Iron overdoses can have long-term consequences to the intestines and liver, including intestinal scarring and liver failure. Aronson JK. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; Iron and heavy metals.
Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Reviewed by: Jacob L. Editorial team. Multiple vitamin overdose. Poisonous Ingredient Any ingredient in a multiple vitamin supplement can be toxic in large amounts, but the most serious risk comes from iron or calcium. Where Found Many multivitamin supplements are sold over-the-counter without a prescription. Symptoms Below are symptoms of a multivitamin overdose in different parts of the body. Home Care Seek medical help right away.
Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready: Person's age, weight, and condition The name of the product ingredients and strengths, if known Time it was swallowed The amount swallowed.
Several vitamins also assist in metabolizing food. Many vitamins are not produced by the body and must be obtained through food or vitamin supplements, including:. The main distinction that determines the danger of overdosing is whether a vitamin is fat- or water-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins are used by the body as they are digested and are not usually absorbed in any body tissues for a long period of time.
All essential vitamins are water-soluble except for vitamins A, D, E and K. These four are fat-soluble, meaning the body can keep them stored within fat deposits for long-term use. Due to the way vitamins are absorbed and used by the body, some vitamins pose a lower risk of a onetime toxic dose.
They only cause health problems when taken in high doses continuously for many days or in very extreme doses, usually from misuse of supplements. Fat-soluble vitamins are taken up by the body quickly and can pose immediate health risks when taken in moderate-to-extreme doses.
Unless advised by a doctor, you should never take more than the recommended daily dosage of multivitamins or vitamin supplements. While some diseases and conditions can be helped by elevated vitamin use, a healthcare professional should always be consulted before following high-dose vitamin regimens. Care should always be taken to use only recommended amounts of supplements.
Vitamin A is used by the body to promote vision, the immune system response, and normal organ function when consumed in moderate amounts. It is a fat-soluble vitamin found in high concentrations in animal liver, kidney, and fish oil, and in moderate concentrations in dairy and eggs. Vegetables such as sweet potatoes and carrots are also moderate sources of vitamin A. Animal-based foods contain preformed vitamin A that readily becomes usable by the body through digestion, while plant-based foods often contain carotenoids, often called provitamin A, which can be made into vitamin A in the liver.
The amount of vitamin A in a food or supplement is indicated by retinol activity equivalents RAE , a measure of how readily the various provitamin A compounds, such as beta-carotene, become vitamin A used by the body. It may also be listed in international units IU , but Food and Drug Administration regulations require new product labels to list amounts in micrograms mcg RAE.
The recommended vitamin A from animal sources and retinoid-based supplements per day varies for different people:. Keeping daily vitamin A intake near the recommended amounts is the safest choice since chronically taking more can be harmful.
Vitamin A toxicity commonly affects the skin, causing reddening, irritation, and patchy peeling. Chronic, excessive supplement use may lead to more severe symptoms, including:. These severe symptoms correspond to lasting effects on bone health and possible liver damage.
A unique symptom of excess beta-carotene consumption, called carotenodermia, causes a yellow or orange coloration of the skin, but this condition is not dangerous. Excessive consumption of animal food sources, like liver or fish oil, in addition to supplements high in preformed vitamin A, increases the risk of vitamin A toxicity.
Many multivitamins contain both preformed vitamin A and provitamin A, so it is important to identify what kinds are present in these supplements. Plant-derived beta-carotene, a provitamin A found in carrots, is metabolized differently than preformed vitamin A. It is not found to be responsible for any of the serious symptoms of vitamin A toxicity. Some medications will affect how the body absorbs vitamin A. Orlistat, a common weight loss medication, decreases the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins including vitamin A.
Patients taking orlistat should also take individual liposomal forms of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K to replenish what the medication strips from the body. Medications called retinoids consist of vitamin A related compounds and are used for treating ailments affecting the skin, blood, and organ lining. These may increase the risk of toxicity when taken together with vitamin A supplements. If you're diagnosed with chronic vitamin A toxicity based on a blood test, the most important course of action is to reduce vitamin A intake.
In cases of a large toxic dose, you should take activated charcoal. In case of a vitamin overdose, poison control should always be contacted as soon as possible at Most of the B vitamins are important for metabolism. It's linked to skin, hair, brain, and muscle health. Fortunately, with the exception of vitamins B3 and B6, you most likely will not experience significant vitamin toxicity with their overuse. Vitamin B1, also known as thiamin, is found in beef, pork, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and sunflower seeds.
The recommended daily amount for adults is 1. Vitamin B1 is not known to be toxic in high doses. Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, is found in dairy, eggs, meat, salmon, whole grains, and leafy green vegetables.
Vitamin B2 has not been shown to be toxic in high doses. Vitamin B3, also known as niacin , is found in meat, fish, whole grains, and leafy greens. The recommended daily amount for adults is 16 mg for men and 14 mg for women.
Vitamin B3 is used therapeutically to manage cholesterol. However, people taking it may be at risk of toxicity when taking doses of 50 milligrams mg per day or more for a prolonged period of time.
Make sure to check your cholesterol levels after 30—60 days of a niacin B3 protocol. If you're pregnant, avoid taking too much vitamin B3 since it can cause birth defects. High onetime doses of vitamin B3 are not known to be toxic. However, B3should not be taken if you have gout as it can increase uric acid levels.
And when used in combination with statins, there is a higher risk of myopathy, diseases affecting the muscles controlling voluntary body movements, and rhabdomyolysis, a serious medical condition occurring when damaged muscle tissue releases chemicals into the blood. B3 may also worsen peptic ulcer disease. In order to avoid a vitamin B overdose, make sure you consult your healthcare professional. Vitamin A supplementation may enable you to delay getting reading glasses since it supports the function of the human eye, but a severe vitamin A overdose can actually cause death.
Normally, a vitamin A overdose progresses slowly as it accumulates in the body, particularly since it is a fat-soluble vitamin and is stored in your fat cells. The initial signs of a vitamin A overdose may emerge as rather benign health issues: dry, rough skin, cracked lips, and hair loss.
Latter symptoms of vitamin A overdose may include irritability, headache, high level of liver enzyme in blood, and liver disease. In addition to a slow progressing vitamin A overdose, there is such a thing as an acute vitamin A overdose. This is a far more serious type of vitamin overdose with symptoms ranging from vomiting, high pressure in the brain, and even death. The vitamin A recommended daily dose for children 4 to 8 years old is IU and for adults is 10, IU. Staying within these limits is advised, but it is best to check with your healthcare professional to determine what is best for you.
If you're taking a supplement, it's also important to consider which form of vitamin is in your multivitamins. Beta carotene is the most important provitamin A found mostly in vegetables and is converted to vitamin A as needed in the body.
Probably one the most widely known and one of the most dangerous vitamin overdoses, particularly for children, is an iron overdose. While iron is necessary for red blood cells and the prevention of anemia, an iron overdose can lead to death, and is actually the leading cause of fatal poisoning in children younger than 5.
However, you can find iron in our multivitamin capsule Men's, Women's and Prenatal Formulas. The best source of iron is from foods like spinach, sweet potatoes, whole wheat bread, strawberries, and eggs. If your healthcare professional tells you that you or your child still need more iron, using liquid iron with a dropper will allow you to control the iron levels and has no appeal to kids as a treat.
The recommended daily requirement of iron for adults varies depending on age. The same goes for the recommended daily requirement for children.
Depending on the severity of the health issues, a vitamin overdose may not be cause for immediate alarm. However, if you have any concerns for you or your family member, contact a healthcare professional sooner than later. Most vitamin overdose problems occur in children under six years of age. If acute life threatening symptoms appear, seek medical assistance immediately. Storage of supplements is also important for every household. It helps to select a product with a Child Resistant Cap for extra safety.
Vitamin supplementation could be an important part of a healthy lifestyle, provided there are no underlying health issues. The risk of overdose in many of the vitamins listed are low — in fact, deficiency and insufficiency is the struggle with each most of us face.
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