Vitamin A Dosage

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Apr 21, 2025.

Usual Adult Dose for Vitamin A Deficiency

Initial dose: 100,000 Units intramuscularly once a day for 3 days
Maintenance dose: 50,000 Units intramuscularly once a day for 2 weeks

Use: Treatment of vitamin A deficiency when oral administration is not feasible or not available (e.g. anorexia, nausea, vomiting, pre- or post-operative conditions, "Malabsorption Syndrome" with accompanying steatorrhea)

Usual Adult Dose for Vitamin/Mineral Supplementation

US Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):

Adult male: 900 mcg retinol activity equivalents (RAE) (3000 international units [IU])
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): 3000 mcg RAE (10,000 IU)

Adult female: 700 mcg RAE (2330 IU)
UL: 3000 mcg RAE (10,000 IU)

Comments:

• The vitamin A RDA is given as mcg of retinol activity equivalents (RAE) to account for the different bioactivities of retinol and provitamin A carotenoids.
• The body converts all dietary vitamin A into retinol; 2 mcg of beta-carotene from dietary supplements is converted to 1 mcg of retinol.
• The tolerable upper intake level is the maximum daily intake that is unlikely to have adverse health effects.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Vitamin A Deficiency

Infants (under 1 year): 7500 to 15,000 Units intramuscularly once a day
Duration of therapy: 10 days

1 to 8 years: 17,500 to 35,000 Units intramuscularly once a day
Duration of therapy: 10 days

Adult dose:
Initial dose: 100,000 Units intramuscularly once a day for 3 days
Maintenance dose: 50,000 Units intramuscularly once a day for 2 weeks

Use: Treatment of vitamin A deficiency when oral administration is not feasible or not available (e.g. anorexia, nausea, vomiting, pre- or post-operative conditions, "Malabsorption Syndrome" with accompanying steatorrhea)

Usual Pediatric Dose for Vitamin/Mineral Supplementation

US Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):

0 to 6 months: 400 mcg retinol activity equivalents (RAE) (1332 international units [IU])
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): 600 mcg RAE (2000 IU)

7 to 12 months: 500 mcg RAE (1665 IU)
UL: 600 mcg RAE (2000 IU)

1 to 3 years: 300 mcg RAE (1000 IU)
UL: 900 mcg RAE (3000 IU)

4 to 8 years: 400 mcg RAE (1332 IU)
UL: 900 mcg RAE (3000 IU)

9 to 13 years: 600 mcg RAE (2000 IU)
UL: 1700 mcg RAE (5667 IU)

14 to 18 years, male: 900 mcg RAE (3000 IU)
UL: 2800 mcg RAE (9333 IU)

14 to 18 years, female: 700 mcg RAE (2330 IU)
UL: 2800 mcg RAE (9333 IU)

Comments:

• The vitamin A RDA is given as mcg of retinol activity equivalents (RAE) to account for the different bioactivities of retinol and provitamin A carotenoids.
• The body converts all dietary vitamin A into retinol; 2 mcg of beta-carotene from dietary supplements is converted to 1 mcg of retinol.
• The tolerable upper intake level is the maximum daily intake that is unlikely to have adverse health effects.

Renal Dose Adjustments

Data not available

Liver Dose Adjustments

Data not available

Dose Adjustments

US Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):

Pregnancy:
14 to 18 years: 750 mcg retinol activity equivalents (RAE) (2500 international units [IU])
UL: 2800 mcg RAE (9333 IU)

18 to 50 years: 770 mcg RAE (2564 IU)
UL: 3000 mcg RAE (10,000 IU)

Lactation:
14 to 18 years: 1200 mcg RAE (2564 IU)
UL: 2800 mcg RAE (9333 IU)

18 to 50 years: 1300 mcg RAE (4329 IU)
UL: 3000 mcg RAE (10,000 IU)

Comments:

• The vitamin A RDA is given as mcg of retinol activity equivalents (RAE) to account for the different bioactivities of retinol and provitamin A carotenoids.
• The body converts all dietary vitamin A into retinol; 2 mcg of beta-carotene from dietary supplements is converted to 1 mcg of retinol.
• The tolerable upper intake level is the maximum daily intake that is unlikely to have adverse health effects.

Precautions

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

• Administration of the intramuscular formulation intravenously
• Hypervitaminosis A
• Hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients
• The safety of doses exceeding 6000 units vitamin A in pregnancy has not been established. Use of high doses in pregnancy or patients who may become pregnant is contraindicated. Doses above the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) may cause fetal harm; fetal abnormalities (central nervous system, eye, and palate malformations) were seen in animal overdose models. If patients become pregnant, apprise them of potential fetal harms.

Consult WARNINGS section for additional precautions.

Dialysis

Data not available

Frequently asked questions

• What are antioxidants and should you take supplements?

See also:

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

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