Vitamin E (By mouth)
VYE-ta-min E
Treats patients who do not have enough vitamin E in the body and may be used for other medical conditions.
Drug classes
Nutritive Agent (About this – PubMed Health)
Uses
Uses of This Medicine
Vitamins are compounds that you must have for growth and health. They are needed in only small amounts and are available in the foods that you eat. Vitamin E prevents a chemical reaction called oxidation, which can sometimes result in harmful effects in your body. It is also important for the proper function of nerves and muscles.
Some conditions may increase your need for vitamin E. These include:
Intestine disease
Liver disease
Pancreas disease
Surgical removal of stomach
Increased need for vitamin E should be determined by your health care professional.
Infants who are receiving a formula that is not fortified with vitamin E may be likely to have a vitamin E deficiency. Also, diets high in polyunsaturated fatty acids may increase your need for vitamin E.
Claims that vitamin E is effective for treatment of cancer and for prevention or treatment of acne, aging, loss of hair, bee stings, liver spots on the hands, bursitis, diaper rash, frostbite, stomach ulcer, heart attacks, labor pains, certain blood diseases, miscarriage, muscular dystrophy, poor posture, sexual impotence, sterility, infertility, menopause, sunburn, and lung damage from air pollution have not been proven. Although vitamin E is being used to prevent certain types of cancer, there is not enough information to show that this is effective.
Lack of vitamin E is extremely rare, except in people who have a disease in which it is not absorbed into the body.
Vitamin E is available without a prescription.
Importance of Diet
For good health, it is important that you eat a balanced and varied diet. Follow carefully any diet program your health care professional may recommend. For your specific dietary vitamin and/or mineral needs, ask your health care professional for a list of appropriate foods. If you think that you are not getting enough vitamins and/or minerals in your diet, you may choose to take a dietary supplement.
Vitamin E is found in various foods including vegetable oils (corn, cottonseed, soybean, safflower), wheat germ, whole-grain cereals, and green leafy vegetables. Cooking and storage may destroy some of the vitamin E in foods.
Vitamin supplements alone will not take the place of a good diet and will not provide energy. Your body also needs other substances found in food such as protein, minerals, carbohydrates, and fat. Vitamins themselves often cannot work without the presence of other foods. For example, small amounts of fat are needed so that vitamin E can be absorbed into the body.
The daily amount of vitamin E needed is defined in several different ways.
For U.S.—
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are the amount of vitamins and minerals needed to provide for adequate nutrition in most healthy persons. RDAs for a given nutrient may vary depending on a person’s age, sex, and physical condition (e.g., pregnancy). Daily Values (DVs) are used on food and dietary supplement labels to indicate the percent of the recommended daily amount of each nutrient that a serving provides. DV replaces the previous designation of United States Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDAs).For Canada—
Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) are used to determine the amounts of vitamins, minerals, and protein needed to provide adequate nutrition and lessen the risk of chronic disease.Vitamin E is available in various forms, including d- or dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate, d- or dl-alpha tocopherol, and d- or dl-alpha tocopheryl acid succinate. In the past, the RDA for vitamin E have been expressed in Units. This term has been replaced by alpha tocopherol equivalents (alpha-TE) or milligrams (mg) of d-alpha tocopherol. One Unit is equivalent to 1 mg of dl-alpha tocopherol acetate or 0.6 mg d-alpha tocopherol. Most products available in stores continue to be labeled in Units.
Normal daily recommended intakes in milligrams (mg) of alpha tocopherol equivalents (mg alpha-TE) and Units for vitamin E are generally defined as follows:
Persons U.S. Canada mg alpha-TE Units mg alpha-TE Units Infants and children Birth to 3 years of age 3–6 5–10 3–4 5–6.7 4 to 6 years of age 7 11.7 5 8.3 7 to 10 years of age 7 11.7 6–8 10–13 Adolescent and adult males 10 16.7 6–10 10–16.7 Adolescent and adult females 8 13 5–7 8.3–11.7 Pregnant females 10 16.7 8–9 13–15 Breast-feeding females 11–12 18–20 9–10 15–16.7Other uses (PubMed Health)
How To Use
Capsule, Tablet, Chewable Tablet, Liquid
Your doctor will tell you how much and when to take your medicine. You may take it with food.
Use the dropper that comes with the oral liquid to measure your dose. Mix the medicine with foods such as cereal and fruit juice, or use the dropper to drop the medicine in your mouth.
Do not crush or chew the capsule or tablet. Swallow this medicine whole with a full glass of water.
Chew the chewable tablet and swallow with a full glass of water.
If a dose is missed:
Try not to miss any doses; however, because this is a dietary supplement, do not worry if you miss one or two doses.
How to Store and Dispose of This Medicine:
Store at room temperature in the original container, away from heat, direct light, and moisture. Do not freeze the liquid.
Keep all medicine away from children.
Drugs and Foods to Avoid
Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.
Make sure your doctor knows if you are taking a blood thinner such as Coumadin®.
When Not To Use
You should not use this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to vitamin E.
Warnings
Check with your doctor before taking vitamin E if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have other medical problems.
You should not use in greater amounts or more often than ordered by your doctor. Too much of this vitamin can be harmful.
Possible side effects
Summary More details
If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:
Dizziness, headache
Unusual bleeding, bruising, or weakness
If you notice other side effects that you think are caused by this medicine, tell your doctor.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
More side effects of this drug
Brand names include
Alpha-E, Aqua Gem-E, Aquasol E, D-Alpha Gems, E-400, E-600, E-Gems, E-Gems Elite, E-Gems Plus, E400, Formula E 400, Gamma E Plus, Gamma E-Gems, Good Neighbor Pharmacy dl-Alpha Vitamin E, Key-E, Key-E-Kaps, Natural Vitamin Blend E-400IU, Nature’s Blend Vitamin E, Nutr-E-Sol, PharmAssure Vitamin E
There may be other brand names for this medicine.