negative symptoms after taking vitamin d

[Aidan]

Summarised version: taking even moderate vitamin d gives me symptoms similar to hypercalcemia (despite me not having that following blood work). I also have the same if if I eat a lot of calcium. Anyone had anything like this before?

I wanted to make a post detailing the symptoms I've been getting for over a year when taking vitamin d to see if anyone else has had the same. Following ingesting vitamin d supplements (or foods with significant amounts) within about 30 minutes - 2 hours I will start feeling gradually more and more hyper-stimulated and energised, as if I just took a strong stimulant. My body will feel much stronger and my brain feels like it's running overtime, although it is difficult to actually concentrate, and I get an overwhelming urge to do stuff. This stimulated phase will last for hours and isn't bad, but then following it I start feeling very unpleasant for around 3 days. Firstly, my cognitive function is much worse, I objectively perform a lot worse on any cognitively demanding task I do and I feel very foggy and like I cannot think. I will often get heart palpitations and discomfort in my kidneys. I'm much more prone to numbness and pins and needles, I'm extremely thirsty and have a lower appetite and urinate a lot (in the night I tend to get very dehydrated, and on a couple of occasions I woke up gasping for breath as if I had sleep apnea). It also causes me to have total erectile dysfunction. It seems to affect my digestion, making it more difficult to pass stool which isn't usually an issue at all. Lastly, I'm far more exhausted for those subsequent 3 days.

These symptoms vary in severity in proportion to the dose of vitamin d that I take, and they often occur even after very moderate dosages like 800 iu. It is important to note, however, that whilst these symptoms may resemble vitamin toxicity or hypercalcemia, they cannot be caused by either as my calcium levels have been measured multiple times at the lower end of the healthy range and my vitamin d levels a long way away from being too high (between 60-100nmol/L). I also do not take much when I experience this.

A few other things to note: I have tried taking vitamin k2 (100mcg) with the vitamin d for a couple of months and it only seemed to make these symptoms worse. I also take magnesium every day. My electrolyte levels and kidney function is always measured as healthy when I get bloodwork. These same symptoms also can be induced, although, less severely, if I eat more than about 600mg of calcium per day. I first started getting these symptoms when I had in fact been taking too much vitamin d (50,000 iu per week for a few months). It took a while for me to realise that it was the vitamin d making me feel so ill and during this time I felt completely awful constantly. There are a lot more details to this I can add, but I'm very interested to know if anyone has found that they get something like this and what possible solutions are.

 

[Judee]

Wondering if you also tried to add other nutrients (but not calcium). Vitamin D is a catalyst to so many reactions in the body. I have to take it with Vitamin C for sure or whatever it does for me really uses up the small amount of C that our livers can store and then my teeth even get loose like a kind of scurvy is happening. It doesn't do that if I take the Vitamin C as well.

more and more hyper-stimulated

I get that too but not the energy part though . Instead I get a kind of steadying of my ME symptoms where I don't feel quite so lousy but also that mentally hyper (racing throughts) feeling after I take it.

I'm just wondering if the good part that vitamin D is doing is then using up so many of your nutrients that the 3 days afterward are a sort of rebound for you because your nutrients (maybe like choline) are then very deficient...like me with the scurvy.

Especially since some of the symptoms you describe sound like what Dr Driscoll is describing here: https://vagusnervesupport.com/top-ten-symptoms-low-acetylcholine/

If you start to suspect this is the nutrient it's helping to use up, you could also maybe slow down the breakdown of acetylcholine but taking some of the enzyme inhibitors at the same time maybe as the D. https://www.leoandlongevity.com/post/herbal-acetylcholinesterase-inhibitors-8

Because for me, I would want to keep the positives it gives you ("energized" and motivation) and find a way to balance out the negatives.

Also I would keep taking the K2 if you can (even from food sources like Japanese natto if you can manage it) and not the calcium.

taking too much vitamin d (50,000 iu per week for a few months).

Per week? If it's just per week than that's actually not too much. Dr Coimbra says,

"A physiological, safe dose of vitamin D is about 10,000 IU/day. This is the amount our own body produces when exposed to 20-30 minutes to the mid-day sun. With this daily dose, no precautions or medical supervision is necessary. It is worth noting that the IOM (Institute of Medicine) indicates that 10,000 IU/day is considered the "NOAEL"- No Observed Adverse Effect Level."

Of course, with ME everyone is different.

Also, have you been checked for VDR (vitamin D receptor) polymorphisms? I have 21 VDR polymorphisms. Dr C says that can mean that even if there is enough in the blood it isn't getting into the cells where it's needed.

Just one more thought. There was a doctor in Australia a while back who was studying something about calcium not being able to get into the cells of ME patients. He actually thought he had found the cause of ME.

I can't remember his name but maybe someone else will remember and be able to post it. Perhaps the issues he found is what is happening to you??

Edit: Also if I have a problem taking something I will try to get it another way like foods or in this case you could try getting it from the sun instead. Just a thought. It still will probably use up nutrients that way though. Egg yokes (if you can have them) have lots of choline.

 

[Aidan]

Wondering if you also tried to add other nutrients (but not calcium). Vitamin D is a catalyst to so many reactions in the body. I have to take it with Vitamin C for sure or whatever it does for me really uses up the small amount of C that our livers can store and then my teeth even get loose like a kind of scurvy is happening. It doesn't do that if I take the Vitamin C as well.



I get that too but not the energy part though . Instead I get a kind of steadying of my ME symptoms where I don't feel quite so lousy but also that mentally hyper (racing throughts) feeling after I take it.

I'm just wondering if the good part that vitamin D is doing is then using up so many of your nutrients that the 3 days afterward are a sort of rebound for you because your nutrients (maybe like choline) are then very deficient...like me with the scurvy.

Especially since some of the symptoms you describe sound like what Dr Driscoll is describing here: https://vagusnervesupport.com/top-ten-symptoms-low-acetylcholine/

If you start to suspect this is the nutrient it's helping to use up, you could also maybe slow down the breakdown of acetylcholine but taking some of the enzyme inhibitors at the same time maybe as the D. https://www.leoandlongevity.com/post/herbal-acetylcholinesterase-inhibitors-8

Because for me, I would want to keep the positives it gives you ("energized" and motivation) and find a way to balance out the negatives.

Also I would keep taking the K2 if you can (even from food sources like Japanese natto if you can manage it) and not the calcium.



Per week? If it's just per week than that's actually not too much. Dr Coimbra says,

"A physiological, safe dose of vitamin D is about 10,000 IU/day. This is the amount our own body produces when exposed to 20-30 minutes to the mid-day sun. With this daily dose, no precautions or medical supervision is necessary. It is worth noting that the IOM (Institute of Medicine) indicates that 10,000 IU/day is considered the "NOAEL"- No Observed Adverse Effect Level."

Of course, with ME everyone is different.

Also, have you been checked for VDR (vitamin D receptor) polymorphisms? I have 21 polymorphisms. Dr C says that can mean that even if there is enough in the blood it isn't getting into the cells where it's needed.

Just one more thought. There was a doctor in Australia a while back who was studying something about calcium not being able to get into the cells of ME patients. He actually thought he had found the cause of ME.

I can't remember his name but maybe someone else will remember and be able to post it. Perhaps the issues he found is what is happening to you??

Though my thoughts are that taking the Vitamin D for you, is just really quickly using something else up in your system. The thing is to find out what that something else is. ??

Edit: Also if I have a problem taking something I will try to get it another way like foods or in this case you could try getting it from the sun instead. Just a thought. It still will probably use up nutrients that way though. Egg yokes (if you can have them) have lots of choline.

That's an interesting point regarding vitamin c, I will try upping my intake and see if it has any alleviating effects, I don't think it would be choline or any of the b vitamins that I'm deficient in though, as I do take a b complex supplement and on top of that have a pretty varied and nutrient dense diet.

I'll definitely look into acetylcholine, thanks for sharing those links. A problem with neurotransmitters definitely seems plausible, especially since my test results always seem fine but as mentioned in the article, these things can't be tested for. I also hadn't heard of vitamin d receptor polymorphisms so I will look into that also.

I will try getting some natto to see if the k2 helps. I have never actually taken a calcium supplement, I just meant a 600mg intake from food in my post. With regards to getting vitamin d from the sun, I am completely fine doing that and can soak up a lot of sun without any hint of these symptoms. I only get significant positive improvements to my wellbeing when I spend time in the sun.

Thanks for the informative and detailed reply!

 

[Crux]

I also have the same if if I eat a lot of calcium. Anyone had anything like this before?

Yes I have, it was the phosphorus , not the calcium that made me feel so bad. Most high calcium foods, like dairy, also have a lot of phosphorus.

Vitamin D increases phosphorus uptake along with calcium.

I will often get heart palpitations and discomfort in my kidneys. I'm much more prone to numbness and pins and needles

Excess phosphorus can effect most organs, especially heart and kidneys.

https://labs.selfdecode.com/blog/high-phosphorus/

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fragi.2022.890985/full

There are supplements that bind and remove phosphorus to varying degrees.
Calcium, Magnesium, vitamin C, Niacinamide....

Excess phosphorus also accelerates aging.

 

[sunshine44]

yes, i had VERY negative reactions to vitamin D. Its a hormone. I had to up my magnesium and play around with few things first before i could add it TRANSDERMALLY. If taken internally in me, it causes increased dysautonomia symptoms such as high HR, kidney pain and other things as high agitation.

In 2016, my Dr put me on 30,000 IU a week of Vitamin D and i started having strange and increased POTS symptoms and chest pain but was told it was impossible it was from vitamin D even though it was always within hours of taking it. Finally i did some research in 2018 and found others like me online. Thats when i found out there is an order of nutrients that have to be balanced before you can add D in some people.

 

[caledonia]

Yes, I've had issues with both calcium and vit. D. The reason is that magnesium is a co-factor for both. You're probably low in magnesium. You can be low despite supplementation. You may need to increase supplementation a lot more and also dose the magnesium four or more times a day and night.

I have to take mega doses of magnesium along with (more normal doses) of other electrolytes four times a day and 1-2 more times at night if I wake up with my feet/legs twitching. I also don't take calcium, and keep my vit. D limited to 1000iu.

If you have muscle spasms, or twitches, restless legs or periodic limb movement disorder in the evening or during sleep, heart palpitations, etc. these are all signs of low magnesium. And that you need more supplementation. You may need to balance the magnesium with some potassium and sodium.

Hope this helps.

 

[Aidan]

Yes I have, it was the phosphorus , not the calcium that made me feel so bad. Most high calcium foods, like dairy, also have a lot of phosphorus.

Vitamin D increases phosphorus uptake along with calcium.



Excess phosphorus can effect most organs, especially heart and kidneys.

https://labs.selfdecode.com/blog/high-phosphorus/

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fragi.2022.890985/full

There are supplements that bind and remove phosphorus to varying degrees.
Calcium, Magnesium, vitamin C, Niacinamide....

Excess phosphorus also accelerates aging.

that's interesting information. I don't think in my case it is excess phosphorous though, as I had blood tests this week showing my levels to be well within the healthy range.

 

[Aidan]

yes, i had VERY negative reactions to vitamin D. Its a hormone. I had to up my magnesium and play around with few things first before i could add it TRANSDERMALLY. If taken internally in me, it causes increased dysautonomia symptoms such as high HR, kidney pain and other things as high agitation.

In 2016, my Dr put me on 30,000 IU a week of Vitamin D and i started having strange and increased POTS symptoms and chest pain but was told it was impossible it was from vitamin D even though it was always within hours of taking it. Finally i did some research in 2018 and found others like me online. Thats when i found out there is an order of nutrients that have to be balanced before you can add D in some people.

what are some of the other nutrients that you found needed to be balanced?

 

[Aidan]

Yes, I've had issues with both calcium and vit. D. The reason is that magnesium is a co-factor for both. You're probably low in magnesium. You can be low despite supplementation. You may need to increase supplementation a lot more and also dose the magnesium four or more times a day and night.

I have to take mega doses of magnesium along with (more normal doses) of other electrolytes four times a day and 1-2 more times at night if I wake up with my feet/legs twitching. I also don't take calcium, and keep my vit. D limited to 1000iu.

If you have muscle spasms, or twitches, restless legs or periodic limb movement disorder in the evening or during sleep, heart palpitations, etc. these are all signs of low magnesium. And that you need more supplementation. You may need to balance the magnesium with some potassium and sodium.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for sharing, I may try upping my magnesium supplementation anyway, but I know that my levels are good as my bloodwork this week showed magnesium levels in the upper half of the healthy range. I do get restless leg syndrome fairly often and I'm currently increasing my potassium intake as my levels were only on the low border of healthy.

 

[Crux]

If you have muscle spasms, or twitches, restless legs or periodic limb movement disorder in the evening or during sleep, heart palpitations, etc. these are all signs of low magnesium.

This can be from low calcium too. It plagued me for years.

I will often get heart palpitations and discomfort in my kidneys. I'm much more prone to numbness and pins and needles,

Low calcium can do this.

 

[Crux]

I also take magnesium every day.

How much magnesium do you take ?
How much calcium do you get in food daily ?

 

[Aidan]

How much magnesium do you take ?
How much calcium do you get in food daily ?

I take 150mg of magnesium a day and get roughly 400mg from diet. I did have low calcium a while ago, but since this year I have increased my intake (currently about 500mg per day from food only) and my blood tests say my calcium levels are healthy. That being said, they are on the lower end of healthy so I may try increasing my intake for a bit.

 

[Crux]

For the past couple of decades, we've been taught that calcium is bad, and it's been blamed for heart disease, arthritis, and many things.

Newer research has been showing that it's phosphorus causing many of the issues with calcifications.
Too much calcium isn't good either, but I'll attest to the benefits of increasing it this past year.

Phosphorus is added to processed foods and even medications.

For a dozen years, I've been physically intolerant of vitamin D. I've tried every cofactor I've read about. no go

Now I can tolerate a bit of vitamin d, but not much.

I take calcium chelate, plus foods.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Related discussion:

Vitamin D sensitivity
https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/vitamin-d-sensitivity.37336/

 

[L'engle]

Vitamin K2 comes in MK-7 and MK-4 varieties. I can tolerate vitamin d if I take the MK-4 but the MK-7 made me feel worse. Also yes, magnesium and the other co-factors people are mentioning.

 

[acrosstheveil]

vitamin D is antagonistic to Vitamin A so they should be taken together. also, you need a lot of K2 with D3. most supplements are an extremely low dose of k2 if they combine it with D3. People take up to 45 mg a day of K2 (mk-4) for osteoporosis. I have been taking a lot of D3/K2 lately and have been feeling kind of foggy lately so I added 20,000 IU of Vitamin A and i feel so much better.

 

[Violeta]

yes, i had VERY negative reactions to vitamin D. Its a hormone. I had to up my magnesium and play around with few things first before i could add it TRANSDERMALLY. If taken internally in me, it causes increased dysautonomia symptoms such as high HR, kidney pain and other things as high agitation.

In 2016, my Dr put me on 30,000 IU a week of Vitamin D and i started having strange and increased POTS symptoms and chest pain but was told it was impossible it was from vitamin D even though it was always within hours of taking it. Finally i did some research in 2018 and found others like me online. Thats when i found out there is an order of nutrients that have to be balanced before you can add D in some people.

High dosage of Vitamin D caused POTS symptoms? I am trying to figure out what came first, the POTS or ____________ (fill in the blank with something else.)

Vitamin D increases phosphorus.

Homeopathic phosphorus lists some of my symptoms.
I started looking at phosphorus because of a thread about OI causing hypoxia, and wanting to try to relieve symptoms of hypoxia I looked up what's involved and saw that excess phosphorus can cause hypoxia. It sounds twisted, and that's because I am still in the confused state about this.

One thing, though, that I am thinking is that I was taking Vitamin D to try to balance out the calcium and Vitamin A in the dairy that I eat, but I may be taking too much. I will have to see if taking less cuts back on vision symptoms.

This is very interesting. Let me see what else I can find.

 

[L'engle]

I've had high calcium symptoms from vitamin d. Vitamin A and the MK-4 form of vitamin k both help.
Bear in mind that blood calcium levels can vary quickly and are hard to measure. Your body's stored levels of calcium could also be a factor and that can't really be measured. (Hair analysis might be useful?)

I get uncomfortable sensations around the parathyroid glands in my neck. I only get them from taking vitamin d and they're pretty specific.

Might want to get parathyroid hormone tested if you can, just to rule out a parathyroid problem.

 

[Thiago V]

Summarised version: taking even moderate vitamin d gives me symptoms similar to hypercalcemia (despite me not having that following blood work). I also have the same if if I eat a lot of calcium. Anyone had anything like this before?

Aidan, have you figured out what's the root problem?
I'm suffering from exactly the same symptoms. Both sunlight and oral vitamin d cause me to become very ill.
I'm going to see an endocrinologist but I think it could be sarcoidosis.

 

[Aidan]

Aidan, have you figured out what's the root problem?
I'm suffering from exactly the same symptoms. Both sunlight and oral vitamin d cause me to become very ill.
I'm going to see an endocrinologist but I think it could be sarcoidosis.

I am almost certain that the problem for me is mast cell activation syndrome. Vitamin d and calcium and triggers and cause me to be unwell. But I have found a bit of relief from taking quercetin/curcumin and dao enzymes. I figured it out after I started having similar reactions to many other foods and so realised that the symptoms were not directly the result of just having too much vitamin d/calcium in my body. I also have problems with sunlight if it is too excessive and I start burning, this didn't used to be the case but it started after I spent far too long in the sun one time.