Fallout Following Unproven Prophylactic Use of Exogenous Vitamin D for COVID-19

Collins Amadi; Bright Amadi

doi:doi:10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22

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Fallout Following Unproven Prophylactic Use of Exogenous Vitamin D for COVID-19

Collins Amadi, Bright Amadi

Published in Science Journal of Clinical Medicine (Volume 10, Issue 4)

Received: 27 November 2021 Accepted: 15 December 2021 Published: 24 December 2021

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Abstract

The ongoing COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease of 2019) pandemic has devastated the human race socially, psychologically, mentally, medically, and economically. It has greatly impacted both developed and developing societies. No region of the earth has been spared of the adverse consequences of the disease. To date, the treatment of the disease has remained ill-defined. Additionally, there are no standard preventive regimens for the disease except for non-pharmacologic interventions and vaccinations. However, several unproven preventive medications are awash in social media including the use of chloroquine, Zinc, Ivermectin, Vitamin D, and so many others as prophylactic agents for COVID-19. This has led to the unregulated/unsupervised self-induced consumption of these unproven medications that may be deleterious to health if taken in excess. Herein is a case of a 24-year-old undergraduate who self-medicated with a high dosage of exogenous Vitamin D for unproven COVID-19 prophylaxis for 2 months. He developed Vitamin D Toxicity (VDT) and manifested with varying clinical (dehydration, hypertension, acute abdomen) and metabolic (hypercalcemia, hypokalemia, alkalosis, hyperphosphatemia, hypoparathyroidism, hypercalciuria, and crystalluria) consequences all related to VDT. However, hypercalcemia was the initiating metabolic disorder for all the clinical and the other metabolic derangements. He was admitted, managed accordingly, and discharged home in good clinical condition. Regulations and public health enlightenment of these unproven medications, including Vitamin D, for COVID-19 prophylaxis, should be prioritized to stem the deleterious effect of these agents. These measures will limit the current pandemic to a viral pandemic rather than a pandemic of drug misuse and overdose.

Published in	Science Journal of Clinical Medicine (Volume 10, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22
Page(s)	147-151
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Hypervitaminosis D, Vitamin D Toxicity, Hypercalcemia

References

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[2]	Del Rio C, Collins LF, Malani P. Long-term health consequences of COVID-19. JAMA 2020; 324 (17): 1723-4.
[3]	Sohrabi C, Alsafi Z, O'neill N, Khan M, Kerwan A, Al-Jabir A, et al. World Health Organization declares global emergency: A review of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Int J Surg. 2020; 76: 71-6.
[4]	Poston JT, Patel BK, Davis AM. Management of critically ill adults with COVID-19. JAMA. 2020; 323 (18): 1839-41.
[5]	Carlotti AP, Carvalho WB, Johnston C, Rodriguez IS, Delgado AF. COVID-19 diagnostic and management protocol for pediatric patients. Clinics. 2020; 75: e1894. DOI: 10.6061/clinics/2020/e1894.
[6]	Sourdi E, Yu EW, Jan de Beur SM, Drake MT. Vaccination for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Relationship to Osteoporosis Care: Current Evidence and Suggested Approaches. J Bone Miner Res. 2021; 36 (6): 1042-1047. DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4304.
[7]	Mulaw Belete T. An Up-to-Date Overview of Therapeutic Agents for the Treatment of COVID-19 Disease. Clin Pharmacol. 2020; 12: 203-212. DOI: 10.2147/CPAA.S284809.
[8]	Harvey NC, Cooper C, Raisi-Estabragh Z. Vitamin D supplementation and COVID-19 disease: safety but unproven efficacy-reply to Dr Helga Rhein. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2021 Sep; 33 (9): 2635-2636. doi: 10.1007/s40520-021-01947-3.
[9]	Rahesh J, Chu V, Peiris AN. Hypervitaminosis D without toxicity. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2019; 33 (1): 42-43. doi: 10.1080/08998280.2019.1674052.
[10]	Tebben PJ, Singh RJ, Kumar R. Vitamin D-Mediated Hypercalcemia: Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Endocr Rev. 2016; 37 (5): 521-547. doi: 10.1210/er.2016-1070.
[11]	Marcinowska-Suchowierska E, Kupisz-Urbańska M, Łukaszkiewicz J, Płudowski P, Jones G. Vitamin D Toxicity-A Clinical Perspective. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2018 Sep 20; 9: 550. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00550.
[12]	Sharma N, Landsberg E, Kumar V, Gambhir HSS. A Curious Case of Hypervitaminosis D. Cureus. 2020; 12 (6): e8515. doi: 10.7759/cureus.8515.
[13]	Marins TA, Galvão Tde F, Korkes F, Malerbi DA, Ganc AJ, Korn D, et al. Vitamin D intoxication: case report. Einstein (Sao Paulo). 2014; 12 (2): 242-4. doi: 10.1590/s1679-45082014rc2860.
[14]	Orbak Z, Doneray H, Keskin F, Turgut A, Alp H, Karakelleoglu C. Vitamin D intoxication and therapy with alendronate (case report and review of literature). Eur J Pediatr. 2006; 165 (8): 583-4. doi: 10.1007/s00431-005-0069-9.
[15]	De Paula ALT, Gonzaga WPF, Oliveira LM, Feibelmann TCM, Markus J. Exogenous intoxication by non-prescribed use of vitamin D, a case report. BMC Geriatr. 2020; 20 (1): 221. doi: 10.1186/s12877-020-01614-8.

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APA Style

Collins Amadi, Bright Amadi. (2021). Fallout Following Unproven Prophylactic Use of Exogenous Vitamin D for COVID-19. Science Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(4), 147-151. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22

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ACS Style

Collins Amadi; Bright Amadi. Fallout Following Unproven Prophylactic Use of Exogenous Vitamin D for COVID-19. Sci. J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(4), 147-151. doi: 10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22

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AMA Style

Collins Amadi, Bright Amadi. Fallout Following Unproven Prophylactic Use of Exogenous Vitamin D for COVID-19. Sci J Clin Med. 2021;10(4):147-151. doi: 10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22

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@article{10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22,
  author = {Collins Amadi and Bright Amadi},
  title = {Fallout Following Unproven Prophylactic Use of Exogenous Vitamin D for COVID-19},
  journal = {Science Journal of Clinical Medicine},
  volume = {10},
  number = {4},
  pages = {147-151},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjcm.20211004.22},
  abstract = {The ongoing COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease of 2019) pandemic has devastated the human race socially, psychologically, mentally, medically, and economically. It has greatly impacted both developed and developing societies. No region of the earth has been spared of the adverse consequences of the disease. To date, the treatment of the disease has remained ill-defined. Additionally, there are no standard preventive regimens for the disease except for non-pharmacologic interventions and vaccinations. However, several unproven preventive medications are awash in social media including the use of chloroquine, Zinc, Ivermectin, Vitamin D, and so many others as prophylactic agents for COVID-19. This has led to the unregulated/unsupervised self-induced consumption of these unproven medications that may be deleterious to health if taken in excess. Herein is a case of a 24-year-old undergraduate who self-medicated with a high dosage of exogenous Vitamin D for unproven COVID-19 prophylaxis for 2 months. He developed Vitamin D Toxicity (VDT) and manifested with varying clinical (dehydration, hypertension, acute abdomen) and metabolic (hypercalcemia, hypokalemia, alkalosis, hyperphosphatemia, hypoparathyroidism, hypercalciuria, and crystalluria) consequences all related to VDT. However, hypercalcemia was the initiating metabolic disorder for all the clinical and the other metabolic derangements. He was admitted, managed accordingly, and discharged home in good clinical condition. Regulations and public health enlightenment of these unproven medications, including Vitamin D, for COVID-19 prophylaxis, should be prioritized to stem the deleterious effect of these agents. These measures will limit the current pandemic to a viral pandemic rather than a pandemic of drug misuse and overdose.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY - JOUR
T1 - Fallout Following Unproven Prophylactic Use of Exogenous Vitamin D for COVID-19
AU - Collins Amadi
AU - Bright Amadi
Y1 - 2021/12/24
PY - 2021
N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22
DO - 10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22
T2 - Science Journal of Clinical Medicine
JF - Science Journal of Clinical Medicine
JO - Science Journal of Clinical Medicine
SP - 147
EP - 151
PB - Science Publishing Group
SN - 2327-2732
UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22
AB - The ongoing COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease of 2019) pandemic has devastated the human race socially, psychologically, mentally, medically, and economically. It has greatly impacted both developed and developing societies. No region of the earth has been spared of the adverse consequences of the disease. To date, the treatment of the disease has remained ill-defined. Additionally, there are no standard preventive regimens for the disease except for non-pharmacologic interventions and vaccinations. However, several unproven preventive medications are awash in social media including the use of chloroquine, Zinc, Ivermectin, Vitamin D, and so many others as prophylactic agents for COVID-19. This has led to the unregulated/unsupervised self-induced consumption of these unproven medications that may be deleterious to health if taken in excess. Herein is a case of a 24-year-old undergraduate who self-medicated with a high dosage of exogenous Vitamin D for unproven COVID-19 prophylaxis for 2 months. He developed Vitamin D Toxicity (VDT) and manifested with varying clinical (dehydration, hypertension, acute abdomen) and metabolic (hypercalcemia, hypokalemia, alkalosis, hyperphosphatemia, hypoparathyroidism, hypercalciuria, and crystalluria) consequences all related to VDT. However, hypercalcemia was the initiating metabolic disorder for all the clinical and the other metabolic derangements. He was admitted, managed accordingly, and discharged home in good clinical condition. Regulations and public health enlightenment of these unproven medications, including Vitamin D, for COVID-19 prophylaxis, should be prioritized to stem the deleterious effect of these agents. These measures will limit the current pandemic to a viral pandemic rather than a pandemic of drug misuse and overdose.
VL - 10
IS - 4
ER -

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Author Information

Collins Amadi

Department of Chemical Pathology, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria; Department of Chemical Pathology, Pamo University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt, Nigeria; Green Care Medical Consultants Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Bright Amadi

Department of Chemical Pathology, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria; Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria; Green Care Medical Consultants Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

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APA Style

Collins Amadi, Bright Amadi. (2021). Fallout Following Unproven Prophylactic Use of Exogenous Vitamin D for COVID-19. Science Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(4), 147-151. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22

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ACS Style

Collins Amadi; Bright Amadi. Fallout Following Unproven Prophylactic Use of Exogenous Vitamin D for COVID-19. Sci. J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(4), 147-151. doi: 10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22

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AMA Style

Collins Amadi, Bright Amadi. Fallout Following Unproven Prophylactic Use of Exogenous Vitamin D for COVID-19. Sci J Clin Med. 2021;10(4):147-151. doi: 10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22

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@article{10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22,
  author = {Collins Amadi and Bright Amadi},
  title = {Fallout Following Unproven Prophylactic Use of Exogenous Vitamin D for COVID-19},
  journal = {Science Journal of Clinical Medicine},
  volume = {10},
  number = {4},
  pages = {147-151},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjcm.20211004.22},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjcm.20211004.22},
  abstract = {The ongoing COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease of 2019) pandemic has devastated the human race socially, psychologically, mentally, medically, and economically. It has greatly impacted both developed and developing societies. No region of the earth has been spared of the adverse consequences of the disease. To date, the treatment of the disease has remained ill-defined. Additionally, there are no standard preventive regimens for the disease except for non-pharmacologic interventions and vaccinations. However, several unproven preventive medications are awash in social media including the use of chloroquine, Zinc, Ivermectin, Vitamin D, and so many others as prophylactic agents for COVID-19. This has led to the unregulated/unsupervised self-induced consumption of these unproven medications that may be deleterious to health if taken in excess. Herein is a case of a 24-year-old undergraduate who self-medicated with a high dosage of exogenous Vitamin D for unproven COVID-19 prophylaxis for 2 months. He developed Vitamin D Toxicity (VDT) and manifested with varying clinical (dehydration, hypertension, acute abdomen) and metabolic (hypercalcemia, hypokalemia, alkalosis, hyperphosphatemia, hypoparathyroidism, hypercalciuria, and crystalluria) consequences all related to VDT. However, hypercalcemia was the initiating metabolic disorder for all the clinical and the other metabolic derangements. He was admitted, managed accordingly, and discharged home in good clinical condition. Regulations and public health enlightenment of these unproven medications, including Vitamin D, for COVID-19 prophylaxis, should be prioritized to stem the deleterious effect of these agents. These measures will limit the current pandemic to a viral pandemic rather than a pandemic of drug misuse and overdose.},
 year = {2021}
}

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