Too much B vitamins?

[Carl-Richard]

So I started taking a multivitamin supplement because I was already taking so many other supplements so I thought "why not?" However, I've noticed when taking a B-complex before of it causing a burning sensation in my chest and excess energy, which is why I stopped taking it back then. Now I'm getting similar symptoms, but I'm wondering if it's due to the B vitamins or something else?

Here is the multivitamin I'm taking (it does not include vitamin A, D and K):

https://www.apotek1.no/produkter/nycoplus-multi-uten-a-d-k-tab-999942p

(Translated and NRV/RDI provided by ChatGPT):

Nutrient                   Amt/tab     % EU NRV
------------------------------------------------------------
Vitamin E                            12 mg          100
Thiamine (Vitamin B1)      1.4 mg         127
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)     1.7 mg         121
Niacin                                   19 mg NE   119
Vitamin B6                          1.6 mg         114
Folic acid (Folate)               400 µg         200
Vitamin B12                            2 µg           80
Pantothenic acid                  5 mg            83
Vitamin C                             75 mg           94
Biotin                                    30 µg            60
Iron                                       15 mg         107
Zinc                                         5 mg           50
Iodine                                  150 µg         100
Copper                                0.9 mg           90
Manganese                         2.3 mg         115
Chromium                            35 µg            88
Selenium                               60 µg         109
Molybdenum                       45 µg            90
Magnesium                       100 mg           27
------------------------------------------------------------
 

I'm also in addition taking 300 mg magnesium, 30 ug vitamin D3, some negligible amount of fish oil with lower amounts of vitamin A, D, E (125 ug, 8 ug, 5 mg), 13 mg zinc, 75 ug vitamin K1, 500 mg calcium, 75 ug vitamin K2. The symptoms only started after taking the multivitamin. I'm also an active male who weighs 80kg and is 179 cm.

Edited June 3 by Carl-Richard

[Carl-Richard]

I figured there are many possible culprits (my symptoms seem like they could be partially gastrointestinal, so things like iron and vitamin C), so I decided to try dropping the multivitamin and see if just supplementing some C and E vitamins is sufficient (those were the only ones that were struggling a bit on Cronometer).

Edited June 3 by Carl-Richard

[Natasha Tori Maru]

Personally the things I react to in the stack above would be Biotin & Iron.

Iron gives me a slight buzz when supplemented (eating liver replicates this feeling x10). I take it in liquid form.

Biotin shreds up my insides and results in heartburn, which can be perceived as the chest burning sensation you describe.

But it is hard to work out as there are a lot of supplements in that multivitamin. One thing I have noticed is I do not react well to multivitamins. I suspect there may be other substances in them that hurt my digestion.

Have you looked into brewers yeast as a way to supplement a compliment of B vitamins? I use this every day - it is chock full of nutrients. It tastes like cheese (vegan). It is SO GOOD! In particular on popcorn... I'm getting excited talking about this Anyway it is very easy on the tummy - but beware nuclear coloured piss. If I eat too much the toilet bowl looks like a blown up yellow glow stick !

[Carl-Richard]

42 minutes ago, Natasha Tori Maru said:

Personally the things I react to in the stack above would be Biotin & Iron.

Iron gives me a slight buzz when supplemented (eating liver replicates this feeling x10). I take it in liquid form.

Biotin shreds up my insides and results in heartburn, which can be perceived as the chest burning sensation you describe.

But it is hard to work out as there are a lot of supplements in that multivitamin. One thing I have noticed is I do not react well to multivitamins. I suspect there may be other substances in them that hurt my digestion.

Mmm. Thanks for the input.

It's kind of a funny tangent, but I've noticed every time I've added something new to my supplement stack, I get this feeling of like a system upgrade where everything seems to run smoother, and it's eerily similar across the different substances. The first few times, I thought it was because I was actually filling up a very specific "hole" in my nutrition, like "oh, so this is what zinc feels like?". But now I think it's more like you pour some coins into a vast range of bodily processes (as each micronutrient affects many), and what you mostly pick up on is a general state change ("wow, that's different") and not necessarily a state change specific to that nutrient. When I took the multivitamin, I got that feeling on steroids (it was actually like taking a drug, like an LSD microdose).

 

42 minutes ago, Natasha Tori Maru said:

Have you looked into brewers yeast as a way to supplement a compliment of B vitamins? I use this every day - it is chock full of nutrients. It tastes like cheese (vegan). It is SO GOOD! In particular on popcorn... I'm getting excited talking about this

 

No I haven't tried it. It's ironic: I want to avoid taking as many things as I can. I only broke this when I bought the multivitamin, and I was very hesitant about it. Turns out I should listen to my intuition more

Edited June 3 by Carl-Richard

[Natasha Tori Maru]

31 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

No I haven't tried it. It's ironic: I want to avoid taking as many things as I can. I only broke this when I bought the multivitamin, and I was very hesitant about it. Turns out I should listen to my intuition more

Stupid consciousness - one part disagreeing with another 

Better not look too deeply into that before we attract the solipsists 

[Norbert Somogyi]

I don't necessarily favor multivitamins, because the many different compounds fit together (that usually don't exist combined so tightly in nature) can cause unforeseen reactions in your body (no matter how much workaround the manufacturer is trying to do). Different compounds can also compete with each other in different ratios, making you lose a substantial part of it during metabolism. 

Do you take them on an empty stomach? That can potentially explain the chest pain, but can also be different things. Have you also tried different brands?

[Salvijus]

These days every health question I have I just go to chatgpt. The feedback I was able to get so far is extremely satisfactory. It's amazing. 

[Carl-Richard]

8 hours ago, Norbert Somogyi said:

Do you take them on an empty stomach? That can potentially explain the chest pain, but can also be different things. Have you also tried different brands?

I take them with my breakfast and it lasts the whole day. I have only tried this brand.

[Norbert Somogyi]

1 hour ago, Carl-Richard said:

I take them with my breakfast and it lasts the whole day. I have only tried this brand.

Do you have lab measurements that showed actual deficiencies? Do you follow any restrictive diet like a vegan one? Do you experience any benefit besides these symptoms, upon taking this multivitamin? Lots of the ingredients are beneficial, but some may be only required in certain situations, and cause harm in others.

There are multiple potential culprits, but it may take a while to find it. Vitamin Bs (B6/B12/Niacin), supplemental C&Iron interaction, zinc&copper interaction, and more. I experienced pins & needles in my hands and feet when I was taking a B-complex, as well as rare heart palpitations (but no chest pain). They subsided in a few days after I stopped.

I'd just give this one up and focus on more important supplements. Vitamin D - you may benefit from a higher dose, Magnesium, Omega-3, K2 and whatever you can't properly get from your diet or food in general. My two cents.

[Carl-Richard]

Haha now I stopped taking them and I feel like shit. I'll try to spread the dose throughout the day and maybe some other ideas.

Edited June 3 by Carl-Richard

[PsychedelicEagle]

@Carl-Richard, have you done a metabolic panel to optimize this supplement stack?

I will share what I know but I'm not a professional of the health domain.

Of the B vitamins, I'm only aware of overdose by B6. Make sure to calculate the dose with all supplements containing it.

That said, it would be best to actually measure you blood levels of these vitamins (and other relevant biomarkers such as homocysteine), to really optimize your levels. E.g., 40% of the adult population has B12 defficiency and replacement is done at much higher doses due to ileum receptor saturation, etc.

Without actual measurement it's hard to know whether what you're doing is good or just wasting $$

---

Off-topic:

Generally K1 and K2 have the same effect on the body, with K1 having a much shorter half-life. That said, if you eat greens multiple times per day supplementation with either K1 or K2 may not even be necessary (although likely not harmful at these levels).

Calcium generally requires assessment of PTH levels + serum Inorganic Phosphate + Urinary Calcium (and maybe even more markers - for a comprehensive analysis). What's your diet -- have you tracked your Calcium intake with something like Cronometer to justify supplementation?

Edited June 6 by PsychedelicEagle

[Carl-Richard]

29 minutes ago, PsychedelicEagle said:

What's your diet -- have you tracked your Calcium intake with something like Cronometer to justify supplementation?

Yes, it was lacking.

[Carl-Richard]

I think I've found a solution which seems quite obvious. It seems like the iron from the multivitamin and especially zinc together could be the main problem.

I first tested taking my zinc later in the day, but I did not like that at all (as that interferes with vitamin D functioning). It was so bad I decided to bail and take it maybe 1-2 hours after taking all the other stuff, and before that, my stomach was pretty fine, but then the zinc really made shit go sideways.

But today, I tried taking the multivitamin first thing in the morning on an empty stomach with some water and let it digest for maybe 30 minutes. The contents of the multivitamin (which again lacks vitamin A, D and K) are mostly water soluble and should be absorbed the best that way, and also iron is best absorbed on an empty stomach as well.

So absorbing the multivitamin before eating breakfast and then taking the fat soluble stuff (vitamin D, K1, K2, fish oil with vitamin A, D and E) and also magnesium and calcium and zinc, seems to work. I have also ordered zinc bisglycinate to see if that helps. I'll also maybe look into alternative forms of magnesium and calcium to see if I can decrease competition further.

Edited June 6 by Carl-Richard

[PsychedelicEagle]

Good to hear and thx for the info!

Just for the record, Calcium and Iron are recommended to be taken further apart, for absorption purposes. It seems your strategy is already accounting for it.

[integral]

I take 1/4th of a B complex once every two days + small dosage vitamin D + K2 + C + selenium + electrolyte salts.

If I take full "recommended" doses of anything its very harsh on the system

[Carl-Richard]

1 hour ago, integral said:

I take 1/4th of a B complex once every two days + small dosage vitamin D + K2 + C + selenium + electrolyte salts.

If I take full "recommended" doses of anything its very harsh on the system

Maybe you're an overmethylator. That could also possibly explain your sensitivity to weed.

My problems above seemed to vanish by taking the multivitamin on an empty stomach before making my breakfast, and then taking the rest of the vitamins and minerals after eating the breakfast. I've also gotten my zinc bisglycinate now, but I haven't thought much about the difference it makes.

I'm curious, what happens when you eat certain foods that naturally contain maybe 10x the amounts of the chemicals that you are reacting so strongly to?

Here is a list compiled by ChatGPT-o3 (which, in my epistemic OCD, I used to show what is possible, not what is fact ):

Quote

Below is a quick-reference list of “ultra-dense” natural sources—each food delivers an unusually large share of one particular B-vitamin or mineral in an everyday-sized serving. Values are approximate and based on common nutrition-database averages.

B-vitamin all-stars

Food (typical serving)Stand-out nutrientAmount ▸ % Daily Value*

Beef liver, 3 oz (85 g)Riboflavin (B2)2.9 mg ▸ 225 %

Fortified nutritional yeast, 2 Tbsp (15 g)Thiamine (B1)11 mg ▸ 850 %

Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup (35 g)Pantothenic acid (B5)2.9 mg ▸ 60 %

Salmon, cooked, 4 oz (113 g)Niacin (B3)13 mg ▸ 80 %

Banana, medium (118 g)Vitamin B60.4 mg ▸ 25 %

Egg yolk, one largeBiotin (B7)25 µg ▸ 100 %

Chickpeas, cooked, 1 cup (164 g)Folate (B9)280 µg ▸ 70 %

Clams, cooked, 3 oz (85 g)Vitamin B1285 µg ▸ 3 500 %

Mineral mega-sources

Food (typical serving)Stand-out mineralAmount ▸ % Daily Value*

Brazil nuts, 6 nuts (30 g)Selenium544 µg ▸ 990 %

Oysters, cooked, 3 oz (85 g)Zinc74 mg ▸ 670 %

Pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup (30 g)Magnesium190 mg ▸ 45 %

Dried kelp, 1 g stripIodine~2 000 µg ▸ 1 300 %

Sardines (with bones), 1 can (92 g)Calcium380 mg ▸ 30 %

Cocoa powder, unsweetened, 2 Tbsp (12 g)Copper0.45 mg ▸ 50 %

Spinach, cooked, ½ cup (90 g)Iron3.6 mg ▸ 20 %

Avocado, whole (200 g)Potassium975 mg ▸ 20 %

*Percent Daily Values use the current EU/US reference intakes for adults. Individual needs vary.

 

Edited 58 minutes ago by Carl-Richard