Within a month, the man began to suffer from nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea and repeated bouts of vomiting, along with leg cramps and ringing in the ears. The man, whose name has not been released, heard about the supplements from a radio show and contacted the nutritionist on the show afterward, said Dr. Alamin Alkundi, a co-author of the report and an endocrinologist at William Harvey Hospital in East Kent. UK, who treated the man. “Registration by the regulator is not mandatory for nutritionists in the UK and their title is not protected, so anyone can practice as a nutritionist,” Alkoudi said in an email. Unlike water-soluble vitamins, which the body can easily eliminate, vitamin D and its cousins ​​A, E and K are stored in the body’s liver and fat cells until needed. Consuming much more than the daily recommended dose can increase to toxic levels. The man in the case study was taking a daily dose of 150,000 IU of vitamin D, which was “375 times the recommended amount,” Alkundi said. The UK National Health Service usually recommends 400 IU of vitamin D per day for children over 1 year of age and adults. The man stopped taking the supplements when his symptoms started, but his condition did not improve. By the time he was hospitalized two months later, he had lost 28 pounds (12.7 kg) and his kidneys were in trouble. Tests showed she had an overdose of vitamin D, a condition called hypervitaminosis D.

The body needs vitamin D. The vitamin’s main job is to help the body absorb calcium from the intestines — in fact, the body can’t absorb calcium unless vitamin D is present. The vitamin also plays a role in immune health , in the activity of the brain cells and in the way the muscles work. In the United States, 15 micrograms, or 600 IU, of vitamin D per day is recommended for adults up to age 69, according to the National Institutes of Health. For adults age 70 and older, the dose increases to 20 micrograms or 800 IU each day. The recommended amount for infants, children and adolescents was recently doubled by the American Academy of Pediatrics to 10 micrograms or 400 IU per day. A 2017 study found that 3% of Americans got more than the tolerable upper limit of 4,000 IU per day for adults. putting themselves at risk of toxicity. About 18% took more than 1,000 IU per day. Too much vitamin D in the blood leads to hypercalcemia, which occurs when calcium levels in your blood are above normal. The man in the BMJ case study was diagnosed with hypercalcemia, which can weaken your bones, form kidney stones and affect how your heart and brain work. The man was hospitalized for eight days and treated with drugs to lower his blood calcium levels. A follow-up two months later found that his blood calcium levels had dropped to near normal. While the man’s vitamin D level had also improved significantly, it was still high, Alkoudi said. “A periodic monitoring plan of both parameters at the clinic was established to monitor the declining levels to normal levels. We have been in touch with him and he reported (feeling) much better, but he is not back to his normal self,” Alqudi said.
“He’s very eager to get his story out there to alert others,” Alkoudi added. Signs of vitamin D overdose can include drowsiness, confusion, lethargy and depression, and in more severe cases it can lead to lethargy and coma. The heart may be affected: Blood pressure may increase and the heart may begin to beat irregularly. In severe cases, the kidneys may suffer from renal failure. Hearing and vision may be affected.

Where to get vitamin D

The body produces sufficient vitamin D when the skin is exposed to the sun. In fact, going outside in a bathing suit for 10 to 15 minutes during the summer “will produce 10,000 to 20,000 IU of vitamin D3 in adults with light skin pigmentation,” according to the AAP. However, going into strong midday sunlight is not recommended because of the risk of skin cancer, so dermatologists and the AAP say it’s best to use sunscreen if you’re going to be exposed for an extended period of time. Sunscreens can reduce the body’s ability to process vitamin D. Vitamin D supplementation may not be needed for many children and adolescents, the AAP said, since many foods such as milk, eggs, cereals and orange juice are often fortified with vitamin D. Breastfed infants should be given 400 IU of supplemental vitamin D daily. starting in the first few days of life and continuing until the baby is weaned to vitamin D-fortified milk or formula, the AAP advises. If vitamin D supplements are being considered, daily levels of vitamin D obtained from food should be factored into the decision, experts warn. In addition to fortified foods, eggs, cheese, shiitake mushrooms, salmon, swordfish, tuna, rainbow trout and beef liver contain vitamin D, as does cod liver oil. Anyone concerned about their vitamin D levels should have them evaluated by a doctor, experts say. “Patients are encouraged to ask their GPs about any alternative treatment or over-the-counter medicines they may be taking or wish to start,” Alkoudi said.