Though vitamins, including vitamin D, are not often thought of as medications, the use of dietary supplements can have a profound effect on other chemicals within your system. Vitamin D can interact with a number of pharmaceuticals to affect their activity within your body, and, alternatively, some medications can affect levels and activity of vitamin D within your tissues. If you're taking any medication, you must consult a medical professional to determine the safety of taking vitamin D supplements, or any other dietary supplement.
Hormone Therapies
Vitamin D supplements can interact with some hormone-based medications, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Many hormone replacement therapies, such as those used to treat the symptoms of menopause, can increase the levels of active vitamin D in your body. This can prove beneficial in preventing the bone loss that can occur during menopause. If you're taking hormone replacement therapy, talk to your doctor about the potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation in addition to hormone therapy.
Thiazide
One potentially harmful interaction can occur between vitamin D and thiazide, a diuretic medication. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that thiazide diuretics deplete the levels of magnesium in the body. Since magnesium helps regulate vitamin D, a depletion in magnesium levels also deregulates vitamin D in your body, leading to negative side effects due to increased vitamin D activity. If you're taking thiazide diuretics in addition to vitamin supplements, discuss with your doctor the safety of your current vitamin D supplementation.
Cholesterol Medications
Vitamin D may interact with some cholesterol medications, and decrease their efficacy within your body. The University of Maryland explains that vitamin D can affect the your body's absorption of Lipitor, as well as other statin medications. As a result, vitamin D supplementation may prevent the action of these pharmaceuticals, leading to an increase in your blood cholesterol levels. If you take cholesterol-lowering medications, consult a medical professional to determine the safety of vitamin supplementation.
Antacids
Consuming some types of antacids, such as those containing calcium, may deplete your body's vitamin D. According to Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension, your body requires vitamin D to absorb calcium, including the calcium within antacids. As a result, regularly consuming antacids may increase your vitamin D intake requirements, as excess vitamin D works to allow the absorption of the calcium within antacid medication. If you currently take calcium-containing antacids, consult with a doctor to determine whether your body requires additional vitamin D supplementation to prevent a vitamin deficiency.
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