What happens when you eat too many gummy vitamins

• If you or your child has eaten too many gummy vitamins, you should call Poison Control immediately.
• But it's unlikely you'll need emergency aid if you eat too many gummy vitamins.
• Eating too many gummy vitamins may cause diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, or headaches.

While indisputably more appetizing than regular vitamins, gummy vitamins make it hard for children to differentiate between them and candy. This can cause unintended overconsumption.

In fact, poison control centers report getting phone calls every day about children eating large amounts of gummy vitamins - sometimes 20, 30, or even 40 at a time.

Here's what happens when you or a child takes too many gummy vitamins, and if you need to seek medical attention.

Can you overdose on gummy vitamins?

It is possible to take too many gummy vitamins, but often this does not warrant medical attention.

Gummy multivitamins contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, some of which are toxic in large doses and others that are not. These include:

• Water-soluble vitamins: These include vitamin C, biotin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B12, folic acid, and vitamin B6 all of which are typically found in gummies. The body doesn't store water-soluble vitamins so excess amounts are excreted through urine and don't cause an overdose.
• Fat-soluble vitamins: These include vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin E. These vitamins are stored in fat, so it is possible to accumulate toxic amounts, though the symptoms are often moderate to mild.
• Minerals: These include potassium, calcium, sodium, and zinc. Minerals maintain the water balance in the body and perform certain tasks, like helping blood clot or building bone. You can overdose on minerals, but most induce vomiting before that occurs.

General advice: It's important to note all gummy vitamins differ in terms of the recommended dosage. To know how many gummy vitamins are too many, follow the label instructions closely.

Here's a breakdown of common vitamins, at what amount they become toxic, and about how many gummy vitamins it would take to reach that toxicity point. It's important to note that this is just an example using two types of multivitamins ( Nature Made Kids First for children, and Nature Made Multivitamin gummies for adults), but each multivitamin varies in terms of how much and what types of vitamins they contain. Therefore, how many vitamins it will take to reach toxic amounts varies depending on the product.

What happens if you eat too many gummy vitamins?

The side effects you may experience depends on what sort of supplements are in your gummy vitamins and how many you take.

Common symptoms for a vitamin overdose are:

• Upset stomach
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Headache
• Irritability
• Nausea
• Fever

"Typically, you would probably not see any effects from a one-time overdose but should still call poison control," says Susan B. Daly, MD, FAAP a pediatrician from Be Pediatrics in Savannah, Georgia.

What to do if you or your child has eaten too many gummy vitamins

If you think you or your child has taken too many gummy vitamins, here are some steps Daly recommends you take:

• Call the Poison Control number immediately: (800) 222-1222.
• Try to document how many vitamins were taken and what time your child ingested them. It's also a good idea to have the child's height and weight so that toxicity can be determined.
• Follow Poison Control's recommendations. They may even recommend you take your child to the ER where they monitor symptoms and flush out toxins.
• Drink plenty of water

If your child has consistently been taking above the recommended dosage of gummy vitamins for a long period of time, they may develop chronic toxicity, which warrants a trip to the doctor.

Signs of chronic toxicity include:

• Muscle and bone pain
• Hair loss
• Calcium deposits
• Gastrointestinal distress
• Headache

Insider's takeaway

While the number of vitamins and minerals in children's gummy vitamins shouldn't cause a fatal overdose, caregivers should always treat ingesting too many vitamins as an emergency situation and immediately call Poison Control for Assistance. You should also keep gummy vitamins out of reach of children.

Related articles from Health Reference:

• The science-backed benefits of vitamin D and how to get enough of it
• What is vitamin E good for?
• The best vitamins to help your hair's growth, thickness, and overall health.
• 5 science-proven benefits of vitamin A
• 6 healthy foods rich in vitamin D