High blood calcium

What does a high calcium result mean?

Hypercalcemia means too much calcium in the blood. It is often found on a routine blood test; further blood or urine tests help identify the cause. Overactive parathyroid glands, cancer and excessive vitamin D intake are among the possibilities. 1

What might you notice?

Digestive discomfort, thirst and frequent urination can occur. Severe elevations can cause confusion or coma and may be life-threatening, making this a medical problem rather than a supplement-selection question. 1

How can vitamin D raise calcium?

Vitamin D increases calcium absorption from the gut. Excessive supplement intake can therefore push blood calcium too high, with nausea, weakness, dehydration and kidney stones among the consequences. Extreme toxicity can cause kidney failure or abnormal heart rhythms. 2

Is vitamin D helpful here?

Here the relevant evidence concerns harm from excess, rather than treatment of high calcium. BfR describes poisoning reports in adults and children after extremely high vitamin D doses, with markedly elevated blood calcium. Persistent elevations can damage the kidneys. 3

Vitamin D

Excess intake is a documented cause of hypercalcemia, not a remedy for it. 2

What matters more than adding another product?

Treatment depends on the cause and severity. Removing a cause may suffice in mild cases; severe cases can require intravenous fluids and medicines. This page does not propose a home treatment regimen. 1

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