MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Multiple vitamin overdose

Skip navigation


Medical Encyclopedia
Other encyclopedia topics:	A-Ag Ah-Ap Aq-Az B-Bk Bl-Bz C-Cg Ch-Co Cp-Cz D-Di Dj-Dz E-Ep Eq-Ez F G H-Hf Hg-Hz I-In Io-Iz J K L-Ln Lo-Lz M-Mf Mg-Mz N O P-Pl Pm-Pz Q R S-Sh Si-Sp Sq-Sz T-Tn To-Tz U V W X Y Z 0-9

Multiple vitamin overdose

Contents of this page:
Definition Poisonous Ingredient Where Found Symptoms Home Treatment	Before Calling Emergency Poison Control, or a local emergency number What to expect at the emergency room Expectations (prognosis)

Definition

Multiple vitamin overdose is poisoning from swallowing more than the recommended amount of multiple vitamins.

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

Numerous vitamin supplementation combinations

Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

Symptoms

Body as a whole
- Bone pain
- Sun-sensitive (more likely to sunburn)
- Cloudy urine
- Headache
- Increase amount of urine output
- Increase need to urinate
- Irritability
- Joint pain
- Loss of hair (from chronic overdose)
- Mental changes
- Mood changes
- Muscle pain
- Muscle weakness
Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- Dry, cracking lips (from chronic overdose)
- Increased sensitivity of the eyes to light
- Irritation of the eyes
Skin
- Flushing (from Vitamin B3)
- Dry cracking skin
- Itching
- Yellow-orange discoloration of areas of the skin
Gastrointestinal
- Loss of appetite
- Constipation (from iron or calcium)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Weight loss (from chronic overdose)
Nervous system
- Convulsions (seizures)
Cardiovascular
- Electrical disturbances (arrhythmias) in the heart

Home Treatment

Do NOT induce emesis (vomiting), unless instructed to do so by Poison Control or by a physician. For any acute or suspected overdose, seek emergency medical care immediately.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

Patient's age, weight, and condition
The name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
When it was swallowed
The amount swallowed

Poison Control, or a local emergency number

Call Poison Control or your local emergency number -- they will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Take the container with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

Placing a tube down the nose and into the stomach (a nasogastric or NG tube) to wash out the stomach
Administering activated charcoal
Taking a blood sample
Giving IV fluids
Admission to the hospital
Treating the symptoms
Checking vitamin A levels in the blood
Giving iron antidote or calcium antidote

Expectations (prognosis)

Niacin flush (Vitamin B3) is uncomfortable, but lasts only 2-8 hours. Vitamins A and D may cause symptoms when large daily doses are taken, but are rarely toxic in a single ingestion. The B vitamins rarely produce any symptoms. Iron and calcium overdoses have good prognoses, if treated early.

Update Date: 2/9/2004

Updated by: Cherlin Johnson, M.D., Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2002 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.