Resveratrol Side Effects Are Anecdotal At Best - Both The Positive & The Negative!

Perhaps a controversial title?  Until studies are completed over long periods of time, I have to believe anecdotal evidence is the best information we have to base our decisions on.

When it comes to consuming drugs or supplements, side effects are inevitable.  Whether we own up to it or not, there is a risk involved when you ingest a substance into your body.  This becomes even more apparent with "newer" supplements, resveratrol included, where that risk increases due to the lack of testing and long-term human studies that have been completed.

It's important to mention that not all side-effects are negative.  Many drugs have been known to provide positive side effects that were not originally expected.  A great example of this was with the famous erectile dysfunction drug, Viagra, made by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.  Viagra was first produced to help men suffering chest pains from heart disease.  As it turns out Viagra is not used for this ailment and is now the #1 most prescribed sexual dysfunction drug in the world.

I understand the example above is a bit extreme but I think you get the picture that side effects come in all shapes and sizes.

When it comes to Resveratrol many of the side effects are based on personal consumption accounts.  With there being a minimal amount of published research where resveratrol was used on humans, determining absolute side effects has been very difficult.  We have to rely on personal accounts, estimates on the transfer of effects between mice and humans, or do "self" studies in as best a controlled environment as possible.

Keeping a journal, good medical records, and getting baseline blood-work done goes a long way to proving what is placebo effect and what is real.  Throughout the research I've done and from the personal experiences I've had with Resveratrol, I was able to put together a list of potentially negative side effects:

• Tendinitis Pain: this has primarily been reported in the Achilles tendon but has also been said to occur in other locations as well.

• Arthritic Joint Pain: suggested to occur with higher doses of resveratrol.

• Stomach Pain & Diarrhea: this is more often found in low quality or 50% resveratrol formulations.  The "emodin" content in these formulations is higher then in more pure 99% resveratrol formulations and is known to cause stomach problems.

• Numbness in the Extremities: this has been stated as occurring briefly after consumption and only lasting a few minutes at a time.  It has been noted to go away after a few days of use.

• Caffeine Like High: the feeling of being jittery soon after consumption.

• Decreased Appetite: some find this to be a negative while others see it as a positive.

The above list are not scientific findings, rather they are accounts I've read on-line and personally experienced.  On the list I've experienced both tendinitis pain and numbness of my fingers.  Both of which I did not find to last for longer then a few days.

For me the potential benefits certainly out weigh the potential negatives.  I am hopeful over the next few years more human studies will be completed and we will have less of a guessing game and more concrete information to base our decisions off of.

Have you had any side effects you would like to share?  Please list them below along with how much resveratrol you take and what purity level it is.

Useful Links:
Flu Season Is Here: Can Resveratrol Help?

 

Resveratrol Related Web Search

Comments

[Mike]

I feel a buzz when I take it, but I only started getting this buzz when I switched to micronized resveratrol. It is also more intense when I do not swallow it, but have it sit in my mouth and absorb through the side of my cheek. My cheek will sometimes get numb or tingly. Im taking 300mg in powder form - previously I was taking 250mg of non-micronized in a capsule.
I have also noticed a slight increase in endurance and stamina.
I have never had any negative side effects.

[Scott]

I felt a caffeine like high and experienced a spike in my blood pressure into the high range. I also experienced insomnia. When I discontinued it, the side effects disappeared and when I resumed it, the same side effects returned.

[Roger Bottalla]

I have been taking Resvertrol manufactured by Longevinex for over two years. The effects seem to be that I have been able to retain my weight and have increased muscle tone. However, I have experienced some sporadic joint pain in my hips and hands. However, I have colitis and not sure if the symptoms are associated with illiness. Can anybody shed some light on this?

R

[Admin]

Hi Roger,

I am probably not the best person to answer your question regarding colitis, but after some research online I did not find joint pain as a symptom of colitis. I checked some articles on WebMD & also found this Colitis web resource: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/colitis/article_em.htm

I have heard from others and personally experienced minor joint/tendonitis pain while taking resveratrol. I am not sure if it can be directly related to taking resveratrol (however it is a possibility) but I have read else where of personal accounts where tendonitis has occurred. For me the tendonitis is very minimal and not constant so I would say it is a potential side-effect I can live with.

I did find this study from 2004 in pubmed:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15013856

and this on nature.com:
http://www.nature.com/bjp/journal/v147/n8/abs/0706469a.html

Perhaps sharing a little more about yourself such as age, activity levels, diet type, etc would shed some light and help someone with a little more knowledge then myself give you a better answer.

I appreciate you stopping by and will continue to look for information for you.

[scott]

after taking resveratrol i get a dizzy feeling lasting for 3-4 hours. is this an allergic reaction or an interreaction with medications?

[Admin]

Hi Scott,

There could be numerous causes of your dizziness that I would be way to under qualified to determine. It could be a multitude of things causing this; drug interaction is a possibility.

First thing you should do is stop taking it and go see your doctor. Inform your doctor of all drugs, vitamins, and supplements your are taking so they can access the situation properly.

You may find it is something entirely unrelated or you could also find it is the resveratrol. Without knowing the other substances you are taking, the type of resveratrol, the pureness of it, etc it would be hard to tell.

[Roger]

Hi Markus,

Thank you for responding to my inquiry. I appreciate the work you've done to pull up some websites on the matter. I'll surely look through them and report back.

Best,

Roger

[Carol Silvers]

Hi:
Yesterday I started by taking one 160mg capsule essentially on am empty stomach (before lunch). I had my lunch and about 2 hours later I had heart palpitations. The last time I had palpitations was when my synthroid dosage was too high. So, I am wondering if this has caused a similar hormonal effect. Anyway, stopped taking the capsules and will try a week later on a full stomach. Any suggestions? Carol

[Dave]

I have been using Reseveretrol for 4 months, 2 100 mg tablets per day, 100% purity. The effects/side effects I have experienced are caffine like high; enhanced undurance (I'm a runner); and insomnia during the second half of a night's sleep. I also bellieve I may have had an increace in vulnerability to colds and flu, as this winter's cold count for me has been the worst I've ever had.

[Admin]

Hi Carol,

I am "not" familiar with synthroid and would certainly be concerned with heart palpitations. It would be a good idea to consult with a doctor about this and decide if trying again is a good idea. That said, I realize my follow-up is a bit late and was curious if you tried again. if so, how did you make out?

I do know that it has been shown resveratrol can interact with certain medications. So it is important to talk to your Doctor and adjust dosages accordingly.

[dana]

I had a significant increase in high blood pressure after taking resveratrol 150mg for 2 weeks
is this a side effect that will get better or should i stop taking it iam 39 years old and i weight 150lb

[Admin]

Hi Dana,

I don't believe I recall hearing about high blood pressure as a side-effect of resveratrol, however, this does not mean it is not one. I am told resveratrol "does" have certain drug interactions with blood thinners, statins, and other medications, so if you are on any that is another possibility.

You can always stop taking the resveratrol and see if your blood pressure goes down.

Either way, I would speak to a physician about your concerns to make sure there isn't something serious going on. Better safe then sorry!

Remember, I am not a Doctor or Nutritionist so this is all just my opinion.

[Ron]

Hi Markus,

I decided to try Resveratrol on my mother in law who is 90 and the first stage of Alzheimers.
She has had some bow accidents which is not completely unusual, but early this morning got up very early and complained that she was all wet but didn't wet her bed .....Sweats?
Started with 325 powder twice a day......maybe I should back off to 325 once a day......?

[Ron]

thats bowl .........not bow

[Admin]

Hi Ron,

I appreciate you stopping by. I hate to sound like a broken record but I just don't have the qualifications to give direct answers to some of these questions.

**If there are any doctors who wish to respond it would be greatly appreciated!!**

That said, perhaps just giving it to her in the morning would be better for now. This way she is awake and easier to monitor from a side-effect stand point. Also, try a lower dose and if she is tolerating it well perhaps then you can increase it gradually.

Also, make sure if she is on other medications there isn't an interaction going on. Resveratrol is known to react with certain meds and dosages may need to be adjusted. Please consult a physician to discuss this.

Please keep us posted as to how she is doing and if the resveratrol is helping at all.

[Mike]

I mentioned elsewhere that I seem to have one effect that I can't attribute to working out - a better capability to visualize things in my mind. It's like a switch has turned on that allows me to close my eyes and pretty much visualize exactly what I choose in my mind's eye. For me, that's been really tough for me to do up until now - so I don't know - maybe for most folks it's just normal. I just thought I'd bring it up to see if anyone else thinks this might be the case with them.

Thanks always, Markus!

[D. W. Stump]

I am on Warfarin and since taking 50 mg daily (morning) of Resveratrol my blood tests have been below normal (i.e., my blood is thicker than usual). Actually Resveratrol should thin the blood, since it is the antioxidant in wine which is an anti-clotting substance I assume. My diet does not contain a lot of vitamin K or any other substance that might account for the change. I tend to think that the lower numbers on my tests are not connected w/the Resveratrol, but a normal fluxuation. But I can't be sure. I wonder if any other correspondents have noted this kind of occurrence? D.W.

[Mike]

I am 58 and have had high blood pressure for over 20 years and am on two blood pressure medications. I started taking resveratrol about 6 weeks ago. 300 mg once a day, from Vitamin Research Products.

My blood pressure has gone down. Remarkable for me. No high of any kind. No insomnia.

But I have had some bad acne.

I have heard that resveratrol can cause acne like break outs.

[Admin]

Hi D.W.,

I haven't heard of others with a similar situation. Have you spoken to your doctor about it? I do know there are interactions with some meds and resveratrol. Blood thinners being one of them.

Any doctors out there willing to help with an explanation?

[Admin]

Mike,

Thats great news. Thank you for sharing. As for the acne I would be interested to hear if anyone else has had similar effects?

[Debra Adkins]

Hello: Has anyone taking Resveratrol experienced a coloration of urine?? I am hoping that is what is causing this for me...I just started taking Resveratrol about 2 weeks ago.

[Admin]

Hi Debra,

I noticed this myself but it was a subtle change. I noticed it more so when taking multivitamins. Are you taking anything else?

[Debra Adkins]

Well...I take a skin and nails supplement, and a fat metaboliser, fish oil, B12....that's about it.

[ROSEMARY MAIDA]

I AM EXPERIENCING INSOMNIA. DOES ANYONE ELSE FIND THIS PROBLEM?

[Milan]

I take 200mg from Natural Resvereratrol and am experiencing diahria. Is this a common side-effect?