Side effects of Vitamin D shots and why no one talks about its link with blocked arteries

Time of India

5 days ago

Vitamin D is known as "sunshine vitamin", and serves two essential purposes for human health: bone development and immune system support. However, even in a tropical country like India, Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common, due to factors like poor diet, limited sun exposure, and remaining indoors.
While there are pills for the deficiency, doctors sometimes administer Vitamin D injections to patients with extremely low levels, since these enter the bloodstream directly. However, do you know that these injections can have serious side effects, including blocked arteries? Let's take a look..
What Are Vitamin D Shots
Doctors administer Vitamin D3 shots to patients who need strong vitamin D therapy, because their levels are critically low, or their bodies fail to absorb the vitamin through food or pills.
The high dose of Vitamin D3 injected into your muscles delivers the treatment directly to your bloodstream, which accelerates deficiency correction.
Common Side Effects of Vitamin D Shots
Most individuals experience no issues with vitamin D injections, yet potential side effects exist:
The most common side effect is pain or swelling that develops at the injection site which resolves itself within several hours or days. The area may become bruised when people receive multiple injections, which results in discomfort at the injection site.
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Some people might experience nausea together with vomiting, when vitamin D accumulation exceeds safe levels. When people experience excessive vitamin D levels in their bodies, they often develop vomiting and stomach nausea.
The symptoms of headache and dizziness tend to be mild, yet they can become bothersome if they persist for a longer period.
Some people develop constipation, while others experience a dry metallic taste in their mouth.
Excessive vitamin D consumption leads to decreased hunger and subsequent weight reduction, and muscle weakness in the body.
A few individuals experience mood variations and mental confusion, together with cognitive difficulties.
Rare instances of high doses may result in heart rhythm alterations, which produce fast or slow or irregular heartbeats.
When vitamin D levels become excessive in the blood, it leads to both increased thirst and more frequent urination.
Excessive consumption of vitamin D over time can create dangerous calcium levels, which damage the kidneys and produce kidney stones.
The Severe Health Risks of Vitamin D Toxicity
People who receive frequent or large vitamin D shots face a higher risk of developing vitamin D toxicity, because their levels become excessively high. The medical condition known as vitamin D toxicity or "hypervitaminosis D" develops when the body receives excessive amounts of this vitamin. The following signs appear during this condition:
Confusion or disorientation
Extreme tiredness
High calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia): causes confusion, vomiting, kidney stones, heart issues
Severe dehydration
Why No One Talks About Blocked Arteries and Vitamin D
Your body uses vitamin D to absorb calcium for bone health maintenance.
Elevated vitamin D levels create a situation where calcium starts accumulating beyond bones, and enters other body regions such as blood vessels.
Arterial Calcification: How Vitamin D May Be Linked
The medical term arterial calcification describes the process of artery blockage through calcium accumulation. The process of arterial stiffening through atherosclerosis occurs when arteries become more prone to blockages.
Scientific research shows that taking excessive doses of vitamin D creates conditions where calcium forms deposits in arteries, instead of bones leading to future heart disease development.
Research: What Does the Science Say
Observational studies demonstrate that very low vitamin D levels are connected with higher heart risks, even though research on vitamin D supplements and injections for heart disease prevention remains inconclusive.
Studies of high vitamin D dosages in animals sometimes show arterial calcification, but the results do not consistently apply to human subjects.
Research demonstrates that vitamin D toxicity from excessive doses or prolonged use, results in elevated blood calcium levels which can cause arterial calcification and potentially lead to blocked arteries.
Research indicates that Vitamin D deficiency poses risks to the heart, but high or excessive intake in people who do not require it, does not offer clear cardiovascular benefits and could potentially cause harm.
Are Vitamin D Shots Safe for Your Arteries
The majority of people experience no harm from receiving a single shot or undergoing short-term medical treatment under doctor supervision. But:
People who have heart disease together with a history of kidney stones and elevated blood calcium levels, require extra attention during treatment.
The risk increases when patients receive prolonged or high-dose injections without blood testing.
Sources
WebMD
The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic
MedlinePlus