If you are considering taking biotin, you may be wondering about biotin side effects. After all, taking a vitamin to help your hair and nails grow almost sounds too easy. Is there a catch? Here we will look at the side effects of biotin.

First of all, keep in mind that biotin is a substance that is produced naturally in your body. Therefore, when you take biotin, you are not introducing a foreign substance into your body. You are simply adding more of something it already makes. That being said, you might worry about having too much of a good thing. Here are a few things to look out for regarding biotin side effects:

Biotin Dosage
Side effects of biotin taken in normal amounts are extremely rare. The adequate intake of biotin for adults is 30 mcg, whereas the recommended daily intake is 300 mcg. Many people use doses of up to 2500 mcg safely. However, the best approach is to start with a smaller dose and then increase slowly as necessary. If you do encounter side effects of taking biotin at higher doses, reducing your intake is usually enough to make these effects go away. Because it is water soluble, excess amounts are secreted by your body through urination so biotin levels do not build up inside of your body.

Biotin Interactions
If you are taking any other medications or supplements, it is important to be aware of potential biotin interactions. While there aren’t any known interactions between biotin and prescription medications, it’s always a good idea to discuss vitamin use with your doctor if you are taking other drugs.

In some cases, your medication may actually interfere with your body’s absorption of biotin and cause you to require more. If you are taking estrogen or sulfa drugs, this is something to bring up with your doctor. Likewise, if you take antibiotics over a long period of time, you might need more biotin due to the effect of antibiotics on the digestive system.
Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin that actually prevents your body from absorbing biotin. Some people consume raw egg whites daily, like bodybuilders. In that case, your body will not receive the good effects of biotin taken at the same time.

In one documented case, an individual who took high amounts of biotin and Vitamin B5 at the same time developed a potentially life-threatening condition called eosinophilic pleuropericardial effusion. This is the only known case and the condition disappeared once vitamin use was stopped.

Biotin and Pregnancy
Biotin deficiency can sometimes occur in pregnant women. For this reason, most prenatal vitamins contain biotin. It is very important not to overdo any one vitamin while pregnant or breastfeeding, so try to avoid taking amounts in excess of that provided by your doctor-approved prenatal vitamins. Instead, try to get extra biotin from dietary sources such as peanuts, salmon, sweet potato, banana, beans, brewer’s yeast, and avocado. Pregnancy is not a good time to begin taking vitamins for hair loss anyway because most women report fuller and thicker hair during their pregnancies.

Some of the best dietary sources of biotin, such as raw egg yolks and liver, should be avoided by pregnant women for other reasons. Raw egg yolks can lead to salmonella and liver contains very high amounts of Vitamin A from animal sources, which has been associated with birth defects when consumed excessively during pregnancy.

Summary of Biotin Side Effects
The bottom line is that although biotin is considered harmless and there are no side effects, it is a good idea to stick to acceptable doses as outlined above. If you take biotin and start to notice some side effects, stop using it right away and visit your doctor. If you are taking biotin for hair loss, start out by taking smaller doses and then adjust it slowly upward if you don’t see the results you want. You can also get the same biotin effects from consuming plenty of foods rich in this vitamins. If biotin hair growth supplements don’t seem to have an effect on your hair over a long period of time, it’s possible that your hair loss has a different cause and therefore requires a different course of treatment.