What to do with leftover 10,000mcg biotin pills?

[gustavonut]

Hey guys just a random question.. I have these Natrol biotin tablets that I used to take for a while. It did indeed help with growth and I didn't get acne, but I have extremely sensitive kidneys and don't want another emergency room visit.. :tmi: SOOO...what could I do with the rest of these? There's probably 15 or so in the bottle still.. and I have been reading a bit and saw some people have put it in DTs and some people have put it in shampoo, etc.
So give me some suggestions! :D Cause I have no clue. :cheese: Oh and hopefully it would help with hair growth, haha.. :o:o

[curlysamantha]

Thank you for making this thread! I have about half a box left of biotin tablets. They're chewable, like candies. I'm not sure what I can do with them :ponder:

[sumidha]

Cut the individual pills up into more reasonable amounts?

[gustavonut]

Thank you for making this thread! I have about half a box left of biotin tablets. They're chewable, like candies. I'm not sure what I can do with them :ponder:

Yeah no problem! :flower: I have looked and looked trying to find some way to use them up other than just throwing them away, and couldn't really find anything helpful.. I have seen lots of suggestions of crushing them and mixing it in your shampoo but I don't really think that would do much.. :shrug:

[gustavonut]

Cut the individual pills up into more reasonable amounts?

Wouldn't it still be bad for the kidneys? :ponder: I have thought of cutting them into fourths.. But it still seems kind of scary.

[sumidha]

I'm not sure, I guess it would depend on your kidneys, and how tiny the pieces where. If you have health issues I'd talk to a doctor before doing anything with them. :)

[curlysamantha]

Maybe I'll try to melt mine in hot water??? I'm not sure. I'll try it and give an update tomorrow

[gustavonut]

Maybe I'll try to melt mine in hot water??? I'm not sure. I'll try it and give an update tomorrow

Alright sure, good luck! I'm not very good at this stuff but maybe, somehow melting it would make it more potent :confused:

[bonbon58]

Alright sure, good luck! I'm not very good at this stuff but maybe, somehow melting it would make it more potent :confused:

That's totally possible since pills are usually coated so that the ingredient inside is released at the right time and right place in your body...If you dissolve it, your stomach won't even have to digest it.

Were these pills expensive?? I'd just throw them away :shrug:

[curlysamantha]

That's totally possible since pills are usually coated so that the ingredient inside is released at the right time and right place in your body...If you dissolve it, your stomach won't even have to digest it.

Were these pills expensive?? I'd just throw them away :shrug:

Mine aren't pills though they're chewable candy like tablets :/ they were about $14.99 which is a moderate price compared to some supplements (including protein powder)

[bonbon58]

Mine aren't pills though they're chewable candy like tablets :/ they were about $14.99 which is a moderate price compared to some supplements (including protein powder)

Oh I see. You can give it to a friend who doesn't have kidney problems! Haha jk don't do that. It might be absorbable through the skin maybe?

[curlysamantha]

Oh I see. You can give it to a friend who doesn't have kidney problems! Haha jk don't do that. It might be absorbable through the skin maybe?

I actually thought about giving them to a friend but figured I didn't want to be responsible for their kidney failure :bigeyes:
It might be! Too bad I can't just send them back to the company.

[Nadine <3]

I would probably just toss them. Maybe add a crushed one to a little bit of shampoo and see what happens if you're curious. I have no idea what would happen though so I wouldn't just add them to the whole bottle.

[Jo Ann]

When I've taken biotin, I haven't gone higher than 5,000 mcg. I'd cut them in half and just finish them up. Granted, they are water soluble (they're a B-vitamin), so what your body doesn't use, it flushes away. Don't forget to drink an extra glass of water a day while you finish them up! :)

[lapushka]

It's not worth it, esp. not if you have had an ER visit for kidney issues behind you already. Just... get rid of them, please!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

It's not worth it, esp. not if you have had an ER visit for kidney issues behind you already. Just... get rid of them, please!

I CERTAINLY agree with this. Please get rid of them. Your hair is less important then your health, truly. Don't even risk taking the things.

[Garnetgem]

I wouldn't take the risk to be honest just take them to a pharmacy and they will dispose of them safely for you,adding to shampoo sounds just as scary if you have had a bad experience with your kidneys.

[lapushka]

I sometimes, no *many* times don't get what the issue is with supplements, not supplements per sé, but those that are way out there in proportion. I mean... your hair *will* grow, it just takes *time* nothing else, just *time*. If you don't have that, then don't start the journey in the first place, you know? Your hair is not going to magically grow inches upon inches with tons of Biotin, or something else that you read about. Just use common sense and a hell of a lot of caution in these matters.

[Carolyn]

You have 15 left and the whole bottle was only $14.99? Toss them. Unless someone else is already taking biotin, 15 tablets won't do a thing.

[gustavonut]

Mine were 7.99 :o
That's the thing guys!!! I didn't just want to toss them *unless* I had to. But it's starting to seem like I'm going to have to.
I do very much agree with you lapushka, like said I'm just looking for a way to sort of "recycle" them. Hehe, but if it's just going to hurt me in the end it is definetly not worth it at all. I wonder if putting them on my scalp would hurt me though? Sorry if that's a dumb question.

[gustavonut]

I CERTAINLY agree with this. Please get rid of them. Your hair is less important then your health, truly. Don't even risk taking the things.

I agree with you on that, I'm just a little stubborn when it comes to throwing stuff like this away. shudder:

[lapushka]

I wonder if putting them on my scalp would hurt me though? Sorry if that's a dumb question.

I know when you put aspirin on your skin (face) that you absorb a certain amount through the skin.

No. Don't go there!

Toss them already. :)

[curlysamantha]

To be honest I probably will just let them sit on my table for a while and then when someone asks i will say "darn I must have forgot to take them and now they've gone bad!"

[gustavonut]

Okay okay!! I'm tossing them now. :run:

[jeanniet]

If you have compromised kidneys, you shouldn't be taking ANYTHING unnecessarily. The advice to cut them up and use them because the excess will be excreted is WRONG. Sorry for the emphasis, but you are young and if your kidneys are already sensitive, you don't want to do anything that might harm them further, and that means no medicine, supplements, etc. unless you know you need them--and not excessive amounts of water, either, because water still has to be processed by the kidneys. The idea that something is benign because you'll "just pee it out" is nonsense. It still taxes the kidneys, which isn't necessarily a big deal if you have good kidneys, but could be a very big deal if you don't. And most people with kidney disease don't know it.

[gustavonut]

If you have compromised kidneys, you shouldn't be taking ANYTHING unnecessarily. The advice to cut them up and use them because the excess will be excreted is WRONG. Sorry for the emphasis, but you are young and if your kidneys are already sensitive, you don't want to do anything that might harm them further, and that means no medicine, supplements, etc. unless you know you need them--and not excessive amounts of water, either, because water still has to be processed by the kidneys. The idea that something is benign because you'll "just pee it out" is nonsense. It still taxes the kidneys, which isn't necessarily a big deal if you have good kidneys, but could be a very big deal if you don't. And most people with kidney disease don't know it.

The emphasis is needed. It is a very serious thing.

[lapushka]

The emphasis is needed. It is a very serious thing.

Yeah, wishing you all the best! :grouphug:
Good that you're going to toss or have tossed those darned things!

Nobody should be taking an amount that excessive, IMMHO!

[gustavonut]

Yeah, wishing you all the best! :grouphug:
Good that you're going to toss or have tossed those darned things!

Nobody should be taking an amount that excessive, IMMHO!

Hehe, thank you so much lapushka and everyone else. I really appreciate the help. :grouphug:

[meteor]

I agree with others. :) You may want to keep it around (until it expires), just in case you know somebody who needs to take biotin (it's not a very common deficiency, though). But if you don't know anybody, there are proper ways of disposing of drugs with minimal impact on the environment.

As for using it topically, I don't know for sure, but I suspect that it won't work at least because of the coating - it's supposed to need stomach acid to dissolve it over a specific time. Also, the pH and especially the concentration are important issues to consider... I wouldn't risk it, personally. :flower:

[ChloeDharma]

This might be a silly question but might it be useful to crush them and add them to compost or have some gardening use? I have a bottle of high strength pills that I brought then read the kidney thing and decided it's not worth it.

[MeAndTheMaz]

If it's not too late, take them somewhere that will dispose of them properly. Call your local pharmacy. We don't need to keep tossing pharmaceuticals into the environment.

As far as taking it externally, if it does get absorbed into your skin, don't your kidneys still have to clean it out?

[lapis_lazuli]

^I would think so. Either way, I'd toss 'em. Your health is most important. :blossom:

[Platzhalter]

I'd try to find out if there are any chemistry experiments one could do with them either at home or inside the labs at our school and toss them out in case there isn't something like that.
Just don't dare to take the stuff.

[meteor]

Oh, and I forgot to ask, if you don't mind me asking, of course... :flower: gustavonut, those biotin tablets were what caused your ER visit? How long did you take them for? I'm just asking because lots of folks take or consider taking biotin, sometimes without doctor's prescription, so any cautionary information could be very useful. :) What did the doctors say about biotin? (I'd follow doctor's advice on this.)

I really hope your kidneys will fully recover soon and you'll feel much better! :pray:

[gustavonut]

Oh, and I forgot to ask, if you don't mind me asking, of course... :flower: gustavonut, those biotin tablets were what caused your ER visit? How long did you take them for? I'm just asking because lots of folks take or consider taking biotin, sometimes without doctor's prescription, so any cautionary information could be very useful. :) What did the doctors say about biotin? (I'd follow doctor's advice on this.)

I really hope your kidneys will fully recover soon and you'll feel much better! :pray:


The visit to the ER was actually a few years ago and unrelated to the biotin, but I have been to the doctors a few times for stomach pains and kidney problems and can't handle many other supplements. I can't even handle any citrusy foods. I had/have gastronitis(not sure if that's the correct spelling) and the doctor said something about developing an ulcer...etc.
But anyway next time I go to the doctor I should ask about biotin and if I have a deficiency (I doubt it) or if I damaged my kidneys with it. Thank you for your kind words and concern :grouphug:

[meteor]

^ Thank you so much, gustavonut! (Oh yes, it's definitely important to run any plan to take vitamins/supplements by a good doctor (and follow up, too), especially with kidney problems. :agree:)

I really hope your kidneys and stomach will heal up fast! :pray: :grouphug: Best of luck to you! :blossom: