Taking a daily multivitamin can help boost your health and decreases the risk of developing vitamin deficiencies. In most instances, people do not feel any side effects associated with taking multivitamins, but in some cases people may develop stomach upset or headaches after taking them. Fatigue is not a common side effect of multivitamins, but may occur if too many have been taken.
Identification
Multivitamins are tailored for the needs of healthy individuals, seniors, pregnant women and children. Multivitamins are also tailored for nail growth, hair growth, eye health, skin health and heart health. Regular complete multivitamins contain a mixture of vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K along with several essential minerals. The complete multivitamins are taken once per day, whereas multivitamins specified for certain body parts or bodily functions may be taken more than once per day.
Side Effects
Multivitamins may cause stomach upset, nausea or headaches. Multivitamins that contain large amounts of iron may also cause stomach pain and constipation. These symptoms may subside in the course of taking the multivitamins. If you experience symptoms that are not named in the leaflet provided with your multivitamin, contact your physician.
Considerations
Vitamin or mineral deficiency such as iron deficiency can cause anemia. A classic symptom of iron deficiency anemia is fatigue. You may experience this symptom for months within your treatment with multivitamins or iron supplements. If you're experiencing more fatigue than usual, contact your physician.
Warning
Taking more than the recommended dosage of multivitamins may result in vitamin toxicity. Vitamin toxicity can cause severe headaches, severe abdominal cramping, back pain, weakness and fatigue. If you experience the symptoms while taking your multivitamins or after taking more than the recommended dose, seek medical attention, as vitamin toxicity can be fatal in some instances.
