Vitamin D Overdose How Much Is Too Much?

If there is a need for you to take high doses of vitamin D, make sure to take adequate doses of calcium and magnesium, too. And please always consult your doctor about that. One of the main benefits of vitamin D is its key function in the absorption of calcium, which is a great preventive measure against osteoporosis. And besides this valuable function, it can also strengthen your immune system and reduce the risk of some types of cancer by 50%.

One of the best ways to get the necessary doses of vitamin D is from the Sun. Our body is capable of determining when it has produced a good amount of vitamin D from the sun. When there is enough vitamin D produces the production stops and the ultraviolet light so you don't have to be afraid of vitamin D overdose from sunshine.

People who suffer from vitamin D deficiency can have increased doses of vitamin D as a treatment. As we already know we can get vitamin D from the sun, food and vitamin supplements. Vitamin D supplements are most frequently used in the treatment of vitamin D deficiency. For example, the patient may take up to 50,000 IU per week for two months. After that period, it is recommended to check the levels of vitamin D in blood. If the deficiency has ended it is recommended to prevent it by simply exposing to sun for up to 10 minutes every day.

The vitamin D overdose may cause several serious diseases and conditions, and we are going to name just 2 of the most frequent. They are: Hypercalciuria and hypercalcemia. Hypercalciuria actually excessive excretion of calcium in urine, and hypercalcemia is having too much calcium in blood.

The high doses of vitamin D may lead to calcium formations in the soft tissues in the body. These formations most frequently occur in the lungs, heart or liver and are responsible for liver failure or heart problems.

You should start using supplements only after you have a talk with your doctor and check your vitamin D levels. If the doctor approves the use of vitamin D supplements, you should start taking vitamin D supplements slowly and gradually to avoid some side effects. However, to keep your levels of vitamin D ideal try to take it from food and expose yourself to sunlight at least 10 minutes every day. In most cases, these two measures are enough to avoid vitamin D deficiency.

Author Bio: The above article is written by Boris Washington who writes about Vitamin D Deficiency and Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms

What's new in endocrinology from UpToDate

35% of UpToDate topics are updated every four months. The editors select a small number of the most important updates and share them via "What's new" page. I selected the brief excerpts below from What's new in endocrinology:

Osteoporosis

Denosumab (Prolia)

Denosumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that specifically targets a ligand known as RANKL (that binds to a receptor known as RANK) which is a key mediator of osteoclast formation, function, and survival. Denosumab was approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture (history of osteoporotic fracture, multiple risk factors for fracture) or patients who have failed or are intolerant of other available osteoporosis therapies. Denosumab inhibits the formation, function, and survival of osteoclasts. It decreases bone resorption, increases bone mineral density (BMD), and reduces the risk of fracture.

Teriparatide (Forteo)

Teriparatide (parathyroid hormone) did not accelerate fracture healing in postmenopausal women with distal radial fractures.

Transdermal teriparatide patch worked as well as teriparatide injection in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Orlistat (Xenical, Alli) in obesity

Severe liver injury has been reported rarely with the use of orlistat (13 reports). Over the ten year period of the review, an estimated 40 million people worldwide used orlistat.

References:
What's new in endocrinology and diabetes mellitus. UpToDate.

Image source: Flickr, Creative Commons license.

Serotonin Blocker May Build New Bone in Osteoporotic Mice by Decreasing GI Serotonin Levels

From WebMD:

When investigators treated mice with an experimental drug that stopped the gut from synthesizing serotonin, they were able to reverse severe bone loss and essentially cure osteoporosis in the animals.



Serotonin May Hold Key to Halting Osteoporosis. NatureVideoChannel — February 05, 2010 — A drug that reverses osteoporosis in mice looks like a promising candidate for treating the human version of the disease. Gerard Karsenty and his colleagues at Columbia University Medical Center have shown that blocking the neurotransmitter serotonin--secreted from the gut--promotes bone growth. The research appears on-line at www.nature.com/naturemedicine - Yadav et al. Nature Medicine, 7 February 2010. DOI: 10.1038/nm.2098.

Most bone treatments work to block bone loss and make existing bone stronger. One drug, Forteo (teriparatide), does build new bone, but it requires daily injections and is limited to two years of use.

References:
Serotonin May Be a Key to Treat Osteoporosis. WebMD.