The main consequence of vitamin D toxicity is a buildup of calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia), which can cause nausea and vomiting, weakness, and frequent urination. Vitamin D toxicity might progress to bone pain and kidney problems, such as the formation of calcium stones.
Unless your doctor recommends it, avoid taking more than 4,000 IU per day, which is considered the safe upper limit.
Some side effects of taking too much vitamin D include weakness, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, and others. Taking vitamin D for long periods of time in doses higher than 4000 IU (100 mcg) daily is possibly unsafe and may cause very high levels of calcium in the blood.
But how do you flush vitamin D out of your system – and can you even do that? Yes, by ensuring you consume plenty of water. This will encourage urination, allowing your body to shed the excess vitamin D and calcium more quickly. Prescription diuretics like furosemide can also be helpful.
Excess levels of vitamin D in your system can lead to an array of complications and symptoms, including weakness and fatigue.
Symptoms when vitamin D is low
Fatigue. Not sleeping well. Bone pain or achiness. Depression or feelings of sadness.
What's more, taking too much vitamin D can also negatively impact our health as well as our joint pain because our body simply can't cope! If toxic levels of vitamin D build up in the body it can interfere with your body's absorption of calcium.
Safety and side effects
However, taking too much vitamin D in the form of supplements can be harmful. Children age 9 years and older, adults, and pregnant and breastfeeding women who take more than 4,000 IU a day of vitamin D might experience: Nausea and vomiting. Poor appetite and weight loss.
Between late March/early April to the end of September, most people can make all the vitamin D they need through sunlight on their skin and from a balanced diet. You may choose not to take a vitamin D supplement during these months.
You may suffer from constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, aching muscles or bone, fatigue, thirst, sweating, vertigo, anorexia, somnolence or frequent urinating.
Vitamin D keeps your immune system strong and can help regulate insulin levels. It keeps your energy levels up and enhances your mood, too.
Vitamin D is important for your bones, muscles, nerves, immune system, and more. But if you get too much, it could lead to a rare and possibly serious condition called vitamin D toxicity. You may hear your doctor call it hypervitaminosis D. The condition can bring symptoms like weakness and vomiting.
There's no set time of day that's best to take vitamin D supplements. Some people say taking vitamin D supplements at night is an insomnia risk. There's no research to confirm this, but you might want to take your supplement earlier in the day if you think it's screwing with your sleep.
Because vitamin D toxicity can cause side effects like rapid heartbeat, confusion, restlessness and chest pains, it can potentially cause feelings associated with anxiety.
Strengthens Bones
Vitamin D3 aids in the management and absorption of calcium, as well as being essential to your bones (and teeth). Calcium is the most common mineral in the body. The majority of this element is found in our bones and teeth.
There are quite a few differences between vitamin D and vitamin D3, but the main difference between them is that vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that regulates calcium and phosphorous levels in the body, whereas the vitamin D3 is the natural form of vitamin D produced by the body from sunlight.
While it is possible to take enough vitamin D once a week to keep yourself balanced, the best results were found to be a lower dose (1,000-2,000 IUs or 25-50 mcg ) taken daily. Taking vitamin D consistently with a meal containing healthy fats will ensure that your body absorbs it properly.
Vitamin D undergoes further chemical changes, first in the liver and then in the kidneys, to become calcitriol. Calcitriol acts on the intestine, kidneys, and bones to maintain normal levels of blood calcium and phosphorus.
Phenobarbital, phenytoin, and other anticonvulsant medications -- These medications may accelerate the body's use of vitamin D. Mineral oil -- Mineral oil also interferes with absorption. In addition, Vitamin D may enhance the effects of doxorubicin , a medicine used to treat a variety of cancers.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are two of the most commonly used supplements for arthritis. They're components of cartilage—the substance that cushions the joints. Research on these supplements has been mixed, in part because studies have used varying designs and supplement types.
Dr Sarah Schenker, a dietitian and author of the British Dietetic Association's food fact-sheet on arthritis, says: “Vitamin D seems to have a role in reducing inflammation and keeping the immune system healthy, making it an important nutrient for different types of arthritis.”
When vitamin D levels are low and the body isn't able to properly absorb calcium and phosphorus, there is an increased risk of bone pain, bone fractures, muscle pain and muscle weakness. In older adults, severe vitamin D deficiency (levels less than 10 ng/mL) may also contribute to an increased risk of falls.