How an excess of vitamin D manifests itself. An overdose of vitamin D can be dangerous

We tend to prioritize getting enough vitamin D given that a lack of it can seriously impair the immune system and cause other diseases. However, can there be an overdose of vitamin D? Let's get back to the scientific facts.

Overall, vitamin D is considered a very safe and beneficial supplement. Especially because a large number of people are deficient in this important vitamin. However, according to scientific evidence, "vitamin D toxicity" can occur at high doses, ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 international units per day for several months or longer.

What are the symptoms of vitamin D overdose? The data show that signs of vitamin D overuse can include frequent illness, fatigue and weakness, digestive problems, and muscle and bone pain.

How Much Vitamin D Should You Take?

A person needs enough vitamin D for the body to function properly. Because vitamin D has many functions, including helping to absorb and regulate minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. It is responsible for bone health, immunity, growth and development in infants and children, cell renewal, cognitive health, and nerve function.

In an ideal world, we would all get enough vitamin D from the single best natural source: sun exposure. However, we know that most people don't spend enough time in the sun today, which is why vitamin D has become one of the most widely used supplements in the world.

While there is still no agreed daily requirement for vitamin D, health experts agree that taking vitamin D (especially vitamin D3) can benefit many people, including adults, children, and infants. So, ? The standard recommendation for vitamin D intake to prevent deficiency, according to the USDA, is 600 to 800 IU per day for adults and 400 IU for children. However, newer studies are revisiting these recommendations and saying the number should be higher, between 2,000 and 5,000 IU per day.

The amount of vitamin D you need daily depends on a number of factors such as body weight, age, gender, and medical history. As a general recommendation, aim for the following amounts of vitamin D3 in supplement form:

• Children under 5: At least 500 IU per day
• Children aged 5-10 years: 2500 IU per day
• Adults / pregnant women / lactating women: about 4000-5000 IU per day

Is it safe to take 5000 IU of vitamin D3 daily? If not, how much vitamin D3 is safe? There is a small risk associated with taking about 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day. But some people may need even higher dosages if they are severely deficient.

What is considered enough vitamin D? In order to find out your level of vitamin D, you need to take a blood test. Most experts believe that vitamin D levels should be above 30 nanograms (ng) per milliliter (mL) of blood. A value below this is considered a deficit. Ideally, it is necessary to aim for a figure of 70-100 ng / ml for both adults and children. On the other hand, vitamin D toxicity (too much vitamin D in the blood) is thought to be above 200–240 ng/mL of blood.

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Can you overdose on vitamin D if you know you're already deficient? If a blood test shows that you are low in vitamin D, you can either take smaller doses for an extended period of time to raise your levels, such as 5,000 IU per day, or take a high dose for several weeks. If you are taking a very high dose, such as more than 40,000 IU, it is possible that side effects may occur.

Signs and symptoms of vitamin D overdose in adults

You are more likely to experience symptoms of a vitamin D overdose when taking high-dose supplements for an extended period of time. Some signs that you may be taking too much vitamin D include:

• Frequent illnesses, SARS, colds
• Abdominal pain and digestive problems such as nausea, constipation, diarrhea, or loss of appetite
• Increased thirst and dry mouth
• Frequent urge to urinate
• Muscle weakness or pain
• Pain in the bones
• Fatigue / lethargy
• Brain fog, feeling confused and dizzy
• Arrhythmia
• Chest pain
• Changes in blood pressure
• Headache

Could Vitamin D Overdose Be Worrisome? Because vitamin D toxicity can cause side effects such as palpitations, confusion, anxiety, and chest pain, it can potentially cause anxiety-related feelings.

Dangers of Vitamin D Overdose

Vitamin D toxicity is also called vitamin D intoxication or hypervitaminosis D. The reason too much vitamin D can cause problems is because vitamin D (along with vitamins A, E, and K) is a fat-soluble vitamin. This means that it accumulates in body fat and can stay in your body for a long time.

When you take high doses of vitamin D, your liver produces a chemical called 25(OH)D that causes calcium to build up in your blood (called hypercalcemia). In rare cases, this can lead to kidney damage and calcium deposits in the kidneys (called nephrocalcinosis). This is a serious condition that causes symptoms such as nausea, dehydration, fever, and pain. Therefore, people with kidney disease should not take high doses of vitamin D (more than 5,000 IU) on a daily basis.

25(OH)D can be measured with a blood test. Blood levels of 25(OH)D above 150 ng/mL are considered potentially toxic.

While this is rare, several other conditions besides hypercalcemia can occur with vitamin D overdose. These are hyperparathyroidism, sarcoidosis, and a few other rare diseases.

How to Prevent/Treat Vitamin D Overdose

The best way to avoid vitamin D toxicity is to avoid taking very high doses of vitamin D in supplement form, such as 10,000 IU per day, for more than a month.

Vitamin D toxicity most often occurs when high doses of a supplement are taken for several months or longer, such as 40,000 IU or more. This can also happen when taking a very high dose only once, such as more than 300,000 IU in 24 hours.

These amounts refer to "average weight adults" who are around 60-80 kg, but do not apply to children or those who weigh much less. For children who weigh between 8 and 25 kg, more than 50,000 IU/day or 2,000-6,000 IU/day for more than three months may be too much and could potentially be a vitamin D overdose.

If it is determined that the level of vitamin D in your blood is too high, how to get rid of the excess?

If you need to remove vitamin D from your system, your doctor may recommend treatment for vitamin D toxicity, including stopping vitamin D intake, limiting dietary calcium intake, and taking intravenous fluids and/or medications such as corticosteroids or bisphosphonates to control symptoms.

Ideally, you should keep your vitamin D levels high without supplementation by getting enough sunlight or by supplementing at a dose that is considered safe (between 1,500 and 5,000 IU for most adults). Spending time in the sun with bare skin for 15 to 20 minutes on most days without sunscreen is your surest way to get enough vitamin D. Eating foods rich in vitamin D, such as fish and other seafood, eggs, and raw milk, may also help improve your vitamin D levels. You can't overdose on vitamin D from foods and the sun because your body regulates how much vitamin D is produced/absorbed from these sources.

Who Should Avoid Vitamin D

Because vitamin D can interact with certain medications, vitamin D supplements should not be taken by those taking these prescription drugs:

• Steroids
• Epilepsy drugs such as phenobarbital and phenytoin
• Weight loss drugs (eg Orlistat)
• Cholestyramine

People who have any of the health conditions listed below should not take vitamin D without a doctor's supervision:

• Hypercalcemia
• kidney disease
• Liver disease
• pancreatitis
• Primary hyperthyroidism
• Sarcoidosis
• Granulomatous tuberculosis
• Metastatic bone disease
• Williams syndrome

Vitamin D Precautions

If you notice signs of side effects of vitamin D and are wondering if you may be overdosing on vitamin D. This may be due to taking more than 300,000 IU in the last 24 hours or more than 10,000 IU per day for the last few months. Stop taking vitamin D immediately and contact your doctor immediately for a blood test. Your doctor will test you for hypercalcemia and also discuss any symptoms you have.

While consuming too much vitamin D can be dangerous in some cases, keep in mind that vitamin D deficiency is also dangerous. Need to know in the body. Your goal should be to find a balance and get the amount of vitamin D your body needs without overdosing.

Vitamin D3 is a substance that is both a hormone and, as it is called, the “sunshine vitamin”. There are two types of this substance:

• natural - it is included in the composition of products of animal origin;
• synthetic - formed under the influence of sunlight, is part of various food additives.

There are several more forms of this substance - D 4, D 5 and D 6. These groups are the precursors of D3, they do not have such high biological activity, they are used in medicine as an antitumor agent.

A person is not immune from vitamin D3 deficiency at any age. With insufficient consumption of it, various health troubles appear. Despite the undeniable benefits, you should know that an overdose of vitamin D3 can lead to the most serious consequences. Hypervitaminosis is an overdose that requires immediate medical attention.

Symptoms of an overdose of vitamin D3 are due to the severity of poisoning, in adults this process proceeds a little differently than in children.

How much and why you need to take vitamin D3

The drug D3 is used for both therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. Why is he appointed? To prevent rickets, doctors recommend it to children from the first days of life, especially babies born in the autumn-winter period, when there is little sun. As a therapeutic drug for adults and children, it is prescribed in the following cases:

• with the development of rickets;
• with increased fragility of bones and their prolonged fusion;
• with a low level of calcium and phosphorus in the body;
• with inflammation of the bone marrow;
• with tuberculosis;
• with lupus erythematosus.

What is vitamin D3 for? Deficiency, like an overdose of vitamin D, can cause serious harm to health. The scope of this substance includes:

• protein synthesis;
• normalization of skeletal growth;
• saturation of teeth, bone tissue with minerals;
• strengthening muscle tissue;
• raising the body's defenses.

The daily dose of vitamin D for adults and adolescents is 10 mcg, for children from 4 years old - 2.5 -3 mcg, up to 4 years - 8 - 10 mcg. Symptoms of vitamin D poisoning are observed after taking 15 mcg or more of the substance daily. Usually the dose is determined by age, lifestyle, climatic and environmental conditions and individual characteristics of the organism. Depending on a number of factors, the dosage may be increased, this applies to people:

• living in the Far North or in ecologically unfavorable areas;
• having diseases of the kidneys and organs of the gastrointestinal tract;
• pregnant and lactating women;
• undergoing long-term treatment in a hospital.

Vitamin D overdose is not common because it is a fat-soluble substance and accumulates without harm to health. Usually this phenomenon is observed in infants, whose body has not yet adapted to the environment, has not learned to deal with an excess of certain substances.

Cause of vitamin D overdose

There is an acute and chronic form of an overdose of vitamin D. There can be many reasons for the development of this phenomenon. These include:

• uncontrolled use of the drug without a doctor's recommendation;
• an incorrect dose was prescribed for the treatment of a small child;
• prolonged exposure to the sun and the simultaneous use of the drug.

An excess of vitamin D can develop due to parental negligence. Quite often, adults leave the drug in a place accessible to the child, as a result of which he eats a large amount of the substance without parental permission.

General signs of an overdose

Symptoms of drug overabundance are primary and secondary. The primary ones appear almost immediately after excessive intake of the substance, while the secondary ones can appear after a while. The general signs of an overdose are as follows:

• poor appetite;
• constant nausea;
• severe vomiting;
• unquenchable thirst.

This is how the primary symptoms of poisoning look, after a while secondary ones appear:

• causeless anxiety and irritability appear;
• jumps in blood pressure;
• increased urination;
• kidney dysfunction appears.

This sign is fraught with serious danger, often has irreversible consequences.

Overdose in adults and children

An overdose of vitamin D3 in adults is much less common than in children. In case of poisoning with this substance, all primary as well as secondary symptoms occur. Depending on the characteristics of the organism, there may be:

• elevated temperature;
• sudden weight loss;
• dysfunction of the nervous system;
• cardiopalmus;
• blanching of the skin.

An overdose of vitamin D in adults is characterized by a significant decrease in the immune system, as a result of which a person is constantly sick with infectious and viral diseases.

A child suffering from this kind of intoxication usually has a hard time enduring it. The following symptoms appear:

• loss of appetite;
• insomnia appears;
• the digestive process fails;
• opens vomiting and diarrhea;
• the skin turns pale, becomes flabby.

In especially severe cases, respiratory failure develops, convulsions, the heartbeat slows down.

How to treat an overdose

Treatment of an overdose of vitamin D is carried out in a hospital, especially when it comes to young children. First, the source of the substance entering the body is eliminated, then the symptoms of intoxication are removed. For this, adults and children are strictly forbidden to eat:

• dairy;
• chicken eggs;
• fatty varieties of fish and meat;
• beef liver.

A complete ban is imposed on exposure to the sun during treatment. The patient is given a lot of fluid, bed rest is prescribed. You can treat an excess of vitamin D with the following drugs:

• glucocorticosteroids - they are prescribed to relieve inflammation provoked by calcification;
• ammonium chloride - prevents the formation of calcium stones in the kidneys;
• vitamins C and B - they help to return the metabolism back to normal.

Why is an overdose dangerous? This phenomenon leads to a number of pathologies:

• osteoporosis;
• salt deposition in the tissues of the kidneys, heart and lungs;
• blockage of blood vessels;
• arthralgia.

If you take all the necessary measures in time, that is, stop taking the drug, seek help from a doctor, the symptoms of an overdose will pass in a short time.

Be healthy!

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Why is too much vitamin D dangerous?

In the long term, chronic overabundance of vitamin D can lead to very serious pathologies:

• osteoporosis and bone demineralization
• resorption of the stroma of the bone marrow
• blockage of blood vessels and valves of the cardiovascular system by mucopolysaccharides, their hardening, the development of atherosclerosis
• increased deposition of calcium salts in internal organs
• polyuria
• arthralgia.

In children with a constant excess of vitamin D, asthenia develops, there may be disturbances in the development of the skeleton associated with an excess of the rate of bone growth over the rate of strengthening the joints and the muscular corset. For this reason, scoliosis, lordosis, kyphosis can develop, dislocations and fractures become more frequent, and excessive growth appears.

However, at first, an excess of vitamin D is characterized by temporary specific disorders, according to which it can be quickly calculated and measures taken in time, preventing the situation from aggravating.

Symptoms of hypervitaminosis

When taking several ultra-high doses of vitamin D or starting a reaction to its chronic overdose, characteristic symptoms develop:

• digestive disorders - nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or, conversely, constipation, loss of appetite
• shortness of breath, shortness of breath
• fever
• muscle pain, pain in the head and joints
• convulsions
• increase in blood pressure.

It is these symptoms of an overdose of vitamin D that occur in the first place. They also pass quickly enough when you stop taking the drugs or normalize their number.

Features of an overdose of vitamin D in infants

The specificity of an overdose of vitamin D in infants is that in addition to the symptoms characteristic of it, a child can often have an individual reaction. If the baby has other somatic diseases, hypervitaminosis can cause a deterioration in his condition and aggravate symptoms.

In the general case, the symptoms of an overdose of vitamin D in infants and children up to a year are as follows:

• Sleep disturbances, which is especially well manifested if the child has already developed a night sleep regimen. With hypervitaminosis D, the child becomes more restless, often cries at night, falls asleep longer, even if he wants to sleep.
• Hair growth slowdown.
• Vomiting, frequent regurgitation.
• Increased excretion of urine, thirst.
• Violation of the regime of defecation.

Most often, an overdose of vitamin D in infants occurs due to carelessness of parents. Vitamin preparations for infants are designed to take 1 drop per day. Two drops will already be an excessive dose, and three - may well cause hypervitaminosis with constant use.

It is very easy to make a mistake when dosing at home. It is even easier to calculate that “a little more is not scary” and consciously give the child excess amounts of the vitamin.

On a note

An overdose of vitamin D in infants is also a common occurrence because, due to the small amount of adipose tissue, the child's body simply has nowhere to put excess cholecalciferol. The normal dose for a newborn is 75% of the norm for an adult, despite the fact that the body weight of the child is 10-15 times less. 1 drop of the same Aquadetrim fully provides an adult with vitamin D, and therefore for a small child, even small fluctuations in the amount of vitamin entering the body can be critical.

“We were on breastfeeding, in the second month the doctor prescribed vitamin D in prophylactic doses. At three months, it turned out that I did not have enough milk, and they began to add the mixture. Accordingly, instead of a prophylactic dose, the doctor has already prescribed the usual treatment, although the daughter had no signs of rickets, and D3 was part of the mixture. And then it started: because of the bald back of the head - one more drop more per day, after ARVI - they generally prescribed 5 drops of Aquadetrim per day. I just read the normal instructions and was horrified, but then I didn’t even think about it. The little one began to sleep poorly, she has constant thirst, pimples under her armpits. The pediatrician looked - and again said that the matter was in vitamin D and it was not enough. Fortunately, a friend of the infectious disease specialist pulled me up in time and said that without signs of rickets, a child should not drink more than 1 drop a day. Then I just found out that all the troubles are not due to a lack, but due to an excess of the vitamin. Nightmare, I was ready to kill the doctor ... "

Alla, Ryazan

Amounts of vitamin D sufficient for an overdose

The normal amount of vitamin D for an adult is 400-600 IU per day (10-15 mcg per day), depending on body weight and physiological state. The maximum amount of 600 IU is prescribed for the treatment of certain diseases and for short-term use by pregnant women.

The need for vitamin D in an infant is 300-400 IU per day (7.5-10 mcg).

Insignificant (one and a half times) one-time intermittent excess of these quantities will not lead to the development of an overdose. Larger doses can already cause mild manifestations of hypervitaminosis, usually limited to digestive disorders.

On a note

It should be remembered that a significant amount of vitamin D is produced in a person of any age in the skin under the influence of sunlight (on a summer day on the street - the full daily rate). Adding to this number of additional doses, even prophylactic ones, can already lead to an overdose.

Serious overdoses of vitamin D occur with regular use of more than 2,000 IU or with a single dose of 10,000 - 15,000 IU.

On a note

1 drop of Aquadetrim or Vitamin D-Teva contains 600 IU of the vitamin - the full daily allowance. For a single overdose, it is enough to use 15-18 drops, and for the development of chronic hypervitaminosis - 3-4 drops daily.

How to avoid an overdose?

Avoiding an overdose of vitamin D is easy. It is important to remember that in the absence of obvious signs of rickets and symptoms of hypovitaminosis, you should not use it. You can add vitamin-rich foods to your diet and be in the sun as often as possible, exposing exposed areas of your body to it.

In winter, for a healthy adult and child, it will be justified to use a daily dose of a vitamin as a prevention of hypovitaminosis. But more than 400 IU per day can be taken only in the following cases:

• as directed by a doctor, preferably with confirmation of the need for admission by several more specialists;
• in the presence of obvious health problems, the doctor should already figure out whether vitamin D will help in these cases;
• in the absence of the ability to consume vitamin D with food.

It should be remembered that in many cases the cause of an overdose of vitamin D is self-medication. Even if the patient does not trust a particular doctor, it is wiser to seek advice from several specialists and act on the results of their consultations than to prescribe treatment on your own. In any case, when taking vitamin D, you should carefully monitor your body and well-being, and in the presence of any severe disorders, reduce dosages or even stop taking the vitamin for a while.

The benefits and harms of vitamin D: should it be given to children

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Vitamin D: overdose and its causes

An excess of vitamin D is not as common as poisoning with other vitamins due to its specificity, and almost all cases of intoxication due to an overabundance are explained by the desire to play it safe and give more vitamin to the child in order to prevent rickets, or illiteracy in prescribing doses (which, alas, applies not only to people who "prescribe" the vitamin to themselves, but also to some doctors).

As a rule, single overdoses are not dangerous, except when the vitamin was taken in incredibly large quantities. Much more typical for an overdose of vitamin D is the chronic form - the gradual accumulation of calciferol in adipose tissues with a constant excess of the dose for a long time.

An overdose of vitamin D can be caused by exceeding normal doses by more than 1.5-2 times over a month (and more often several months), and it is important to understand that we are talking about the total content of calciferol in the body, which means that all his sources.

How does an excess of a vitamin appear in the body?

• First, a detailed situation is possible if one does not take into account the ability of the organism itself to synthesize this substance in its cells under the influence of the sun. Staying for a walk in the summer for a couple of hours provides the body with a full daily allowance if the day was cloudless. Therefore, if you add synthetic vitamins to your walks in the summer, getting an overdose of vitamin D is as easy as shelling pears.
• Secondly, a violation of the dosage unknowingly or intentionally leads to hypervitaminosis (alas, there is often a desire to “feed” vitamins with a vengeance, not taking into account the fact that a lot does not mean good).
• Thirdly, an excessive concentration of the vitamin in the body may not be needed if a person is at risk - is among people who are especially sensitive to calciferol, including kidney patients, heart patients, seriously ill and bedridden, pregnant and lactating mothers , as well as persons with obesity (after all, as we remember, fat-soluble vitamin D accumulates in fatty tissues).
• And fourthly, sometimes an overdose can be one-time, but very large: the baby drank a vial of the drug, the grandmother gave the vitamin with a full tablespoon, confusing it with fish oil, and not a pipette drop by drop, or someone deliberately gives or takes a vitamin drug for the purpose of causing harm to health.

On the other hand, sometimes even exceeding the dosage can do without dangerous consequences. For example, if an overdose was allowed in relation to a child with rickets: they tolerate such excesses much more easily than healthy babies, because in a sick rickets organism there is too much deficiency of calciferol.

Another factor that reduces the risk is taking natural fish oil instead of synthetic vitamin D: natural fish oil (as well as cod liver) also contains vitamin A, which does not allow an overdose of vitamin D.

How does vitamin D enter the body?

In order to prevent exceeding the dose of a vitamin, it is necessary to understand where it comes from in our body.

In addition to, as we already know, the production of the cells themselves under the influence of sunlight, there is also a food way to replenish the reserves of this vitamin. Therefore, if you are giving your child or taking vitamin D yourself, do not saturate your diet:

• fish oil,
• fatty fish,
• seaweed (including canned),
• caviar,
• seafood.

You should also be careful about the amount of dairy products, cheeses, butter, egg yolks, oatmeal, and even forest mushrooms consumed.

Symptoms of vitamin D poisoning: when to sound the alarm?

An overdose of vitamin D causes an increase in calcium and phosphorus in the body in the blood, which means it increases the content of these elements in virtually all organs and systems, provokes calcification of the walls of blood vessels, tissues of the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs.

An excess of vitamin D is manifested by such symptoms:

• violation of the digestive process (various, sometimes opposite manifestations: from nausea and vomiting with diarrhea to constipation and loss of appetite);
• the appearance of shortness of breath and breathing problems;
• pain in muscles and joints;
• headaches;
• convulsions;
• high blood pressure;
• fever and fever.

However, these manifestations pass, one has only to remove the source of excess fortification from the diet.

It is important to understand that since hypervitaminization can be acute and chronic, its manifestations can also differ in these two forms.

In acute overdose, the most dangerous signs can be considered:

• complete loss of appetite;
• nausea and then frequent vomiting and diarrhea;
• dehydration, thirst, dry skin and mucous membranes;
• pressure increase;
• a decrease in cardiac activity (the pulse becomes less frequent, the skin has a bluish tint);
• increased thirst;
• increase in the number and volume of urination;
• the appearance of seizures;
• loss of consciousness.

In the chronic form (more than a few months) of overdose, neurological and gastrointestinal manifestations come to the fore:

• fast fatigue,
• constant irritability, low mood,
• asthenia, loss of appetite and body weight,
• sleep disturbances and drowsiness,
• muscle pain, cramps, tics,
• loss of appetite
• nausea and vomiting,
• diarrhea or constipation,
• frequent urination, risk of pyelonephritis,
• aching pain in the lower back,
• toothache,
• edema,
• skin manifestations (itchy rashes),
• loss of immunity, pain,
• increased risk of bone fractures.

Among the symptoms of a vitamin D overdose, there are deadly ones!

• Increased kidney stone formation can lead to death, as the kidneys simply fail.
• Disturbed work of the calcified heart (calcium deposition in the heart muscle initially manifests itself only as arrhythmia).
• The brain is compressed, the vessels of which are also calcified.
• Acidosis appears - an increase in the total acidity of the body.

Vitamin overdose in children

The reaction of the child's body to a constant overabundance of vitamin D differs primarily in that:

• the fontanel “closes” too quickly and the bones of the skull close;
• the formation of the skeleton is distorted, its proper development (especially tubular bones) is disturbed due to their rapid growth against the background of insufficient strengthening of muscles, ligaments and joints, diseases such as kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis and even osteoporosis appear, due to which fractures and fractures occur more often. dislocations;
• Existing diseases are exacerbated, their course is more difficult;
• hair grows slower and worse;
• the skin loses elasticity, becomes dry;
• gray pallor of the skin, blue under the eyes;
• the child sharply loses weight and lags behind in growth;
• he is always thirsty;
• the temperature is often slightly elevated;
• on examination, the liver and spleen are enlarged, and the pulse is slow.

If the intoxication is acute, not chronic, that is, the baby received a single overdose of the vitamin, the manifestations will be as follows:

• the infant child spits up too often, in the older ones - constant vomiting, especially with a one-time significant excess;
• the stool is also disturbed (individual deviations are observed - from constipation to diarrhea);
• the baby cannot get drunk in any way, and therefore pisses a lot, much more than usual;
• sleep is disturbed: it becomes restless, interrupted by crying, and falling asleep becomes painfully long, even if the child is very tired;
• cramps and muscle spasms occur;
• irritability and increased moodiness appear.

In the case of an overdose of vitamin D in infants, the responsibility for 100% lies only with the parents: babies are not able, like older children, to take vitamins on their own - they are given and dosed by adults, which means that dosage errors occur only through their fault. Regular intake of vitamin “with an additive” will not end in anything good: calciferol, like any other substance, must be in the body in optimal quantities, and not in excess, because in case of an overdose, it simply washes calcium out of the bones, which then accumulates in the internal organs, muscles and blood vessels.

A small child has very little fat, and he simply has nowhere to form a “depot” of excess calciferol, so an overdose of vitamin D 3 (and babies are usually prescribed Aquadetrim, that is, a water-soluble version of cholecalciferol) will immediately “hit” with symptoms of intoxication, even with minor symptoms on your sight excesses.

Strictly follow the dosage and do not exceed it at your own discretion - otherwise the child will have to pay with his health for your fears and incompetence.

Competent help

If mistakes have already been made when taking a vitamin, they must be corrected immediately.

In the case when it comes to taking a large dose of a vitamin at a time (for example, the child drank the whole vial), the actions will be standard, as with any intoxication:

• gastric lavage with a large amount (up to one and a half liters) of slightly salted water;
• intake of absorbents (activated carbon, Enterosgel, Polisorb, etc.);
• taking saline laxatives;
• ambulance call.

If assistance is needed for chronic overdose of vitamin D, then there are only two correct moves in the competence of parents:

• immediate discontinuation of the drug;
• immediate admission to the hospital.

It is especially important to provide timely assistance in case of intoxication in infants up to a year and pregnant women.

Doctors, in addition to the main and symptomatic treatment, will also prescribe:

• a special diet with a minimum intake of foods containing vitamin D and calcium;
• daily routine (minimum time in the sun),
• anti-inflammatory hormonal drugs,
• vitamins to restore metabolism,
• as well as drugs to increase the acidity of the urine, which will help prevent (at least reduce the likelihood) the formation of calcium stones in the kidneys.

Preventive measures: how to prevent an overdose of vitamin D

In order not to create problems with your own hands for yourself or your child, it is important to understand that calciferol preparations (vitamins D) are not prescribed:

• without examination and doctor's recommendations,
• without signs of rickets,
• during warm and sunny seasons.

If it seems to you that “the body needs to be supported”, it is better to adjust the diet by adding to it those foods that are rich in vitamin D, and increase the duration of walks in the sun, while always leaving exposed skin, because the vitamin is produced in the body only with direct sunlight. contact with sunlight.

So, if you take D vitamins responsibly, they will save you from big health problems and prevent rickets from developing in babies. If you exceed the dosage and take drugs carelessly, you can seriously harm your health, because the same substance can both heal and destroy the body.

Take care of yourself and your children and be careful when taking vitamins - they are not harmless!

medtox.net

General characteristics of vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble compound - cyclic unsaturated high molecular weight alcohol ergosterol, which has antirachitic activity. Vitamin D is often referred to simply as an anti-rachitic factor because it is essential for proper bone growth and formation.

Since vitamin D is soluble in fats, it is able to accumulate in the human body in the cells of various organs. The largest amount of vitamin D accumulates in the subcutaneous adipose tissue and liver. Due to the ability to accumulate in the human body, there is always a certain depot of vitamin D, from which this compound is consumed in case of insufficient intake with food. That is, against the background of insufficient intake from food, vitamin D deficiency develops over a long period of time, until its reserves in the depot are used up.

The ability to dissolve in fats causes the possibility of excessive accumulation of vitamin A when it enters the human body in large quantities. With the accumulation of a high concentration of vitamin D in the blood and tissues of the body, hypervitaminosis develops, which, like hypovitaminosis, leads to impaired functioning of various organs and tissues.

This means that vitamin D must be supplied to the body in strictly defined, optimal doses, since both its excess and deficiency are harmful. You can not take vitamin D in large quantities, as this will lead to hypervitaminosis. And also you can not consume a small amount of vitamin D, as this will provoke its deficiency or hypovitaminosis.

However, even if a person's diet contains an insufficient amount of vitamin D, its deficiency and hypovitaminosis develop very rarely if a person spends at least 1 to 2 hours a day in the sun. This is due to the fact that under the influence of solar radiation, endogenous synthesis of vitamin D can be produced in the skin, which fully meets the body's needs for this substance. And since living in a temperate climate allows a person to be regularly exposed to sunlight throughout the year, vitamin D deficiency is extremely rare in the population. More often, vitamin D deficiency develops in residents of the Far North, where there are no sun rays for several months, since the polar night sets in. Due to insufficient intake of vitamin D and lack of sunlight, people can suffer from hypovitaminosis D. Also, small children who were born in winter and rarely go outside without exposure to sunlight can suffer from hypovitaminosis D.

Thus, vitamin D can be ingested with food or formed in the skin when exposed to sunlight. After being formed in the skin or ingested with food, vitamin D is absorbed into the blood and enters the kidneys, where it combines with calcium ions to form an active substance called calcitriol. It is in the form of calcitriol that vitamin D exerts its biological effects on the human body. Therefore, calcitriol is called the active form of vitamin D. And therefore, calcium is required for the normal functioning of vitamin D.

For the absorption of vitamin D into the blood from the intestines, a sufficient amount of fat and bile is needed. Therefore, for better absorption of vitamin D, it should be consumed together with vegetable fats. With a sufficient amount of fats and bile, vitamin D is absorbed by 90%, and with a lack of them only by 60%. The absorption of synthetic vitamin D does not depend on the amount of fat and bile, so pharmacological preparations can be more effective than natural compounds.

Forms of vitamin D (what types of vitamin D are there)?

Vitamin D is a common group name for five substances that have the activity and properties of sterols. These substances are called vitamin D vitamers. That is, each vitamer is, in fact, a type of vitamin D. So, at present, the following vitamers are classified as vitamin D:
1. Vitamin D 2 - ergocalciferol;
2. Vitamin D 3 - cholecalciferol;
3. Vitamin D 4 - dehydrocholesterol;
4. Vitamin D 5 - sitocalciferol;
5. Vitamin D 6 - stigmacalciferol.

Vitamin D 1 does not occur in nature and can only be obtained by chemical synthesis. Ergocalciferol vitamin is a synthetic vitamin D 2 formed by the action of ultraviolet radiation on certain types of fungi. Vitamin D 2 is used as an additive in various prepared foods such as bread, infant formula, etc. Ergocalciferol enriches the food product, providing the human body with a normal daily dosage of vitamin D. Ergocalciferol is obtained directly from ergosterol.

cholecalciferol is a natural vitamin D 3, which is found in various products of animal origin. This means that cholecalciferol enters the human body through the use of animal products.

Dehydrocholesterol - this is vitamin D 4, which is a precursor or provitamin for D 3 (cholecalciferol). Normally, human skin contains precisely dehydrocholesterol, from which vitamin D 3 (cholecalciferol) is synthesized under the influence of sunlight.

Sitocalciferol is vitamin D 5, which is found in wheat grains. Stigmacalciferol is vitamin D 6, which is also found in some plants.

The most biologically active two forms of vitamin D are D 2 and D 3 , which a person can get with food or synthesize with the skin using ultraviolet radiation. Other forms of vitamin D (D 4 , D 5 and D 6) have a relatively low biological activity.

All forms of vitamin D are collectively referred to as calciferol. In common practice, vitamin D means two forms - D 2 and D 3, since they are the most biologically active and provide effects at the level of the human body. Moreover, since the functions of all forms of vitamin D are the same, and they differ only in the method of obtaining and activity, they are usually not separated in medical and popular science articles. Therefore, when saying "vitamin D", the doctor means all its forms. If you want to say that we are talking about this or that form of vitamin D, then this is indicated separately.

Vitamin D in the body - biological functions

Vitamin D ensures proper and age-appropriate bone growth, which is important for the formation of the musculoskeletal system and the prevention of rickets in children and adults. In addition, calciferol accelerates the healing process of bone tissue in case of various injuries, such as fractures, cracks, etc. By participating in the regulation of calcium and phosphorus metabolism, vitamin D prevents osteoporosis, maintaining a normal level of calcification, and, consequently, bone strength. This is very important for adults who often suffer from osteoporosis. Thus, calciferol is an indispensable vitamin that maintains bone tissue in a normal state.

Being in the systemic circulation, vitamin D maintains the concentration of calcium and phosphorus within normal limits. In addition, calciferol increases the absorption of calcium compounds in the intestine, thereby preventing its deficiency and leaching from the bones. That is, with a deficiency of vitamin D, there is a decrease in the concentration of calcium in the blood and its leaching from the bones, which leads to osteoporosis and other disorders.

Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphorus metabolism through the following mechanisms and effects:

• Increased permeability of the membrane of intestinal cells (enterocytes) for calcium;
• Starting the process of synthesis of a special protein that transfers calcium in the systemic circulation from one organ and tissue to another;
• Enhances the absorption of phosphorus in the intestine;
• Stimulates bone calcification;
• Reduces the synthesis of type I collagen, thereby preventing calcification and hardening of excess bone formation. This avoids the development of numerous bone growths;
• Enhances the reabsorption of calcium in the tubules of the kidneys from the primary urine.

It is known that in conditions of severe vitamin D deficiency, the human body loses the ability to absorb calcium, both from food and from specialized pharmacological preparations. This leads to tooth decay, caries, arrhythmias and numerous other problems associated with a lack of calcium.

However, vitamin D not only protects bones and regulates the levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood, although these functions are undoubtedly very important. Vitamin D reduces the risk of developing skin and heart diseases, as well as malignant tumors. Thus, it prevents the active growth of cancer cells, due to which vitamin D is successfully used in the complex treatment and prevention of breast, ovarian, prostate, brain and leukemia cancer. In addition, the constant normal intake of vitamin D from food reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, arthritis and diabetes.

Also, vitamin D prevents muscle weakness, improves immunity, ensures normal blood clotting and optimal functioning of the thyroid gland. According to experimental studies, calciferol helps to restore nerve cells and nerve fibers, thereby reducing the rate of progression of multiple sclerosis. In addition, vitamin D is involved in the regulation of blood pressure and heart rate.

With the external use of vitamin D preparations, the scaly skin in people suffering from psoriasis decreases.

The norm of vitamin D for consumption and content in the body

• Adult women and men over 15 years old - 2.5 - 5.0 mcg (100 - 200 IU);
• Pregnant women - 10 mcg (400 IU);
• Nursing mothers - 10 mcg (400 IU);
• Elderly people over 60 years old - 10 - 15 mcg (400 - 600 IU);
• Infants under one year old - 7.5 - 10.0 mcg (300 - 400 IU);
• Children 1 - 5 years old - 10 mcg (400 IU);
• Children 5 - 13 years old - 2.5 mcg (100 IU).

Currently, micrograms (mcg) or international units (IU) are used to indicate the content of vitamin D in food. In this case, one international unit corresponds to 0.025 µg. Accordingly, 1 μg of vitamin D is equal to 40 IU. These ratios can be used to convert units of measurement to each other.

The list shows the optimal dosages of daily intake of vitamin D, which replenish its reserves and are not capable of provoking hypervitaminosis. Safe from the point of view of the development of hypervitaminosis is the use of no more than 15 micrograms of vitamin D per day. This means that the maximum allowable dosage of vitamin D, which will not lead to hypervitaminosis, is 15 micrograms per day.

Increasing the dose above the recommended optimal values ​​is necessary for people who have an increased need for vitamin D, such as:

• Living in northern latitudes with short daylight hours or polar night;
• Living in regions with a highly polluted atmosphere;
• Night shift work;
• Bedridden patients who are not on the street;
• People suffering from chronic diseases of the intestines, liver, gallbladder and kidneys;
• Pregnant and lactating mothers.

In the blood, the normal content of vitamin D 2 is 10 - 40 mcg / l and D 3 - also 10 - 40 mcg / l.

Symptoms of deficiency and excess of vitamin D

Due to the possibility of accumulation of vitamin D in the human body, both its deficiency and excess may appear. A lack of vitamin D is called hypovitaminosis or deficiency, and an overabundance is called hypervitaminosis or overdose. Both hypovitaminosis and hypervitaminosis D cause disruption of various tissue organs, provoking a number of diseases. Therefore, vitamin D should not be consumed in large quantities, so as not to provoke an overdose.

Vitamin D deficiency

Lack of vitamin D leads to a decrease in the absorption of calcium from food, as a result of which it is washed out of the bones and stimulates the production of parathyroid hormone by the parathyroid glands. Against this background, hyperparathyroidism is formed, in which the leaching of calcium from the bones increases. Bones lose strength, bend, unable to withstand the load, and a person develops various violations of the normal structure of the skeleton, which are manifestations of rickets. That is, lack of vitamin D is manifested by rickets.

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency (rickets) in children:

• Delayed teething;
• Delayed closure of fontanelles;
• Softening of the bones of the skull, against which the flattening of the occipital lobes occurs with the simultaneous formation of bone growths in the region of the frontal and parietal tubercles. As a result of such processes, a person's head becomes square, which persists for life and is a sign of rickets suffered in childhood;
• Deformation of the bones of the face, as a result of which a saddle nose and a high gothic sky can form;
• Curvature of the legs according to the type of the letter "O" (popularly this condition is called "legs with a wheel");
• Deformation of the pelvic bones;
• Thickening of the ends of the tubular bones, as a result of which the knee, elbow, shoulder and ankle and finger joints become large and protruding. Such protruding joints are called rickety bracelets;
• Thickening of the ends of the ribs, which leads to the formation of protruding large joints at the junction of the costal bones with the sternum and spine. These protruding junctions of the ribs with the sternum and spine are called rachitic rosaries;
• Chest deformity (chicken breast);
• Sleep disturbance;
• Irritability;
• Sweating.

After elimination of vitamin D deficiency, sleep disturbances, irritability and sweating disappear, bone strength is restored, and the level of calcium and phosphorus in the blood gradually returns to normal. However, bone deformities (for example, saddle nose, chicken breast, curvature of the legs, square shape of the skull, etc.), which have already formed during the period of vitamin D deficiency, will not be corrected when the vitamin D deficiency is eliminated, but will remain for life and will be a sign rickets suffered in childhood.

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency (rickets) in adults are:

• The development of osteomalacia, that is, bone thinning, from which calcium salts are washed out, which give strength;
• Osteoporosis;
• Loss of appetite;
• Insomnia;
• Burning sensation in the mouth and throat;
• Weight loss;
• Visual impairment.

All disorders that have arisen in adults against the background of vitamin D deficiency completely disappear after the normalization of the intake of calciferol in the body.

Vitamin D overdose

An overdose of vitamin D is a very dangerous condition, since in this case there is an intensive absorption of calcium from food, which is sent to all organs and tissues, being deposited in them in the form of solid salts. The deposition of salts causes calcification of organs and tissues that cease to function normally. In addition, excess calcium in the blood provokes severe disorders of the heart and nervous system, manifested by micronecrosis and arrhythmias. The clinical symptoms of vitamin D overdose depend on its degree. Currently, there are three degrees of vitamin D overdose, characterized by the following clinical manifestations:

I degree of hypervitaminosis D- mild poisoning without toxicosis:

• Anorexia;
• sweating;
• Irritability;
• Sleep disturbance;
• Delayed weight gain;
• Thirst (polydipsia);
• A large amount of urine more than 2.5 liters per day (polyuria);
• constipation;
• Pain in joints and muscles.

II degree of hypervitaminosis D- moderate poisoning with moderate toxicosis:

• Anorexia;
• Periodic vomiting;
• Decrease in body weight;
• Tachycardia (palpitations);
• Muffled heart sounds;
• systolic murmur;
• Decreased activity of alkaline phosphatase in the blood (AP).

III degree of hypervitaminosis D- severe poisoning with severe toxicosis:

• Persistent vomiting;
• Severe weight loss;
• Dehydration;
• Low muscle mass (hypotrophy);
• lethargy;
• Low mobility (hypodynamia);
• Drowsiness;
• Periods of marked anxiety;
• Periodic convulsions;
• High blood pressure;
• Muffled heart sounds;
• systolic murmur;
• expansion of the heart;
• Attacks of arrhythmia;
• ECG abnormalities (widening of the QRS complex and shortening of the ST interval);
• Pale skin and mucous membranes;
• Cold hands and feet;
• Dyspnea;
• Pulsation of blood vessels in the neck and in the stomach;
• Increased levels of calcium, phosphates, citrates, cholesterol and total protein in the blood (hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypercholesterolemia, hyperproteinemia);
• Decreased levels of magnesium in the blood (hypomagnesemia);
• Decreased activity of alkaline phosphatase in the blood (AP);
• Complications in the form of bacterial infections (for example, pneumonia, pyelonephritis, myocarditis, pancreatitis);
• CNS depression up to coma.

Treatment of vitamin D overdose

If there are signs of an overdose of vitamin D, you should immediately begin to take measures to accelerate the removal of the substance from the body. The process of eliminating excess vitamin D is considered a treatment for hypervitaminosis D, which is as follows:
1. With a mild degree of poisoning, give a person inside vaseline oil, which will reduce the absorption of vitamin D residues present in the intestines. To restore the normal structure of cells as soon as possible and reduce the penetration of calcium into tissues, a person is given vitamin E and A. In order to accelerate the removal of excess calcium, Furosemide is used, and Asparkam or Panangin is used to compensate for the loss of potassium and magnesium;
2. With an average degree of poisoning, a person is given vaseline oil, vitamins E and A, Furosemide, Asparkam or Panangin. Verapamil is added to these drugs (eliminates excess calcium deposition in tissues), Etidronate (reduces calcium absorption from the intestine), Phenobarbital (accelerates the conversion of vitamin D into inactive forms);
3. In severe overdose of vitamin D, all drugs used to treat moderate poisoning are administered intravenously. In addition to these drugs, if necessary, glucocorticoids, saline, Calcitrin and Trisamine are administered.

In case of violations of the heart (arrhythmia, shortness of breath, palpitations, etc.) or the central nervous system (lethargy, coma, convulsions, etc.) against the background of an overdose of vitamin D, it is necessary to administer phosphate salt preparations, for example, In-phos, Hyper-phos-K, etc. .

Overdose and deficiency of vitamin D (rickets) in children: causes, symptoms, treatment, answers to questions - video

Vitamin D - indications for use

Vitamin D is indicated for therapeutic or prophylactic use. Prophylactic intake of vitamin D is to prevent rickets in children and vitamin deficiency in adults. Therapeutic intake of vitamin D is carried out as part of the complex therapy of various diseases, accompanied by a violation of the structure of bones and a low level of calcium in the blood. Preventive and therapeutic intake of vitamin D differs only in dosages, otherwise it is carried out according to the same rules. So, for prevention, calciferol preparations should be taken at 400-500 IU (10-12 mcg) per day, and for treatment at 5000-10000 IU (120-250 mcg) per day.

Vitamin D is indicated for use in the following conditions and diseases:

• Hypovitaminosis D (rickets) in children and adults;
• broken bones;
• Slow fusion of bones;
• Osteoporosis;
• Low levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood;
• Osteomyelitis (inflammation of the bone marrow);
• Osteomalacia (softening of the bones);
• Hypoparathyroidism or hyperparathyroidism (insufficient or excessive amounts of parathyroid hormones);
• Systemic lupus erythematosus;
• Chronic atrophic gastritis;
• Chronic enteritis of any etiology, including celiac disease, Whipple's disease, Crohn's disease, radiation enteritis;
• Chronic pancreatitis;
• Tuberculosis;
• Arthritis;
• Hemorrhagic diathesis;
• Pollinosis;
• Psoriasis;
• Muscular tetany;
• Menopausal syndrome in women.

Vitamin D for a newborn - should I give it?

Currently, the question of whether to give vitamin D to a newborn child is causing widespread debate in society. Someone believes that this is necessary, referring to the long experience of mothers, grandmothers and "experienced" pediatricians who have been working for more than one year. And someone says that this is not necessary, since the child receives all the necessary vitamins from milk. In fact, these are two radical, completely opposite positions, neither of which is correct. Consider when a child needs to be given vitamin D to prevent rickets.

If the child is at least 0.5 - 1 hour a day on the street and is exposed to direct sunlight, while he is completely breastfed, and the mother eats fully, then vitamin D is not necessary. In this case, the child will receive part of vitamin D from mother's milk, and the missing amount is synthesized in his skin under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. It should be remembered that a mother's nutritious diet is such a diet in which she necessarily consumes vegetables and fruits every day, and meat, fish, eggs and dairy products at least one day a week. And a child’s walk means his stay on the street, under the sun, and not several hours spent in a closed stroller, walled up from the outside world.

If the child is mixed-fed, is regularly outside, and the mother eats well, then he also does not need to give vitamin D, since modern baby food contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals in the right amount.

If the child is completely artificially fed using modern mixtures, then he does not need to give vitamin D, under any circumstances, even if he practically does not walk. This is due to the fact that in modern mixtures there are all the vitamins and trace elements necessary for the growth and development of the child in sufficient quantities.

If the child is breast-fed or mixed-fed, rarely goes outside without being exposed to solar radiation, and the mother is malnourished, then vitamin D should be given. You also need to give vitamin D if the child is artificially fed not with modern mixtures, but, for example, cow, goat or donor milk, etc.

Thus, vitamin D should be given to newborns only in the following cases:
1. The breastfeeding mother is malnourished.
2. Artificial feeding is carried out not with modern mixtures, but with donor milk of various origins.
3. The child is outside less than half an hour a day.

In principle, in modern temperate climates, the need for additional vitamin D intake by newborns under one year of age is very rare, since the nutrition of nursing mothers and the availability of modern, nutrient-rich infant formulas have completely eliminated the problem of calciferol deficiency. It should be remembered that the mandatory intake of vitamin D by newborns for the prevention of rickets was introduced more than 40 years ago, when nursing mothers did not always eat well, worked overtime in difficult conditions of factory workshops, and there were simply no infant formulas, and "artificial" mothers were fed with donor milk, which was necessarily boiled, which means that the vitamins in it turned out to be destroyed. Therefore, in the then existing conditions, vitamin D was a necessity for almost all newborns. Today, conditions have changed and all babies do not need the vitamin. Therefore, it should only be taken when needed.

Vitamin D for children

Vitamin D should be given to children if they are not in the sun for at least one hour a day, do not eat meat at least twice a week and do not eat animal products (butter, sour cream, milk, cheeses, etc.) daily. You can also give vitamin D if you notice that the child has an O- or X-shaped curvature of the legs and a saddle nose is forming. In all other cases, the child does not need to take vitamin D, with the exception of serious diseases, when it is prescribed by a doctor as part of complex therapy.

Vitamin D in summer

In the summer, if a person is in the sun and consumes animal products at least once a week, then you do not need to take vitamin D, regardless of age. At the same time, exposure to the sun means being outdoors in a small amount of clothing (open T-shirts, short shorts, skirts, dresses, swimwear, etc.) under direct sunlight. Such a stay on the street for half an hour in the summer is enough for the endogenous production of the required amount of vitamin D in the skin. Therefore, if a person is outside at least half an hour a day in the summer, then he does not need to take vitamin D.

If a person does not go outside in the summer, for some reason is constantly indoors, or does not undress, leaving most of the skin covered, then he needs to take vitamin D prophylactically.

Vitamin D in foods - where is it found?

Vitamin D is found in the following foods:

• Sea fish liver;
• Fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna, perch, etc.;
• Liver beef, pork;
• Fatty meats, such as pork, duck, etc.;
• Fish caviar;
• Eggs;
• Milk cream;
• Sour cream;
• Vegetable oil;
• Seaweed;
• Forest chanterelle mushrooms;
• Yeast.

Vitamin D preparations

In pharmacological preparations of vitamin D, the following forms are used:

• Ergocalciferol - natural vitamin D 2;
• Cholecalciferol - natural vitamin D 3;
• Calcitriol is an active form of vitamin D 3 obtained from natural products;
• Calcipotriol (Psorkutan) is a synthetic analogue of calcitriol;
• Alfacalcidol (alpha D 3) is a synthetic analogue of vitamin D 2 (ergocalciferol);
• Natural fish oil is a source of various forms of vitamin D.

All of these forms are highly active and can be used without any restrictions.

Pharmacological preparations can be single-component, that is, containing only forms of vitamin D, or multi-component, which include vitamin D and various minerals, most often calcium. Both types of preparations can be used to eliminate vitamin D deficiency. However, multicomponent preparations are the best option, since they simultaneously eliminate the deficiency of vitamin D and some other elements.

All forms of vitamin D

Currently, the following preparations containing vitamin D are available on the pharmaceutical market:

• Aquadetrim vitamin D 3 (cholecalciferol);
• Alphabet "Our baby" (vitamins A, D, E, C, PP, B 1, B 2, B 12);
• Alphabet "Kindergarten" (vitamins A, E, D, C, B 1);
• Alfadol (alfacalcidol);
• Alfadol-Ca (calcium carbonate, alfacalcidol);
• Alpha-D 3 -Teva (alfacalcidol);
• Van Alpha (alfacalcidol);
• Vigantol (cholecalciferol);
• Videhol (various forms and derivatives of vitamin D);
• Vita bears (vitamins A, E, D, C, B 1, B 2, B 6, B 12);
• Vitrum (vitamins A, E, D, C, K, B 1, B 2, B 6, B 12);
• Vitrum Calcium + Vitamin D 3 (calcium carbonate, cholecalciferol);
• Vittri (vitamins E, D 3 , A);
• Calcemin Advance (calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, cholecalciferol, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, copper oxide, manganese sulfate, borate);
• Calcium D 3 Nycomed and Calcium D 3 Nycomed forte (calcium carbonate, cholecalciferol);
• Complivit Calcium D 3 (calcium carbonate, cholecalciferol);
• Multi-Tabs (vitamins A, E, D, C, B 1, B 2, B 6, B 12);
• Natekal D 3 (calcium carbonate, cholecalciferol);
• Oxidevit (alfacalcidol);
• Osteotriol (calcitriol);
• Pikovit (vitamins A, PP, D, C, B 1, B 2, B 6, B 12);
• Polyvit (vitamins A, E, D, C, B 1, B 2, B 6, B 12);
• Rocaltrol (calcitriol);
• Sana-Sol (vitamins A, E, D, C, B 1, B 2, B 6, B 12);
• Centrum (vitamins A, E, D, C, K, B 1, B 2, B 6, B 12);
• Ergocalciferol (ergocalciferol);
• Etalfa (alfacalcidol).

Vitamin D oil solution

Vitamin D oil solution can be taken orally or administered intramuscularly and intravenously as needed. In the form of oil solutions of vitamin D, there are the following drugs:

• Vigantol;
• Vitamin D 3 oral solution in oil;
• Videhol;
• Oksidevit;
• Ergocalciferol;
• Etalfa.

Calcium with Vitamin D

Calcium with Vitamin D is a vitamin and mineral complex often used to prevent various diseases associated with bone destruction, such as osteoporosis, osteomalacia, bone tuberculosis, etc. Currently, there are the following preparations containing calcium with vitamin D at the same time:

• Alfadol-Ca;
• Vitrum Calcium + Vitamin D 3;
• Calcemin Advance;
• Calcium D 3 Nycomed and Calcium D 3 Nycomed forte;
• Complivit Calcium D 3;
• Natekal D 3 .

Ointment or cream with vitamin D

Vitamin D ointment or cream is used to treat psoriasis. Currently, the following ointments and creams containing vitamin D are available:

• Glenriaz (calcipotriol);
• Daivobet (calcipotriol);
• Daivonex (calcipotriol);
• Xamiol (calcitriol);
• Curatoderm (tacalcitol);
• Psorkutan (calcipotriol);
• Silkis (calcitriol).

Vitamin D - which is better

In relation to any group of drugs, the term "best" is incorrect and incorrect in its essence, since in medical practice there is the concept of "optimal". This means that for each specific case, a strictly defined drug, which doctors call optimal, will be the best. This also applies to vitamin D supplements.

That is, complex vitamin-mineral complexes containing vitamins D are optimal for the prevention of osteoporosis, osteomalacia and other bone diseases. Vitamin D oil solutions are well suited for the prevention and treatment of rickets in children and adults, since they can be administered not only orally, but also intravenously or intramuscularly. And external creams and ointments with vitamin D are the best drugs for the treatment of psoriasis.

Thus, if a person just wants to drink a course of vitamin D for prevention, then complex vitamin-mineral complexes, for example, Vittri, Alfadol-Ca, etc., will be optimal for him. If it is necessary to prevent rickets in a child, then oil solutions of vitamin D are best suited for this purpose. To eliminate vitamin deficiency and treat various diseases, oil solutions of vitamin D are also the best form.

Vitamin D instructions for use - how to give drugs

Tablets, drops and pills of vitamin D should be taken during or immediately after meals. The oil solution can be poured onto a small piece of black bread and eat it.

For the prevention of rickets, vitamin D is taken in the following dosages, depending on age:

• Full-term newborns from 0 to 3 years old - take 500 - 1000 IU (12 - 25 mcg) per day;
• Premature newborns from 0 to 3 years old - take 1000 - 1500 IU (25 - 37 mcg) per day;
• Pregnant women - take 500 IU (12 mcg) per day during the entire period of bearing a child;
• Nursing mothers - take 500 - 1000 IU (12 - 25 mcg) per day;
• Women in menopause - take 500 - 1000 IU (12 - 25 mcg) per day;
• Men of reproductive age take vitamin D 500-1000 IU (12-25 mcg) per day to improve sperm quality.

Prophylactic use of vitamin D can be continued for several years, alternating 3 - 4 week courses with 1 - 2 monthly intervals between them.

For the treatment of rickets and other diseases of the skeletal system, it is necessary to take vitamin D 2000 - 5000 IU (50 - 125 mcg) for 4 - 6 weeks. Then you need to take a week break, after which you will repeat the course of taking vitamin D.

Vitamin D analysis

Currently, there is a laboratory analysis for the concentration of two forms of vitamin D in the blood - D 2 (ergocalciferol) and D 3 (cholecalciferol). This analysis allows you to accurately determine the presence of vitamin deficiency or hypervitaminosis, and, in accordance with its results, make the necessary decision to cancel or, on the contrary, take vitamin D supplements. The concentration of these two forms is determined in venous blood taken in the morning on an empty stomach. The normal concentration of both D 2 and D 3 is 10 - 40 µg / l each.

A person gets acquainted with this vitamin immediately after birth: babies receive it to prevent rickets. This substance is vital at any age, so cases of overdose are not uncommon. However, hypervitaminosis D is a direct path to even greater problems. It's easy to balance your vitamin levels.

Vitamin D is several components, up to D6. Its second name is calciferol. It is formed under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, comes from food and synthetic drugs.

Fat-soluble, accumulates in bones and fat reserves. It is unique in that it is a “two in one” substance: a vitamin and a hormone. In the human body, it "supervises" the circulation of calcium and phosphorus, forming the correct skeleton.

Additional functions of calciferol:

• prevents children's rickets and osteoporosis in adults;
• produces leukocytes that remove foreign structures from the blood;
• regulating the level of insulin, leaves the right amount of sugar in the blood;
• prevents diseases of the endocrine and immune systems;
• establishes contact between muscles and nerves.

Finally, it puts a barrier to cancer cells or inhibits their spread throughout the body.

Vitamin D overdose and its causes

The first clinical manifestations of vitamin D overdose were described in the 1920s. Outrageous indicators were noted after forty years. In the 1960s, there was a rampant advertising of artificial feeding of newborns. A superdose of calciferol was considered an effective way to overcome rickets, so it was not saved in baby food.

Single overdoses of moderate degree are not dangerous. The chronic form is much worse, when the body is saturated with one and a half to double the norm for months.

To avoid an overabundance of vitamin D, consider the following:

• "Reserve" is created by synthetic drugs and the use of products saturated with calciferol. Therefore, the total vitamin requirement must be calculated by summing up all sources.
• Many mothers, who are terribly afraid of rickets, in addition to fish oil, feed their child with enhanced vitamin doses.
• To an excess of calciferol, bedridden patients, obese people (fat-soluble vitamin D accumulate adipose tissue), heart disease, kidney disease, pregnant women, and lactating people are especially sensitive.
• The daily norm of calciferol can be obtained by walking for two to three hours in the sun. Therefore, in the warm sunny season, the amount of foods fortified with it should be limited.
• Even a super overdose is not dangerous for children suffering from rickets: this component is always not enough for their bodies.

Natural fish oil or cod liver oil is an ideal way to safely saturate the body. There are vitamins A and D here. The first does not allow an overdose of the second.

Contraindications to taking vitamin D supplements

Calciferol is forbidden to be taken by people with the following diseases:

• excess calcium in the blood or urine;
• tachycardia;
• thrombosis;
• individual intolerance.

Only a doctor can prescribe such drugs to children under one year old and people with a slow metabolism. The risk group consists of people with limited mobility, seriously ill (lying down), overweight.

Symptoms of an overdose of vitamin D

The main danger of vitamin D hypervitaminosis is an increase in the presence of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. The result is calcification of the liver, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, heart. The degree is determined by overdose: mild, acute, chronic.

Light degree

The first alarming "markers" of excess vitamin D:

• digestive disorders; the range is from zero appetite plus constipation to vomiting accompanied by diarrhea;
• breathing difficulties (inability to breathe deeply, causeless shortness of breath);
• breaks joints;
• headache;
• muscles cramp;
• hypertension occurs.
• body is feverish.

As soon as the dosage is normalized, everything goes by itself.

Acute overdose

Occurs with a single dose that exceeds the recommended dosage at times. Among the first signs:

• loss of appetite to zero;
• nausea followed by vomiting, diarrhea;
• their result is dehydration of the body (drying of the skin, mucous membranes, thirst increases);
• the heart works sluggishly (the skin becomes cyanotic, the pulse slows down);
• increasing pressure;
• convulsions all the time;
• urination frequent and copious.

The case may end in confusion.

Chronic form

Appears with a long "hobby" calciferol. With an overdose of vitamin D, symptoms in adults are as follows:

• a person gets tired quickly, he has a consistently bad mood, irritability goes off scale;
• sleep disturbance;
• nausea, vomiting, no appetite, losing weight;
• muscles reduce cramps, tics; lower back ache;
• swelling appears;
• the skin is covered with a rash;
• digestion is completely upset;
• increased risk of bone fractures.
• General immunity decreases, a healthy person becomes sickly.

Particularly dangerous symptoms

Chronic overdose of component D provokes calcification of the body:

• accelerated stone formation in the kidneys, because of which they fail;
• the heart muscle "petrifies";
• cerebral vessels constrict;

Calcification can affect other organs, which is deadly for humans.

Overdose in children

The child's body reacts to the permanent intake of large doses with the following manifestations:

• the skeleton is formed abnormally (especially tubular bones), osteoporosis is likely, increasing fractures;
• hair grows slower
• the skin becomes gray, dry;
• growth is inhibited;
• the child is thirsty all the time;
• pulse is slow.

• constant vomiting, thirst;
• indigestion;
• restless sleep;
• convulsions, spasms;
• tearfulness, capriciousness.

Chronic overdose for children is especially dangerous, because their body is not able to deal with toxins as effectively as an adult.

The main symptoms of a vitamin D overdose are high blood pressure, poor sleep, vomiting, nausea, heavy urination, diarrhea, and heart problems.

Daily intake of vitamin

The daily amount of a substance is determined by gender, age, physical condition, and other circumstances (mcg):

In pregnant women, an increased dose of this drug is spent on the developing fetus. An excess of component D during breastfeeding through milk is received by the child's body in order to prevent developmental anomalies, especially rickets.

Prevention of vitamin D overdose

In order for the body not to suffer from vitamin abundance, the following must be considered:

• Sources of substance intake - sunlight, food, synthetic drugs.
• Vitamin preparations are taken only by prescription. The doctor will take into account their compatibility with other drugs prescribed to a person, his state of health, and other individual circumstances of the patient. Especially a small child. If there are no obvious signs of rickets, the doctor will not prescribe vitamin D.
• If you want to take the drug yourself, you must first look at the dosage of the capsule or tablet. Study the attached instructions for correct reception.
• The substance is synthesized by sunlight, so long walks in the sun are undesirable. However, they should not be neglected either.
• The lack of calciferol is an "occupational ailment" of people who constantly work on the night shift, lead an active nocturnal lifestyle or live beyond the Arctic Circle. They also lack sunlight.
• Without extreme necessity, vitamin D is not taken in late spring and summer, when it is constantly warm and sunny outside.

You can support the body without synthetic drugs, by “natural” methods. That is, eat more fatty fish, seafood, caviar, seaweed, cheese, butter, egg yolks, oatmeal, mushrooms. Or walk more on sunny days, leaving the skin as accessible to the sun as possible.

Therapy of an excess of a substance in the body

Having discovered an overdose, measures must be taken immediately.

A slight excess is neutralized by ingesting a small amount of vaseline oil. This will make it difficult for the poison to be absorbed.

Serious cases (for example, if the baby ate pills or emptied the vial) require a set of standard actions for intoxication:

• immediately stop taking the drug;
• wash the stomach with plenty of water (at least one and a half liters) with potassium permanganate or slightly salted to provoke vomiting;
• give a saline laxative, and when the intestines are emptied, add a sorbent (activated charcoal or equivalent).

This allows you to quickly remove vitamin D from the body, lowering the dangerous concentration.

If poisoning is recorded in a child under one year old, an elderly person or a pregnant woman, an ambulance is called.

Emergency medical care is required for these categories of people if they have the following symptoms:

• diarrhea (especially with blood);
• severe vomiting;
• dehydration of the body;
• convulsions;
• drop in blood pressure;
• general weakness, fainting.

With symptoms of vitamin D poisoning in a child, the algorithm of actions for parents is to stop using the drug and urgently take him to the hospital.

With timely seeking help, the consequences of an overdose disappear without harm to health.

The importance of vitamin D for human health is undeniable. Its lack is detrimental, but an overdose is simply dangerous. To avoid it, you need to carefully use the drug and always consult a doctor. Especially when it comes to small children, the elderly or the period of pregnancy.

If pharmaceutical preparations are not available, a healthy diet and the sun will help out. However, they are also useful only in moderate doses.

An excess of vitamin D can manifest itself in a wide range of symptoms: vomiting, indigestion, hypercalcemia, manifested in an increased concentration of calcium in the blood. This condition is no less dangerous than. What to do with an excess of vitamin D in the body? Let's find out together.

Calciferol according to the method of formation is usually divided into natural and synthetic. The first variety is found in food of animal origin (D3), the second - in biological additives (D2).

If acute symptoms worsen within a few hours, doctors should be called. In this case, the patient must be provided with plenty of fluids. Children under one year of age are subject to hospitalization without fail. After hospitalization, the visit to the doctors for the baby does not end: the child must be observed for another three years. Under the control of the doctors, the work of the small patient's heart, the composition of urine and blood will be regularly checked.

However, as a rule, to eliminate the signs of hypervitaminosis, it is enough to simply cancel the vitamin complex.

Possible complications and their prevention

The body cannot always fully compensate for the vitamin "hit" on its own. The patient may develop acidosis, hyperacidity, and cardiac arrhythmias. Manifestations of hypervitaminosis D are especially dangerous in the hot season.

You should not prescribe medications and vitamins to yourself. Try to stay in the sun sensibly, avoiding direct sunlight between 11 am and 4 pm.

Neglecting treatment after the appearance of obvious symptoms, the patient dooms himself to toxic damage to internal organs and the central nervous system, deterioration in the permeability of body cells. All this leads to premature aging.

You should always remember the "golden rule" that it is better to prevent a disease than to treat it.

Vitamins are chemical substances of organic origin that are absolutely necessary for our body. With a lack of vitamins, metabolism is disturbed, which affects the functioning of organs and the well-being of a person. Some vitamins are part of the enzymes involved in biochemical reactions, some become enzymes themselves or catalyze these reactions. Among the vitamins there are also substances from which hormones are subsequently formed.

The status of vitamins, as of 2012, has been assigned to 13 compounds and two more are under consideration. It is important to know about vitamins that they almost do not tolerate cooking, frying and other methods of cooking, which is why the most vitamins are in food that is consumed fresh - for example, in fruits and vegetables.

Water soluble and fat soluble vitamins

Vitamins are divided into 2 large groups - water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. The first includes vitamins of group B, vitamin C and P. The second includes four compounds - vitamins A, D, E, K. The diet should contain vitamins of both groups. Fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the body, stored in reserve in the liver and adipose tissue, and are well absorbed in the company of fats. Water-soluble vitamins in excess are simply excreted from the body. They don't need fat to digest. Interestingly, scientists have long synthesized water-soluble analogues of fat-soluble vitamins.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. Partially, it is produced, more precisely, it is activated in melanocytes of the skin cells under the action of sunlight. Such vitamin D is called endogenous (endo means "inside"). In countries where there are few sunny days, including Russia, vitamin D does not have time to be synthesized in the skin in sufficient quantities, and its only source remains food or capsules and tablets. By the way, in people with black skin, due to the large amount of pigment in the skin, this vitamin is also poorly produced.

Vitamin D is needed to strengthen bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. He, like a key, opens the cells of the bones so that calcium can penetrate inside, which, among other things, is necessary for better healing of bone injuries. Vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestines, maintaining normal levels of these compounds in the body, which are necessary for bone health.

As recent studies have shown, vitamin D has another extremely important function. There is a disease related to a number of autoimmune. In autoimmune diseases, immune cells "attack" the cells of the body itself, considering them foreign. If the autoimmune process affects the myelin sheaths of the nerves, a serious illness develops - multiple sclerosis. So, it has been found that vitamin D is able to bind with autoimmune cells, making them more “peaceful” and protecting our brain and nerves from multiple sclerosis. In addition, it is necessary for the prevention of diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, heart and vascular diseases, and even malignant tumors.

Vitamin D is a precursor and stimulates the formation of testosterone - the main male sex hormone. Without this vitamin, a man will not be able to build muscle and look like a sort of macho, and he also develops problems in the sexual sphere. Therefore, today, if a man is found to have low testosterone, treatment is unthinkable without vitamin D supplements. However, women need vitamin D no less, since it is involved in reproductive function.

Vitamin D is good for vision. It prevents the development of the so-called macular degeneration of the retina - a disease that often ends in blindness. Vitamin D also affects teeth. It has been established that with its deficiency, tooth enamel becomes loose and vulnerable to damage by bacteria. It follows that if there is little vitamin D, then there will be many visits to the dentist. Finally, vitamin D ensures normal blood clotting and contributes to the functioning of the thyroid gland. When applied externally, it helps with psoriasis.

The daily intake of vitamin D for children from 5 to 13 years old and adults is 2.5-5 mcg, during pregnancy and in the first 5 years of life it needs more - up to 10 mcg. There are foods that contain record levels of vitamin D. For example, three eggs contain enough vitamin D to cover the daily requirement. 100 grams of tuna contains as many as three daily allowances. In one bank of cod liver - one and a half daily norms.

In addition, vitamin D is found in cheese, milk, fatty fish. By supplementing your diet with these foods, you can prevent hypovitaminosis. An excellent source of vitamin D is fish oil, which today comes in the form of capsules, and not the nasty substance that we were fed as children. To increase the endogenous production of vitamin D, you can do ultraviolet baths at home using a special lamp.

Vitamin D deficiency: rickets, arthrosis, immunity

The norm of vitamin D in the blood is 30-100 ng / ml. Vitamin D deficiency is found in many people. It is most pronounced in young children, who develop rickets with a lack of vitamin D. With rickets in a child, the fontanel closes late, teeth begin to erupt later, the bones soften, which causes deformation of the skull, pelvis, chest (chicken breast), curvature of the legs like the letter “O” and thickening of the joints. Signs of rickets are also excessive sweating, irritability, poor sleep. If hypovitaminosis is dealt with in time, many symptoms of rickets go away, but some, say, chicken breasts, can persist for life, reminding that this person had rickets in childhood.

Vitamin D deficiency is also harmful for adults. As already mentioned, a lack of vitamin D makes us vulnerable to autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, arthrosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. In men, it causes a lack of testosterone and infertility. With a lack of vitamin D, calcium is washed out of the bones and hyperparathyroidism develops, in which calcium loss only intensifies. Bones become brittle, brittle, which increases the risk of fractures in a fall or other injury. Signs of vitamin D deficiency include loss of appetite, burning sensation in the mouth, weight loss, decreased visual acuity, and insomnia. All these violations are easily eliminated when taking vitamin D in capsules or tablets.

Meanwhile, not only a deficiency, but also an excess of vitamin D is not useful for the body. It leads to calcium retention in the body and its deposition in organs and tissues, which interferes with their function. Excess calcium also disrupts the functioning of the heart and nervous system.

With a slight hypervitaminosis, loss of appetite, irritability, poor sleep, thirst and increased urine output, constipation, joint pain, and muscle pain are noted. As hypervitaminosis worsens, vomiting, palpitations, a decrease in the activity of the alkaline phosphatase enzyme, an increase in the level of salts of phosphoric, citric acid, cholesterol and proteins in the blood are added to these symptoms.

In severe poisoning, vomiting becomes frequent, weight loss is significant, dehydration develops, convulsions, shortness of breath, arrhythmias, a decrease in the concentration of magnesium in the blood, infections caused by bacteria often occur. In some cases, depression of the nervous system to coma is possible. With hypervitaminosis D, calcium excretion agents, liquid paraffin, vitamins E and A, and other drugs are used.

Thus, troubles lie in wait for us not only with a shortage, but also with an excess of vitamin D, and for coordinated work the body needs a certain amount of it. You can determine the level of this substance in the blood using a special analysis. And knowing the norms of the vitamin, any person can independently regulate its intake into his body by changing the diet or taking pharmacy vitamin D.