Taking a vitamin B-6 supplement with a multivitamin is typically safe, provided you follow a few precautions. However, this type of supplementation may not be the most effective way for you to treat your anxiety. Although anecdotal evidence suggests that vitamin B-6 supplementation seems to have eased anxiety symptoms for some people, no scientific evidence currently supports this theory. If you are concerned about your feelings of anxiety, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.
Recommended Daily Allowance
The Institute of Medicine provides a recommended dietary allowance for each vitamin, including vitamin B-6. This is the minimal amount recommended for optimal health. Most adults between 19 and 50 years of age have a recommended dietary allowance of 1.3 mg of vitamin B-6 per day. Males over 50 years of age have a recommended dietary allowance of at least 1.7 mg of vitamin B-6, while females over 50 have a recommended dietary allowance of 1.5 mg each day. The recommended daily allowance of vitamin B-6 is 1.9 mg for pregnant women and 2.0 mg for women who are breastfeeding. Although it is usually safe to get more than the recommended daily allowance, you need to calculate the total amount you are getting from each supplement as well as the amount you get from fortified foods to ensure you do not consume too much.
Getting Too Much
The tolerable upper intake level for vitamin B-6 is 100 mg. Getting more than this amount may result in damage of the nerves in the arms and legs. The risk of this reaction increases proportionally to the amount of vitamin B-6 you take. Although the damage may be reversed when supplementation is halted, you still should take care not to consume more than 100 mg of vitamin B-6 in one day to prevent this condition from occurring in the first place.
Considerations
Although it may not be harmful to try vitamin B-6 supplementation for your anxiety, other treatment options may be much more effective. Counseling, behavioral modifications, meditation, exercise and prescription medications are a few options that may help. Consider exploring all treatment options with a doctor or mental health professional so you can determine the best and safest way to treat your anxiety.
Warnings
Although vitamin B-6 can negatively interact with many prescription medications, it does not usually interact negatively with multivitamin supplements or anti-anxiety medications. Despite this fact, you should always inform your doctor of all the supplements and medications you are taking before beginning supplementation to rule out a potential interaction. If you experience any adverse effects after taking vitamin B-6, contact your doctor.
References
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes: Recommended Dietary Allowances and Adequate Intakes, Vitamins
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes: Tolerable Upper Intake Levels, Vitamins
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin B6
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine); Steven D. Ehrlich; June 2009
