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Vitamin B6 and magnesium on neurobehavioral status of autism spectrum disorder with hyperactivity and irritability (research)

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vitamin b6 magnesium and autism

Today I’m sharing new research that supports some of the original findings about vitamin B6 and magnesium published by autism biomedical pioneer Bernie Rimland.

Despite the small population size, this study demonstrated neurobehavioural improvement among children with ASD [autism spectrum disorder] with hyperactivity and irritability. Consequently, it can be expected that future studies conducted on a larger scale might help to establish the beneficial role of Vitamin B6 and Magnesium as a complementary treatment for autism with hyperactivity and irritability.

The above comes from the conclusion of  this 2021 paper, Vitamin B6 and Magnesium on Neurobehavioral Status of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Study.

There were 50 children in the study, with a random assignment of 27 to the study group (vitamin B6 and magnesium) and 23 to the control group (placebo). All the children were autism patients from a pediatric autism and neurodevelopmental disorder outpatient clinic in India.

One of the primary aims over the 3 month study period was to investigate “any improvement among the six domains of ASD: general observation, cognition, emotion, social behavior, communication, and sensory deficits.”

Read on for learning more about the study outcomes, and dosing and forms of magnesium and vitamin B6 (and how this compares to P5P). I also share more about autism biomedical pioneer Bernie Rimland’s earlier research and the autism/B6/pyroluria connections. And end with some of the many possible mechanisms, GABA and vitamin B6, and other applications for vitamin B6.

More about the study outcomes

  • The improvement observed in the study/intervention group was 81% compared to only 47% in the placebo group.
  • Both the study group and control group had a mixture of patients rated as having mild, low moderate, high moderate and severe symptoms of ASD. At the conclusion of the study, there were fewer patients in high moderate and severe categories.
  • There was “an overall improvement in the symptoms of autism along with improvements in specific domains e.g. Emotion and Cognition.” The Emotion domain includes hyperactivity, aggressiveness, emotional lability (or instability) and stress.

Dosing varied by age and forms of magnesium and vitamin B6

The dosage of magnesium and vitamin B6 for the 27 children in the intervention/study group was pre-determined by the age of the subjects: “Patients aged 2-3 years received 50 mg Magnesium and 25mg Vitamin B6 daily, aged 4-8 years received 100 mg Magnesium and 50mg Vitamin B6 daily, and patients aged 9-12 years were given 200 mg Magnesium and 100mg Vitamin B6 daily.”

Patients in both groups received Risperidone for hyperactivity and irritability.

The form of magnesium used in the study was glycinate and the form of vitamin B6 was pyridoxine.

Vitamin B6 and magnesium research by autism biomedical pioneer Bernie Rimland

The authors share that of the many autism studies with nutrients, studies using vitamin B6 and magnesium “given by parents to ASD children have been observed to produce improvement for about 30 years.”

As I mentioned above, this new research builds on some of the original findings about vitamin B6 and magnesium published by autism biomedical pioneer Bernie Rimland. The study authors share this: “Rimland found significant improvement with the use of high doses of pyridoxine, however high doses of pyridoxine showed side effects which could be negated by co-administering magnesium.”

This 1988 paper by B. Rimland is referenced: Controversies in the treatment of autistic children: vitamin and drug therapy, and states that “Among the biomedical treatments, the use of high-dosage vitamin B6 and magnesium received the highest ratings”

Also referenced is this vitamin B6 paper, co-authored by B. Rimland and published 46 years ago: The effect of high doses of vitamin B6 on autistic children: a double-blind crossover study. It states that “Behavior was rated as deteriorating significantly during the B6 withdrawal.”

Vitamin B6, autism and pyroluria

My experience when it comes to vitamin B6 and P5P is primarily with the many individuals in my community who have pyroluria or suspect they do based on their symptoms (here is the pyroluria symptoms questionnaire). This is about 80% of the anxious folks in my community.

I share this because pyroluria is common in autism spectrum disorder:

  • children with learning disorders and behavioral disorders: 25% (Abram Hoffer)
  • autism spectrum disorders: 46% (Woody McGinnis)

(more on prevalence and associated conditions here)

And this study found emotional instability – a key aspect of pyroluria and autism – improved with vitamin B6 and magnesium.

For adults with pyroluria, vitamin B6 is used in the range of 100 mg  to 500 mg, starting low and increasing as needed. We use dream recall and increased ability to socialize without feeling anxious as a clue that the correct dose is being used.

Keep in mind that 25 mg P5P (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) or the active form of vitamin B6 is approximately equivalent to 100 mg pyridoxine.

I have found that some folks do better on one form of vitamin B6 than the other i.e. not everyone needs P5P and some folks do better with a combination of P5P and pyridoxine. As with all supplements there is no one–size fits all and so the protocol and form of vitamin B6 used in this study group really only serves as a guideline.

The possible mechanisms

The authors mention this as one possible mechanism under these circumstances:  “Magnesium inhibits the excitatory channel glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and reduces hyperactivity – a part of the emotional domain.” They also mention the fact that “magnesium increases presynaptic releases” enhancing “both short term and long term synaptic facilitation and long-term potentiation, improving learning and other memory functions.”

I’m adding these as possible mechanisms to consider too:

Also vitamin B6 (and other B vitamins) and magnesium are depleted by sugar, stress, dysbiosis, food allergies, certain medications and caffeine. And it’s common to find deficiencies of both.

A comprehensive dietary and functional medicine / biomedical approach, targeted individual amino acids such as GABA and tryptophan, in addition to vitamin B6 and magnesium is imperative in ASD.

Many other applications for vitamin B6

It’s wonderful to be able to share yet another application for vitamin B6, which, in some circles, is receiving an unfavorable reputation about causing toxicity.

Here are a few other related vitamin B6 blog posts that may be of interest:

Because of the role of vitamin B6 when it comes to calming GABA, it’s worth sharing this blog too  – Half a crushed GABA Calm for my autistic child: sleep, anxiety and sensorimotor skills (writing, horse riding and swimming) improve. Both vitamin B6 and GABA are commonly beneficial.

And sometimes, vitamin B6 on it’s own provides results – Anxiety and vomit phobia in an 8-year-old: within a week of starting vitamin B6 she made a complete turnaround.

Additional resources when you are new to using amino acids as supplements

As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue.

If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control (this is covered in an entire chapter too), sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues.

There is also an entire chapter on pyroluria and in-depth sections on vitamin B6 and zinc.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms too). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.

Wrapping up and your feedback

I’d love to hear from you – have you had success with vitamin B6 and magnesium – personally or with your child? How much has helped and which products? (feel free to share the diagnosis and what symptoms have improved)

Have dietary changes and/or addressing pyroluria helped too?

If you’re a practitioner have you seen these nutrients to help in situations like this?

I’m also curious to hear if you’re familiar with the vitamin B6 and magnesium research and work done by Bernie Rimland?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

Does 5-HTP (an amino acid) cause nightmares or does it help prevent nightmares (and also support low serotonin symptoms)?

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5-htp and nightmares

How do you do with using the amino acid 5-HTP for supporting your low serotonin symptoms of anxiety, worry, ruminating, fears, depression and insomnia?  Does it help or does it cause nightmares? On a recent Facebook thread someone shared that 5-HTP causes really bad nightmares, so she had to stop using it. A few others posted saying 5-HTP also caused them nightmares. I’ve not had any clients report nightmares, so I was surprised to hear this feedback.  However, most folks on the same Facebook thread shared that 5-HTP works very well for them and does not cause nightmares. There is also research that supports the use of 5-HTP for night terrors. I suspect it may have to do with low vitamin B6 and share more on that below.

Here is her experience with 5-HTP and nightmares and some of my feedback:

I don’t know how anyone takes 5-HTP. The horrific nightmares I got from taking it made me stop 50 mg. I tried 3 times thinking it was a fluke and it happened every time. Too scary for me.

My first try was suggested from my Naturopath, Metagenics SeroSyn. 200 mg. First morning waking up I had a nightmare so bad I can’t even share it. I also woke up feeling unable to wake up, drugged almost. So I waited, did more research and googled 5-HTP and nightmares just to see if there was a connection. I found it. I read to lower the dosage. So I went to Pure Encapsulations 50 mg. Same thing happened. I tried 2 more times, same thing happened. When I researched, I found so many people talking about “vivid dreams” and after my last attempt the dream was so real I thought my son was in my home when I woke up and had to process reality from my dream. That did it for me. Now I’m terrified of it. Just my own experience. I did get help from depression though! But I cannot go through one evil for another. Now I’m stuck looking for help and answers.

I thanked her for sharing and agreed it does help to do a few experiments to be sure it was the 5-HTP. I also shared that I would not consider the Metagenics SeroSyn a good 5-HTP to test because of all the other ingredients. But it also happened with Pure Encapsulations 50 mg 5-HTP – that was a good test to confirm.

I also shared that some folks do better on 5-HTP and some on tryptophan so if 5-HTP did help with low serotonin symptoms then I’d consider a trial of tryptophan especially since she did say using the 5-HTP helped with her depression.

We would also look for other ways to support serotonin – saffron, turmeric, St. John’s Wort, theanine (it supports GABA, serotonin and dopamine) and of course diet (real whole food, quality animal protein, no gluten/sugar/caffeine, fermented foods, organic vegetables and fruit, healthy fats etc), gut health and more.

I’d also look into and address low zinc and low vitamin B6 as both are needed to make serotonin and the other neurotransmitters. More on low vitamin B6, pyroluria and nightmares below.

Here is some of the feedback from other folks who also had issues with 5-HTP:

  • 5-HTP didn’t mix well with my body either. Taken at night, horrible dreams, and 50mg Pure Encapsulations formula in the morning made me feel so dark, spaced out and terrible nausea.
  • I appreciate this post. I had nightmares from a magnesium supplement that included 5-HTP! Now I know I’m not alone.

And here is some of the feedback from folks who do well with 5-HTP (the majority of those who responded):

  • I take 100 mg of 5-HTP in the morning (Natural Factors) and about 350 mg of tryptophan before bed (Lidtke). It works well for me. No nightmares although I do dream a lot. Mostly noticed improvement in mood and ruminating thoughts. Also taking Sam-e which also helps.
  • I take chewable natural factors Tranquil Sleep. It contains other ingredients (like theanine) as well but it’s really easy to dose. If I take 2 it’s too much. I get weird dreams and a headache. So 1 1/2 it is.
  • 5-htp helped me so much! But I had to take it in the morning. 250mg was perfect for me. I was using this for my debilitating anxiety which would keep me in flight or fight all day and I would ruminate. Really helped me along with therapy. I no longer need it.
  • I’ve just started taking 50mg 5-HTP at night. It’s a micronized version I buy from a compounding chemist in Australia. No negative side effects so far.
  • Grateful for the reminder … I did great on 5-htp myself. Have had all dose amounts, given at different times too. I deal with chronic pain and trauma/stress.
  • My sister gets anxiety on 5-HTP but it helps me so much! I have not tracked regular consumption compared to my sleep (I get too much REM without it and wake up exhausted). I also no longer need it as a daily and can take it as needed. I take 200mg, forget the brand but it’s a single ingredient.
  • I take 50 mg of 5-HTP from Seeking Health and do very well on it. It has helped me with depression, worry, fear, more energy and motivation and no nightmares.
  • I take the Now brand, 100mg at bedtime along with the same brand of L theanine. No nightmares and I’ve been doing this for about 5 years.
  • I use 50mg Seeking Health 5-HTP and I love it. It gives me energy and motivation, helps with intrusive thoughts and anxiety. I’ve used the Jarrow brand in the past without results. No nightmares. P5P, on the other hand, I cannot take. It gives me such clear, vivid nightmares I would wake up crying. Never again.

We are all unique and there is clearly no one-size fits all.

Low vitamin B6 can cause nightmares or poor dream recall

It’s well recognized that low vitamin B6 can cause nightmares or poor dream recall. In this study, Effects of Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) and a B Complex Preparation on Dreaming and Sleep (which was randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled), 100 participants from across Australia were given 240 mg vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) before bed for five consecutive days. Other study participants were given a B complex. This is the outcome of the study:

  • vitamin B6 significantly increased the amount of dream content participants recalled but did not significantly affect dream vividness, bizarreness, or color, nor did it significantly affect other sleep-related variables
  • participants in the B complex group showed significantly lower self-rated sleep quality and significantly higher tiredness on waking

This vitamin B6/dream recall research is of particular interest to me because of my work with pyroluria, a social anxiety condition which responds really well to supplementation with zinc, vitamin B6 or P5P (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) or a combination of both, and a few other key nutrients.  Here is the pyroluria questionnaire.

One of the classic signs of pyroluria is poor dream recall, stressful or bizarre dreams, or nightmares, signs which the late Carl Pfeiffer, MD attributed to low vitamin B6 status. He suggested that your dreams and dream recall serve as a good indicator of your need for vitamin B6. You should dream every night and you should remember your dreams. They should be pleasant – the kind of dreams where you wake up and want to close your eyes and continue dreaming.

Could it be that folks who get nightmares with 5-HTP, happen to also have pyroluria? Or perhaps they simply have low vitamin B6 status? I have all my anxious clients supplement with vitamin B6 and/or P5P and this may be why nightmares with 5-HTP was news to me.

5-HTP can increase cortisol – does this affect nightmares?

There is research and clinical evidence supporting that, for some individuals, 5-HTP can raise cortisol. I’ve blogged about this here:

This is not always the case. Someone in the same Facebook thread shared this: “My cortisol measured above the reference range, but 5-HTP is the only thing I’ve found that’s helping me sleep recently.”

I’m not aware of a high cortisol-nightmare connection but it’s possible. In one study, nightmares triggered high cortisol the next morning, but I donut this has relevance in this situation.

5-HTP induces long-term improvement of sleep terrors in children

There clearly is a subset of folks who don’t do well with 5-HTP and yet there is evidence that it can actually improve sleep terrors. In a small open label clinical trial of 45 children, it was found that 5-HTP was able to “modulate the arousal level in children and to induce a long-term improvement of sleep terrors” (in the majority of children in the trial). There were 34 male and 11 female children ranging in age from 3.2-10.6 years.

After the first visit, L -5-HTP was administered (2 mg/kg per day) at bedtime to 31 randomly selected patients for a single period of 20 consecutive days. After 1 month of treatment, 29/31 (93.5%) of patients showed a positive response. In the comparison group without drug therapy, after 1 month, the episodes disappeared only in four children (28.6%) while ten children (71.4%) showed the persistence of episodes with the same frequency as before. After 6 months, 26/31 (83.9%) of children treated with L -5HTP were sleep terror-free, while in five children (16.1%) sleep terror episodes persisted. Of the children in the comparison group, ten (71.4%) continued to show sleep terrors at 6-month follow-up.

If we assume a 10-year-old weighs, 70lb or close to 32kg, they would have been given 60mg 5-HTP (i.e. 2 mg/kg).

Typical adult dosing of 5-HTP is 50mg twice a day, mid-afternoon and evening. For a 10-year-old we may start with a quarter of this dose i.e. 12.5mg or 25mg 5-HTP twice a day, for a total of 25mg or 50mg a day – which is close to what was used in this study.

You can read more about this in the paper here: L -5-Hydroxytryptophan treatment of sleep terrors in children

Resources if you are new to using 5-HTP and other amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using any of the amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low serotonin and low GABA).

If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control, sugar cravings, self-medicating with alcohol and more.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs. You can find them all in my online store.

If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.

How do you do with 5-HTP for low mood, worry-type of low serotonin anxiety, cravings, PMS, negative self-talk, anger/rage/irritability, insomnia, ruminating thoughts, winter blues etc? Does it help?

Or does it give you nightmares that are bad enough that you have had to stop?

Please share how much you used? And if tryptophan or other serotonin support helped instead?

Did the addition of vitamin B6 or P5P help prevent the nightmares when using 5-HTP?

And do you have pyroluria or suspect you may have it? Do you have high cortisol?

If you’re a practitioner I’d love to hear your experiences with 5-HTP and nightmares.

If you have questions please share them here too.

Why is vitamin B6 toxic for some and why don’t symptoms resolve when vitamin B6 is stopped?

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In a recent blog post, Vitamin B6 improves dream recall (which can be used to monitor vitamin B6 status), I promised to address concerns about the potential for vitamin B6 toxicity. I have yet to see any signs of toxicity in my clients, but I have also not ever recommended more than 500mg/day.

However, I was recently made aware (thanks to some folks in my community) that there are some individuals who have issues with very small amounts of vitamin B6.  As of this writing I don’t know why this occurs but I’m writing about it in the hope we can start to put some of the puzzle pieces together. If you have experienced any issues with using vitamin B6 supplements please do share in the comments.

I’d like to start with what we know from the research and from experts like Dr. Carl Pfeiffer – since B6 is water soluble, excesses are documented to be excreted via the urine so that toxic levels are never reached.

It is common knowledge that amounts of 50 mg or greater are considered therapeutic and a high dose, and you should reduce your dose if you notice any tingling in your fingers and other extremities. This could be a sign of too much vitamin B6 and is called peripheral neuropathy. Because vitamin B6 is water soluble, this condition is reported to be completely reversible if you stop supplementing with vitamin B6 or reduce your dose. In one case report, some patients were using up to 5000mg/day, and once they stopped the vitamin B6 their symptoms improved.

In his book Mental and Elemental Nutrients, published in 1975, Dr. Pfeiffer stated:

excesses are excreted via the urine so that toxic levels are never reached. Pyridoxic acid occurs in the urine of patients who take any excess of vitamin B6. This is a harmless excretion product.

He had some of his patients with pyroluria use 1000mg twice a day but recommended working with a practitioner if using amounts higher than 500mg. I agree with the latter.

You’ll see varied research papers on what is considered too high a dose. In this paper, How much vitamin B6 is toxic?, the authors report that 1000mg per day or more causes neuropathy. They also share that there

have also been occasional reports of toxicity at intakes of 100-300 mg per day [and that a report of] neurotoxicity in 2 patients who had taken 24 mg and 40 mg of vitamin B6 per day respectively, may be coincidence rather than a true toxic effect of such relatively low doses.

In the USA, per this article on the NIH site, the upper limit is set at 100mg/day. This is the rationale:

several reports show sensory neuropathy occurring at doses lower than 500 mg/day, studies in patients treated with vitamin B6 (average dose of 200 mg/day) for up to 5 years found no evidence of [neurological issues].

Based on limitations in the data on potential harms from long-term use, the FNB halved the dose used in these studies to establish a UL [upper limit] of 100 mg/day for adults. ULs are lower for children and adolescents based on body size.

As I mentioned above, I have yet to see any signs of toxicity in my clients, but I have also not ever recommended more than 500mg/day.

Psychosis that resolves when vitamin B6 is stopped

A colleague shared this about 2 patients developing psychosis as a result of using too much vitamin B6:

I have had 2 patients in the past 3 years who developed psychosis as a result of taking too much vitamin B6. I think it’s a fine line between what is enough for some people, and then what becomes too much. While some may be able to handle large doses of B6, we know that at higher doses it can cause severe problems for other people. It’s a nutrient I dose and monitor carefully for sure.

There is no research on acute psychosis and vitamin B6 toxicity but she shares this:

neuropathy and psychosis (or acute mental health symptoms) often co-occur, so to me it makes sense that a person could experience both together as a result of too much vitamin B6. In both the patients the acute psychotic symptoms resolved once they stopped taking high doses of B6. They were both taking pyridoxine HCL at doses above 500mg daily (one because of information she had read online, and the other because another practitioner had recommended it). My guess is there is some genetic factor and/or mediating factor biologically that makes some people susceptible to a negative response.

Serious issues that are not resolved when vitamin B6 is stopped

Clearly there are some individuals who do have serious issues that are not resolved when they stop taking vitamin B6. In the previous blog, Vitamin B6 improves dream recall (which can be used to monitor vitamin B6 status), Ruth shared this feedback about her experience with vitamin B6 toxicity:

Trudy, I appreciate your evidence-based approach to health issues, but I think you need to be aware that there are dangers in taking too much synthetic vitamin B6. B6 toxicity is not always reversible. Individuals vary in their response to B6, and while many do well on supplementation, others experience toxicity. I was diagnosed with pyroluria, but experienced serious toxicity.

Vitamin B6 toxicity is a very unrecognized but emerging epidemic that can cause widespread neurological damage to the body. It is not commonly recognized by most of the medical community and is often misdiagnosed. B6 toxicity can cause multiple different symptoms that can vary from person to person. Peripheral neuropathy or nerve damage to the feet, legs or hands is one of the most common symptoms of vitamin B6 toxicity. Tingling, shocks/zaps, vibrations, ataxia, burning, numbness of feet, calves and/or hands, and headaches are also commonly reported. Other symptoms are: ocular, sensory, skin, gastrointestinal and psychological.

I appreciate Ruth sharing this and am very concerned that this is happening. And yes, vitamin B6 is synthetic, but I am not yet convinced that this could be the only cause as there are other synthetic/man-made supplements (such as GABA) that don’t cause issues like this.

However, we do need to know why some folks have issues and why these issues continue even when the vitamin B6 supplementation is stopped.

Possible clues as to why vitamin B6 toxicity occurs?

If you have had issues that persist I’d ask these questions which may start to give us clues as to why this occurs:

  • What were/are your symptoms and how quickly did you notice issues?
  • Have you resolved the symptoms and if yes how?
  • Did you make any other changes around the same time i.e. stopping and/or other nutritional support?
  • Was it vitamin B6/pyridoxine or P5P you were taking?
  • And how much did you take and how often?
  • If you have pyroluria were you also taking zinc and how much? (Dr. Pfeiffer recommended taking zinc together with vitamin B6).

It seems like this an emerging issue unless there is just now more awareness because of the web and more ability to share on forums, blogs and social media.

If we are to assume this is a new and emerging issue I would ask what has changed since the 1970s when Dr. Carl Pfeiffer used high doses (as I mentioned above, up to 1000mg twice a day) with no adverse effects?

These factors have wide-reaching adverse effects and may be triggering a toxic reaction in certain susceptible individuals:

  • Past history or current use of certain medications like benzodiazepines, gabapentin, Lyrica, BCP, SSRIs, fluroquinolone antibiotics, PPIs, diabetes medications, statins, blood pressure medications etc.? (If you have not used the above medications have you been exposed to them via drinking water?)
  • Our increased EMF exposure – WiFi, cell phones, cordless phone and smart meters?
  • Our increased exposure to GMOs, glyphosate, plastics/phthalates, pesticides etc.?
  • Interactions with all of the above and/or certain polymorphisms – we know cytochrome P450 polymorphisms make benzodiazepines more toxic and more difficult to taper in about 60% of those prescribed benzodiazepines

Keep in mind that for most individuals, vitamin B6 causes no issues and is an important nutrient for improving the symptoms of pyroluria/social anxiety, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, easing PMS and hormonal issues and much more. I share links to the research on the many benefits of supplemental vitamin B6 in this blog:  Vitamin B6 improves dream recall (which can be used to monitor vitamin B6 status).

That being said, we need to know why some individuals do have issues when using vitamin B6.

Please share in the comments if you have seen adverse issues with vitamin B6 supplementation

If you have been adversely affected and feel comfortable sharing answers to the following questions in the comments this may help us try and piece the puzzle together:

  1. What were/are your symptoms and how quickly did you notice issues?
  2. Have you resolved the symptoms and if yes how?
  3. Did you make any other changes around the same time i.e. stopping and/or other nutritional support?
  4. Was it vitamin B6/pyridoxine or P5P you were taking?
  5. And how much did you take and how often?
  6. If you have pyroluria were you also taking zinc and how much? (Dr. Pfeiffer recommended taking zinc together with vitamin B6).
  7. Past history or current use of medications like benzodiazepines (such as Ativan, Xanax, valium etc.), gabapentin, Lyrica, BCP / birth control pill, SSRIs /antidepressants (such as Prozac, Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil, Zoloft etc.), fluroquinolone antibiotics (such as ciprofloxacin/Cipro, gemifloxacin/Factive, levofloxacin/Levaquin, moxifloxacin/Avelox, norfloxacin/Noroxin and ofloxacin/Floxin), PPIs (proton pump inhibitors such as Nexium for heart-burn), diabetes medications, statins, blood pressure medications etc.?
  8. What kind of EMF exposure do you have – WiFi in the home and/or at work, how much cell phone use in a day, cordless phones at home and/or work and a smart meter at home?
  9. What kind of  exposure have you had to GMOs and pesticides (i.e. do you only eat organic food), glyphosate (eg. Roundup exposure from lawns, golf courses, parks etc.), plastics/phthalates (do you avoid plastics)?
  10. What polymorphisms do you have: cytochrome P450 polymorphisms (we know some of these make benzodiazepines more toxic and more difficult to taper in about 60% of those prescribed these meds), and/or MTHFR polymorphism (may affect our detox ability if it’s expressing) and others you know about?
  11. Did you take a B complex (or a multivitamin that contains all the B vitamins) with the vitamin B6?
  12. Did you also take magnesium with the vitamin B6 and if yes how much? (Bernie Rimland reported that taking vitamin B6 together with magnesium resulted in an improved behavior of ASD (autism spectrum patients))
  13. Have you observed any correlation with intake of dietary oxalates i.e. worsening symptoms when consuming medium or high oxalate foods (such as spinach, kale, berries, nuts, kiwi fruit, eggplant etc.) or using vitamin C or milk thistle, and less severe symptoms when consuming a low oxalate diet?  (Susan Owens is founder of www.lowoxalate.info and shares that vitamin B6 is the most efficacious vitamin for reducing oxalates and that we also don’t know if the classic signs of vitamin B6 toxicity has anything to do with oxalate dumping symptoms.)
  14. Do you have a thyroid disease? “peripheral diseases frequently include polyneuropathy”
  15. Have you been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and if yes, which one?

Is there anything else that you have discovered that you suspect may be a factor?

I plan to add to this list of questions as we get feedback and as I learn more.

To be clear, I’m not dismissing the fact that vitamin B6 toxicity is a real issue for certain individuals. I’m simply trying to figure out if there are some common factors that may be making symptoms worse in some individuals or setting someone up to be predisposed to symptoms or even preventing healing/recovery from toxicity.