Biotin vs. D-Biotin Headaches?

[chrissy-b]

I just introduced Country Life's biotin (which is listed as d-biotin @ 1000 mcg on the bottle) into my vitamin regimine because the multi I take only has 300 mcg of biotin in it. This is day two and I have a nasty headache.

I used to take Country Life's Maxi-Hair which had 2000 mcg of d-biotin in it and I stopped taking it because of the headaches I got but assumed the headaches were caused by the MSM in that supplement as others have complained about MSM migraines.

The multi I've been taking for the last two months has 1000 mcg of biotin and I never got headaches while taking those. Also, I know it's not from the new mutli I've started because these are also vitamins that I used to take with no ill effects.

Does anyone know the difference between d-biotin and biotin or if there even is a difference? Or could it simply be the slightly higher dosage?

Thanks in advance for any info you have! :flower:

[girloctopus]

If I'm assuming the correct thing, the D indicates the chirality of the biotin molecule. But I'm not sure what difference there is, if any, between D-biotin and what just plain biotin is. Maybe L-biotin? My google-fu is not showing up any results.

[chrissy-b]

Thanks for the help girloctopus. This is the only thing I found online:

We did a search on medical websites and could not find an easy explanation for any difference. It appears from our preliminary readings that d biotin converts into biotin and for practical purposes there may not be much of a difference in terms of taking a biotin supplement. Both D-biotin and biotin appear to have the same chemical structure C1OH16N2O3S. As of January 2008, we can't be certain of this.

If they are the same, I wonder why I have a bad reaction to one and not the other. Maybe it's simply the Country Life brand. :shrug:

Or maybe someone else knows...

[chrissy-b]

I keep researching online and I can't find anything that shows the difference between these two.

For people who have had biotin headaches - is there a certain brand that doesn't give you headaches? Or a way to take biotin (maybe with extra vit C) so I don't get headaches and I won't have to throw these pills out?

[danielpeng]

Actually, there is no significant difference between D-biotin and Biotin. People usually take biotin as short for D-biotin. Headache is probably caused by the high dosage.

[Lindenare]

The form of biotin that your body can use is D-biotin. It is also the only naturally occuring form.

The D, as has been said, refers to chirality. Two molecules that are chiral isomers of each other will have the same chemical formula and structure; the only difference is the arrangement of groups around certain carbon atoms. It's often easiest to think of chirality as "handedness", so your left and right hands are chiral isomers of each other. Same structure, mirror images. Chirality does cause some difference in function.

Chemistry lesson aside, you can assume that whenever you see "biotin", it's D-biotin.

[Baby_doll]

I'm taking biotin also, and while I've always got bad headaches I get them more often when I take biotin, however the worst thing for me is what it does to my period, I've only been getting it every two months since I've been on biotin.