POLL - vitamin toxicity

Docs always seem to worry about vitamin toxicity, much more than they worry about vitamin deficiency, for some reason.  Tell them you are taking 50,000 IU D3 daily because your vitamin D level is only 15, and they will practically panic, thinking you are gonna be toxic in mere days.  (You're not, I promise).

But how valid is their concern?  Has anyone here had vitamin toxicity, ever?  If you have, which vitamin was it?  What syptoms did you have?  How much were you taking and for how long?  What was your level on your labs?

Please note, I'm not saying it's a good idea to take more of something than you need.  I think we really need to go by our labs.  I'm just wondering how often toxicity occurs - I know deficiencies are very common.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/819426-overview#a0199

Epidemiology

Frequency

United States

The 2007 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poison Data System document the total number of exposures for each class of vitamins, the number of patients with major adverse outcomes, and the number of fatalities from that ingestion,^[3] as follows:

• Adult multiple vitamins without iron or fluoride - 3,100 total exposures, 0 major outcomes, and 0 deaths
• Adult multiple vitamins with iron but without fluoride - 6416 total exposures, 0 major outcomes, and 0 deaths
• Pediatric multiple vitamins without iron or fluoride - 23,141 total exposures, 0 major outcomes, and 0 deaths
• Pediatric multiple vitamins with iron but without fluoride -13,036 total exposures, 2 major outcome, and 0 deaths
• Vitamin A - 637 total exposures, 0 major outcomes, and 0 deaths
• Niacin - 2,495 total exposures, 2 major outcomes, and 0 deaths
• Pyridoxine - 232 total exposures, 0 major outcomes, and 0 deaths
• Other B complex vitamins - 3011 total exposures, 1 major outcomes, and 0 deaths
• Vitamin C - 1,546 total exposures, 0 major outcomes, and 0 deaths
• Vitamin D - 1221 total exposures, 0 major outcome, and 0 deaths
• Vitamin E - 772 total exposures, 0 major outcome, and 0 deaths
• Overall, 60,719 exposures to different types of vitamins were reported to the poison control centers across the United States in 2008, accounting for 8 major adverse outcomes and 0 deaths. Of the total exposures, 46,550 incidents occurred in children younger than 6 years old and 8,255 involved individuals aged 6-19 years.

Mortality/Morbidity

Morbidity and mortality from pure vitamins are rare. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poison Data System, in 2008, more than 60,000 acute or chronic vitamin overdoses were documented, with 8 major adverse outcomes and 0 deaths.^[3]

Race

No scientific data indicate that outcomes of vitamin overdose are dependent on race.

Sex

No scientific data indicate that outcomes of vitamin overdose are dependent on sex.

Thanks!  So apparently people aren't dropping dead due to vitamin D toxicity?

Nope, but what about constipation, fatigue, kidney stones, nausea, muscle cramps, headache, high blood pressure, and heart disease???

I see lots of complaints of these symptoms on these forums all the time.

And you think those are due to toxicity or deficiency?

My point is, there is such thing as too much of a good thing.  None of us should be titrating our supplementation in such a manner as to exceed the upper threshhold for ranges.

I agree there can be too much of a good thing.  I'm just interested in seeing how common toxicity is.  All I ever hear about is deficiency.

Considering WLSers malabsorption of vitamins and minerals and the poor diet of the general population, I think it's a safe bet that sure toxicity is rare.

 If I understand the second post correctly that is cases that are reported to the Poison Control Center, which would mean they overdosed on them by taking a lot at one time.  It is not saying what happens when a person takes a couple a day and ends up becoming toxic from them.  These folks probably had their stomachs pumped too, so I doubt that it would be the same results. As a laboratory technologist I do not remember many people having too much of any one vitamin, but I do know my PCP freaks at the amount of vitamins I take and I have to tell him to just not worry about it, but I do usually get the side effects they can cause lecture.  

I think you are right about that report.  It's still interesting, though.