by Jenn Balella

Created on: March 17, 2009

Vitamin D is necessary for healthy bones and teeth (taken along with calcium) and has also been found to keep the immune system healthy, lower the risk of autoimmune disorders, and stimulate anti-tumor activity, benefit the intestines by enhancing calcium and phosphate transport, maintain the health of the kidneys by enhancing calcium re-absorption by the tubules, inhibit parathyroid hormone secretion for the parathyroid glands, and stimulate insulin production for the pancreas. The body can naturally produce vitamin D from the sun, and it can also be found in vitamin D-enriched foods, such as vitamin D-enriched milk and cereals. However, despite the many benefits, too much vitamin D can be hazardous, as is the case with any nutrient. Usually the cause of an overdose is ingesting too many vitamin D supplements or in very rare cases a calculation error in the amount of the nutrient in a capsule. The effects of too much vitamin D can cause various health-related issues.

The basic symptoms of a vitamin D overdose include nausea, weakness, incontinence, and bone pain. Other health issues it can cause are urinary stones, calcification, and nerve and muscle symptoms. Urinary stones are hard mineral masses that get lodged anywhere in the urinary tract. At first, they usually start out in the kidneys, then can travel to other parts of the urinary tract, such as the bladder. These often inflict a lot of pain on the sufferer, and usually surgery is needed to remove them, but in certain cases a specially prepared diet can dissolve them. Calcification occurs when calcium builds up in soft tissue, which causes it to harden. In the case of a vitamin D overdose, this is the result of too much calcium being absorbed into the body. One common type of calcification is breast calcification, which is usually benign but can sometimes be indicative of breast cancer. Certain nerve symptoms that could be included are particular sensations, pain, reflex issues, numbness, temperature sensitivity, taste symptoms, paresthesias (sensations such as tingling, burning, pins-and-needles, and prickling), hearing impairment, and some others. The muscle symptoms could consist of muscle weakness, pain, cramps, aches, loss of muscle control, stiffness, muscle atrophy (decrease in size and bulk of muscle), etc. None of the listed symptoms of vitamin D overdose should be taken lightly, and medical care should be sought as soon as possible.

A vitamin D overdose can usually be easily treated after a proper diagnosis with steroids given by a medical professional and sunscreen.

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