Written by Brian Clista, MD | Reviewed by Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH Updated on June 1, 2023
Key takeaways:
- About a third of kids and almost half of all adults in the U.S. take a vitamin supplement each day.
- You can overdose on vitamins. Some types of vitamin overdoses — like iron — are more serious than others.
- If you think you or your child accidentally overdoses on vitamins, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 right away.
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People often worry that picky-eating toddlers aren’t getting all the vitamins they need from food. This is why vitamins for kids can seem like a great idea. Many people think that by giving children vitamins, they can ensure kids are getting everything they need. Studies show that about a third of kids between 2 and 5 years old get a multivitamin each day.
And it’s not just kids — adults often turn to vitamins to help round out their diet or improve their health. About half of all adults in the U.S. report taking some kind of vitamin in the last month.
But vitamins come with risks, too. It’s possible to overdose on vitamins. And some vitamin overdoses can lead to serious health complications. Most children (and even adults) prefer gummy vitamins because of their texture and taste. But it can be easy to overdose on these colorful, fruity-flavored jellies.
If you have vitamins — especially gummy ones — at home, here’s what you need to know about vitamin overdoses.
Can you overdose on vitamins?
Adults and children can overdose on vitamins, but only certain vitamins and minerals cause serious health issues.
Kids are more likely to overdose on vitamins than adults. Children younger than 6 years old account for the majority of vitamin overdose cases in the U.S. These overdoses are usually accidental and happen when an adult isn’t around.
According to the National Poison Data System (NPDS), vitamins are among the top-five causes of accidental ingestions in children. Studies show that about 4,600 kids go to the emergency room every year for vitamin overdoses.
Which vitamins can you overdose on?
It’s possible to overdose on all vitamins. An “overdose” means that someone has exceeded recommended daily allowances (RDAs) of a vitamin or mineral.
Most multivitamins contain the RDA (or close to it) of each vitamin and mineral. So, if you take more than the serving size (usually one vitamin), you can overdose on all the vitamins that make up your multivitamin. So it’s possible to have multiple vitamin overdoses from taking a single pill.
Some vitamin overdoses are more dangerous than others. These particular vitamins can be dangerous for adults and children.
Iron
Iron overdoses are one of the most serious types of vitamin overdoses because they can be deadly. Taking more than 20 mg/kg of elemental iron can lead to serious health conditions like liver and heart failure. The number of pills someone needs to take to overdose on iron depends on the amount of iron in the vitamin and the person’s weight. Children are more likely to overdose on iron because they’re smaller.
Vitamin A
Most people develop vitamin A overdoses from taking too much vitamin A over time. Vitamin A overdose can lead to many symptoms including hair loss, trouble walking, bone and muscle pain, and vision changes. Children are more vulnerable to vitamin A overdoses than adults because of their small size.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D supports bone health, but too much vitamin D can lead to serious medical problems by raising the level of calcium in the blood. People with vitamin D overdoses can develop confusion, vomiting, muscle weakness, and kidney problems. Adults shouldn’t take more than 4000 IU of vitamin D per day, the cutoff for children is less — 1000 to 3000 IU depending on age.
Vitamin C
While you can overdose on vitamin C, it’s not one of the more serious vitamin overdoses. Vitamin C overdose can cause some side effects like upset stomach and diarrhea. But the body will remove the extra vitamin C, and, most of the time, people recover without extra medical help.
Calcium
Many vitamins and supplements contain calcium. If you’re taking more than one supplement, always double-check for ingredient overlaps that can increase your risk of an accidental overdose. Your calcium intake can add up quickly, especially when combined with the calcium you get from food. Calcium overdoses can lead to mild symptoms like stomach upset and diarrhea, and more serious symptoms like confusion and kidney injury.
What are the symptoms of a vitamin overdose?
The symptoms of a vitamin overdose depend on the vitamin and the amount taken. Some vitamin overdoses start off with mild symptoms like stomach upset and vomiting, and then progress into more serious symptoms. Other vitamin overdoses cause very few or no symptoms.
If you think you or a family member has overdosed on vitamins, don’t rely on symptoms to make a decision. Symptoms may become serious very quickly. It’s safest to seek help right away.
What to do if you took too many vitamins
If you or your child just ate a bunch of vitamins — whether gummies or another kind of vitamin — what should you do?
First, call your local poison control center or the National Capital Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222. They can let you know if you should go to an emergency room for immediate care.
If you or your child took vitamins without iron and vitamin A, you might be able to remain at home. But you shouldn’t make this decision on your own, since certain vitamin overdoses can be life threatening, especially in young children.
Care at home
If the poison control center says you or your child can remain at home, you should be on the lookout for vitamin overdose symptoms. These can include:
- Stomach upset
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Flushing (usually due to vitamin B3/niacin)
- Change in urine or stool color
- Bad headache
- Dizziness
- Muscle pain
Your child probably won’t want to eat while having these symptoms. It’s important to make sure your child stays hydrated, so encourage them to drink plenty of fluids. You may want to use oral electrolyte solutions.
If your child is showing signs of dehydration, call your healthcare provider immediately. In kids, this might include:
- Not urinating or making wet diapers as much as usual
- Acting more tired or sleepy
- Dry lips and mouth
- Making less tears when crying
Care in the emergency room
If poison control recommends getting immediate care, go to your nearest emergency room. You may need:
- Bloodwork
- X-rays to look for signs of pill fragments
- A procedure called GI tract irrigation to make the vitamins leave the body quicker
- Medications to bind vitamins (especially iron) and remove it from the body
How many vitamins should you take?
You should take the recommended amount of vitamins suggested on the supplement bottle, usually 1-2 a day. If you take more than that in one day, you’ve taken too many.
Experts from the Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine have developed guidelines that cover how much of each vitamin a person needs each day.
These guidelines include:
- Recommended daily allowance (RDA): This is the average amount of each vitamin or mineral a person needs in a day.
- Tolerable upper intake limit (UL): This is the highest amount of vitamin or mineral a person can safely consume each day without it making them sick.
Your vitamins shouldn’t exceed the RDA for any single vitamin or mineral. It’s also important to keep your diet in mind as you choose vitamins. It’s possible to exceed your upper intake limit from your diet and vitamins. It’s a good idea to focus on your diet before turning to vitamins.
Vitamin and iron guidelines for children younger than 1 year old
Children generally don’t need vitamins. But the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends daily vitamin D supplements for nursing infants.
Infants who are born prematurely usually need daily iron supplements. Infants who are exclusively nursing may also need iron supplements after 4 months of age until they’re eating iron-fortified foods several times a day.
Infants who take infant formula don’t usually need any extra vitamins.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all babies receive a vitamin K injection at birth. If your baby didn’t receive a vitamin K shot, your child’s healthcare provider may recommend oral vitamin K supplements. If your child did receive the shot, they don’t need any more vitamin K supplements.
The bottom line
You can overdose on vitamins. Children can overdose on vitamins more easily because they’re smaller. If you have vitamins at home, make sure to keep them securely locked away to avoid accidental overdoses.
If you or your child accidentally take too many vitamins, call your local poison control center or the National Capital Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Some vitamin overdoses, like iron, can be dangerous and require immediate medical care.
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