Is Too Much Vitamin B6 Dangerous? 3 Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

Vitamin B6 supplements: Beneficial in moderation, but high doses may cause nerve damage, tingling, or numbness. Stay below 50 mg/day long-term.

Summary: While vitamin B6 supplements relieve nausea in early pregnancy and premenstrual symptoms, excessive intake can harm nerves. Learn about 3 key symptoms, recent regulation changes—including Australia’s TGA updates—and scientific findings to keep you safe.

 What Is Vitamin B6?

Vitamin B6, or pyridoxine, is a crucial water-soluble vitamin involved in:

• Protein, carbohydrate, and fat metabolism for energy.
• Formation of neurotransmitters essential for brain and nerve function.
• Hemoglobin synthesis to transport oxygen via red blood cells.
• Immune system support, helping produce antibodies and fight infection.

Some pregnant women take B6 to reduce early-pregnancy nausea, and others use it to ease premenstrual symptoms. Typical dietary intake (1.3–1.7 mg/day) from foods—meat, fish, fruits, vegetables—is sufficient for most adults.

 When Does Vitamin B6 Become Toxic?

Vitamin B6 is water-soluble, meaning most excess is excreted. However, chronic intake of high doses—especially supplements—can cause toxicity. The primary concern is peripheral neuropathy, which is nerve damage outside the brain and spinal cord.

Symptoms include tingling, burning, numbness, weakness, and sometimes ataxia (coordination issues), usually affecting hands and feet first. These often improve slowly after stopping supplementation, but recovery can take months to years—and in rare severe cases, damage may be permanent .

 New Regulatory Warnings & Limits (Australia)

The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has acknowledged that side effects like nerve damage are underreported, and can occur even at lower dosages due to cumulative intake from multiple supplements .

• Products with >10 mg/day B6 must now include nerve‑damage warnings .
• Maximum dosage in a single product is 100 mg/day (reduced from 200 mg) .
• TGA has received over 170 adverse reports of B6-linked neuropathy since 2020 . Another ABC report gave 119 cases by January 2025 .
• Interim steps include calling for behind‑the‑counter placement for high‑dose products and clearer labeling .

Other countries are taking note: New Zealand and Singapore safety alerts reference similar concerns .

 New Science on B6 Toxicity 

Recent studies and case series reinforce the need for caution:

• A 2025 German case-series described eight patients whose neuropathy worsened due to uncritical high consumption .
• Seven cases linked to energy drinks were reported in early 2025 .
• Basic science research into mechanisms (like enzyme inhibition and pyridoxine buildup in nerve ganglia) has expanded .
• A 2021 cohort study found moderately elevated blood levels (100–200 µg/L) did not correlate with neuropathy severity—but did not include those with very high levels .

These findings show that neuropathy risk grows with both dose and duration—and can occur even at lower doses through multiple sources.

 3 Warning Symptoms You Must Not Ignore

1. Tingling or burning sensations in fingers or toes (paresthesia).
2. Numbness or altered sensation, including impaired vibration or position sense.
3. Weakness or coordination loss, especially when walking or using hands.

If you experience any of these signs while taking high-dose B6 supplements (≥50 mg/day), stop the supplement and see a healthcare professional. Early intervention usually leads to gradual improvement over months .

 Safe Intake Guidelines

Here are upper limits for adults—recognize variation by country:

• Australia: TGA warning required above 10 mg/day; max product dose 100 mg/day .
• EU/UK: EFSA limit is 12 mg/day; UK limit 10 mg/day .
• USA: Upper limit is 100 mg/day per National Academy of Medicine (1998) .

Recommended daily intake:

• Adults: ~1.3–1.7 mg/day.
• Pregnancy: up to 2.0 mg/day.

Rule of thumb: Only take B6 supplements if you have a documented deficiency or medical reason. Stay below national upper limits and check total intake especially across married supplements.

 What You Should Do Now

• Read labels carefully—look for pyridoxine, pyridoxal‑5‑phosphate, or pyridoxine hydrochloride.
• Sum total daily B6 from all supplements and fortified products (e.g., energy drinks, multivitamins).
• If taking ≥50 mg/day for over 6 months, or if you experience symptoms, consult your physician or pharmacist.
• Stop supplementation if tingling, numbness, burning, or coordination issues appear.
• Expect symptom improvement over several months to a year, though recovery time varies .

References

1. TGA: Health supplements containing vitamin B6 can cause peripheral neuropathy (Nov 10, 2022)
2. TGA: Peripheral neuropathy with supplementary vitamin B6 (Oct 4, 2022)
3. ABC News: Warnings — vitamin B6 toxicity & irreversible nerve damage (Jan 8, 2025)
4. Barratt et al.: 7 cases of B6 toxicity linked to energy drinks (2025)
5. RACGP: Sweeping vitamin B6 restrictions proposed (Jun 30, 2025)
6. ABC News: TGA interim action on B6 toxicity (Jun 27, 2025)
7. Medsafe NZ: Vitamin B6 and peripheral neuropathy (Jun 5, 2025)
8. Wikipedia: Megavitamin‑B6 syndrome overview (2025)
9. Blackburn K.: B6 neuropathy due to energy drink (2017)
10. Hadtstein F.: Vitamin B6‑induced neuropathy review (2021)
11. Tynes M. et al.: Energy drinks + multivitamins causing neuropathy (2021)