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What are the Symptoms of a Vitamin B12 Overdose?
Vitamin B12 overdose is extremely rare, and virtually no examples have been recorded. For this reason, almost no symptoms of a vitamin B12 overdose have been reported. Possible symptoms could include diarrhea or a moderate allergic reaction, including itching or rash. While overdose is almost never seen, it's possible that an allergic reaction could occur to shots containing B12.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms (mcg) for most adults and somewhat higher for pregnant and nursing women. Vitamin B12 has been found to be safe in healthy people taking 1,000 mcg daily over periods of years. Much higher amounts are still unlikely to cause a vitamin B12 overdose. This is probably because extra B12 is quickly excreted by the kidneys or because it is no longer absorbed at all over a certain amount. People with a B12 deficiency or other health problems may wish to consult a doctor before taking B12 supplements.
Vitamin B12 is sometimes prescribed to treat the condition of pernicious anemia, which usually includes a serious B12 deficiency. In these cases, vitamin B12 may be given in the form of extended release tablets or by injection. Injection is more common in people who have a decreased ability to absorb B12 when it is taken orally. A vitamin B12 overdose in such cases is unlikely because the doctor will determine the correct dosage.
It's possible that an allergic reaction could occur in response to shots containing B12. It's not clear, in the few such known cases, whether the reaction occurred to the vitamin itself or to something else in the shot. It's possible the allergic reactions occurred in response to preservatives. As these cases didn't include a vitamin B12 overdose, the symptoms would be those of a severe allergic reaction. Severe allergic reactions are medical emergencies because symptoms include difficulty breathing and swelling of the throat, face, or tongue.
While overdose is rare, B12 deficiency can occur in people who don't eat meat or the elderly. It's thought that older people don't make enough of the substance the body needs to absorb B12. B12 deficiency may be fairly common in individuals more than 60 years old.
It's still important to keep vitamins out of the reach of children, even if B12 is fairly safe. In the United States, iron poisoning is one of the leading causes of poisoning in young children. Iron has a widespread presence in supplements and multivitamins.
Discussion Comments
My wife started taking 1,000 MCG of B-12 for a slight anemia condition diagnosed via blood test, and has been acting out and making odd spur of the moment decisions since ($5,000 hot tub at a street fair? let's do it!, $300,000 house down the street? Gee, so close to the beach, we could rent it out every day, etc.). Rumor is that JFK got a little weird when Dr. Feelgood started injecting him daily (see M. Monroe). So, where is the data re: psychological,impact of massive (1,000 MCG is 40,000 times MDAR) rtificial/chemo manufactured B-12 dosages?
I don't think there any studies done on the effects of 1,000+ mcg of vitamin B12 per day. We know it's safe up to that dose, but there is no guarantee that it's safe beyond that.
@literally45-- It doesn't make sense to put so much vitamin B12 in a supplement, but don't worry, it won't cause any problems.
Fat soluble vitamins can cause toxicity and overdose, but this is highly unlikely with water soluble vitamins since the excess is excreted out of the body. And of all the water soluble vitamins, vitamin B12 is probably the last one to cause problems.
With this supplement, you are basically paying money to pass vitamin B12 through your urine, but it won't harm your health. So the headache is not related. If you're reacting to a different ingredient in the supplement, then I don't know about that.
I realize that overdosing on vitamin B12 is not highly likely, but I'm still not satisfied. I'm on a protein supplement that has a lot of vitamin B12. The amount is almost one hundred times the amount of vitamin B12 that my body would actually need.
I just want to make sure that I'm not harming myself by taking this supplement. Moreover, I've been experiencing a strange headache for the past two days.
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