Vitamin A (Systemic)

Brand Names : Aquasol A, retinol

Before Using This Dietary Supplement

If you are taking this dietary supplement without a prescription, carefully read and follow any precautions on the label. For vitamin A, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your health care professional if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to vitamin A. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - It is especially important that you are receiving enough vitamins when you become pregnant and that you continue to receive the right amount of vitamins throughout your pregnancy. The healthy growth and development of the fetus depend on a steady supply of nutrients from the mother.

However, taking too much vitamin A (more than 1800 RE [6000 Units]) during pregnancy can also cause harmful effects such as birth defects or slow or reduced growth in the child.

Breast-feeding - It is especially important that you receive the right amounts of vitamins so that your baby will also get the vitamins needed to grow properly. However, taking large amounts of a dietary supplement while breast-feeding may be harmful to the mother and/or baby and should be avoided.

Children - Problems in children have not been reported with intake of normal daily recommended amounts. However, side effects from high doses and/or prolonged use of vitamin A are more likely to occur in young children than adults.

Older adults - Problems in older adults have not been reported with intake of normal daily recommended amounts. However, some studies have shown that the elderly may be at risk of high blood levels of vitamin A with long-term use.

Dental - High doses and/or prolonged use of vitamin A may cause bleeding from the gums; dry or sore mouth; or drying, cracking, or peeling of the lips.

Medicines or other dietary supplements - Although certain medicines or dietary supplements should not be used together at all, in other cases they may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your health care professional may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking vitamin A, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Etretinate or
• Isotretinoin (e.g., Accutane) - Use with vitamin A may cause high blood levels of vitamin A, which may increase the chance of side effects

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of vitamin A. Make sure you tell your health care professional if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Alcohol abuse (or history of) or
• Liver disease - Vitamin A use may make liver problems worse

• Kidney disease - May cause high blood levels of vitamin A, which may increase the chance of side effects