Vitamin D can be DANGEROUS!
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 11:27 am
A brief but important update for anyone taking Vitamin D unsupervised.
While my blood level of vitamin D was consistently low, as mentioned below, even after 1000 IU/day supplementation, what I didn't know was that my blood calcium level was going high, above normal reference range. A standard blood panel includes a calcium level. My allopath endo noticed this last week on blood tests I took back in November elsewhere which I brought with me. Was informed that even with below normal vitamin D levels, supplementing it can cause calcium to go higher which over time is dangerous and toxic including kidney damage. This indicator is an immediate disqualifier for supplementing vitamin D but this is not an issue for natural sunlight exposure to increase vitamin D. Googling vitamin d, calcium brought up interesting articles, one saying there is a narrow optimal range for vitamin D and going above is ill advised along with the calcium issues.
I'll have more confirmation shortly if vitamin D is the reason for this calcium increase since I was taking 2000IU the past month and 4000IU the last 2 weeks and took new blood tests last week. I would expect the calcium levels to be even higher. I stopped vitamin D completely and actually feel better since I now see the 4000IU dose was giving me various physical discomfort, aches, pains, rapid heatbeat.
Susan
While my blood level of vitamin D was consistently low, as mentioned below, even after 1000 IU/day supplementation, what I didn't know was that my blood calcium level was going high, above normal reference range. A standard blood panel includes a calcium level. My allopath endo noticed this last week on blood tests I took back in November elsewhere which I brought with me. Was informed that even with below normal vitamin D levels, supplementing it can cause calcium to go higher which over time is dangerous and toxic including kidney damage. This indicator is an immediate disqualifier for supplementing vitamin D but this is not an issue for natural sunlight exposure to increase vitamin D. Googling vitamin d, calcium brought up interesting articles, one saying there is a narrow optimal range for vitamin D and going above is ill advised along with the calcium issues.
I'll have more confirmation shortly if vitamin D is the reason for this calcium increase since I was taking 2000IU the past month and 4000IU the last 2 weeks and took new blood tests last week. I would expect the calcium levels to be even higher. I stopped vitamin D completely and actually feel better since I now see the 4000IU dose was giving me various physical discomfort, aches, pains, rapid heatbeat.
Susan