B6 and tingling in toes

[WiscGuy]

My brother has been experiencing tingling in his toes. A retired doctor who my brother sees socially told him to have B12 tested, and also B6. I briefly googled B6 and saw reports in general websites that both high and low levels of B6 can cause tingling in toes. My brother told me that his B6 tested low, and he is being treated for low B6. Before researching further, I thought I would ask here. Has anyone ever heard of this?

[WIZARD6787]

B6 deficiency is a diagnosis that is rarely made, it does not follow that it is rare.

"The diagnosis of vitamin B6 deficiency is based on symptoms, the presence of conditions that can cause the deficiency, and response to vitamin B6 supplements. Blood tests may be done, but no blood test can clearly confirm the diagnosis."

I take 50 mg of P5P twice a day or in preventable discomfort.

70 people took other forms of B6 at 500 mg a day for a year and experienced peripheral neuropathy which resolved when discontinued. Some use this as a reason not to treat B6 deficiency. I do not follow.

[palmier in reply to WIZARD6787]

I think I've read that P5P is a safe form of B6. Many B6 supplements are in the form of pyridoxin which in very large doses may block the active P5P form, which apparently is why B6 in large doses can give exactly the same symptoms as a B6 deficiency. But in moderate doses pyridoxin shouldn't be a problem.

[WIZARD6787 in reply to palmier]

I did not put together that the high doses of prioxal or prioxal HCL caused the peripheral neurotrophy by blocking the P5P in the body. Thanks for that! I got pain relief with prioxal and now that makes sense.

I also came across that the dose amount of B6 in the Netherlands is now restricted by law for over the counter.

Guessing that the reason people were taking such large amounts was for weight loss.

Being aware of the misinformation that was spread by the medicial field as it happened due to bad science and fear mongering and how it was accepted was an eye opener and sad people chose not to supplement.

[Swift20]

Yes, my neurologist told me to be careful with b6 as it can cause neuropathy. It scared me so I stopped taking a b complex. But recently from reading posts on this forum I learned about p5p and would like to try that to see if it helps me.

[Narwhal10]

Hi WiscGuy,

Neuropathy - tingling in toes can be B12 or B6 deficiency. I take a B Complex to cover all bases as well as all the other vital amines, minerals and amino acids. (Refractory Coeliac Disease 🥳).

[Lurcher-lady]

I once purchased some vitamins for thin hair and poor nails growth as was impatient for B12 to take effect. Shortly after using them I developed vibrations in my fingers and toes. The dose of B6 in these tabs was 700% rda!!! When I stopped taking them the tingling stopped 🙄 Hope this helps.

[Technoid]

Yes, but very large doses of B6 (most likely the synthetic form) would need to be taken for a long time for neurological damage to be a possibility. If he is not regularly supplementing unusually large doses of B6, any neuropathy is highly unlikely to be due to excess B6.