severe peripheral neuropathy and vitamin B6

Posted by pain3relief @pain3relief, Feb 9, 2024

Hi,
I suffer from severe peripheral neuropathy and have heard that B6 can have an effect on neuropathy.

I take multivitamin and magnesium supplements, that have over 60mg of B6. The RDI is 1.7mg.

Does anyone have any information or references that B6 would be adverse to my condition.

Thanks.

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@liloldlady

My one a day multi had 75 mg of b6. When i started on vitamins and alternative health in 1997, and all the reading from dr.s using alternative treatments, i looked for vitamins with at least 50 mg of b's. so many only have 2 mg......i guess they are using RDA, but, RDA has everything too low. Check out NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH WEBSITE ......in google, type in is B6 toxic, and of several websites , that one will pop up, and give you some info. it says rare cases of toxicity at 500 - 1,000 mg of b6. But very saft under 200 mg. Silly thing, i thought, about 20 yrs ago, my toe curved and wouldn't straighten out. after a few days, i saw my naturopath Dr., who said........take b vitamins. I said my multi has it, she said, well take extra. So, thinking that was the dumbest thing i ever heard for a crooked toe, i got a bottle of 50mg b complex.
So, now i had the 75 mg in my multi, plus 50.........Boom,, the next day, my toe was back to normal............For a few years, i was using at least 100 mg of b complex............after over 25 yrs of using alternative things, not just vitamins/herbs, but many other things , at 82, i am on NO drugs, NO surgeries. So, for me, the higher doses of B vitamins, did no harm. We are all facing a puzzle, with the problems we all have, trying to figure out what to do. so every piece of info we get from each other helps up with our personal puzzle, to see if that bit of info fits our scenario. Somehow, i dont' think we will ever get the 1,000 piece puzzle together, but, every little bit gives us a better picture. this wasn't very helpful, but, it is just one more piece of your puzzle.........maybe helped a little. Check out National Inst for a little more infor.

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If you now have peripheral neuropathy how do you know it is not caused by the excessive b6 you are taking?

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@moorethrpy

I have a dry very irritating cough for about 2 weeks. No apparent reason except low B12 can cause and neuropathy can cause irritation to lungs. Is there anything neuropathy doesn't make worse? It is the most frustrating and debilitating disease without a treatment. I do take a spin off new supplement to Metanyx called EB-N6. Prescribed by my podiatrist; the only doctor who has really helped me. I have ideopathic neuropathy not diabetic but my doc said it is an improvement over metanxy and provides you with the correct amounts of B6 and B12. Twice a day with food. I take no other B supplements so I am not overdoing the B6 or 12. Anyone else have a cough? I haven't gone to Urgent care or primary but I will since it is not a cold or upper respiratory. Guess I should have a chest X Ray.

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Yeh, I’ve got a cough, but didn’t think it was neuropathy. I take all manner of supplements for PN, but the cough is still around.

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@bb0753

If you now have peripheral neuropathy how do you know it is not caused by the excessive b6 you are taking?

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Good question. I have to go with everything i have been reading for over 25 years. There are soooo many things i do/have done/ that many of them could be in question. From my readings, many point to things like.....muscles, ligaments, nerves, tendons, etc for my weakness.........and the weakness is what i have, so......am......assuming, it is neuropathy. I did have one test, where they were poking my legs/feet with some type of pin, and found as low as 10% feeling in areas. But....when i touched them at home, i had normal feelings in them, so i'm not too sure, just how accurate there pins were??
An sort of, example of how do i know.........but, not relating to your question exactly. after i had my first soft wave treatment, which was used over my back, which is one week ago, i have Not had a bowel movement. Now, Soft Wave is really good for many things, and in my case, i had him use it on my back, not for neuropathy this time, but because my left side of body got out of whack, and i thought it would help the discomfort . Well, perhaps, in doing the treatment over my back, it somehow, hit whatever????? to sort of put something else out of place, so now i am trying to get my system back into place. And, yes, prior to that, i was having daily movements. I guess my point is......now, do i really question Soft wave treatment for that?? In this case, since that is the ONLY thing that was different, i do think, something was ....touched??? ... which in my case, went sort of wrong...........So with me, using soooo many alternative things, and soooo many supplements/herbs, would I have to question every one? I can't do that. there are too many . So, for B vitamins, i just have to go with what i have learned over 25 yrs., and make "my" best judgment call. As many of us are doing the same thing, is our search for answers........So i have no direct answer for your question. but, according to the National health Institute, B 6 under 200mg a day is safe. toxic cases were rare...........and then in doses of 500 to 1,000mg a day .

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As we all know the NIH is not always correct. The county of Australia has lowered the limit to now require any supplement with more than 20mg and possibly 12mg b6 must include a warning that this may cause neuropathy. As in other health issues the US is behind other countries. I hope you find good health again. Google "b6 toxicity and Australia". There is also a class action lawsuit against a supplement company in Australia over amount of b6 much less than 200mg.

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@bb0753

As we all know the NIH is not always correct. The county of Australia has lowered the limit to now require any supplement with more than 20mg and possibly 12mg b6 must include a warning that this may cause neuropathy. As in other health issues the US is behind other countries. I hope you find good health again. Google "b6 toxicity and Australia". There is also a class action lawsuit against a supplement company in Australia over amount of b6 much less than 200mg.

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you sure are right in the US being behind other countries. they took a long time to start suggesting patients use fish oil supplements, for example. the md., like to do.......drugs and surgeries. And i would agree with you also on the NIH not always being correct. BUT NO ONE is ever always correct. That is why some of us keep searching, searching, and then more searching. some people see an ad that says......this is great.........boom! they rush out to buy it. Worse thing they could do. You have to keep reading . I guess an example would be: NIH says b6 is safe under 200 mg.......some else says exactly the opposite. As in every bit of info out there, people, organizations, Dr's., etc no one is going to agree, they will all have their "own" research that was done. So, that , to me, means, we are back to square ONE........which do you believe? For me, I have to go with the one I trust most. As others have to go with the ones They trust most. I's like a circle, without an end. You just keep going round n round, looking...........here is a bit of humor from the past: a few years ago i was standing in line at a convenience store. The customer and clerk had a quick lil conversation and the customer made this......good grief, believe it or not comment.........she said, i like buying foods with preservatives in them. I think if it can preserve food, that the preservatives will also do the same for me...............I had to hold in my laughter..........needless to say, she was one, who hears something, and jumps right on it, because someone said................and she was serious , not joking................ps, aprx 25 yrs ago, one alternative Dr., did have me on 200 mg b vitamins for a couple of weeks. I was tested as having low levels, and they needed to bring them up. after the level was reached, i have been on from 50 to 100 mg of the complex nearly every day. At 82, with no drugs or surgeries, I only have 2 problems.......my eyes..........and the weakness in my legs, which i will be seeking treatments to help strengthen them. But, that is just me..........as we know, we all re act differently to things.

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My dr said take B6 as mine was a little low. A little below the high range I think he meant. In 3 weeks the neuropathy was much worse and my legs became very weak and hard to walk or even stand. I stopped taking the B6 and blood work 2 weeks after I stopped I was almost double the high in the range.
It only took a few days for the extreme neuropathy and weakness to lesson. I also have fibromyalgia which changes everything.

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@liloldlady

you sure are right in the US being behind other countries. they took a long time to start suggesting patients use fish oil supplements, for example. the md., like to do.......drugs and surgeries. And i would agree with you also on the NIH not always being correct. BUT NO ONE is ever always correct. That is why some of us keep searching, searching, and then more searching. some people see an ad that says......this is great.........boom! they rush out to buy it. Worse thing they could do. You have to keep reading . I guess an example would be: NIH says b6 is safe under 200 mg.......some else says exactly the opposite. As in every bit of info out there, people, organizations, Dr's., etc no one is going to agree, they will all have their "own" research that was done. So, that , to me, means, we are back to square ONE........which do you believe? For me, I have to go with the one I trust most. As others have to go with the ones They trust most. I's like a circle, without an end. You just keep going round n round, looking...........here is a bit of humor from the past: a few years ago i was standing in line at a convenience store. The customer and clerk had a quick lil conversation and the customer made this......good grief, believe it or not comment.........she said, i like buying foods with preservatives in them. I think if it can preserve food, that the preservatives will also do the same for me...............I had to hold in my laughter..........needless to say, she was one, who hears something, and jumps right on it, because someone said................and she was serious , not joking................ps, aprx 25 yrs ago, one alternative Dr., did have me on 200 mg b vitamins for a couple of weeks. I was tested as having low levels, and they needed to bring them up. after the level was reached, i have been on from 50 to 100 mg of the complex nearly every day. At 82, with no drugs or surgeries, I only have 2 problems.......my eyes..........and the weakness in my legs, which i will be seeking treatments to help strengthen them. But, that is just me..........as we know, we all re act differently to things.

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I am on no medications either at age 71. However I was taking melatonin nightly for 2 years that had 20mg b6. My symptoms were heart palpations, blurry eyes, eye flashes, severe light sensitivity, tinnitus, and slowly progressing neuropathy in my feet. B6 test showed my b6 was 5x normal. After stopping the melatonin with the added b6 all symptoms except the feet neuropathy are gone. Luckily the neuropathy is not painful or affect my walking, jogging or weight lifting. I don't know if the b6 caused this or not.

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yes. that is the hard part. When you have a symptom, then stop a supplement, and the problems stop........the first thing i would think is.....hmm......wow! that supplement must have been the problem......I've been there too. Just for the heck of it......go on google..........try wording the question like.......what causes heart palpations, blurry eyes, eye flashes, and tinnitus. I wouldn't put in any more words, as google is pretty sensitive to how questions are worded. see if you get any answers that ....might....give you any clues. If google doesn't come up with an answer, re word the question a little. Do NOT specifically ask if B6 could cause the problems, you want more info, to see if anything else could have caused all that, and then you will have..........here we go again......another piece of the puzzle. in the mid 90's, i had a lot of black specks in my eyes, went to a retinal specialist., he had to do laser surgery immediately, as i almost had a detached retina. At least it only took a couple of minutes to do. He said, if i had flashes, or something like a curtain coming down over my eyes, or anything like that , to go back immediately. did you see a retina specialist for your eye problems? I never knew there were so many things that can happen to eyes.........However, years ago, if my flashes , went away, I don't think i would have followed up with a specialist, I would have been thinking stopping that supplement was the cause..........I take melatonin. sometimes it helps, other times not at all. most i've taken was 6mg. Was any other things in the supplement besides B6?

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@liloldlady

yes. that is the hard part. When you have a symptom, then stop a supplement, and the problems stop........the first thing i would think is.....hmm......wow! that supplement must have been the problem......I've been there too. Just for the heck of it......go on google..........try wording the question like.......what causes heart palpations, blurry eyes, eye flashes, and tinnitus. I wouldn't put in any more words, as google is pretty sensitive to how questions are worded. see if you get any answers that ....might....give you any clues. If google doesn't come up with an answer, re word the question a little. Do NOT specifically ask if B6 could cause the problems, you want more info, to see if anything else could have caused all that, and then you will have..........here we go again......another piece of the puzzle. in the mid 90's, i had a lot of black specks in my eyes, went to a retinal specialist., he had to do laser surgery immediately, as i almost had a detached retina. At least it only took a couple of minutes to do. He said, if i had flashes, or something like a curtain coming down over my eyes, or anything like that , to go back immediately. did you see a retina specialist for your eye problems? I never knew there were so many things that can happen to eyes.........However, years ago, if my flashes , went away, I don't think i would have followed up with a specialist, I would have been thinking stopping that supplement was the cause..........I take melatonin. sometimes it helps, other times not at all. most i've taken was 6mg. Was any other things in the supplement besides B6?

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No just melatonin and 10mg b6 and I took 2.

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@bb0753

No just melatonin and 10mg b6 and I took 2.

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I did go on google, to ask that question of.....what can cause heart palpatations, blurry eyes and flashes and tinititus....bad spelling here......and there were some answers/suggestions. See if any of them make sense in your case. My legs have been a little stronger since Friday's lymphatic massage, which the gal actually did a full body massage. But, I think it was more than a regular massage therapist would have done........don't know. Has me curious. I'm wondering if somehow it was connected to nerves, and some how , she made it better. I'm starting to think that Puzzle.....instead of getting more answers to see the whole picture, is instead........giving more questions instead of answers........Good Grief! Plus i did wrap my thighs with the red light therapy a couple times...........Guess i will never know, but am still looking for answers...........Geez!

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