Can't get a clear answer on this from Doc.

[ohdokey]

Hi everyone, wondering if anyone knows if it is safe to take biotin supplements while nursing? I take a prenatal which has all the other main minerals and nutrients, but would like to get back on biotin for hair health. My doc seemed kind of clueless about why I would want to take it.

[florenonite]

If you're not deficient, it's probably not a good idea to take it, nursing or not. Too much of a water-soluble vitamin like biotin can cause kidney damage.

[lapushka]

I wouldn't, if I were you. Try looking at this blogpost:
http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.be/p/infamous-biotin-rant.html

[Bagginslover]

The safety of many suppliments and drugs during pregnancy and nursing isn't known, as there are very few people willing to risk their babies for the clinical trials needed to test them. Your baby is more important than your hair growth, don't risk it.

[DweamGoiL]

I agree. I would err on the side of caution on this one :)

[jeanniet]

Definitely not. Unless it's something you need specifically for your or your baby's health, supplementation, and especially megadosing (and pretty much all biotin supplements are megadoses, since your body actually needs very little) is really not a good idea, especially since the benefits for hair are unproven and certainly not universal.

[furnival]

Your doctor probably 'seems clueless' as to why you'd want to take it because he/she knows that biotin is produced by the body and unless you've been eating a lot of raw egg whites for a long time you're almost certain not to be deficient in it. He/she probably also understands that just because a deficiency of a vitamin can cause hair loss, it does not mean that an overdose of it will make your hair grow faster. No scientific studies have ever proved that biotin increases hair growth. Since you're a nursing mother, I would caution even more strongly than usual against taking pointless overdoses of biotin, as you would also be feeding it to your child. :(

[ohdokey]

I figured it may not be a good idea-hence asking around before doing so. I have been very conservative about what I eat, drink, use as medicine, etc while pregnant and nursing.

[slynr]

Better safe than sorry to err on side of caution while nursing. Stick to what your doctor recommends as far as prenatal or multivitamin is concerned and I'd leave it at that.