Taking a multivitamin may help you reach the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals, making it easier to maintain good health and prevent future health complications. Some people think that using more than the levels recommended can boost this benefit, but in actuality it can cause more harm than good. Taking too many multivitamins can cause multiple vitamin overdose or mineral poisoning.
Identification
Multiple vitamin overdose occurs when too many multivitamin or individual vitamin tablets have been taken in a short period of time. Multiple vitamin overdose can even occur if a level exceeding the recommended daily allowance is taken over a long period of time. Taking more than one form of multivitamin supplement, such as liquid and tablets, together can also result in multiple vitamin overdose.
Symptoms
Symptoms of multiple vitamin overdose are broken down into categories. Classic multiple vitamin overdose symptoms are irregular heartbeat, muscle, bone or joint pain, headache, fainting, fatigue and mental changes. You may also experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. Long-term overdose can cause hair loss and weight loss. Severe symptoms include fainting, rapid heartbeat and convulsions.
Causes
Multiple vitamin overdose occurs when large amounts of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A and D have been taken. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored by the body and some are produced by the body. When too much of these vitamins are ingested, toxic levels build up in the body causing symptoms of hypervitaminosis --- multiple vitamin overdose. Medline Plus states that any ingredient in a multiple vitamin supplement can be toxic if taken in large amounts, although the most serious forms of toxicity come from overdosing on iron or calcium.
Concerns
If you have taken too many multivitamin supplements that contain the mineral iron you may develop symptoms such as chills, fever, dehydration, nausea, vomiting blood, black or bloody stool, diarrhea and drowsiness. Severe symptoms you may experience are coma, fluid in the lungs, liver damage, shock, fast and weak pulse, low blood pressure, bluish lips and loss of skin color. Medline Plus states that symptoms may go away and return after a day and death can occur even a week after the initial iron overdose.
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