Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) Cautions
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Certain people should not take vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplements without first consulting their doctor for advice:
- People that have been burnt
- People that have been involved in an accident and are injured
- People that have recently undergone surgery
- People with an illness
- People with an overactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- People with liver disease
- People with severe gastrointestinal problems
- People with sickle cell disease (anaemia)
- Women that are pregnant or breastfeeding
People with any of the conditions above should discuss vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplementation with their doctor to ensure that they are getting the correct dosage that will not make their condition worse. People with the above conditions should not take high levels of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) as it may cause a worsening of their condition, which could be dangerous in some cases.
Women that are pregnant should not take really high doses of B6 (pyridoxine) as they can cause addiction to the vitamin in the unborn baby.
Women that are breastfeeding should not take really high doses of B6 (pyridoxine) as they can cause some adverse side effects in the unborn baby.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) can have limited toxicity at doses greater than 500mg per day
Toxic Levels of Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) can have limited toxic at doses greater than 500mg per day.
Overdosage and Toxicity Symptoms
In general, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) has limited toxicity in humans, but if really high doses are taken (over 500mg per day), they can produce the following toxicity symptoms:
- Convulsions
- Coordination problems and clumsiness
- Depression
- Increased oxalate in urine
- Kidney stone formation
- Peripheral neuropathy (pain or tingling in the extremities)
- Trouble walking
People who experience any of the above toxicity symptoms should discontinue their vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplements and seek the advice of their doctor.
Toxicity symptoms are more likely to occur from taking too many supplements, whereas dietary intake of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is highly unlikely to cause overdosage.