Excess vitamin D, or hypervitaminosis D, may increase blood calcium levels, causing symptoms such as lack of appetite, abdominal pain, high blood pressure, kidney stones and muscle weakness.
Excess vitamin D can be caused by prolonged intake of high doses of supplements or health problems that increase vitamin D production in the body, such as lymphoma and granulomatous changes.
In the presence of symptoms that may indicate excess vitamin D, it is important to consult a general practitioner to evaluate the causes of this condition and indicate proper treatment, which may include to take vitamin D and/or calcium supplements and use saline, for example.
Main symptoms
Excess vitamin D can cause the following symptoms:
- Lack of appetite;
- Nausea;
- Mental confusion;
- Abdominal pain;
- Constipation;
- Dehydration;
- Muscle weakness;
- Excessive thirst.
By unbalancing calcium levels in the body, excess vitamin D can also cause bone pain, high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, kidney stones and, in some cases, renal failure.
Symptoms of Pele
Because it causes dehydration, excess vitamin D can lead to the emergence of some symptoms in the skin, such as dryness, loss of elasticity and itching.
Excess vitamin D in pregnancy
Although rare, excess vitamin D in pregnancy can cause excess calcium in the blood, causing headache, excessive tiredness and preeclampsia in women, for example. Understand better about hypercalcemia.
In addition, hypercalcemia during pregnancy can also lead to delay in development, cardiovascular problems, decreased blood calcium levels, muscle spasms and, in more severe cases, the baby’s death.
How to identify excess vitamin D
To identify excess vitamin D, it is important to consult a general practitioner, which will evaluate the symptoms and signs presented, the use of supplements and the person’s health history.
If you want to check if you are over vitamin D, make an appointment with your doctor closer to you:
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor also requests vitamin D, calcium, phosphate and parathyroid hormone exam. In cases of excess vitamin D, 25 (OH) D blood levels are usually above 100 ng/ml.
In addition, the doctor may also request some image tests, such as ultrasound, computed tomography and x-ray, to assess the presence of kidney stones, blood vessel calcification, heart and lung, for example.
Main causes
The main cause of excess of this vitamin in the body is the intake of high dosages of vitamin D supplements. Fortified food consumption with high doses of this vitamin can also cause excess vitamin D in the body.
In addition, excess vitamin D may also arise due to the high production of this vitamin by the body, as in cases of diseases such as lymphomas and granulomatous disorders, which are medical conditions characterized by the formation of inflammatory cell clusters in the body.
How treatment is done
The treatment of excess vitamin D should be done by the general practitioner or endocrinologist and includes stopping calcium and/or vitamin D supplements, the administration of saline and, in some cases, the use of medicines and hemodialysis.
1. Remedies
In cases of severe hypercalcemia (serum calcium above 14mg/dL), the doctor may recommend calcitonin, a hormone that controls the amount of calcium in the blood. Learn more about Calcitonin.
In addition, the doctor may also indicate the use of biposphonates, such as pamidronate and zoledronic acid, which are drugs used to prevent bone loss.
The use of glucocorticoids, such as hydrocortisone or prednisone, is indicated only to treat excess vitamin D related to granulomatous disease. This medicine decreases blood calcium levels.
2. Physiological serum
The administration of 0.9% sterile physiological serum should be done directly in the vein, in hospitals, being indicated by the doctor to combat dehydration and recover the function of the kidneys.
3. Hemodialysis
Severe hypercalcemia may cause acute renal failure in some cases. Thus, hemodialysis can be indicated to treat renal failure or when blood calcium levels do not decrease with the indicated treatment. See how hemodialysis is done.
Source: www.tuasaude.com