Quote:
Originally Posted by mrsD
My point is that one cannot make sweeping statements about this topic. People vary genetically and some have even been born with infantile spasms and require high B6 therapy for life.
Also those with pyroluria or who take medications known to deplete B6 would have different requirements for it, than those without.
The general families of drugs that are known to deplete B6 are:
estrogens (HRT and birth control pills)
most antibiotics
loop diuretics
Estrogens and the diuretics are most often given long term, but some antibiotic treatments can be long term also (lyme or PANDAs).
This article shows some evaluations for 3 nutrients that often can become toxic depending on dosing.
pyridoxine
niacin
selenium
Toxicology of Micronutrients: Adverse Effects and Uncertainty
One should always question high reported lab results, and have a retest and control handling of the specimen. Labs make errors all the time.
I think the deficiency of B6 is much more common that toxicity issues. Using a keyword of "toxicity of pyridoxine" in PubMed was not very fruitful today. |
That's because there are hardly any studies on it. That is my point. There was a recent study done in London a neuros office. She was looking for b6 deficiency in her neuro patients. She was shocked to see that out of like 300 patients, 4 had low serum levels, something like 130 had high serum levels and were toxic. She questioned the patients and they were all supplementing. Her conclusion was that many neuro patients have high levels of b6 due to supplementation and that neurological issues are an increasing problem in those who supplement with it.
Yes, people are different but b6 deficiency is not that common and studies have also proven that a vitamin with a normal daily value of 2mg increases serum levels just as quickly as 100mg and so there is no reason to supplement with such large doses.
In addition, even people with pyroluria end up toxic on it. There are numerous members on the b6 board who listened to some naturopath and started taking 100 or 200mg b6 and now have neuropathy which I can guarantee they would trade back for their anxiety or whatever pyroluria claims to cause.
This wasn't meant to be a debate. It was meant to be a warning. Many do not know that b6, even in small doses, can cause neurotoxicity. It needs to be known.