I've been meaning to start an informational thread here for Vitamin B6 Pyridoxine. So here it is.

Please feel free to post here anything you feel is helpful to the subject, or ask questions. I will be adding to this thread frequently as I consolidate data that I find.

Many years ago, over 10 actually, I started posting about P-5-P on various health boards. This is an activated form of pyridoxine which is the form the body actually uses. Pyridoxine in most vitamins has to be converted to this form. That process may be inhibited by liver damage, or use of certain drugs (theophylline). Those interested in chemistry can view Pyridoxine here:
http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/vitamins.html

Today we have a new RX vitamin that contain P-5-P. It is called Metanx (promoted for neuropathies and homocysteine defense).
When looking at labels, look for the words coenzymated B6 as an ingredient.
The best manufacturers enteric coat their P-5-P like NOW brand does.

For now I'd like to give some links to B6 information.
This one is very good, and run by NIH
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb6.asp

Another great source is The Linus Pauling Institute:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocente...nB6/index.html
This link provides alot of medical information about B6. It gives RDA recommendations, Toxicity warnings, and examples of food sources.

The University of Maryland has a great Alternative website, that cross references to drug use also.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/v...-b6-000337.htm

Vitamin B6 is really critical today. The lowering of homocysteine by conversion to SAM in the body is crucial for hundreds of chemical methylation reactions.
B6 works with B12 and folic acid to accomplish this.
So because of this focus, we hear more about B6 than we used to.
B6 is also used to prevent nausea in pregnancy. (the FDA approved its use a couple of years ago).

And B6 does so much, it is really very important to us. Over 100 drugs interfere with B6 in the body or deplete it.
Estrogens, many antibiotics, diuretics, INH, theophylline, penicillamine, Evista,
hydralazine are the families studied so far.

There has been an increased interest in a condition Pyroluria recently. This is a genetic trait that has an error in heme synthesis that creates a by-product called kryptopyrrole. While this is relatively harmless to the body, and is excreted in the urine, it complexes B6 and zinc while doing so and removes those nutrients from the body as well. We have an experienced poster who has done the testing here and I have invited her to come on this thread. Until then, the link below provides some information. I know there are others here, I just can't recall at this moment...so please feel free to post on this thread.
This can be tested using a urine sample, and requires a specialized laboratory to do it accurately. You can read more about that here:
http://www.pyroluriatesting.com/ This is the Pfeiffer Treatment Center

Vitamin B6 is a huge subject, so I will be adding to this thread as I gather data on various medical and alternative uses for it.