Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. The body cannot store them. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine. That means you need a continuous supply of such vitamins in your diet.

found in:

• Avocado
• Banana
• Legumes (dried beans)
• Meat
• Nuts
• Poultry
• Whole grains
• Fortified breads and cereals may also contain vitamin B6. Fortified means that a vitamin or mineral has been added to the food.

• Benefits
• Cautions
• Interactions
• Dosing
• Other Names
• References

Benefits

Vitamin B6 helps the body to:

• Make antibodies: Antibodies are needed to fight many diseases.
• Maintain normal nerve function
• Make hemoglobin: Hemoglobin carries oxygen in the red blood cells to the tissues. A vitamin B6 deficiency can cause a form of anemia.
• Break down proteins: The more protein you eat, the more vitamin B6 you need.
• Keep blood sugar (glucose) in normal ranges.

Cautions

Large doses of vitamin B6 can cause:

• Difficulty coordinating movement
• Numbness
• Sensory changes

Deficiency of this vitamin can cause:

• Confusion
• Depression
• Irritability
• Mouth and tongue sores

(Vitamin B6 deficiency is not common in the United States.)

Interactions

Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combination:

• Amiodarone (Cordarone) interacts with PYRIDOXINE (VITAMIN B6): Amiodarone (Cordarone) might increase your sensitivity to sunlight. Taking vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) along with amiodarone (Cordarone) 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.

• Phenobarbital (Luminal) interacts with PYRIDOXINE (VITAMIN B6): The body breaks down phenobarbital (Luminal) to get rid of it. Pyridoxine might increase how quickly the body breaks down phenobarbital (Luminal). This could decrease the effectiveness of phenobarbital (Luminal).

• Phenytoin (Dilantin) interacts with PYRIDOXINE (VITAMIN B6): The body breaks down phenytoin (Dilantin) to get rid of it. Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) might increase how quickly the body breaks down phenytoin. Taking pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and taking phenytoin (Dilantin) might decrease the effectiveness of phenytoin (Dilantin) and increase the possibility of seizures. Do not take large doses of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) if you are taking phenytoin (Dilantin).

Minor Interaction Be watchful with this combination

• Levodopa interacts with PYRIDOXINE (VITAMIN B6): The body breaks down levodopa to get rid of it. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 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 (Sinemet). Carbidopa prevents this interaction from occurring. If you are taking levodopa without carbidopa do not take vitamin B6.

Dosing

Children

• 1 – 3 years: 0.5 mg/day
• 4 – 8 years: 0.6 mg/day
• 9 – 13 years: 1.0 mg/day

Adolescents and Adults

• Males age 14 to 50 years: 1.3 mg/day
• Males over 50 years: 1.7 mg/day
• Females age 14 to 18 years: 1.2 mg/day
• Females age 19 to 50 years: 1.3 mg/day
• Females over 50 years: 1.5 mg/day

Other Names

Adermine Chlorhydrate, Adermine Hydrochloride, B Complex Vitamin, B6, Chlorhydrate de pyridoxine, Complexe de Vitamines B, Phosphate de Pyridoxal, Piridoxina, Pyridoxal, Pyridoxal Phosphate, Pyridoxal 5 Phosphate, Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate, Pyridoxamine, Pyridoxine HCl, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine-5-Phosphate, P5P, P-5-P, Vitamin B-6, Vitamina B6, Vitamine B6.

References

• Source: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002402.htm
• Source: WebMD, “Pyrodoxine, Vitamin B6”, www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/