Vitamin D causing seizures

[jyearta]

My New neur. called me and told me my vit. D, was very low, and wants me to start taking 1000mg right away.

I told her that everytime I have taken this in the past, it has caused me to have siezures, I would stop the vit. and the seiz. would stop, I went 2 more times and purchased (different times) and purchases vit. D under different brand names. Again I would take the vit. D, and have the seiz. stop the vit. and the seiz. would stop.

She has never heard of this, along with the other neur. that I've been to.

Note-A compounding Phar. is working on this with another dr. for me.

ANYWAY--Has anyone had this issue with vit. D.

 

[Dignan]

Never heard of that, but doesn't mean it can't happen.. Seems like anything is possible in the seizure world..

 

[Endless]

There is chatter in some of the discussion forums about low vitamin d causing seizures, but that isn't backed up by many medical articles. I did find one. Take care when googling - there were many mentions on "psudoscience" sites that are not backed up by any true scientific research whatsoever. Here's the one good one I found:

Patients with severe vitamin D deficiency and hypocalcemia present with classic findings of neuromuscular irritability, including numbness, paresthesias, muscle cramps, laryngospasm, Chvostek’s sign, Trousseau’s phenomenon, tetany, and seizures.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0115/p299.html


Correlation doesn't mean causation. In other words, just because you started having increased seizures when you took D doesn't mean that the D caused them, even if the seizures stopped when you discontinued the D. It could have been a coincidence. There may have been another cause, or it could have been just a cluster of seizures. Mine happen in clusters and I have no idea why.

On the other hand, I never completely rule out anything. Different people react differently to all kinds of things. It could have even been an allergic reaction to the source of the vitamin D and it triggered seizures. Who knows.

There IS a lot of literature on what can happen if you have chronic low levels of vitamin D. It can have negative effects on your bones and teeth.

 

[jyearta]

Endless, I did think that is was some kind of coincidence, and that I had taken something else, just didn't remember.

However, this happen with 3 diff. dr. and I would go and buy the vit. D. and the next day the seiz. I would stop the vit. and seiz. stopped.

Maybe I took to large of a dose? I don't know.

Thank you for the inform.

It was on this forum that someone advise to have your Vit D. levels checked and to get a base line on your bone density. If I had not read that post I would not have thought to ask for it.

I say this --because there is so much good information that is coming from this forum. and I am truly grateful.

 

[Nakamova]

Vitamins are complicated because they don't work alone, but interact with other essential nutrients in the body. Vitamin D can cause bone loss both if it is too low AND if it is too high. Go figure! I haven't seen anything directly linking high vitamin D levels with seizures, but overconsumption of Vitamin D can cause high calcium levels in the blood, which can in certain circumstances cause seizures. It would be unusual for this to happen after just one dose though. Maybe there were filelrs or binders in the Vitamin D that you were sensitive to?

 

[Aubrey]

jyearta -

Absolutely yes vitamin D can be a trigger!

Of course, my doctor had me on doses in the tens of thousands, but still.

The day I started taking it I started having rolling simple or complex partials. I would just go in and out of consciousness. And when I stopped, so did they partials, at least 90%. I only have, like, maybe one every couple of weeks now. You may have low vitamin D, which also causes seizures but vitamin D supplements in anything considered a therapeutic amount, can certainly be a trigger. And it was my neurologist who prescribed it, too. I am not saying don't take vitamin D supplements, but small doses, really small doses. Be careful.

 

[jyearta]

Thanks you all.

I FINALLY found a compound phar. - I have had several talks with the owner and I'm learning alot. I have asked for Vit. D, cal. B6, B12 and folic acid. and OF ALL DRS. - it's my OB/GY who is willing to work with the compounding phar.
However he has not gotten anything made for me yet.

This was all in the works before I saw the new neur.- I did give her this inform.

Not wanting to get into a situation, I have asked the Phar. to fax this neur. all that he is planning to make. and to ask her if he should wait on mixing up anything yet giving this new I'm now starting on.
Do want to stir the pot to much

 

[Blythe]

Hey Thank you Jyearta, My Vit D must have been very low during my 20's & 30's. I increased the calcium and have been taking 1000 iu of D for 13 years. What are the symptoms of B12 deficiancy?

 

[jyearta]

This might be more information than you are wanting. however this is only one part of what I have found and these are some of my symptoms.

I hope this help you.


Vitamin B12 deficiency


Nervous system
A lack of vitamin B12 can affect your nervous system (the brain, nerves and spinal cord). For example, you may experience:
• vision problems
• memory loss
• paraesthesia (pins and needles) – a prickling or tingling feeling in the arms, legs, hands or feet
• ataxia – the loss of physical coordination, which can affect your whole body and cause difficulty speaking or walking
______________________________________________________
Vitamin B12 deficiency can potentially cause severe and irreversible damage, especially to the brain and nervous system. At levels only slightly lower than normal, a range of symptoms such as fatigue, depression, and poor memory may be experienced.[1] However, these symptoms by themselves are too nonspecific to diagnose deficiency of the vitamin.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause symptoms of mania and psychosis.[15][16] Vitamin B12 deficiency can be caused by the metabolic disorder pernicious anemia.

NOTE: is inform. Came from :wikipedia vitamin B-12
Mania - : excitement of psychotic proportions manifested by mental and physical hyperactivity, disorganization of behavior, and elevation of mood; specifically : the manic phase of bipolar disorder
Psychosis - Psychosis may involve delusional beliefs, some of which are paranoid in nature. Karl Jaspers has classified psychotic delusions into primary and secondary types. Primary delusions are defined as arising suddenly and not being comprehensible in terms of normal mental processes, whereas secondary delusions may be understood as being influenced by the person's background or current situation (e.g., ethnic or sexual orientation, religious beliefs, superstitious belief).[4]
Thought disorder
Thought disorder describes an underlying disturbance to conscious thought and is classified largely by its effects on speech and writing. Affected persons show loosening of associations, that is, a disconnection and disorganization of the semantic content of speech and writing. In the severe form speech becomes incomprehensible and nutritional deficiency, such as vitamin B12 deficiency

withdrawal, of a large number of medications may provoke psychotic symptoms.[7] Drugs that can induce psychosis experimentally and/or in a significant proportion of patients include amphetamine and other sympathomimetics, dopamine agonists, ketamine, corticosteroids (often with mood changes in addition), and some anticonvulsants such as vigabatrin

 

[elizzza811]

Hmmm? I thought I was going to have a seizure yesterday and I had taken a calcium/D supplement in the morning. I take it on and off, not daily, but I've never paid any attention to whether it correlated with these 'attacks' I'm having, whether or not they are seizures or seizure-related.

Doesn't vitamin D boost the immune system? Is it possible seizures are somehow related to an autoimmune disease process? Just a thought...

 

[seizingbeauty]

I just started taking vitamin D. I'm working overnight shift and was noticed that as I was getting overly tired recently. With the sun setting earlier it ws getting worse and the phamacist recommended it. So far no adverse reactions. No more energy either though

 

[jyearta]

Blythe, on a previous post you asked what the symptoms of B-12 deficiency are.

B-12 deficiency - Symptoms
WEAKNESS
FATIGUE
NO STAMINA – to do any every day task
TROUBLE WALKING – ALMOST FALLING
MEMORY PROBLEMS
BACK HURTING
EYES FOSING (CAN’T TELL R FROM F
NEUROPATHY IN TOES, FEET AND HANDS
IRRITABILITY
LIGHTHEADNESS
CAN NOT CONCENTRATION

I just wanted to share this list with all of you.

Please don't make the mistake I did, I thought a little numberness, so what, a little memory problems, so what, my list went on. My mistake was that I did not tell my Dr.- and it could have been nothing, but the dr. have to know these things.
So many symptoms can be a sign of SO many differ. things.

But I must say with the feeling I was getting from my Dr. - was that they didn't care anyway. NOW I say that, because when I did tell him of something that was going on, his answer was ALWAYS MMMM,. There again I made yet another mistake, I should have found another Dr.

I'm learning (NOW at 59 years old) we do have a voice.

 

[hootie]

Calcium can be an excitotoxin and therefore cause seizures in some people.

If the vitamin D supplement still causes seizures...why not make it yourself (limited sun exposure or tanning bed with the right UV rays to make vitamin D). Sun/tanning bed exposure in moderation does not cause skin cancer...our bodies were made to make vitamin D when exposed to the sun.

 

[Aubrey]

I agree, Hootie - tanning beds are a good idea - my neurologist in OR actually recommended them to me for same reason. I never did go. I had actually forgotten about that.

 

[Nakamova]

The studies are still mixed on raising Vitamin D levels via sun exposure. A study done of 93 fit and healthy Hawaiian surfers (who get prolonged sun exposure) showed a large degree of variability in their vitamin D levels. More than half of them fell below 30 ng/ml. and the highest percentile reached a level of 65 ng/ml. Here's the link to the full article: http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/92/6/2130.full

In my own experience, I get plenty of sun, and my D levels, measured in the height of summer, are still low. I do take a D supplement myself (5000IU).

I think vitamin D supplementation/or UV exposure can be helpful, but there still isn't a definitive correlation between certain target blood levels and overall health.

 

[jyearta]

I hear what you are saying about the sun.

However living in Georgia, and I used to be outside all the time in my garden and my vit. D. was low then also.

 

[Blythe]

I

I don't know what mine was when I was in my 20'stwenties and 30's. Wish I would have known....The western Oregon Cascades with 75+ inches of rain a year does not twirls a lot of natural sun days...just what we call liquid sunshine...

 

[Emee]

I am so glad you posted this because I thought I was the only one that had this problem.
My dr didn't believe me so I kept trying to take it in lower doses but I always ended up in a stupor (for lack of a better word). It was like I was in a coma. I was so lethargic after I regained consciousness I couldn't walk across the room. Like you, I tried it several different time because I was very low in D. Finally I said "forget it". I couldn't live like that. Vit D3 is made from the lanolin in sheeps wool. You may have an allergy to lanolin which I do, but didn't know it when I started the D3. Thanks.

 

[hootie]

Cod liver oil has natural vitamin d and vitamin a...
That is another source. If you do try it, make sure you buy from a company that tests for heavy metal contamination. Car son's and Nordic Naturals are good brands.

 

[jtdds]

A principle in physiology is that Vitamin D and Magnesium are co-factors. Hence when you marinate yourself with Vitamin D, particularly D2, you essentially take Magnesium out of play. Magnesium stabilizes neuronal transmission. The last thing you want to do in seizure patients is to agitate the brain. My former neuro felt compelled to reverse my critically low Vitamin D level (Why? I wasn't sick.) with the common method of inducing 50,000 IU of Vitamin D2 for 2 consecutive weeks. I rarely get grand mal seizures ( once every 12-16 years but didn't know what could be triggering them until 2011)
The one I had that week nearly killed me. The agitation lasted for weeks and weeks until I started taking supplemental Magnesium. I take 1/2 teaspoon of finely crushed Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate) every day and lay off the Vitamin D. I completely stopped having myoclonic jerking that nothing else I ever took was able to accomplish. The agitation was so great after the seizure that I needed to practically beg for Ativan. Once the Magnesium had a chance to reverse the high Vitamin D (about 5 days), I felt like a million $$. Do your own homework on whether or not Magnesium is right for you. I make my own Epsom Salt gel caps (Size 00 x 3) now but started with 1,000 mg/day of commercial Magnesium products. Do you really need Vitamin D? I'd rather risk brittle bones when I'm an old man than die of a seizure in middle age. Long term Anti-epilepsy drugs are notorious for plummeting Vitamin D. It creates a vicious feedback loop: Seizure disorder>> Take AED>> Low Vitamin D levels >> Take Supplemental Vitamin D >> seizures increase>>Take more AED>> even Lower Vitamin D levels >> Take even more supplemental Vitamin D >> seizures worsen >> Increase AED >> critically lower Vitamin D levels >>
Take even more Vitamin D >> worse seizures.