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Vitamin A Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of vitamin a include fatigue, flushing, and nausea, based on 13,388 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 4.4% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Vitamin A side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for vitamin a.

1
Fatigue6.0%801
2
Flushing5.5%743
3
Nausea5.2%691
4
Diarrhoea4.6%615
5
Drug Ineffective4.4%592
6
Off Label Use4.1%553
7
Pain4.1%547
8
Headache4.0%534
9
Dyspnoea3.4%456
10
Arthralgia3.4%453
11
Rash2.9%391
12
Dizziness2.9%391
13
Vomiting2.8%380
14
Asthenia2.8%372
15
Nausea2.5%341

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that vitamin a caused these reactions.

Report severity

60.0%Serious8,028 reports
33.5%Hospitalizations4,486 reports
7.9%Fatal1,053 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Vitamin A drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside vitamin a. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Adalimumab7.1%951
2
Niacin6.9%920
3
Lenalidomide5.3%704
4
Folic-acid3.9%526
5
Ergocalciferol3.9%525
6
Ascorbic-acid3.8%514
7
Prednisone3.4%456
8
Etanercept3.4%452
9
Alendronate-sodium3.0%404
10
Methotrexate2.8%381
11
Infliximab2.8%370
12
Naproxen2.6%353
13
Calcium2.6%347
14
Ivacaftor2.6%346
15
Ranitidine2.6%345

Taken alongside

1
Ergocalciferol60.6%8,119
2
Ascorbic-acid47.3%6,329
3
Vitamin-e42.9%5,744
4
Cyanocobalamin40.5%5,422
5
Folic-acid38.2%5,110
6
Biotin33.8%4,527
7
Thiamine32.2%4,305
8
Pyridoxine31.7%4,248
9
Riboflavin31.5%4,218
10
Niacinamide30.8%4,121
11
Dexpanthenol30.7%4,115
12
Aspirin23.2%3,103
13
Acetaminophen19.0%2,540
14
Calcium17.5%2,339
15
Levothyroxine-sodium13.0%1,747

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports vitamin a side effects

59.3% of vitamin a adverse event reports involve female patients and 33.4% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 51%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female59.3%
Male33.4%
Unknown7.3%

Age group

< 21.4%
2–111.9%
12–172.2%
18–6451.2%
65+43.4%

What is vitamin a used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking vitamin a when the adverse event was reported.

AcneAdjuvant TherapyAlopeciaAnaemiaAnxietyArthralgiaArthritisAstheniaAcneAdverse Drug ReactionAlopeciaAmyloidosisAnkylosing SpondylitisAntioxidant TherapyBlood Cholesterol Increased

Showing 15 of 224 indications

Vitamin A brand names and reporting trend

Vitamin A is sold under the brand name Aquasol A.

Brand names

Aquasol A9,926

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking vitamin a with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.