04 November 2019
Clinicians have highlighted the case of a 61-year-old patient who developed sight loss as a result of taking over the counter vitamin B supplements.
The case, which was described in Journal of Vitreoretinal Diseases, illustrates a rare toxic reaction called niacin-induced cystoid maculopathy, a form of retinal swelling.
A patient presented with decreased visual acuity after taking niacin, commonly known as vitamin B.
An optical coherence tomography scan revealed bilateral cystic macular oedema.
Two months after the patient stopped taking niacin, there was a complete resolution of the macular oedema.
Dr Richard Rosen, chief of retina services at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, highlighted the risk of inadvertent overdosing on vitamin B.
“People often live by the philosophy that if a little bit is good, more should be better. This study shows how dangerous large doses of a commonly used over-the-counter medication can be,” he emphasised.
Image credit: Pixabay/jarmoluk
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