If you go to a local hospital or clinic, you can see an ad promoting the “Vitamin D injection”. Vitamin D can be synthesized naturally in the sunset and obtained from many other foods or nutrients. But in some cases, people get vitamin D via injection. Is it OK to get a high dose of vitamin D injection?

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to many problems, like weakened bones (osteoporosis) and muscle and the risk of infections. When people have difficulty absorbing it through digestive organs, medical professionals may recommend injecting it to quickly increase vitamin D levels. This medical treatment option provides a dose of vitamin D in the form of cholecalciferol, the most common and biologically active form of vitamin D.

However, it is not necessary to take an injection of a high-dose vitamin D just because it is insufficient. The vitamin D content of injections is at least 100 times that of oral preparations or nutritional supplements. The vitamin D content of oral supplements ranges from 1,000 to 5000 IU, while the content of injections ranges from 100,000 to 300,000 IU. Each 5 mL ampoule used in the injection contains an average of 200,000 IU of vitamin D.

If a high dose of vitamin D is administered at once, there is a risk of various side effects. Since vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the body, hypercalcemia can occur if vitamin D levels are too high. Hypercalcemia is a condition in which the blood calcium concentration is increased. In addition to symptoms such as loss of appetite, diarrhea, wheezing, muscle pain, and fatigue, kidney stones may also occur. If there is too much vitamin D in the body, there is also a risk of permanent kidney damage. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so it can accumulate in the body if consumed more than the required amount. Patients who already have hypercalcemia, parathyroid dysfunction, kidney disease, or are taking several drugs should be more careful in administering vitamin D.

People with difficulty taking vitamin D oral preparations due to malabsorption or indigestion may consider injections. However, those with no specific abnormalities in their body can solve the vitamin D deficiency by taking vitamin D oral preparations (nutritional supplements) or simply basking in the sun.