B-6 vitamin danger!

Here is the quote (one of many) I found on the internet in a Google search a month ago: " People almost never get too much vitamin B6 from food. But taking high levels of vitamin B6 from supplements for a year or longer can cause severe nerve damage, leading people to lose control of their bodily movements.Feb 17, 2016"
I checked the multivitamin capsule I was taking each morning and discovered it contained 200% ADA of B6. This on top of a vegetarian diet already rich in B vitamins. My numbness in the legs and the uncontrollable muscle spasms in arms and legs had gotten worse after I started taking them. I stopped the vitamin capsules, went on a gluten free diet, and increased exercise to 5 days a week. I met with the Neurologist at Mayo who was not surprised that a lot of my problem had been identified.

@lynsorensen that's great news. Lots of info on B6 toxicity out there. This is one of the better sites I've found that puts it all together in an easy to understand way.

Vitamin B6 Toxicity:
http://www.easy-immune-health.com/vitamin-b6-toxicity.html
John

@lynsorensen Thank you for posting this!!! Read your labels folks as the daily recommended dosages are listed for a reason. Too much B6 with some medications can also cause problems. A healthy diet is likely the best way to go. With all of the chemicals in the soil many minerals are being lost and raw foods are not as nutritious as they once were-this is only my theory as to this old farm kid that grew up with everything being done organically-dismounting soapbox.

I am certainly not a doctor, but I think this is something each person should discuss with their endocrinologist. It is very common for diabetics to have low levels of B vitamins because we pass more urine than non-diabetic individuals.

Hi @gman007 - I agree that each person should discuss with their doctor before taking a lot of any vitamin/supplement. If there is any question, it's always a good idea to discuss it with your doctor or a pharmacist and know what you are taking. The problem with B6 is that it is different than other B vitamins when it comes to being water soluble. Unlike most B vitamins, B6 does not simply wash out of your system in the urine. So if you have a health problem that's affecting levels of B6 in your body and you take multivitamins and other supplements with a lot of B6 in them it can lead to B6 toxicity and cause a lot of healthy issues - one being peripheral neuropathy. I don't have any medical training or background but know this through research and others who have been affected by high levels of B6 in their system.

John

Thank you, John, for the very informative link about Vitamin B6. I've been on a medically prescribed dose of 1000 mg of B6 and high doses of B12 and folic acid for about 35 years. I'm scheduled to see a neurologist at Washington University medical school in February, and hope that he'll test for the MTHFR gene and, I pray, figure out the cause and treatment for my small fiber polyneuropathy (Both feet and both legs all the up into my groin and in both hands.)

Hi @steeldove, can you talk with your doctor and request to be tested for the MTHFR gene? I'm not a doctor and have no medical experience but if your symptoms are getting worse it could help them figure out the cause of your symptoms. I would make a list of all the questions on your mind about your symptoms and your current treatment to find out if there are any new treatment options for you that would help. If you go in with your list of questions, it will be easier to communicate with the doctors and also help them.

If you don't mind and are able to share the outcome of your appointment in February, I think it would be really helpful for other members on Connect.

Wishing you and all our Connect members a Happy pain free Holiday season.

John

Yikes! My oncologist prescribed 100 mg of vit B6 for my neuropathy! Has anyone heard of it helping neuropathy?

Hello @linnythepoo - I love that user name! Welcome to Mayo Connect - I'm happy you found us. It is a great place to ask questions, share your health concerns and learn what others with similar health issues are doing for treatment. Yikes is right from my perspective but I have no medical training or background. I would want to get an opinion or see a neurologist first.

Have you received a diagnosis of a form of neuropathy from a neurologist or had any tests to confirm the diagnosis?

I had a roundabout discussion through a 3rd party who I asked to check out a list of supplements that I'm taking for my peripheral neuropathy and this person giving the opinion was a neurologist. They said meh to my supplements and said they would probably recommend Metanx which contains L-methylfolate calcium, an active form of folate, and other essential B vitamins (B6 and B12) instead. B12 is in my list of supplements but I had already heard some bad stuff about B6 so I filed her opinion away under the category - it's my body, my decision. It's really a good idea to learn everything you can about your health condition and any drug used for treatment paying close attention to any side effects. I don't have any medical training or background so this is just based on my opinion and how I've dealt with my own idiopathic small fiber peripheral neuropathy.

Here's a more reliable source from the University of Virginia Health System - Peripheral Neuropathy and Vitamin B6 (PDF):
https://cancer.uvahealth.com/images-and-docs/neuropathy.pdf
Hope this helps,
John

Hi @johnbishop
Thanks for the info. The neuropathy started when I was on 5FU chemotherapy. My oncologist also suggested 30 grams of l-glutamine, which I get at a nutrition store and does seem to help.

BTW, an English-major friend of mine pointed out I spelled linnythepoo wrong--it should be linnythepooh! But I'm gladd you like it!

Thanks,
LInda