Adult Hypervitaminosis D-A Case Series

Prolonged hypervitaminosis D can result in calcium deposition in the soft tissues (especially the kidneys and heart), changes in the central nervous system & in severe cases, death. Patients and clinicians considering supplementation above currently recommended levels should be made aware of the possible toxicities of treatment with vitamin D, and baseline calcium and parathyroid hormone and vitamin D levels should be ascertained. We report here 8 such cases, all presenting with nausea, vomiting, polyuria, polydipsia, weakness and the common history of administration of vitamin D for backache, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, leg cramps or generalized weakness. Laboratory tests revealed hypercalcemia and hypervitaminosis D in all cases. Vitamin D intoxication from increase in vitamin D intake may have become frequent in recent years due to an understanding of the role of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in the pathogenesis of several diseases. The importance of this case series as a warning against overtreatment and unnecessary treatment with high dose vitamin D cannot be overemphasized, especially as a public health measure in a country where vitamin D deficiency in children manifesting with rickets is a risk.