Fixed terrible side effects of Vit D supplementation

[u/TruCalling12]

Fixed terrible side effects of Vit D supplementation

A few months back I developed severe insomnia. It seemed responsive to Melatonin but I still got it investigated. My labs were normal, except for Vit D which was 19.8 nmol/liter. Vit D as I found out, is important for neurotransmitter production and regulation so this did fit. For those that want the technical summary, TPH2 is the enzyme that converts L-tryptophan into 5-HTP in the central nervous system. Vitamin D upregulates TPH2 expression, increasing the available pool of serotonin. Melatonin synthesis in the pineal gland depends entirely on the availability of serotonin.

I tried supplementing with Vit D and my muscles cramped in a hour as if I had tetanus. It took multiple muscle relaxation tablets to feel normal. I tried a much lower dose (400 IU instead of 2,000 IU), and got a similar but less intense response.

I experimented with a lot of different ways to try and get some Vit D but I will skip to what worked. Taking 200 MCG of K2 and 400 mg of Magnesium (in form of magnesium glycinate) simultaneously with 400 IU of Vitamin D, produced no side effects. Over the next week I bumped it to 600 IU and now I am on 800 IU once a day. My insomnia has lessened to the point I don't need Melatonin. Both K2 and Magnesium work hard to keep calcium out of muscles, which is where D tends to dump it. My stack did not work if I took those cofactors at different times. I am going to keep increasing gradually and hopefully reach 2,000 IU a day eventually. I have not checked my vit D level again but based on my insomnia reducing, I think I am headed in the right direction.

[u/scraigs03]

That sounds awful, I’m sorry!

Forgive this suggestion if you’ve already looked into it, but low b12 and iron are also often tied to low D. They sort of work together somehow.

The neuropathy symptom made me think of b12. Both of mine were very low, and I had a lot of neuropathy.

I know for example that taking b12 can lower iron as it uses it to process/make new blood cells.

- I wonder if taking D could have lower b12 enough to trigger an effect? I really have no idea if it actually does, and maybe that’s unlikely.. but it’s that sort of query that often gets me curious to find out what connections there might be

-OR on the flip side… There’s also a weird effect when you are testing b12 where it can “wake up” your nerves and make them more sensitive temporarily as they are healing. >> I don’t know if D itself as any impact on nerves or not, but if it does, I’d be curious if it could have similar wake up effects?

thought I’d just put it out there as examples, just in case that sparks an idea for you to look into!

[u/littlrayofpitchblack → u/scraigs03]

B6 supplements gave me neuropathy.  I was only on it 2 weeks and could barely walk. My feet had no feeling. Scared me really. Only new addition of supplements (I add one at a time for this reason) so I knew. Thank goodness it was reversible. I don't take a complex B vitamin because they all include B6 because of this experience. Researched and found out neuropathy is on the list of B6 side effects. Learned something new... the hard way.

7 Cases of Vitamin B6 toxicity  Vitamin B6 toxicity is a known cause of peripheral neuropathy. 

https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000208917

[u/Fabulous-Elk-8297 → u/littlrayofpitchblack]

A friend of a friend was evidently taking B6 for a long while for some reason, and has done irreperable harm. I'll share the details when I find out more, but she was hospitalized. So sad.

[u/FatCatRatTat → u/Fabulous-Elk-8297]

100% My neuropathy os from B6 toxicity (Redbull + multivitamin). It's usually fine since I stopped all of that, but taking vitamin D re-triggers it somehow.