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KittyLost
July 6th, 2010, 09:38 AM
I was taking my vitamin pills the other morning whilst my friend sat on my bed waiting for me to hurry up so we could go to work. I took a Wilko brand multi-vitamin pill and a women's health skin, hair and nail vitamin pill with a swig of fresh orange juice.
My friend, who is aware of my quest to grow my hair and is currently growing her hair herself although not as long as I intend to grow mine, said "you do know you're only supposed to take one of those a day or they won't work".
I said that vitamins are water soluable and if I was taking too much it wouldn't matter since they just flush out your body, no harm done but she has got me thinking. I only take two because I have been lazy lately in my research to take other hair-satisfying remedies but I am aware that people take more.

How many vitamins do you take for your hair and at what point does it become too much? Or is there no cut-off point for how many vitamins you can take for your health as well as your hair.

Svenja
July 6th, 2010, 09:40 AM
Overdosing on vitamins is not as harmless as many people think. The overdosed vitamins will be stored in your kidneys and can cause all sorts of nastiness. Your friend is quite right in saying that ONE kind of multivitamin pill a day is enough. At the end of the day all these "wonder pills" contain the same stuff. So take your Wilko ones and that's alright.

Qadupae
July 6th, 2010, 09:41 AM
I take a total of 5 pills every day, a multivitamin, msm, biotin, fish oil, and D vitamin. I only do so because I work nigh shift and I don't eat well >< Water soluble vitamins are pretty safe to not worry about taking too much, but there might be a few that you would have side effects to, like biotin sometimes causing headaches. Fat soluble vitamins are the ones you need to be cautious of because they can cause sometimes lethal issues if taken too much of. I think vitamin C is one of them? Maybe someone an clarify more on this since I can't remember which ones in particular.

Kome
July 6th, 2010, 09:45 AM
You CAN take too many vitamens. I don't know that it will hurt you other than make you sick and vomit. Hah. So yeah, they're water soluble and will wash out of your system. But how? Perhaps back out where they came in.

I honestly don't know other than I have known people that took too many and it just made them sick to their stomachs. I'd do some research on it. Vitamens are still supplements and you should only take what you need. More than that is just a waste. I do believe it can be harmful though. Too much of one vitamen could give you too much iron, etc.

But, again, I took prenatal vitamens for a week for nail and hair growth and just ended up puking almost every morning. So obviously I stopped. /:

Madame J
July 6th, 2010, 09:46 AM
Vitamin C and all the B vitamins are water soluble and you will just pee out the excess that you don't absorb. Vitamins A and D are fat soluble and stored in the liver for reserves. Supposedly Vitamin A in the form of preformed retinol can be toxic at very high doses, as can very high doses of Vitamin D, taken over a long period of time, but the toxicity levels are higher than most people think. Vitamin K is also fat-soluble and can be stored, but I haven't heard much about its toxicity.

If anything, it's probably a waste of money to take redundant vitamins. Take a look at the label for your multi and see if it's missing something you care about, and supplement with that, if you feel the need. Personally, I don't take any vitamin pills. I eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, locally-raised meats/eggs/dairy, and take cod liver oil, especially in the winter or when I know I'm not going to be outside for very long.

HairColoredHair
July 6th, 2010, 09:52 AM
You CAN take too much.

And it can do FAR worse than make you sick and vomit. (Think liver damage, nerve damage, losing coordination, etc).

Water soluble vitamins (C and the Bs) are much harder to overdose on, while D, E, K, and A are far easier... I don't think overdosing on biotin has adverse effects.

But always look into things before you start taking multiple pills. It's not that they won't WORK, it's that they might hurt more than they'll help. :)

I think eating well is a far better choice than vitamins anyway.

HairColoredHair
July 6th, 2010, 09:54 AM
But, again, I took prenatal vitamens for a week for nail and hair growth and just ended up puking almost every morning. So obviously I stopped. /:

Did you take them with food?

Many vitamins will make you sick if there's no food already in your stomach.

Medievalmaniac
July 6th, 2010, 09:55 AM
I take a One a Day women's energy multivitamin, and then two of the hair, skin and nails vitamins, each day (Recommended amount is 3 capsules). I think that's plenty. Unless you are an elite athlete expending huge amounts of energy and really using your body to its capacity, it is highly unlikely you would ever be depleted enough in terms of vitamins ever to need more than one true multi-vitamin a day, and over extended periods of time if you are not using the fat-soluble vitamins stored in your body efficiently taking in more can lead to toxicity (it takes a LOT to get to that point, though). Because the hair, skin and nails vitamins are specifically engineered to give more of biotin and gelatin and so forth, but not of other "straight" vitamins such as A, C, D, etc., I feel taking these on top of the multi is justified, and since they are water soluble, not a threat of overdosing.

KittyLost
July 6th, 2010, 10:02 AM
Thanks everyone who replied!

I've been taking my two pills a day for around 6months now and have no obvious side effects that I'm aware of, and I only take one of each, each morning with my breakfast. Saying that sometimes I feel a little faint around midday but that probably has more to do with being hungry than anything else ;)
I will check the labels and see whats what, they aren't expensive so I'm not wasting or saving too much money but maybe I could just take the one that's best for me. I'll start only taking one and then switch and see which gives me better results.

jane01
July 6th, 2010, 11:00 AM
I use a vitamin which is called 'abc plus' from holland and barretts. You may like it as it has everything you need in one

Kome
July 6th, 2010, 11:14 AM
Did you take them with food?

Many vitamins will make you sick if there's no food already in your stomach.

I've never needed to take vitamins with food before, but obviously I needed to with those. I think I might still have them actually...

ravenreed
July 6th, 2010, 11:57 AM
Fat soluble vitamins are best absorbed when you have something in your stomach, so it is best to take your vitamins after you eat. It is possible to damage one's liver without having any symptoms until it is too late, so it is better to err on the side of caution and not take too many multivitamins at once.

In2wishin
July 6th, 2010, 12:14 PM
Vitamin K is also fat-soluble and can be stored, but I haven't heard much about its toxicity.

The only thing I know about Vitamin K is that you have to be careful taking it if you have any blood issues. It helps your blood clot and if you are on blood thinners, etc. it will counteract those. My mother found that out the hard way when she was having some problems during the late summer and it turns out that she was eating too many tomatos (you know how good they are fresh from the garden!) which are rich in Vitamin K.

Nightshade
July 6th, 2010, 12:17 PM
I take:

1 multi
3 Hair Sking & Nails (the prescribed amount on the back of the bottle)
1 Evening Primrose Oil

I do agree with what the other posters said, it's best to try to balance your intake and not double up more than necessary

Anje
July 6th, 2010, 12:53 PM
Iron's another supplement you don't want to overdo, as the effects can be toxic. (I've heard others claim that it's the usual culprit in a multivitamin upsetting the stomach, too. Best to take iron-containing multis with food!)

ravenreed
July 6th, 2010, 12:58 PM
Yeah, when toddlers get into multivitamins and overdose, it is iron toxicity that is the biggest worry. It can store in your organs and cause fatalities. Plus, too much iron will stop your system up like nothing else, so unless you like constipation and possible death, go light on the iron.


Iron's another supplement you don't want to overdo, as the effects can be toxic. (I've heard others claim that it's the usual culprit in a multivitamin upsetting the stomach, too. Best to take iron-containing multis with food!)

melikai
July 6th, 2010, 06:21 PM
I don't usually take any vitamins, although I will purchase and use an iron supplement when I feel I need it. I also drink an infused apple cider vinegar when I remember to. It has horsetail, green tea, seaweed, and nettle in it.
I don't think extra vitamins and minerals are necessary if you follow a relatively healthy diet.

HintOfMint
July 6th, 2010, 07:40 PM
Please talk to your doctor about this. I am dead serious. Take note of what you would normally eat in a week, take it to your doctor and have a talk about what your body needs. She/he can talk about your medical history (if you have any vitamin/mineral deficiencies... etc) and help you make an informed choice.
Much of the advice in this thread is properly cautious, but I would still rather you make your decisions based on a visit or two with a doctor.
Best of luck!

KittyLost
July 7th, 2010, 03:30 AM
I stopped taking the multi-vitamin and have started only taking the hair, skin and nails. It was what I originally started taking a long time ago as my nails were brittle and breaking and I had no side effects whilst taking it by itself.
My diet is relatively healthy, I try to take my 5 a day naturally and usually reach it, I just enjoy taking my hair, skin and nails to make sure I get the vitamins I need and it makes me feel like I'm actively doing something for my hair haha. It also stopped my shedding. Maybe I'll wean myself off them in time.