In rare cases, people who take high doses of vitamin B for a long period of time may experience extreme numbness or a tingling sensation. In some patients, tingling sensation is experienced mostly in the right side of the body. This symptom is one of the early warning indicators of Vitamin B12 overdose.
In some people, high levels of B12 may cause gastrointestinal problems such as bloating and diarrhea. And if you have high blood pressure or poor cardiovascular health, having too much B12 may further complicate these issues. Pregnant and breastfeeding women may also need to be especially mindful of B12 levels.
Severe lack of Vitamin B12 is rare, but shakiness and tremors can occur even in mild deficiency.
B12 supplements are usually safe. For adults, doctors recommend 2.4 micrograms a day. If you take more than what you need, your body passes the rest out through your pee. Still, high doses could have some side effects, like dizziness, headache, anxiety, nausea, and vomiting.
B12 injections may contribute to low potassium levels in your body. Though rare, this reaction can cause muscle cramping, extreme fatigue, and an irregular heartbeat.
Since B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, it's generally considered safe, even at high doses. No Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) has been established for B12, due to its low level of toxicity.
As summarized in the table provided, vitamin B12 (cobalamin) absorption and utilization by the body can be compromised with the chronic use of certain medications which include: colchicine, chloramphenicol, ethanol, histamine 2 receptor antagonists (H2RA), metformin, and proton pump inhibitors (PPI).
Vitamin B12 deficiency can have distressing neuropsychiatric symptoms. It can have an etiological role in clinical presentations like depression, anxiety, psychosis, dementia, and delirium, requiring screening of at-risk populations.
Neurological changes
A lack of vitamin B12 can cause neurological problems, which affect your nervous system, such as: vision problems. memory loss. pins and needles (paraesthesia)
Vitamin B overdose not only affects one physically but has a negative impact on mental health as well. Some of the negative side effects of vitamin B overdose include mood swings, restlessness, depression, and panic attacks.
Another vitamin deficiency that can lead to heart palpitations is vitamin B12. Similar to a folate deficiency, a lack of vitamin B12 can lead to anaemia and thereby result in heart palpitations, per the ODS.
Vitamin B12 (also called methylcobalamin) isn't a stimulant like caffeine. However, maintaining optimum B12 levels plays a key role in preventing you from feeling tired and weak.
Research has suggested that the consumption of alcohol may reduce vitamin B12 levels. An older study indicated that moderate alcohol intake diminished vitamin B12 by 5% among “healthy, well-nourished, postmenopausal women.”
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, and the risks of dose-related side effects are low. Your body can usually get rid of excess vitamin B12 through your urine. In rare cases, high doses of vitamin B12 injections have been associated with skin reactions.
Unlike most other vitamins, B12 is stored in substantial amounts, mainly in the liver, until it is needed by the body. If a person stops consuming the vitamin, the body's stores of this vitamin usually take about 3 to 5 years to exhaust.
Once you begin treating your vitamin B12 deficiency, it can take up to six to 12 months to fully recover. It is also common to not experience any improvement during the first few months of treatment.
Effects of Vitamin B12 on Depressive Symptoms
Higher intakes of both Vitamins B12 and B6 reduced depressive symptoms over time. Vitamin B12 levels were reported to be correlated with melancholic depressive symptoms more than non-melancholic.
Vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins play a role in producing brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions. Low levels of B-12 and other B vitamins such as vitamin B-6 and folate may be linked to depression.
Being on numerous supplements means you're at risk of actually overdosing on a certain vitamin or mineral. For example, if your diet is already very high in iron,an additional supplement might actually push you over the necessary threshold. Excess iron can lead to nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhoea.
There is no risk of an overdose when taking large amounts of vitamin B-12 such as 1000 mcg, because it is a water-soluble vitamin. Meaning the body will use the amount that it needs then the excess will be excreted through urine.
B12 deficiency may cause demyelination of nerves in the peripheral and central nervous system13 and has been associated with peripheral neuropathy, loss of sensation in peripheral nerves, and weakness in lower extremities in older adults1, 14–16.
Stress is known to deplete our levels of B vitamins, especially vitamin B12. Vegetarians, vegans and those on restricted diets can struggle to get enough vitamin B12 to meet their body's needs.
ATP is a molecule that provides cells with the energy they need to power the body [3]. This is where vitamin B12 comes in. Vitamin B12 is instrumental in helping the cells of the body perform the necessary chemical reactions that enable them to metabolize the glucose molecules they need to make ATP energy.