Save
Vitamin B6 is a type of B vitamin. Pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine are all forms of vitamin B6. It's found in certain foods and also made in a lab.
Vitamin B6 is needed for the proper function of sugars, fats, and proteins in the body. It's also necessary for the development of the brain, nerves, skin, and many other parts of the body. It's found in cereals, legumes, and eggs, and often used with other B vitamins in vitamin B complex products.
People commonly use vitamin B6 for preventing and treating vitamin B6 deficiency. It is also used for heart disease, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), depression, morning sickness, Alzheimer disease, menstrual cramps, diabetes, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support many of these other uses.
- Pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy. Intravenous vitamin B6 is effective for controlling pyridoxine-dependent seizures.
Login for details - Sideroblastic anemia. Oral vitamin B6 is effective for treating hereditary sideroblastic anemia.
Login for details - Vitamin B6 deficiency. Oral vitamin B6 is effective for preventing and treating vitamin B6 deficiency.
Login for details
- Hyperhomocysteinemia. Taking vitamin B6 orally, alone or in combination with folic acid, is effective for reducing hyperhomocysteinemia.
Login for details
- Antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial for patients with antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia.
Login for details - Kidney stones (nephrolithiasis). Oral vitamin B6 seems to decrease urinary oxalate levels and decrease the risk of kidney stone formation in some patients.
Login for details - Pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting. Oral vitamin B6 may reduce nausea and vomiting in some pregnant patients. Doxylamine is sometimes added when vitamin B6 alone is ineffective.
Login for details - Premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Oral vitamin B6 seems to reduce PMS symptoms.
Login for details
- Age-related cognitive decline. Oral vitamin B6 does not seem to slow age-related cognitive decline.
Login for details - Alzheimer disease. Oral vitamin B6 does not seem to improve cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer disease when used in combination with other B vitamins. Also, oral vitamin B6 does not seem to reduce the risk of developing this condition.
Login for details - Carpal tunnel syndrome. Oral vitamin B6 does not seem to reduce symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Login for details - Cataracts. Oral vitamin B6 does not seem to slow cataract development.
Login for details - Chemotherapy-induced acral erythema. While some conflicting evidence exists, most research suggests that oral or topical vitamin B6 does not seem to prevent or reduce the severity of acral erythema induced by chemotherapy.
Login for details - Colorectal adenoma. Oral vitamin B6 does not seem to reduce the risk of developing colorectal adenomas.
Login for details - Eclampsia. Oral or intramuscular vitamin B6 does not seem to reduce the risk of eclampsia.
Login for details - Osteoporosis. Oral vitamin B6 does not seem to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures.
Login for details - Pre-eclampsia. Oral or intramuscular vitamin B6 does not seem to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia.
Login for details - Preterm labor. Oral or intramuscular vitamin B6 does not seem to reduce the risk of preterm labor.
Login for details
- Acne. Oral vitamin B6 has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Oral vitamin B6 has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Angioplasty. Oral vitamin B6 has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Antipsychotic-induced metabolic side effects. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6, as an adjunct to progesterone, is beneficial in patients with antipsychotic-induced amenorrhea.
Login for details - Anxiety. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial in patients with anxiety.
Login for details - Asthma. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial in patients with asthma.
Login for details - Atherosclerosis. Oral vitamin B6 has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Atopic dermatitis (eczema). It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial in patients with eczema.
Login for details - Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial for ADHD.
Login for details - Autism spectrum disorder. Login for details
- Bipolar disorder. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial in patients with bipolar disorder.
Login for details - Cancer. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 reduces overall cancer risk.
Login for details - Cardiovascular disease (CVD). Oral vitamin B6, taken along with other B vitamins, does not seem to improve secondary prevention of death or myocardial infarction in patients with CVD. However, it might slightly lower the risk of stroke.
Login for details - Dental caries. There is limited evidence on the oral use of vitamin B6 for dental decay during pregnancy.
Login for details - Depression. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 reduces the risk of developing depression or improves symptoms of depression.
Login for details - Diabetes. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial in patients with type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes.
Login for details - Diabetic neuropathy. Oral vitamin B6 has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Dysmenorrhea. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial in patients with dysmenorrhea.
Login for details - Fibromyalgia. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial in patients with fibromyalgia.
Login for details - Gastroenteritis-associated nausea and vomiting. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial in children with gastroenteritis.
Login for details - Hypertension. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 reduces blood pressure.
Login for details - Hypertriglyceridemia. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 reduces triglyceride levels.
Login for details - Infertility. Login for details
- Insomnia. Oral vitamin B6 has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Isoniazid-induced neuropathy. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 prevents the development of neuropathy in patients taking isoniazid.
Login for details - Lactation. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 helps to suppress postpartum lactation.
Login for details - Levetiracetam-induced side effects. While some conflicting evidence exists, several small, low-quality studies suggest that oral vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) may reduce some neuropsychiatric adverse effects related to the use of levetiracetam.
Login for details - Lung cancer. It is unclear if dietary or oral vitamin B6 reduces lung cancer risk.
Login for details - Menopausal symptoms. Login for details
- Motion sickness. Login for details
- Nausea and vomiting. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial for nausea and vomiting in patients using oral contraceptives.
Login for details - Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 for patients with NAFLD.
Login for details - Obesity. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 in beneficial in overweight or obese individuals.
Login for details - Overall mortality. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 reduces the risk of overall mortality.
Login for details - Pancreatic cancer. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 reduces the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Login for details - Postpartum depression. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial in patients with postpartum depression.
Login for details - Restless legs syndrome (RLS). It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial in patients with RLS.
Login for details - Schizophrenia. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
Login for details - Seizures. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 is beneficial for preventing seizures in patients with glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) deficiency.
Login for details - Sickle cell disease. Oral vitamin B6 has only been evaluated in combination with other B vitamins; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Stroke. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6, either alone or with other B vitamins, is beneficial for stroke prevention.
Login for details - Tardive dyskinesia. It is unclear if oral vitamin B6 prevents tardive dyskinesia in patients taking neuroleptic drugs.
Login for details - Tourette syndrome. Oral vitamin B6 has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Vincristine-induced neuropathy. Oral vitamin B6 has only been evaluated in combination with pyridostigmine; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details
When taken by mouth: Vitamin B6 is likely safe when used appropriately. Taking vitamin B6 in doses of 100 mg daily or less is generally considered to be safe. Vitamin B6 is possibly safe when taken in doses of 101-200 mg daily. In some people, vitamin B6 might cause nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, headache, and other side effects. Vitamin B6 is possibly unsafe when taken in doses of 500 mg or more daily. High doses of vitamin B6, especially 1000 mg or more daily, might cause brain and nerve problems.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy: Vitamin B6 is likely safe when taken by mouth, appropriately. It's sometimes used to control morning sickness, but should only be done so under the supervision of a healthcare provider. Taking high doses is possibly unsafe. High doses might cause newborns to have seizures.Breast-feeding: Vitamin B6 is likely safe when taken in doses of 2 mg by mouth daily. Avoid using higher amounts. There isn't enough reliable information to know if taking higher doses of vitamin B6 is safe when breast-feeding.
Post-surgical stent placement. Avoid using a combination of vitamin B6, folate, and vitamin B12 after receiving a coronary stent. This combination may increase the risk of blood vessel narrowing.
Weight loss surgery. Taking a vitamin B6 supplement is not needed for people that have had weight loss surgery. Taking too much might increase the chance of side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and browning skin.
Amiodarone (Cordarone)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Amiodarone might increase sensitivity to sunlight. Taking vitamin B6 along with amiodarone might increase the chances of sunburn, blistering, or rashes on areas of skin exposed to sunlight. Be sure to wear sunblock and protective clothing when spending time in the sun.
Levodopa
Interaction Rating=Minor Be watchful with this combination.
Vitamin B6 can increase how quickly the body breaks down and gets rid of levodopa. But this is only a problem if you are taking levodopa alone. Most people take levodopa along with carbidopa. Carbidopa prevents this interaction from occurring. If you are taking levodopa without carbidopa, do not take vitamin B6.
Medications for high blood pressure (antihypertensive drugs)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Vitamin B6 might lower blood pressure. Taking vitamin B6 along with medications that lower blood pressure might cause blood pressure to go too low. Monitor your blood pressure closely.
Phenobarbital (Luminal)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Vitamin B6 might increase how quickly the body breaks down phenobarbital. This could decrease the effects of phenobarbital.
Phenytoin (Dilantin)
Interaction Rating=Major Do not take this combination.
Vitamin B6 might increase how quickly the body breaks down phenytoin. Taking vitamin B6 along with phenytoin might decrease the effects of phenytoin and increase the risk of seizures. Do not take large doses of vitamin B6 if you are taking phenytoin.
Herbs and supplements that might lower blood pressure: Vitamin B6 might lower blood pressure. Taking it with other supplements that have the same effect might cause blood pressure to drop too much. Examples of supplements with this effect include andrographis, casein peptides, L-arginine, niacin, and stinging nettle.
There are no known interactions with foods.
Vitamin B6 is an important nutrient. Cereal grains, legumes, vegetables, meat, and eggs are good sources of vitamin B6. The amount that should be consumed on a daily basis is called the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). For males, the RDA is 1.3 mg daily for those 19-50 years old, and 1.7 mg daily for those over 50 years. For females, the RDA is 1.3 mg daily for those 19-50 years old, and 1.5 mg daily for those over 50 years. While pregnant, the RDA is 1.9 mg daily. While breast-feeding, the RDA is 2 mg daily. In children, the RDA depends on age.
In supplements, vitamin B6 is often used alone and in products containing other B vitamins. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what type of product and dose might be best for a specific condition.
Adermine Chlorhydrate, Adermine Hydrochloride, B Complex Vitamin, B6, Chlorhydrate de pyridoxine, Complexe de Vitamines B, Phosphate de Pyridoxal, Phosphate de Pyridoxamine, Piridoxina, Pyridoxal, Pyridoxal Phosphate, Pyridoxal 5 Phosphate, Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate, Pyridoxal-5'-Phosphate, Pyridoxamine, Pyridoxamine Phosphate, Pyridoxamine-5'-Phosphate, Pyridoxine, Pyridoxine HCl, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Phosphoserinate, Pyridoxine-5-Phosphate, Pyridoxine-5'-Phosphate, P5P, P-5-P, Vitamin B-6, Vitamina B6, Vitamine B6.
Information on this website is for informational use only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. While evidence-based, it is not guaranteed to be error-free and is not intended to meet any particular user’s needs or requirements or to cover all possible uses, safety concerns, interactions, outcomes, or adverse effects. Always check with your doctor or other medical professional before making healthcare decisions (including taking any medication) and do not delay or disregard seeking medical advice or treatment based on any information displayed on this website.
© TRC Healthcare 2023. All rights reserved. Use and/or distribution is permitted only pursuant to a valid license or other permission from TRC Healthcare.
Licensed from Therapeutic Research Center, LLC
Copyright © 1995-2023 by Therapeutic Research Center, LLC. All Rights Reserved.