Although vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin and is excreted in the urine, long-term supplementation with very high doses (excess of 1,000 mg per day) of pyridoxine may result in sensory neuropathy. However, there have been a few case reports of individuals who developed sensory neuropathies at doses of less than 500 mg daily over a period of months. Yet, none of the studies in which an objective neurological examination was performed reported evidence of sensory nerve damage at intakes below 200 mg pyridoxine daily (20).

Tolerable upper intake levels

The European Food Safety Authority has established tolerable upper intake levels (UL) for vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) (38):

 

Age (years)	UL (mg/day)
1–3	5
4–6	7
7–10	10
11–14	15
15–17	20
Adults	25

To prevent sensory neuropathy in virtually all individuals, the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board has set a tolerable upper intake level (UL) for vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) (34):

 

Age Group	UL (mg/day)
Infants 0–12 months	Not possible to establish*
Children 1–3 years	30
Children 4–8 years	40
Children 9–13 years	60
Adolescents 14–18 years	80
Adults 19 years and older	100

 

*Source of intake should be from food and formula only.

 

Drug interactions

Please note:

Because of the potential for interactions, dietary supplements should not be taken with medication without first talking to an experienced healthcare provider.