Skip to main content Is It Safe To Have Fruit Juice During Pregnancy Post in our General Questions forumFind a discussion topic that suits you Caffeinated Sodas In Pregnancy Peanut Consumption During Pregnancy Packs a PlusQDoes vitamin C help strengthen the immune system? Find out more about this book: YOU: The Owner's Manual, Updated and Expanded Edition: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger See All 2 AnswersVitamin b complex/ vitamin c/ biotin/ folic acid Generic Name: vitamin b complex/vitamin c/biotin/folic acid (VYE-ta-min/BYE-oh-tin/FOE-lik AS-id) Support Group Q & A A dietary supplement for certain patients with high blood levels of homocysteine or kidney failure, or those who are on dialysis or do not receive the proper amount of vitamins from their diet. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor. Vitamin b complex/vitamin c/biotin/folic acid is a vitamin and folic acid combination.
It works by providing vitamins and folic acid to the body to help meet nutritional requirements. Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you. Sports And Dietary Supplements: From Creatine To Whey Some medical conditions may interact with vitamin b complex/vitamin c/biotin/folic acid. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you: Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with vitamin b complex/vitamin c/biotin/folic acid. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following: This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if vitamin b complex/vitamin c/biotin/folic acid may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine. Use vitamin b complex/vitamin c/biotin/folic acid as directed by your doctor.
Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions. Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use vitamin b complex/vitamin c/biotin/folic acid. All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome: Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); feeling of swelling of the entire body; numbness or tingling of the skin. This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions or need medical advice about side effects, contact your doctor or health care provider. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088) or at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch. /dnn/Resources/FindLocalPoisonCenters/tabid/130/Default.aspx), or emergency room immediately. Store vitamin b complex/vitamin c/biotin/folic acid at room temperature, between 59 and 86 degrees F (15 and 30 degrees C).
Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep vitamin b complex/vitamin c/biotin/folic acid out of the reach of children and away from pets. This information is a summary only. It does not contain all information about vitamin b complex/vitamin c/biotin/folic acid. If you have questions about the medicine you are taking or would like more information, check with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider. Disclaimer: This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this medicine or any other medicine. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for you. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about this medicine. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to this medicine.
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. You must talk with your healthcare provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using this medicine.Can I continue to take my multivitamin supplement after the expiration date? Does it become ineffective? Is it unsafe to take?It’s not uncommon: That newly purchased bottle of multivitamins – perhaps fish oil and probiotics, too – got pushed to the back of your medicine cabinet. That was two years ago. Taking a nutritional supplement past its expiration date won’t harm you. But they do lose their potency after they expire and, therefore, their effectiveness. For certain types of supplements, it’s best to throw out old ones.In Canada, supplement manufacturers are required to include expiry dates on labels. panies are also legally required to provide stability data that support the label claim – i.e., the product will have 100 per cent of its listed ingredients for the duration of the expiry period.
To do so, manufacturers test bottled nutritional supplements in stability chambers to determine an expiry date.Ingredients such as vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids and herbal extracts start to decompose the minute they’re manufactured and continue to do so gradually over time. Exposure to heat, humidity, light and air can cause nutrients to break down even more rapidly. (Minerals, such as calcium, iron and zinc, do not degrade when stored properly.)Some nutrients (e.g. certain B vitamins including folic acid, vitamins C and D, beta carotene) deteriorate more quickly than others. Manufacturers may beef up their strength by adding 30 to 40 per cent more than what’s stated on the label. Doing so ensures that these nutrients are at 100 per cent strength at the time of expiry.Adding a drying agent, or desiccant, to bottles of vitamin supplements – e.g., silica gel packets – slows down natural nutrient degradation by absorbing moisture. Coating tablets also helps keep vitamin supplements stable longer.
So, are you doing yourself any good taking multivitamins that expired a few months ago? It’s not unsafe or dangerous to take them; they simply won’t be as potent as they were before the expiry date.According to John Doherty, vice-president of scientific and technical affairs for Jamieson Vitamins, “Once the expiry date has passed, we can’t confidently guarantee how much less you’re getting after three months, after six months.”Still, the potency drop-off for most vitamins is slow. If your multivitamin is only two or three months past date, you can expect its nutrient content to be pretty close to what’s on the label.That said, I don’t advise taking expired prenatal multivitamins. Before and during pregnancy it’s important that women ensure they consume an adequate amount of folic acid, a B vitamin that guards against birth defects such as spina bifida.Some ingredients, though, are fragile and break down quickly after a product’s expiration date. Probiotic supplements, made from live bacteria and yeasts, will be far less potent once expired.
It’s best to throw them out.Ditto for oil supplements in gelatin capsules including fish oil, flax oil, cod liver oil and evening primrose oil. These fats oxidize much more readily than do vitamins and minerals sold as tablets. Once expired, toss them out.Flavours, too, break down quickly and are usually the first ingredient to go after expiration. While your chewable vitamin C or gummy multivitamin may still have as much as 90 per cent of its original potency three months past expiry, don’t expect them to taste the same.To prevent supplements from losing potency faster, follow storage directions on the label. Store vitamins in their original containers away from heat and light. Don’t remove the little silica gel packet or canister that helps remove moisture from inside the bottle. (I used to always pitch it, not realizing its purpose.)Although many brands of probiotics are shelf-stable, it’s best to store them in the refrigerator after opening to help slow their rate of dying.If you do need to throw out vitamin supplements (or medications) that have expired, don’t flush them down the toilet or throw them in the garbage.