A man who overdosed on vitamin D supplements was hospitalized for eight days after he continued to vomit and lost 28 pounds in three months.
The unnamed middle-aged man took more than 80 times the recommended daily amount of vitamin D, along with 19 other supplements, as part of a regimen recommended by a private nutritionist in the UK, doctors said in a case report published in BMJ Case Reports on Tuesday .
After one month of taking the supplements, the man experienced abdominal pain, vomiting, leg cramps, ringing in the ears, dry mouth, increased thirst, and diarrhea. His symptoms did not go away after he stopped taking them.
A blood test showed that his vitamin D levels were seven times the recommended amount, and because vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium in the body, his calcium levels were dangerously high. The test also showed that his kidneys were at risk of damage.
The authors say the man’s case is unusual, but that excessive levels of vitamin D can cause effects on the body that can be “debilitating.”
Vitamin D can be toxic if taken in large amounts
Vitamin D is essential for bone health and is obtained naturally from sunlight and foods such as oily fish or mushrooms. However, if taken in large amounts, usually from an overdose of supplements, it can be toxic to many of the body’s organs, including the intestines, heart and kidneys. An overdose of vitamin D can also cause dangerously high levels of calcium in the body, which risks neurological symptoms such as drowsiness, psychosis and coma. It takes about two months for the body to clear half of the initial amount of vitamin D taken, so symptoms can last for weeks, the authors said.
During his eight days in hospital, the man was rehydrated with fluids through a drip system and given drugs that stop bone breakdown called bisphosphonates, which helped reduce calcium levels.
He was discharged from hospital with bisphosphonates and antiemetics to take at home. Two months later, another blood test showed that his calcium levels were within normal limits, but his vitamin D levels remained high. It is unclear from the case report whether he had ongoing symptoms.
The authors of the case report encourage people to talk to a family doctor before starting an alternative therapy or taking new over-the-counter medications.
The supplements are largely safe as long as they are not taken in “unsafe amounts” or “unsafe combinations,” they said.
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