Vitamin B6 toxicity is rare unless someone consumes about 20 times the recommended daily amount consistently, said Kelly Krisna Johnson-Arbor, MD<\/a>, a medical toxicologist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.\n<\/p>\n Many supplements and energy drinks market vitamin B6 as a way to boost energy and support the nervous system. Some B6 supplements may contain up to 100 mg of B6, while energy drinks often have as much as 40 mg per serving.\n<\/p>\n Too Much Vitamin B6 Can Damage Nerve Cells <\/p>\n Taking high doses of B6 may cause numbness, a pins-and-needles sensation, or pain in your legs, impairing your ability to walk.\n<\/p>\n \u201cBasically, it\u2019s toxic to nerve cells,\u201d Johnson-Arbor said.\n<\/p>\n These symptoms are associated with more than 100 causes, not just vitamin B toxicity. If you do experience these symptoms, it is especially important to mention your B6 regimen to your healthcare provider because they might not initially think about B6 as the culprit, she added.\n<\/p>\n The treatment for B6 toxicity is to stop taking the high-dose supplements. However, these symptoms don\u2019t always reverse right away.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThere are many reports of people whose symptoms have gotten better after they stopped taking the high doses of B6, but there’s also a phenomenon called \u2018coasting,\u2019 where people stop taking the B6 but then their symptoms actually keep getting worse for a couple of weeks, until they slowly start to get better,\u201d Johnson-Arbor said.\n<\/p>\n Most People Can Get Enough B6 From Food Alone <\/p>\n Most people can get enough vitamin B6 through a balanced diet<\/a> and do not need a supplement. However, if you take a multivitamin or a standalone B6 supplement, check the label to see how much vitamin B6 it contains so you can track your total daily intake.\n<\/p>\n If you consume “reasonable levels” of B6, you likely won’t have any issues besides some potential gastrointestinal upset, said Jamie Alan, RPh, PharmD, PhD<\/a>, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University.\n<\/p>\n “If you are experiencing the [neurological] symptoms, talk to your healthcare provider right away to see if you are experiencing a [B6] overload that’s causing the symptoms,” Alan said. “Because this is so rare, exploring other reasons for those symptoms is equally important.”\n<\/p>\n Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process<\/a> to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.<\/p>\n Mowry JB, Spyker DA, Brooks DE, McMillan N, Schauben JL. 2014 annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System (NPDS): 32nd annual report<\/a>. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2015;53(10):962-1147. doi:10.3109\/15563650.2015.1102927<\/p>\n Beuhler MC, Feldman R, Gummin DD, et al. 2024 annual report of the National Poison Data System\u00ae (NPDS) from America\u2019s Poison Centers\u00ae: 42nd annual report<\/a>. Clinical Toxicol (Phila). 2025;63(12):1029-1280. doi:10.1080\/15563650.2025.2571299<\/p>\n Muhamad R, Akrivaki A, Papagiannopoulou G, Zavridis P, Zis P. The role of vitamin B6 in peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review<\/a>. Nutrients. 2023;15(13):2823. doi:10.3390\/nu15132823<\/p>\n National Institutes of Health. Vitamin B6 fact sheet for consumers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Merck Manual. Vitamin B6 excess<\/a>.<\/p>\n Harvard Health Publishing. Peripheral neuropathy: causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention<\/a>.<\/p>\n MedlinePlus. Vitamin B6<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Stephanie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/StephanieBrownnewheadshot-e5ca9ba2a404491384e9300a7871f190.jpg\")
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