Vitamins are naturally occurring compounds that are required by various biochemical functions in your body. However, your body cannot make vitamins and they must be consumed in food or health supplements. Although health supplements that contain vitamins are usually safe, some vitamins, especially fat-soluble vitamins, can cause symptoms of toxicity if you overdose on them. You should always consult your physician before taking new health supplements.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can cause severe symptoms after an overdose. Headache, nausea, weight loss, excess urine production and heart arrhythmias are some of the general symptoms than can result from a vitamin D overdose. In addition, vitamin D plays an important role in regulating the level of calcium in your blood, and high doses of vitamin D can lead to dangerously high amounts of calcium in your bloodstream. High levels of calcium can damage the kidneys, blood vessels and heart, warns the Office of Dietary Supplements.
Vitamin A
Another fat-soluble vitamin that can cause severe toxicity is vitamin A. Symptoms of a vitamin A overdose include nausea, blurred vision and irritability. A severe overdose may also result in swelling of the spleen and liver, hair loss, bone pain and patchy changes in skin color, explains Colorado State University. In children, a severe overdose can lead to growth retardation.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is one of the few water-soluble vitamins that causes severe symptoms after an overdose. Long-term use of high doses of vitamin B6 can lead to a type of nerve damage called sensory neuropathy. Symptoms of sensory neuropathy include burning, tingling or numbing sensations in the feet and hands. The strange sensations may spread up the feet and arms, eventually leading to loss of balance and difficultly walking.
Other Vitamins
Overdosing on several other vitamins, including vitamin E, vitamin C and vitamin B3, can cause a variety of non-specific symptoms. Some of the possible symptoms include nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal complaints. Overdosing on vitamin C may also increase the risk of kidney stones, and vitamin B3 may cause irritability.
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