How much b complex to take

However, people with restricted or poor diets or those with certain medical conditions may benefit from taking a vitamin B complex supplement. Always talk to your doctor to determine if supplementation is appropriate in your situation. While personal vitamin needs vary from person to person, you shouldn't get more than percent of the RDA from your vitamin B complex. All of the B vitamins are water soluble, which means excess amounts are excreted through your urine and not stored in the body.

Because of this, some people mistakenly believe that taking too much will not cause any adverse effects. While it's true that it's riskier to take high amounts of a fat-soluble vitamin, such as vitamin A or vitamin E, water-soluble vitamins may also cause adverse effects when taken in excess.

To avoid consuming too much of any vitamin, it's wise to be aware of the recommended dietary allowance RDA of nutrients for your age and gender. The RDAs, established by the Institute of Medicine , are based on sex and age and should only be used as a guideline.

Certain medical conditions or lifestyles may influence the recommended amount of vitamins you should take. Generally speaking, most healthy adult men and women should consume approximately 2. Men need 16 milligrams of niacin, 1. Talk to your doctor if you're pregnant or nursing, because you may need more of each nutrient.

The tolerable upper intake level is the maximum amount of a vitamin or mineral you can take without running the risk of experiencing unpleasant side effects. Vitamin B Complex Uses: This substance is a mixture of vitamins B that is used for the treatment or prevention of vitamin deficiency due to inadequate nutrition, some diseases, alcoholism or pregnancy.

Vitamins are vital components of the body and help keep you in good health. Ingredients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, biotin, or zinc are also found in certain brands of B vitamins. In sustaining good health and well-being, vitamins B play a crucial role. Vitamins B have a significant effect on your energy levels, brain activity, and cell metabolism as the building blocks of a healthy body.

Vitamin B complex helps avoid infections and helps support or encourage: Cell health Growth of red blood cells Energy levels Good eyesight Healthy appetite Proper nerve function Hormones and Cholestrol production Cardiovascular health Vitamin B Complex Side effects: Some of the common and serious side effects of Vitamin B Complex are: Stomach Cramp Rashes Itching Dizziness Trouble in breathing Vomiting High blood sugar levels Precautions: Before taking Vitamin B complex talk with your doctor if you are allergic to it or any other medication.

The product may contain some excessive presence of inactive ingredients which can lead to some serious allergic reactions. If you are having any medical history then talks with your doctor immediately: Diabetes Liver problems Vitamin B12 deficiency How to take Vitamin B Complex?

Take Vitamin B complex orally and once a day. Chew the tablet carefully before swallowing if you're taking chewable tablets. Swallow them whole if you're taking extended-release capsules. If the time for the next dose is close, skip the skipped dose. At your normal time, take your next dose. To catch up, do not double the dose. Overdose: A drug overdose may be accidental.

There is a risk of having an adverse effect on your body's functions if you have taken more than the recommended Vitamin B complex tablets. A drug overdose can lead to a medical emergency.

Interactions: Vitamin B does not interfere adversely with other drugs in most cases. However, such medications may increase the risk of vitamin B deficiency.

Examples of drugs that can result in low levels of particular B vitamins are as follows: Drugs for blood pressure and chemotherapy drugs will reduce the B-1 levels of an individual. In children, a deficiency of biotin can lead to withdrawn behavior and a delay in mental development. Adults with low biotin levels might experience a loss of appetite, feelings of discomfort or uneasiness, mental depression , or hallucinations.

To avoid side effects, individuals taking anticonvulsants should supplement with biotin either alone or as part of a multivitamin. A study in animals has found that carbidopa inhibits an enzyme involved in the synthesis of niacin in the body.

In addition, there is evidence that niacin synthesis is decreased in people taking carbidopa and other drugs in its class, raising the concern that people taking these drugs could be at risk of niacin deficiency, even if not frankly deficient. Further studies will be required determine if niacin supplementation is appropriate in people taking carbidopa. In addition, there is evidence that niacin synthesis is decreased in people taking carbidopa and other drugs in its class.

Further studies are needed to determine whether niacin supplementation is appropriate in people taking carbidopa. Hydrochloric acid is needed to release vitamin B12 from food so it can be absorbed by the body. Cimetidine, which reduces stomach acid, may decrease the amount of vitamin B12 available for the body to absorb.

The vitamin B12 found in supplements is available to the body without the need for stomach acid. Lab tests can determine vitamin B12 levels in people. Omeprazole, a drug closely related to lansoprazole, has interfered with the absorption of vitamin B12 from food though not supplements in some, but not all, studies.

This interaction has not yet been reported with lansoprazole. However, a fall in vitamin B12 status may result from decreased stomach acid caused by acid blocking drugs, including lansoprazole.

Colchicine may interfere with vitamin B12 in the body. Research is inconsistent. Both colchicine and vitamin B12 deficiency are reported to cause neuropathies disorders of the nervous system , but it remains unclear whether neuropathies caused by colchicine could be due to vitamin B12 depletion. Corticosteroids may increase the loss of vitamin B6. One double-blind study of people with asthma failed to show any added benefit from taking mg per day of vitamin B6 along with inhaled steroids.

Therefore, while small amounts of vitamin B6 may be needed to prevent deficiency, large amounts may not provide added benefit. Some doctors recommend that people taking corticosteroids for longer than two weeks supplement with at least 2 mg of vitamin B6 per day.

Cycloserine may interfere with calcium and magnesium absorption. The clinical significance of these interactions is unclear. The clinical importance of this interaction is unclear. A review of literature suggests that women who use oral contraceptives may experience decreased vitamin B1 , B2 , B3 , B12 , C , and zinc levels.

Oral contraceptive use has been associated with increased absorption of calcium and copper and with increased blood levels of copper and vitamin A. Oral contraceptives may interfere with manganese absorption. The clinical importance of these actions remains unclear. OC use has been associated with increased absorption of calcium and copper and with increased blood levels of copper and vitamin A.

OCs may interfere with manganese absorption. Stomach acid is needed for the vitamin B12 in food to be absorbed. H-2 blocker drugs reduce stomach acid and may therefore inhibit absorption of the vitamin B12 naturally present in food. However, the vitamin B12 found in supplements does not depend on stomach acid for absorption. One controlled study revealed that taking anticonvulsant drugs dramatically reduces blood levels of vitamin B6.

A nutritional deficiency of vitamin B6 can lead to an increase in homocysteine blood levels, which has been associated with atherosclerosis. Vitamin B6 deficiency is also associated with symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, mental depression , and seizures. On the other hand, supplementation with large amounts of vitamin B6 80— mg per day has been reported to reduce blood levels of some anticonvulsant drugs, which could theoretically trigger seizures.

People taking multiple anticonvulsant drugs should discuss with their doctor whether supplementing with vitamin B6 is advisable. Vitamin B6 can bind to hydralazine to form a complex that is excreted in the urine, increasing vitamin B6 loss.

This may lead to vitamin B6 deficiency. People taking hydralazine should consult with their doctor to discuss the possibility of vitamin B6 supplementation. Phenelzine has a chemical structure similar to other drugs isoniazid and hydralazine that can cause vitamin B6 deficiency. One case of phenelzine-induced vitamin B6 deficiency has been reported.

Little is known about this interaction. People taking phenelzine should ask their doctor about monitoring vitamin B6 levels and considering supplementation. Isoniazid may interfere with the activity of other nutrients, including vitamin B3 niacin , vitamin B12 , vitamin D , and vitamin E , folic acid , calcium , and magnesium.

Supplementation with vitamin B6 is thought to help prevent isoniazid-induced niacin deficiency; however, small amounts of vitamin B6 e. People should consider using a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement during isoniazid therapy. Anemia is an uncommon side effect experienced by people taking anticonvulsant drugs. Though many researches believe that low blood levels of folic acid are involved, the effects might be caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Deficiencies of folic acid and vitamin B12 can lead to nerve and mental problems. One study revealed that individuals on long-term anticonvulsant therapy, despite having no laboratory signs of anemia, had dramatically lower levels of vitamin B12 in their cerebrospinal fluid the fluid that bathes the brain when compared with people who were not taking seizure medications.

Improvement in mental status and nerve function was observed in a majority of symptomatic individuals after taking 30 mcg of vitamin B12 daily for a few days. Another study found that long-term anticonvulsant therapy had no effect on blood levels of vitamin B The results of these two studies indicate that people taking anticonvulsant drugs might experience side effects of vitamin B12 deficiency, and that the deficiency is not easily detected by the usual blood tests.

Therefore, individuals taking anticonvulsant drugs for several months or years might prevent nerve and mental problems by supplementing with vitamin B Oral contraceptives use has been associated with increased absorption of calcium and copper and with increased blood levels of copper and vitamin A.

Oral contraceptivess may interfere with manganese absorption. Metformin therapy has been shown to deplete vitamin B12, and sometimes, but not always, folic acid as well. This depletion occurs through the interruption of a calcium-dependent mechanism. People taking metformin should supplement vitamin B12 and folic acid or ask their doctor to monitor folic acid and vitamin B12 levels. Stomach acid is needed for vitamin B12 in food to be absorbed by the body. Omeprazole interferes with the absorption of vitamin B12 from food though not from supplements in some but not all studies.

A true deficiency state, resulting in vitamin Bdeficiency anemia, has only been reported in one case. The fall in vitamin B12 status may result from the decrease in stomach acid required for vitamin B12 absorption from food caused by the drug. This problem may possibly be averted by drinking acidic juices when eating foods containing vitamin B However, all people taking omeprazole need to either supplement with vitamin B12 or have their vitamin B12 status checked on a yearly basis.

Even relatively small amounts of vitamin B12 such as 10—50 mcg per day, are likely to protect against drug induced vitamin depletion. Penicillamine may increase vitamin B6 excretion, reduce activity, and increase the risk for vitamin B6 deficiency. It makes sense for people taking penicillamine to supplement with small 5—20 mg per day amounts of vitamin B6. Some researchers have suggested that as much as 50 mg per day of vitamin B6 may be necessary.

Though the cause may be folic acid deficiency in many cases, a deficiency of vitamin B12 may also be a factor in some instances. Despite these contradictory findings, people taking anticonvulsant drugs for several months or years might prevent nerve and mental problems by supplementing with vitamin B Stomach acid is needed to release vitamin B12 from food so it can be absorbed by the body.

H-2 blocker drugs reduce stomach acid and are associated with decreased dietary vitamin B12 absorption. Lab tests can determine vitamin B12 levels. Sulfonamides, including sulfamethoxazole, can interfere with the activity of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin K. This is generally not a problem when taking sulfamethoxazole for two weeks or less. People taking sulfamethoxazole for longer than two weeks should ask their doctor about nutrient monitoring and supplementation.

Note: Since sulfamethoxazole is often prescribed in combination with trimethoprim for example, in Bactrim or Septra , it may be easy to associate this interaction with trimethoprim.

However, this interaction is not known to occur with trimethoprim alone. Theophyline has been associated with depressed serum vitamin B6 levels in children with asthma and adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In a short-term study of healthy adults, theophylline reduced serum vitamin B6 levels and supplementation with vitamin B6 10 mg per day normalized vitamin B6 levels. Some doctors believe that it makes sense for people taking this drug to accompany it with 10 mg of vitamin B6 per day.

AZT can inhibit crucial DNA-related riboflavin activity, which may be normalized by riboflavin supplementation. A year-old woman with AIDS and lactic acidosis received a single dose of 50 mg of riboflavin, after which her laboratory tests returned to normal and her lactic acidosis was completely resolved.

More research is needed to confirm the value of riboflavin for preventing and treating this side effect. Persons with AIDS have developed lactic acidosis and fatty liver while taking didanosine and other drugs in its class. Didanosine can inhibit crucial DNA-related riboflavin activity, which may be normalized by riboflavin supplementation. Docetaxel may cause a reddening, swelling, and pain in hands and feet. Two cases have been reported of people suffering these drug-induced symptoms and responding to 50 mg of vitamin B6 given three times per day.

Symptoms began to resolve in 12 to 24 hours and continued to improve for several weeks. Animal research suggests doxorubicin may deplete riboflavin and that riboflavin deficiency promotes doxorubicin toxicity.

Increased blood levels of homocysteine are associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease. One study revealed that fenofibrate dramatically increases blood homocysteine levels, though blood levels of vitamins were not reduced. In one study, supplementation with 10 mg per day of folic acid prevented the increase in homocysteine levels resulting from fenofibrate therapy.

Further research is needed to determine whether supplemental vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, which are also capable of lowering homocysteine levels, might lower fenofibrate-induced elevations in homocysteine levels. Fluorouracil occasionally causes problems on the skin of the palms and soles. Preliminary reports have appeared showing that mg per day of vitamin B6 can sometimes eliminate the pain associated with this drug-induced condition. In a study of guinea pigs, a single intramuscular injection of methylcobalamin a form of vitamin B12 , in the amount of mg per 2.

No studies have been done to determine whether the same protective effect would occur in humans. Oral contraceptives have been associated with vitamin B6 depletion and clinical depression.

In a small, double-blind study of women with depression taking oral contraceptivess, vitamin B6 20 mg twice per day improved depression. Half of the women in the study showed laboratory evidence of vitamin B6 deficiency. Vitamin E along with vitamin B6 was used to treat a side effect of risperidone called neuroleptic malignant syndrome in a year-old woman, and results were encouraging.