What is multivitamin?
Multivitamins are a combination of many different vitamins that are normally found in foods and other natural sources.
Multivitamins are used to provide vitamins that are not taken in through the diet. Multivitamins are also used to treat vitamin deficiencies (lack of vitamins) caused by illness, pregnancy, poor nutrition, digestive disorders, and many other conditions.
Multivitamins may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
Many vitamins can cause serious or life-threatening side effects if taken in large doses. Do not take more of this medication than directed on the label or prescribed by your doctor.
If you have any medical conditions, ask your doctor before taking a multivitamin. If you have certain conditions, you may need a certain vitamin formulation or special tests while taking a multivitamin.
Do not take multivitamins without telling your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Some vitamins and minerals can harm an unborn baby if taken in large doses. You may need to use a prenatal vitamin specially formulated for pregnant women.
Multivitamins can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Avoid taking more than one multivitamin product at the same time unless your doctor tells you to. Taking similar vitamin products together can result in a vitamin overdose or serious side effects.
Avoid the regular use of salt substitutes in your diet if your multivitamin contains potassium. If you are on a low-salt diet, ask your doctor before taking a vitamin or mineral supplement.
Do not take this medication with milk, other dairy products, calcium supplements, or antacids that contain calcium. Calcium may make it harder for your body to absorb certain ingredients of the multivitamin.
Back to top
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of vitamins A, D, E, or K can cause serious or life-threatening side effects. Certain minerals contained in a multivitamin may also cause serious overdose symptoms if you take too much.
Overdose symptoms may include stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite, hair loss, peeling skin, tingly feeling in or around your mouth, changes in menstrual periods, weight loss, severe headache, muscle or joint pain, severe back pain, blood in your urine, pale skin, and easy bruising or bleeding.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Back to top
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
When taken as directed, multivitamins are not expected to cause serious side effects. Less serious side effects may include:
- upset stomach;
- headache; or
- unusual or unpleasant taste in your mouth.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Back to top
Vitamin and mineral supplements can interact with certain medications, or affect how medications work in your body. Before taking a multivitamin, tell your doctor if you also use:
- diuretics (water pills);
- heart or blood pressure medications;
- tretinoin (Vesanoid);
- isotretinoin (Accutane, Amnesteen, Clavaris, Sotret);
- trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Cotrim, Bactrim, Septra, TMP/SMX); or
- an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), and others.
This list is not complete and there may be other medications that can interact with or be affected by multivitamins. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
1000 BC, Abidec, Allbee with C, Allbee-C, Allbee-C 800, Animal Shape Vitamins, Animi-3, Apatate, B Complex 100, B Complex 50, B-50 Complex, B-Complex 50, B-Complex with B-12, B-Ject 100, B-Plex, B-Plex Plus, B-Scorbic, B-Stress, Baby Vitamin Drop, Balanced B-100, Balanced B-150, Balanced B-50, Becomject-100, Bee with C, Bee-Comp with C, Beminal, Beminal with C Fortis, Beminal-500, Berocca, Biotin Forte, Bounty Bear Vitamins, Bugs Bunny Multiple Vitamins, Bugs Bunny with Extra C, Cardiotek Rx, Cefol, Centrum 8400, Cerefolin, Cerefolin NAC, Cernevit, Cernevit-12, Chewable-Vite, Childrens Chewable Multivitamins, Cholidase, Cholinoid, Cod Liver Oil, Cod Liver Oil Mint, D-400iu, Daflon, Daily Multiple Vitamins, Daily Vite, Daily-Vite Men's Formula, Dayalets, DexFol, Dialyvite Rx, Diatx, Equaline One Daily Essential, Essential Balance, Essentiale, FaBB, Farbee with C, Fletanol, Flintstones Multivitamins, Flintstones with C Multivitamins, Folamin, Folbalin, Folbalin Plus, Folbee, Folbee Plus, Folbic, Folcaps, Folgard, Folgard RX, Folgard Rx 2.2, Folplex, Foltabs 800, Foltrate, Foltx, Formula B, Fruity Chew, Garfield Vitamins, Glutofac, Health Aid Multivitamin, High B Complex, High Potency B Complex with B12 and C, High Potency B+C, Icar C, Infuvite, Infuvite Pediatric, Jetepar, Kenwood Therapeutic, Lipoflavonoid, Lipogen, Liponol, Lipotriad, Lipotropic with Multivitamins, M.V.C. SDV, M.V.I. Adult, M.V.I. Pediatric, M.V.I.-12, Mega B, Metanx, Multiple Vitamins, Nephplex Rx, Nephro-Vite, Nephro-Vite Rx, Nephrocaps, Nephrolan Rx, Nephronex, Neurobion, Neurodep, Neuroforte-Six, Oncovite, One Tab Daily, One-A-Day 50+, One-A-Day Essentials, One-A-Day Men's Health Formula, Optilets-500, Pediatric Multiple Vitamins, Poly Vit Drops, Poly-Vi-Sol, Poly-Vi-Sol Chewable, Poly-Vi-Sol Drops, Poly-Vit Chew, Prevital, Primaplex, Protegra, Protegra Cardio, Rena-Vite, Rena-Vite Rx, Renal Caps, Scotts Emulsion, Sesame St. Vitamins with Extra C, Sigtab, Stress B with C, Stress Formula, StressTabs, Sunkist Child Chewable, Sunkist Child Chewable with C, Super B Complex, Super B-100 TD, Super B-50, Super Plenamins, Superplex-T, Surbex, Surbex Filmtab, Surbex with C, Surbex-T, Tab-A-Vite, Tender Age Vitamin ADC, Thera, Thera-Plus, Theragenerix, Theragran, Therapeutic Multiple Vitamins, Therems, Therobec, Thex Forte, Topfit Vitamin B Complex, Topfit Vitamin B Complex Forte, Tri-Vi-Sol, Tri-Vit, Tri-Vit Drops, Unicap, Unicap Capsule, Unicap Jr., Unichem Multivitamin, Vesselvite, Vi-Daylin, Vi-Daylin ADC, Vi-Daylin Chewable, Vi-Daylin Drops, Vi-Stress, Vitabee with C, Vitamin A and D, Vitamin A and D Concentrate, Vitamin A, D, Vitamin A, D and C, Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin B Complex with C, Vitamin B Complex with C and Folic Acid, Vitamin B Compound Strong, Vitamin B-100, Vitamin B-100 T/R, Vitamin B-50, Vitamin C and E, Vitamin C, E, and Rose Hips, Vitamin Daily Liquid, Vitamins, Vitamins for Hair, Zymacap, multivitamin, AllanTex, Animi-3 (obsolete), B 100 Complex, Cardiotek, Cardiotek-Rx, Combgen, Cota-B-Plex, D-400 international units, Dialyvite 800, Foleve, Foleve Plus, Folmor, Folnate, Folnate Plus, Folplex 2.2, Hexavitamin, Multi-Delyn, Multi Vits with Beta Carotene, NuFol, Renaphro, Renatabs, Reno Caps, Stress Formula 600, Theravite, T-Vites, Vigomar Forte, Vimar, Vita Drop, Vitaplex, and Zycose
Back to top
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04