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Question

What vitamins have a higher potential for causing toxicity and why?

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Answer

Fat soluble vitamins can be stored in the adipose tissue instead of excreted if in excess.  As a result, vitamins A, D, E, and K can cause toxicity if patients take too much (in this order of incidence as well).

• Hypervitamintosis A can result in ataxia, hepatotoxicity, visual impairments, and orange skin.
  
• Hypervitamintosis D can result in hyperphosphatemia and hypercalcemia.
• Hypervitamintosis E can block vitamin K absorption and leads to easy bleeding and bruising
• Hypervitamintosis K is very rare and really only seen in infants receiving newborn injections after birth.

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References

• Vitamin A – http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Vitamina-HealthProfessional/
• Vitamin D – https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
• Vitamin E – https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/
• Vitamin K – https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminK-HealthProfessional/