with it. Doctors treat patients like clones of each other, like cars or machines that do the same job...we are sensitive human beings completely different from each other.

Many years ago I was overdosed for thyroid hormones I thought I was getting crazy. I had to figure out myself trying many different dosages the exact one good for me. Some people drink an espresso coffee and go to bed, others stay up for 4 nights. People REACT DIFFERENTLY TO DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES. Yes doctors should make MUCH MORE questions and really LISTEN to the patient instead of relying solely on exam results.
I am experiencing nausea from Prescribed Vit D
by: Corinne

Hi! I found this on search engine. My doctor's nurse had called me a few days to let me know that my vitamin d level was low and needed to take prescribed Vitamin D. I pick up the prescription of Vitamin D - I have to one pill (50,000 units) per week for 1 month (4 pills). Yesterday I started experiencing nausea and fatigue. I overslept this morning because I was so tired.

I am only 4'6.5" tall and weigh 86 pounds..very petite and I'm 30 years old. Am I taking too much of this? Should I be taking Vitamin D3 instead?

Thanks, Corinne
Yes, Take d3
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Yes,

You should be taking Vitamin D3

And you should also read the Magnesium and Vitamin D page to see why you should be taking magnesium with your vitamin d as well.


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System
Vitamin D overdose
by: Sam

Hi,

I was diagnosed with Osteopenia,cervical problem, calcium, iron and vitamin D deficiencies, along with degenerative discs in the lumber spine, causing sciatica.

For making up for deficient vitamin D levels, I have been taking oral injections for past 1 yr. The levels in the first test were 9 ng/ml...n the 2nd were 20 ng/ml and the last test shows 115 ng/ml.

Is it dangerous? Need I do something to get it back into the normal range?

Thanks!
Just stop taking vitamin D
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Hi Sam,

First of all, there is no such thing as 'oral injections', you either take vitamin d orally (pills) or injections (a shot in the arm or buttocks). But an oral injection would mean that they are giving you shots in your mouth- not likely something that you'd consent to!

So, all you have to do is stop taking vitamin d for about a month and retest. Once it's between 50 to 80 ng/ml, then begin RETAKING A MAINTENANCE DOSE as I outline on the Vitamin D Requirements page.


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System
Patsy, Bex
by: Kris

Can you please update on your recovery? How long did it take to recover from the symptoms? Any long term complications?

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