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.
Since vitamin D may increase kidney stone formation through an increase in urine calcium excretion, the evaluation of urinary calcium excretion after vitamin D supplementation is a major concern.
results from dozens of well-designed studies provide no evidence that vitamin D contributes to kidney stone formation.”
Yes, getting too much vitamin D can be harmful. Very high levels of vitamin D in your blood (greater than 375 nmol/L or 150 ng/mL) can cause nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, confusion, pain, loss of appetite, dehydration, excessive urination and thirst, and kidney stones.
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.
The kidneys have an important role in making vitamin D useful to the body. The kidneys convert vitamin D from supplements or the sun to the active form of vitamin D that is needed by the body. With chronic kidney disease, low vitamin D levels can be found, sometimes even severely low levels.
Too much vitamin D can be toxic. The recommended maximum intake is 25 mcg (1,000 IU) for infants and 50 mcg (2,000 IU) for children and adults with normal kidney function.
This could lead to kidney stones and other problems. Use vitamin D cautiously. Kidney disease: Vitamin D might increase calcium levels and increase the risk of "hardening of the arteries" in people with serious kidney disease. Calcium levels should be monitored carefully in people with kidney disease.
Vitamin C intake, also called ascorbic acid, has been proposed as a risk factor for kidney stones formation because vitamin C may increase urinary oxalate excretion, a type of calcium salt responsible for some stones.
If you have a history of kidney stones, it's important you don't take more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C per day. More than this can dramatically increase you risk of more stones. Large doses of vitamin C are often found in over-the-counter supplements, including: Multivitamins.
People who live in warm, dry climates and those who sweat a lot may be at higher risk than others. Certain diets. Eating a diet that's high in protein, sodium (salt) and sugar may increase your risk of some types of kidney stones. This is especially true with a high-sodium diet.
Cranberry and soy are other ingredients to watch out for – both contain high amounts of oxalates. Tell patients to avoid cranberry extract products and large amounts of cranberry juice if they're at risk for kidney stones.
Most trials have shown that supplementing with magnesium and/or vitamin B6 significantly lowers the risk of forming kidney stones.
there is a theoretical risk that vitamin D supplementation may increase intestinal absorption and lithogenesis. Recent data have shown no risk of kidney stones with vitamin D supplementation in the general population.
There is no simple answer as to the amount of time it takes vitamin D to leave the body. However, with the knowledge that calcidiol provides the best indication of vitamin D levels, it can be asserted that in a time period of 15 days, your body will deplete half of its supply of serum vitamin D.
Which vitamins do I need to avoid if I have kidney disease? You may need to avoid some vitamins and minerals if you have kidney disease. Some of these include vitamins A, E and K. These vitamins are more likely to build up in your body and can cause harm if you have too much.
Vitamin D can affect the liver function through the vitamin D receptor (VDR). VDR is naturally present in the liver cells and its higher expression can reduce inflammation in chronic liver diseases (Benetti et al., 2018). Vitamin D also has anti−fibrotic, proliferative, and inflammatory effects on the liver.
The calcium antagonistic effect of magnesium is also important for reducing the risk of kidney stones, and silent kidney stones significantly increase the risk of kidney failure. As low magnesium intake will reduce the urinary magnesium concentration, the beneficial effect of magnesium on stone formation is hampered.
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.
Therefore, conditions that affect the gut and digestion, like celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, and cystic fibrosis, can reduce vitamin D absorption.
If you've been prescribed high-dose vitamin D, work closely with your doctor to monitor your blood levels. It can take three months or more to bring them back up, but once they're good, you can stop the high doses and return to a lower vitamin D supplement for maintenance.