1. Elevated Blood Levels
Hypervitaminosis D is defined as blood vitamin D levels over 100 ng/mL, while vitamin D intoxication is defined as serum levels over 150 ng/mL Even when taking high dose vitamin D supplements, it’s unlikely that a healthy person’s blood vitamin D levels would come close to reaching excessive or toxic levels. For example, in a 2020 case report, a 73-year-old man developed vitamin D toxicity after taking 10,000 IU of vitamin D per day for many years In another 2020 case report, a 56-year-old woman who took an average of 130,000 IU of vitamin D per day for 20 months in hopes of improving symptoms of multiple sclerosis was hospitalized for symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and muscle weakness. Note that 130,000 IU is over 30 times the generally recommended safe upper limit of 4,000 IU per day. Keep in mind that people who are low or deficient in vitamin D typically need to take much higher levels than the current Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) of 4,000 IU per day to reach and maintain optimal vitamin D levels.
However, make sure to consult a healthcare professional on what dosage you should take. Toxicity symptoms have been reported at extremely high blood levels in cases where people took megadoses (very high doses) of vitamin D supplements for extended periods of time.
Vitamin D And Gi Disease
Colon cancer is the third most common cancer and the second most common cause of death from cancer for both men and women.2
Diet is probably the most important factor when it comes to colon cancer.
In fact, the men with the highest total vitamin D intake were about 50% as likely to develop colon cancer compared to men who had the lowest total intake.4 Other studies since then have supported these findings. A recent study by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Harvard School of Public Health has demonstrated that colon cancer patients who have high levels of vitamin D have a reduced risk of death compared to patients who are vitamin D deficient.5 This evidence suggests that vitamin D might protect against colon cancer and might help extend the life of those with colon cancer.
Supplement-Related Symptoms
Excessive doses of vitamin D, alone, can result in toxicity, with a long list of potential symptoms that includes diarrhea and constipation.
In adults, taking 50,000 international units of vitamin D a day over several weeks leads to toxicity. If you were diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency, it is possible that the reason for your deficiency is also causing cramping and diarrhea. In addition to diarrhea and constipation, symptoms of acute vitamin D toxicity may include confusion, frequent need to urinate, thirst, lack of appetite, vomiting and muscle weakness.
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Seek urgent medical care for cramping and diarrhea accompanied by severe abdominal or rectal pain, blood in your stool, black, tarry stools or fever. Also be on the lookout for signs of dehydration such as decreased urine output, dizziness or lightheadedness, thirst, headache and dry, sticky mout.
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skin when being outdoors, so from late March/early April to the end of September, most people should be able to get all the vitamin D they need.
But taking too many vitamin D supplements can come with its own complications – one of which is diarrhoea.