On October 4th 2022, Australia's medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced that due to an increase in adverse events reports on products containing vitamin B6, that the recommended maximum dose of vitamin B6 in supplements is being reduced, and products containing vitamin B6 now need to show a warning on the label that vitamin B6 can cause peripheral neuropathy symptoms (TGA, 2022).
The TGA has updated their regulations so that all products containing a daily dose of vitamin B6 above 10 mg require a warning about peripheral neuropathy. To limit exposure to excessive doses, the maximum permitted daily dose of vitamin B6 in products has also been reduced from 200 mg to 100 mg for adults, with lower daily dose limits in place for children depending on their age.
Neuropathy is a diagnosis from nerve damage leads to feelings of burning, pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in one or more parts of the body. Peripheral neuropathy relates to nerve damage which affects the extremities of the body, typically the hands and feet.
Peripheral neuropathy can also occur from other causes, including a vitamin B12 deficiency, autoimmune conditions, and nerve damage from diabetes conditions. If you experience these symptoms, stop taking any supplement products or combinations which have vitamin B6 as "pyridoxine hydrochloride", and see your practitioner as soon as possible.
Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient, and in foods, it does not cause peripheral neuropathy, partly as foods contain other nutrients which negate the effects of B6 to prevent the neuropathy, and partly as the form of vitamin B6 in most supplements is the synthetic/artificial form of vitamin B6 without the other nutrients to prevent the neuropathy...
Peripheral neuropathy is, however, typically associated with a DEFICIENCY of vitamin B6! But it is also alleged that an excess of B6 (ie, toxicity) can also cause the peripheral neuropathy. The TGA based their decision on many adverse reports from people taking vitamin B6 supplements and having elevated B6 levels in their blood tests. A good practitioner with knowledge of nutrition and blood tests will know that you never test for vitamin B6 levels as it's such an inaccurate test and should never be relied on as an accurate marker of B6 status...
Some supplement products contain both the inactive form of vitamin B6 as pyridoxine hydrochloride together with the active form, called P5P. I also know from published studies that show that if taken together, the inactive B6 will inhibit the body's use of P5P, and hence causing the high levels of B6 and at the same time causing a functional deficiency of vitamin B6, which in turn is causing the peripheral neuropathy.
Vitamin B6 in supplements, especially the inactive form of pyridoxine hydrochloride, should never be taken on its own, or without the other B-vitamins as these balance the B6 and prevent the neuropathy. However, many retail multi-vitamin products or B-complex products, will have the inactive form of B6 and other poor B vitamins and these can also cause neuropathy if taken long-term. Products containing both pyridoxine hydrochloride and P5P should also be avoided. I have not seen any peripheral neuropathy from the active form of B6, being P5P.
There are ways to prevent peripheral neuropathy, depending on the causes of it, as there are causes other than being from vitamin B6. There are also ways to reverse peripheral neuropathy. Stopping any supplement products with pyridoxine hydrochloride is the first step. Then see me for more advice on how to stop the neuropathy symptoms and reverse them!
Stay healthy!
References:
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). (2022). Peripheral neuropathy with supplementary vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). Retrieved 9th November 2022 from https://www.tga.gov.au/news/safety-updates/peripheral-neuropathy-supplementary-vitamin-b6-pyridoxine
The TGA has updated their regulations so that all products containing a daily dose of vitamin B6 above 10 mg require a warning about peripheral neuropathy. To limit exposure to excessive doses, the maximum permitted daily dose of vitamin B6 in products has also been reduced from 200 mg to 100 mg for adults, with lower daily dose limits in place for children depending on their age.
Neuropathy is a diagnosis from nerve damage leads to feelings of burning, pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in one or more parts of the body. Peripheral neuropathy relates to nerve damage which affects the extremities of the body, typically the hands and feet.
Peripheral neuropathy can also occur from other causes, including a vitamin B12 deficiency, autoimmune conditions, and nerve damage from diabetes conditions. If you experience these symptoms, stop taking any supplement products or combinations which have vitamin B6 as "pyridoxine hydrochloride", and see your practitioner as soon as possible.
Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient, and in foods, it does not cause peripheral neuropathy, partly as foods contain other nutrients which negate the effects of B6 to prevent the neuropathy, and partly as the form of vitamin B6 in most supplements is the synthetic/artificial form of vitamin B6 without the other nutrients to prevent the neuropathy...
Peripheral neuropathy is, however, typically associated with a DEFICIENCY of vitamin B6! But it is also alleged that an excess of B6 (ie, toxicity) can also cause the peripheral neuropathy. The TGA based their decision on many adverse reports from people taking vitamin B6 supplements and having elevated B6 levels in their blood tests. A good practitioner with knowledge of nutrition and blood tests will know that you never test for vitamin B6 levels as it's such an inaccurate test and should never be relied on as an accurate marker of B6 status...
Some supplement products contain both the inactive form of vitamin B6 as pyridoxine hydrochloride together with the active form, called P5P. I also know from published studies that show that if taken together, the inactive B6 will inhibit the body's use of P5P, and hence causing the high levels of B6 and at the same time causing a functional deficiency of vitamin B6, which in turn is causing the peripheral neuropathy.
Vitamin B6 in supplements, especially the inactive form of pyridoxine hydrochloride, should never be taken on its own, or without the other B-vitamins as these balance the B6 and prevent the neuropathy. However, many retail multi-vitamin products or B-complex products, will have the inactive form of B6 and other poor B vitamins and these can also cause neuropathy if taken long-term. Products containing both pyridoxine hydrochloride and P5P should also be avoided. I have not seen any peripheral neuropathy from the active form of B6, being P5P.
There are ways to prevent peripheral neuropathy, depending on the causes of it, as there are causes other than being from vitamin B6. There are also ways to reverse peripheral neuropathy. Stopping any supplement products with pyridoxine hydrochloride is the first step. Then see me for more advice on how to stop the neuropathy symptoms and reverse them!
Stay healthy!
References:
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). (2022). Peripheral neuropathy with supplementary vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). Retrieved 9th November 2022 from https://www.tga.gov.au/news/safety-updates/peripheral-neuropathy-supplementary-vitamin-b6-pyridoxine
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