You can get sick and suffer from negative side effects if you take too many vitamins. Experts at the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board have established RDAs--recommended dietary allowances--as guides on how much of each vitamin you need daily. Most vitamins and minerals also have an established tolerable upper limit; taking more than this limit can be harmful to your health.
Multiple Vitamin Overdose
While it is more common to overdose on a specific dietary supplement due to the high dosages available, you can also take too many multivitamins, both intentionally and unintentionally. This is called multiple vitamin overdose, which typically passes without serious and lasting damage once your body has a chance to get rid of the excess nutrients. However, iron and calcium overdoses are more serious and can cause lasting damage to your nervous system, heart and gastrointestinal system.
Symptoms
According to Medline Plus, taking too many vitamins can cause a wide variety of symptoms. Among the most common is cloudy or discolored urine, which occurs as your kidneys try to filter out the excess vitamins. Other symptoms can affect your muscles, nervous system, and gastrointestinal tract. These range from dry lips and a rapid heartbeat to a headache and seizures. Gastrointestinal symptoms typically include loss of appetite, constipation or diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.
Tolerable Upper Limit
To avoid getting ill from taking too many vitamins, you should never take more than the tolerable upper limit. You should never take more than 3,000 mcg of vitamin A, 35 mg of niacin, 100 mg of B6, 1,000 mcg of folate, 3,500 mg of choline, 2,000 mg of vitamin C, 50 mcg of vitamin D and 1,000 mg of vitamin E. Some vitamins and minerals do not have an established tolerable upper limit, which means that large doses have not been shown to cause negative effects.
Guidelines
According to the Mayo Clinic website, you should aim to reach your RDA of vitamins and minerals. You should never exceed your tolerable upper limit, and you should be cautious when consuming vitamins without a tolerable upper limit. If you or someone you know takes too many vitamins, you should immediately call the National Poison Control Center for directions or consult your local physician. If you get immediate medical treatment, the ill effects of too many vitamins should be short-lived.
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