Vitamin D is essential for the health of bones and joints. Taking vitamin D supplements may ease joint pain for some individuals, but it is possible to take too much. Many factors can influence the amount of vitamin D that is appropriate for you to take, including your age, gender, lifestyle, current vitamin D levels and current medical condition. If you are not sure how much vitamin D you should take, ask your doctor for advice.
Amounts of Vitamin D
The Institute of Medicine recommends that most healthy adults should aim for a vitamin D intake of about 600 IU each day. Some doctors may recommend taking larger amounts than this to treat joint pain, but the specific amount varies based on your specific situation. The current tolerable upper intake level for vitamin D is 4,000 IU a day for adults. Exceeding this amount may increase the risk of adverse side effects. Doing so is not recommended unless you have a doctor's approval.
Getting Too Much
Getting too much vitamin D may cause many side effects. Some of these include heart arrhythmia, loss of appetite, weight loss and kidney stones. The calcium levels in the blood may also increase when a person takes too much vitamin D. This increases the risk of damage to the kidneys, heart or blood vessels. Although some situations may warrant exceeding the tolerable upper intake level of 4,000 IU a day, doing so increases the risk of experiencing these effects.
Considerations
Serum concentration of 25(OH)D is the best indicator of the status of vitamin D in the body, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. However, the serum 25(OH)D levels have a nonlinear relationship to increased vitamin D intake. An individual with very low levels may require large amounts of vitamin D just to get a sufficient amount of this nutrient in her body, while someone with adequate amounts of vitamin D may require lesser amounts, but see results more rapidly. Since individual circumstances play such an important role in vitamin D dosing, always follow the recommendations of your doctor.
Warning
Vitamin D supplements might negatively interact with certain medications, including cholesterol medications, epilepsy medications, weight-loss medications and steroids. If you are on any of these medications, your doctor may recommend a lower dosage of vitamin D or find a different treatment for your joint pain. Always report all prescription and nonprescription medications, as well as any dietary supplements, to your doctor before beginning vitamin D supplementation.
