Vitamin D, PTH and calcium

Link: Vitamin D.

DS patients often malabsorb vitamins A, D, E, and K as well as calcium. But according to my latest labs, my vitamin D is high at 86 (normal range is 15-60).

What is the health risk of too much vitamin D?

There is a high health risk associated with consuming too much vitamin D. Vitamin D toxicity can cause nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness, and weight loss. It can also raise blood levels of calcium, causing mental status changes such as confusion. High blood levels of calcium also can cause heart rhythm abnormalities. Calcinosis, the deposition of calcium and phosphate in soft tissues like the kidney can be caused by vitamin D toxicity.

Consuming too much vitamin D through diet alone is not likely unless you routinely consume large amounts of cod liver oil. It is much more likely to occur from high intakes of vitamin D in supplements. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine considers an intake of 1,000 IU for infants up to 12 months of age and 2,000 IU for children, adults, pregnant, and lactating women to be the tolerable upper intake level. Daily intake above this level increases the risk of adverse health effects and is not advised.

Since I haven't been swilling down large amounts of cod liver oil (my god, the though boggles my mind), something else is going on. My PTH is high as well, but clearly it's not from lack of vitamin D; rather, it's more a function of my body working harder, post-op, to absorb calcium. 

What does vitamin D have to do with PTH?     

If you do not have enough vitamin D, your body will not be able to absorb calcium properly. Vitamin D regulates the intestinal absorption of calcium, while PTH regulates the activation of vitamin D. Too much and too little vitamin D can imbalance calcium metabolism.

But here's the thing (and this is a tad more to the point, I believe): as I recall, high PTH and calcium values can indicate that calcium is being leeched from bone. My actual calcium level is okay: 9.1 (normal is 8.6 -10.2) -- but that doesn't mean my body still doesn't have to work hard to absorb it.  I had a dexascan about a year ago and all was well. I'd like to keep it that way.

So I think the high PTH and increased D are about needing to increase my calcium. If I had more of it, my body would probably have to work less to get it and leave my bones alone! To head off any problems at the pass, henceforth I'm going to be particularly vigilant about that particular supplement. I've been a little lax with calcium tablets (ahem) because they need to be spaced out throughout the day, and I'm terrible at remembering to take it as the day progresses.

(Yeah, well, get over it, you know?  No excuses!)

Comments

[*S*]

There's no pleasing all of us. I'm at 50,000 IEU of Vitamin D to try to get mine _into_ the normal range. Do be sure to confirm your suspicions with a reputable nutritionist, Deluzy, preferably one familiar with osteoporosis. Oy.