Potential liver damage associated with over-the-counter vitamin supplements.

The growing popularity and availability of over-the-counter (OTC) health products, including vitamins, raises serious concern about vitamin toxicity. We report a case of cirrhosis in a patient with habitual daily ingestion of an OTC dietary supplement that contained 13,000 microg vitamin A and was associated with marked clinical improvement after discontinuation. This case highlights the potential for liver damage that may be associated with long-term intake of OTC vitamin supplements, and indicates the need for medical supervision of such products.