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No tolerable upper intake level (UL) has been set for pantothenic acid. The National Academies found too little data to set one for pantothenic acid. Health Canada, which uses the same values, adds that this "does not mean that there is no potential for adverse effects resulting from high intakes." That doesn’t make any amount safe for everyone: talk to your doctor about high doses.
Take several supplements? Add them all up in the Supplement Checker: it shows your pantothenic acid total next to the nutrients that do have a limit.
How much Pantothenic Acid you need
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 1.7 mg* | 1.7 mg* | – | – |
| 7-12 months | 1.8 mg* | 1.8 mg* | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 2 mg* | 2 mg* | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 3 mg* | 3 mg* | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 4 mg* | 4 mg* | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 5 mg* | 5 mg* | 6 mg* | 7 mg* |
| 19-30 years | 5 mg* | 5 mg* | 6 mg* | 7 mg* |
| 31-50 years | 5 mg* | 5 mg* | 6 mg* | 7 mg* |
| 51-70 years | 5 mg* | 5 mg* | – | – |
| 71+ years | 5 mg* | 5 mg* | – | – |
* Adequate Intake (AI): the amount set when there isn’t enough evidence for an RDA.
What counts toward the Pantothenic Acid limit
No upper limit (UL) has been set for pantothenic acid.
What happens with too much Pantothenic Acid
The National Academies' 1998 DRI report found "No reports of adverse effects of oral pantothenic acid in humans or animals", so no UL could be set. It describes one study of children given a combination including 1.2 g of calcium pantothenate, with raised liver enzymes that it could not ascribe to pantothenic acid. Health Canada adds that the lack of a UL "does not mean that there is no potential for adverse effects resulting from high intakes."
Sources: Health Canada, Dietary Reference Intakes tables (the joint U.S.-Canada values); National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline (1998); National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline (1998). Limits checked November 8, 2026. More from the NIH: Office of Dietary Supplements Pantothenic Acid fact sheet.
If you think you or a child took too much of a supplement, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S., free, 24 hours) or use poison.org. In an emergency, call 911.
General information, not medical advice. Your doctor may recommend a different amount, for example to treat a deficiency. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change a supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medication or have a medical condition.