Can You Overdose on Vitamins? Symptoms To Watch For
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Taking too many vitamins can increase the risk of overdose. Symptoms of a vitamin overdose include diarrhea, headache, irregular heartbeat, and nausea.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not test supplements for efficacy or safety before they hit the market. Always consult a healthcare provider before taking a new supplement.
Multivitamin overdose generally causes symptoms that might include:
- Bone, joint, or muscle pain
- Cloudy urine
- Diarrhea
- Dry, cracked lips or skin
- Headache
- Irregular or rapid heartbeat
- Mood changes
- Nausea and vomiting
- Seizures
- Stomach pain
Some nutrients might cause specific symptoms, such as:
- Calcium or vitamin D: Lack of appetite, kidney stones, and muscle weakness
- Iron: Bloody, dark diarrhea and weakness
- Vitamin A: Blurry vision and dizziness
“You really can’t get toxic doses of nutrients through food, but you can absolutely get toxic doses through supplements,” Beth Kitchin, PhD, RDN, an assistant professor in the department of nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told Health.
Many nutrients can be toxic in excess amounts, but B vitamins and vitamin K do not usually cause toxicity. Vitamins that may cause an overdose include:
- Calcium: Too much calcium might raise heart disease and prostate cancer risk. However, research is mixed, and not all studies support these findings.
- Iron: An iron overdose might cause coma or hypotension (low blood pressure) and damage your intestines or liver.
- Vitamin A: Too much vitamin A might lead to coma and death and harm pregnant and breastfeeding people. It may also harm the fetus during pregnancy.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D increases how much calcium your body absorbs, which can cause high blood or urine calcium levels. In rare cases, vitamin D toxicity has been linked to kidney failure, arrhythmias, and death.
- Vitamin E: Excess vitamin E might increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, or sudden bleeding in the brain.
Tolerable upper intake levels (ULs) are the maximum dosage of a nutrient that is unlikely to harm most people. The UL is not the same as the recommended daily intake. Your UL for any one nutrient might depend on your age, such as:
| 0-6 months | 7-12 months | 1-3 years | 4-8 years | 9-13 years | 14-18 years | 19-50 years | 51-70 years | 71 years and older | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium | 1,000 milligrams (mg) | 1,500 mg | 2,500 mg | 2,500 mg | 3,000 mg | 3,000 mg | 2,500 mg | 2,000 mg | 2,000 mg |
| Iron | 40 mg | 40 mg | 40 mg | 40 mg | 40 mg | 45 mg | 45 mg | 45 mg | 45 mg |
| Vitamin A | 600 micrograms (mcg) | 600 mcg | 600 mcg | 900 mcg | 1,700 mcg | 2,800 mcg | 3,000 mcg | 3,000 mcg | 3,000 mcg |
| Vitamin D | 25 mcg | 38 mcg | 63 mcg | 75 mcg | 100 mcg | 100 mcg | 100 mcg | 100 mcg | 100 mcg |
| Vitamin E | N/A | N/A | 200 mg | 300 mg | 600 mg | 800 mg | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg |
Always consult a healthcare provider or pharmacist before taking a new supplement. They can tell you whether a supplement might prevent or treat a condition or pose safety risks.
Other considerations include:
- Daily value: Try looking for a multivitamin with no more than 100% of the Daily Value (DV) for any nutrient.
- Diet: “Pills are not a substitute for a good diet: plant-based, fruit, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. These are packed with what you need,” David Jenkins, MD, PhD, a professor in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto, told Health.
- Dosage and timing: Recommendations might vary. Tell a healthcare provider if you are about to have surgery, breastfeeding, or pregnant.
- Potential drug interactions: Supplements might interact with any medications you are taking.
Safety Tips for Children
Dosage instructions for children are different than those for adults. Follow these safety tips to prevent a child from accidentally ingesting a toxic dose:
- Find a safe storage place when traveling
- Make sure the safety lock on the bottle is engaged
- Put vitamins and medications away promptly
- Remind guests to be careful of their vitamins or medications
- Store vitamins and medications out of sight and reach of children
Seek medical attention right away if you develop overdose symptoms or if you suspect a child has ingested too many vitamins. Never force yourself or someone else to vomit unless a healthcare provider directs you.
Call the Poison Help hotline at 1-800-222-1222, a free service that will connect you to your local poison control center. They can provide information about supplements and their safety risks.
You might need to provide the following information:
- Age
- How much of the supplement was consumed
- The time the supplement was taken
- The type and dosage of the supplement
- Underlying conditions
- Weight
It might be helpful to take the supplement container with you to the emergency room. A healthcare provider can report any adverse reactions to a supplement to the FDA.
Taking a lot of supplements can be harmful. Symptoms of a vitamin overdose include diarrhea, headache, irregular heartbeat, and nausea. Talk with a healthcare provider if you are unsure if you would benefit from supplements.
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