What is the stimulant in this multivitamin?

Factual Questions
1

I recently started taking this but quit because something in it was making me extremely speedy and irritable. I noticed there’s ginseng in there but only 1mg of the stuff. Any ideas?

Per Tablet: Vitamin A (as Retinyl Palmitate) 8000 IU; Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid and Rose Hips) 250 mg; Vitamin D (as Cholecalciferol) 400 IU; Vitamin E (as d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate) 125 IU; Thiamin (Vitamin B-1) (as Thiamin Mononitrate) 80 mg; Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2) 80 mg; Niacin (as Niacinamide) 80 mg; Vitamin B-6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride) 80 mg; Folic Acid 400 mcg; Vitamin B-12 (as Cyanocobalamin) 80 mcg; Biotin 80 mcg; Pantothenic Acid (as d-Calcium Pantothenate) 80 mg; Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate) 8 mg; Iron (as Ferrous Gluconate) 2 mg; Iodine (as Kelp) 150 mcg; Magnesium (as Magnesium Oxide) 6 mg; Zinc (as Zinc Gluconate) 1.4 mg; Selenium (as Sodium Selenate) 25 mcg; Copper (as Copper Gluconate) 0.07 mg; Manganese (as Manganese Gluconate) 0.12 mg; Chromium (as Chromium Picolinate) 25 mcg; Molybdenum (as Sodium Molybdate) 25 mcg; Potassium (as Potassium Gluconate) 1.67 mg; Boron (as Sodium Borate) 0.5 mg; Choline Bitartrate 80 mg; Inositol 80 mg; PABA (Para-Aminobenzoic Acid) 80 mg; Rutin (Dimorphandra Mollis) (Fruit) 30 mg; Citrus Bioflavonoid Complex (Citrus Sinensis) (Fruit) 25 mg; Hesperidin Complex (Citrus Aurantium and Citrus Spp.) (Fruit) 5 mg; Betaine Hydrochloride 25 mg; Coenzyme Q-10 500 mcg; Deodorized Garlic (Allium Sativum) (Bulb) 1 mg; Korean Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) (Root) 1 mg; Natural Food Base 4 mg (Containing: Alfalfa Leaf Powder; Watercress Powder; Parsley Leaf Powder; Rice Bran Powder; Lecithin); Pycnogenol (Pinus Maritima) (Bark) 500 mcg; Cellulose (Plant Origin); Vegetable Stearic Acid; Croscarmellose; Silica; Mannitol; Vegetable Magnesium Stearate; Cellulose Coating; Starch

2

Probably the B vitamins. What ever you are taking has B1, B2, B6, and B12. All of those aid in the break down of fats to produce energy. Too much energy is going to make you speedy and irritable. Give me a second and I’ll try to find a link.

3

Crap, I can’t find a cite that’s worth a damn. But, I did find that all the energy drinks advertise “B-vitamins for energy” so their advertising might be worth something. That’s pretty far away from scientific proof, but the anecdotal evidence says it’s the B vitamins.

The B vitamins do break down fats and carbohydrates, so there might be something there, but don’t take this post as the absolute answer to your question.

4

I’ve gotten some unpleasant stimulant effects from ginseng, but it seems unlikely that a single milligram would cause it.

5

It’s the B vitamins. I can take them as part of a super-multivitamin, but as an extra supplement (even more than in the multi) I have gotten heart palpitations - or at least a racing heartbeat - very uncomfortable and scary it was.

I remember an early episode of one of those Hollywood plastic surgeon shows, the doctor said he gave himself B12 injections for energy.

6

I’ve always assumed that the “B-vitamins for energy” claims were bogus; B vitamins are involved in metabolic reactions that lead to ATP production, but that doesn’t mean taking more of them will speed up those reactions, or make you feel more “energetic”. A quick web search seems to confirm my suspicion (see, e.g., this.

Have you considered the placebo effect?

7

I take a vitamin B supplement and as of this morning, I swore it gave me energy. And now it’s just placebo effect, and is NOT giving me energy??? Thanks a lot! :frowning: Back to square one…maybe ginseng…

8

I’ve never heard anyone else say so but Vitamin E makes me unpleasantly jittery.