Vitamin B7 (biotin) is not known to be toxic.

 

However, there is one case report of life-threatening ‘eosinophilic pleuropericardial effusion’ in an elderly woman who took a combination of 10,000 mcg (= 10 mg)/day vitamin B7 (biotin) and 300 mg/day vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) for two months (36).

 

Tolerable upper intake levels

Due to the lack of reports of adverse effects, health authorities have not established a tolerable upper level of intake (UL) for biotin (1, 26).

 

Oral biotin doses of up to 5,000 micrograms (mcg)/day for two years were not associated with adverse effects (37).

 

In people with hereditary disorders of biotin metabolism, supplementation has been well-tolerated in doses up to 200,000 mcg/day (1).

 

Nutrient interactions

Large doses of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) have the potential to compete with vitamin B7 (biotin) for intestinal and cellular uptake due to their similar structures (38).

 

Drug interactions

Please note:

Because of the potential for interactions, dietary supplements should not be taken with medication without first talking to an experienced healthcare provider.