VITAMIN D NEWS HEADLINE - VITAMIN D AND TOXICITY
Thinking of taking massive doses of vitamin D? In the 1930's doctors ran studies where they gave subjects 200,000 to 13.5 million IU's of viatmin D per day. However, these doses are too high according to studies summarized by Dr. John Cannell, head of the Vitamin D Council (www.vitamindcouncil.org). In his August 2010 Newsletter entitled "Gary Null and Vitamin D Toxicity," Dr. Cannell indicates that these massive doses caused anywhere from no adverse effects, toxic effects, to deaths.
Dr. Cannell's August 2010 newsletter is available at: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/releases.shtml. Dr. Cannell is a proponent of vitamin D, but he clearly states on his website that toxic levels are not safe. This summary of vitamin D toxicity is a must read for anyone who is considering taking massive doses of vitamin D.
In contrast, in the newlsetter, there is interesting information about dramatic improvement of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and multiple sclerosis as well as information that indicates that some people have a resistance to vitamin D and that increasing the intake substantially can cause the body to start absorbing it. Perhaps one size does not fit all -- we all have a different genetic make up and we perhaps all need different levels of vitamin D depending on factors such as our age and health.
For more information about vitamin D, see Dr. Cannell's Vitamin D Council website, and see my Doctor's TV profile: larissalle. I give a list of informative websites, including Dr. Cannell's, and tips for you to take to your doctor.
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Did you know that he recently has been said to have retracted this statement that too much vitamin D is toxic in part?? When asked at a confrence for medical students about this he said that they cannot actually say how much vitamin D is too much. That his earlier comments about 200,000 or more being too much or toxic have been shown to be wrong and that some people do need this much vitamin D daily.
Take me for example I was close to that level, I was up to 100,000 IU daily when my levels hit normal and now that I have been off of it for 2 months I am now Vitamin D deficent and will need to start it at a dose to be determined again.
Hi, Stkatesgirl, nice to hear from you. I wrote to Dr. Cannell's website email to find out more about your comments and am waiting to hear back. In his August newsletter, he describes the symptoms of toxicity. As you say, everyone is different, and perhaps if we all pay attention to the symptoms of toxicity, we can better judge what is enough and too much D for us as individuals.
Sorry to hear that your level fell. Mine did, too. From Jan to June, I gradually decreased my intake from 14,000 IU's a day, which maintained a blood level of about 100 ng/ml, to 5,000 IU's a day. My level dropped to about 50 ng/ml. By the 4th month, many of my symptoms had returned, from shaky weakness in my lower legs, bladder pain, migraines, sleeplessness, thinning hair, to where nothing I ate tasted good. A family member did the same thing and experienced the same drop in D blood level and return of symptoms. We both got our levels back up by taking a substantial amount for two months, and it took 3 months for the symptoms to go away. Some disappeared altogether. Others, like the bladder pain for me, has gone away very, very gradually and returns if I don't get enough sleep. If I were you, especially with your bone disease, I would not go off vitamin D again. Hope you get your level back up quickly and keep it there.
I'm having problems wiith the "add comment" feature on this blog. Hope you get this message.
Hi Larisalle,
Yea unless my med school connections got it wrong they were talking about him. Also talking to my doctors at Mayo they say there is really no such thing as toxic levels of vitamin D right now, or at least standardized toxic levels of Vitamin D. Even the FDA doesn't recognize standardized levels of toxicity for Vitamin D. There just isn't enough research.
As for my levels the only reason we tried going off of it was to see how far it would fall. We know that I can never be off it again in my life, but we needed to know what amount I needed for my maitenance dose. They don't want to keep me on 100,000 IU of vitamin D a day if they don't have to.
Hi, Stkatesgirl,
Yes, you're right, not enough studies have been done, or of the right type. On one of my university databases where I can access research articles, there are now 39,574 journal articles about vitamin D from the present date and back to 1974. Yet we still know so little. What an elusive molecule, or how small our brains are. Hm.
I'm really glad to know that you and your doctors have found a dose that works for you. You certainly have been through a lot in your young life.
Take care,
Larissa
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