Vitamin E Side Effects

Although most people do not experience problems when taking vitamin E, side effects may occur if you take high doses of the vitamin. Some people may also experience irritation or allergic reactions when vitamin E is applied to the skin. Potential side effects of vitamin E (due to high doses) include unusual bleeding or bruising, nausea, headaches, and blurred vision.

 

Does Vitamin E Cause Side Effects?

Vitamin E usually does not cause significant side effects for most people, especially when taken at normal dosages. However, vitamin E can sometimes cause serious side effects as well, especially when taken at higher dosages. There is some concern that high-dose vitamin E supplementation may actually do more harm than good.
 

Possible Side Effects of Vitamin E

When the results of many vitamin E studies were combined and analyzed, researchers found that people who took doses of more than 400 IU per day had an increased risk of death (from all causes combined). At this time, it is not known why or how high-dose vitamin E could increase the risk of death. It has been suggested that high-dose vitamin E supplementation could interfere with the balance of antioxidants in the body, having negative effects. More research is needed to confirm such findings. This is still a very controversial issue.
 
High doses of vitamin E have also been reported to cause (or may theoretically cause) the following side effects:
 
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Intestinal cramping
  • Fatigue and weakness
  • Headaches
  • Blurred vision
  • Any unusual bruising or bleeding (vitamin E can increase the risk of bleeding)
  • Black, tarry stools; bright-red blood in the stool; or vomiting of blood (signs of gastrointestinal bleeding)
  • Signs of a hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain), such as vision or speech changes, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, or a severe headache.
     
Some people may experience irritation or allergic reactions when vitamin E is applied to the skin.
 
(Vitamin E Side Effects Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;