‘I couldn’t walk’: GP’s personal story of... - Cure Parkinson's

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‘I couldn’t walk’: GP’s personal story of vitamin B6 toxicity

Farooqji profile image
34 Replies

‘A review of the patient’s vitamin B6 intake is recommended, paying close attention to potential sources such as multivitamins and magnesium and zinc products, particularly when taken in combination,’

www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/cl...

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Farooqji profile image
Farooqji
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park_bear profile image
park_bear

B6 toxicity is caused by excessive levels of the inactive form of B6, pyridoxine. In such cases pyridoxine occupies sites that require the active form of B6, P5P. This is caused by excessive intake of pyridoxine or by deficiency of vitamin B2, which is essential to convert pyridoxine to the active form of B6, P5P. (When P5P participates in chemical reactions it is converted to pyridoxine and needs to be recycled using B2.) B2 is commonly deficient in PwP. Further detail regarding pyridoxine toxicity here: healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

General overview of vitamin B6 and Parkinson's here: healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

Further detail regarding vitamin B2 here: healthunlocked.com/cure-par....

P5P is readily available as a supplement and should be used instead of pyridoxine for vitamin B6 supplementation.

Zscaleplanet profile image
Zscaleplanet in reply topark_bear

Farooqji, kudos for always digging up these articles, and kudos to Park Bear for the ever informative additional input.👍👍👍

Farooqji profile image
Farooqji in reply toZscaleplanet

Please read the comments on the article. Very interesting, especially a case of Parkinson patient whose symptoms got worse due to B6 toxicity

JayPwP profile image
JayPwP in reply topark_bear

I am using B2 100mg nightly and added another from today morning, along with methylcobalamin 500mcg for elevated Homocysteine. I also want to add P-5-P 50mg twice a week for starters. I hope the B2 will take care of the pyridoxine B6 toxicity issue by converting it back to P-5-P.

Any suggestions welcome.

Lizzy9 profile image
Lizzy9 in reply toJayPwP

Hello ~ There is a supplement specifically to help lower homocysteine levels. It’s Homocysteine Factors by Pure Encapsulations. It did lower my HWP’s homocysteine levels!!!

I took him off of it because I freaked out over elevated B6 (he was taking a little additional P5P). His homocysteine level has shot back up and he’s back on it again.

I hope this helps!

Have a fabulous day!

PS ~ when his B6 (& B12) were elevated (barely) he would occasionally mention that his tremor foot was numb. He hasn’t mentioned that lately do I guess the numbness has improved. Is it the Homocysteine Factors??? Who knows??

JayPwP profile image
JayPwP in reply toLizzy9

Thank you

Lizzy9 profile image
Lizzy9 in reply toJayPwP

You’re welcome😊

JayPwP profile image
JayPwP in reply topark_bear

Does excess P-5-P cause PN? How to identify overdose symptoms in time?

park_bear profile image
park_bear in reply toJayPwP

In my opinion 100 mg of Vitamin B2 daily ought to be plenty. Abundant P5P ought not to cause peripheral neuropathy as long as you're taking vitamin B2. Do be aware of the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy so you can take action in case it starts to arise.

JayPwP profile image
JayPwP in reply topark_bear

Thank you PB.

I am trying to address my elevated Homocysteine, while also working on correcting Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

My MTHFR test:

MTHFR C677T Not Detected

MTHFR A1298C Detected – Heterozygous

I understand that Heterozygous A1298C is not deemed to be of any consequence, so my Homocysteine elevation is probably due to Levodopa medication.

sciencedirect.com/science/a...

To correct Mitochondrial dysfunction, I am trying GlyNAC and also about to add Melatonin to the mix, and hope that GlyNAC and Melatonin have a synergistic effect.

JayPwP profile image
JayPwP in reply topark_bear

Do you suggest that I should not take more than 100mg per day?

park_bear profile image
park_bear in reply toJayPwP

There's no B2 toxicity that I am aware of so you can take whatever you like.

Be aware that melatonin can cause a gassy diarrhea that may be slow to arise.

JayPwP profile image
JayPwP in reply topark_bear

Thank you for the heads-up 🙏

MarionP profile image
MarionP in reply toJayPwP

There is a Goldilocks mechanism risk here for you, jaypwp, to be aware of. At some point, having a lot of B2 means if, because of a high p5p or high pyridoxine, or high combination of both, is risking toxicity, then the B2 enhances, in enables and furthers that toxicity because B2 turns p5p into pyridoxine. So if you're supplementing heavy on B6 either form, and relying on B2 to get you out of trouble, at some point the B2 will be recruited into increasing the pyridoxine toxicity. So you have to pay attention to that in the amount of B2 you are taking. You have to actually push a pencil a little bit.

JayPwP profile image
JayPwP in reply toMarionP

Thank you MarionP... 🙏

I understand from park_bear that pyridoxine is converted to P-5-P by B2, and not the other way around.

I plan to supplement P-5-P 50mg twice a week only.

MarionP profile image
MarionP in reply toJayPwP

Yeah I misquoted I mistakenly read my book section backwards.

park_bear profile image
park_bear in reply toMarionP

That is not correct. Vitamin B2 converts the inactive forms of vitamin B6 to the active form, P5P, only. If you claim anything different please provide a reference.

See: healthunlocked.com/cure-par....

Riboflavin Supplementation Safety en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribof...

"In humans, there is no evidence for riboflavin toxicity produced by excessive intakes and absorption becomes less efficient as dosage increases. Any excess riboflavin is excreted via the kidneys into urine, resulting in a bright yellow color known as flavinuria.... During a clinical trial on the effectiveness of riboflavin for treating the frequency and severity of migraines, subjects were given up to 400 mg of riboflavin orally per day for periods of 3–12 months. Abdominal pains and diarrhea were among the side effects reported. "

Thanks for the mention,  JayPwP

B2 & B6
MarionP profile image
MarionP in reply topark_bear

Yes I misquoted I read my own book section backwards that time.

bookish profile image
bookish

Whilst I agree that too much pyridoxine can be problematic, too little B6 can also cause neuropathy. It is essential for methylation, along with B2, B9 and B12. This article takes no account of the form of B6, nor mentions other more common causes of neuropathy. One of my neurologists expected that I had B6 toxicity contributing, even though I only take a small amount of P5P - after testing it was shown actually to be too low.

park_bear profile image
park_bear in reply tobookish

For People With Parkinson's Taking Levodopa Medication: The Danger of B6 Deficiency Is Dire and Vastly Outweighs the Danger of B6 Excess

healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

MarionP profile image
MarionP in reply topark_bear

Yes indeed, "holy cow" important.

Esperanto profile image
Esperanto in reply topark_bear

It's not about choosing between too little or too much. The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are too severe for that! First, get tested and try to find a balance in B6 and all your B vitamins. It is absolutely not necessary to take the excessively high dosages mentioned earlier.

MarionP profile image
MarionP in reply tobookish

Very important point!

Esperanto profile image
Esperanto

‘The good news is it’s reversible, but it is sneaking into the average Australian’s consumption in multiple ways.”

Unfortunately, this is often not true. Many people do not recognize the problems, and are too late. Neuropathy damage to your nerves is no longer reversible after about a year….

Farooqji profile image
Farooqji in reply toEsperanto

Is there any reference to this? I have read stories of people recovering after 2 years or more on the Facebook group

Esperanto profile image
Esperanto in reply toFarooqji

Correct Farooqji, I should have been more specific. If nerve cells are damaged but not yet dead, there may still be some degree of recovery possible even after more than a year. In some cases, the body can form new connections between nerve cells or regenerate damaged nerve fibers. However, this recovery process can be slow and incomplete. It depends on the severity of the damage.

However, dead nerve cells cannot recover anymore. Nerve cells have limited regenerative capacities, which means they are unable to repair or replace themselves once they have died. The recovery of nerve damage mainly concerns the repair and restoration of damaged nerve cells that are still alive.

My more recently diagnosed peripheral neuropathy in the hands and forearms seems to be largely recovering. The older neuropathy in my feet and legs, on the other hand, is likely halted but further recovery is unfortunately not evident yet after one and a half years, as confirmed by the EMG. This was already predicted by my neurologists and sadly has come true.

Farooqji profile image
Farooqji

From Facebook

Facebook group post
JayPwP profile image
JayPwP in reply toFarooqji

Esperanto park_bear ...

Your domain

park_bear profile image
park_bear in reply toJayPwP

B6 toxicity has been shown to result from an excess of the inactive form, pyridoxine, and not from P5P. details here: healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

B2 deficiency can cause an excess accumulation of pyridoxine and therefore toxicity. Details here: healthunlocked.com/cure-par....

Note that my claims are supported by references to the medical research.

Esperanto profile image
Esperanto in reply toFarooqji

Vitamine B6 toxicity is primarily associated with excessive intake of vitamin B6 supplements, rather than a deficiency of other vitamins or minerals. So you can indeed say that these are myths in the aforementioned claims.

Nevertheless, certain vitamins and minerals are needed to make your B6 work better and a balance between all B vitamins is important. B2 riboflavin plays an important role in maintaining vitamin B6 status, particularly in individuals with the MTHFR 677TT genotype. Lower riboflavin status was associated with decreased levels of the active form of vitamin B6 (PLP), especially in older adults. However also the statement that a deficiency of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) can cause B6 toxicity is not entirely accurate. There is no direct relationship between a deficiency of vitamin B2 and B6 toxicity. B6 toxicity is primarily associated with excessive intake of vitamin B6 supplements, not with a deficiency of vitamin B2.

park_bear profile image
park_bear in reply toEsperanto

>"Lower riboflavin status was associated with decreased levels of the active form of vitamin B6 (PLP)"

Lower P5P/PLP means higher levels of toxic pyridoxine because less is being converted to the non-toxic active form.

park_bear profile image
park_bear in reply toFarooqji

I reached out to this person via her website, understandingb6toxicity.com. I supplied links to medical research supporting what I have posted. I have yet to receive any response.

She claims that all forms of vitamins B6 can be toxic, yet the research that she cites attributes toxicity only to pyridoxine, or to people taking "vitamin B6", with the form left unspecified.

Her Facebook group specifically prohibits any discussion of toxicity or lack of same for P5P versus pyridoxine. Likewise she specifically prohibits any discussion of B6 toxicity due to vitamin B2 deficiency. So any attempt to discuss such matters with her on her Facebook group would be pointless.

As far as I can tell there's no evidence for these two claims of hers, and she's unwilling to discuss the matter.

JohnPepper profile image
JohnPepper

Are you now clear of PD symptoms?

JohnPepper profile image
JohnPepper

Are yo now free of all your PD symptoms?

I started FAST WALKING for one hour every second day. That was in 1994. Now, since 996 I have been PD MOVEMENT SYMPTOMS-FREE EVERY SINCE.

I Am now 89 and still going strong and still walking!

Try it! IT WORKS

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