Your body needs vitamin B6, or pyridoxine, to fight off diseases, maintain healthy nerve function, break down proteins, balance your blood sugar level and help cells carry oxygen to its tissues, according to MedlinePlus. Although your body flushes out excess amounts of vitamin B6 through urine, you may still experience negative side effects if you take high doses of vitamin B6 over the long term.
Neuropathy
Taking very high doses of vitamin B6 may lead to nerve damage in your arms and legs. This condition, called sensory neuropathy, can cause abnormal and painful sensations in your extremities, loss of sensation in your extremities and difficulty coordinating movement. Fortunately, discontinuing large doses of vitamin B6 usually results in a full recovery within six months, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Other Potential Effects
A large dose of vitamin B6 may also lead to symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort and sunlight sensitivity. You may be at greater risk for some of these symptoms if you take certain medications. For instance, taking large doses of vitamin B6 while taking the medication amiodarone for an irregular heartbeat may boost your chances of developing rashes, sunburns and blisters when you are exposed to sunlight, according to the Aultman Health Foundation.
A Toxic Dose
You are more likely to develop sensory neuropathy if you take more than 1,000 mg of vitamin B6 per day, but some people have had sensory neuropathies after taking less than 500 mg of vitamin B6 every day for months, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Sensory neuropathy has only been reported from high intake of supplemental vitamin B6, but this doesn't mean that a food-induced overdose is impossible.
Upper Tolerable Intake
You will reduce your risk of experiencing sensory neuropathy or other ill effects of vitamin B6 if your daily intake doesn't exceed the upper tolerable intake. The recommended maximum daily intake for adults is 100 mg, according to MayoClinic.com. Children 1 to 3 should take no more than 30 mg per day, children from 4 to 8 shouldn't exceed 40 mg, children from 9 to 13 shouldn't have more than 60 mg and older teens shouldn't exceed 80 mg. No upper tolerable intake has been established for infants. Only consider taking more than the recommended maximum vitamin B6 dose if your doctor prescribes a megadose for conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Considerations
You may not need to take any supplements to get your essential vitamins if you continue eating a well-balanced diet. The recommended dietary intake of vitamin B6 is only 0.5 mg to 1 mg per day for children and 1.2 to 1.5 mg per day for teens and adults, according to MedlinePlus. You will get 100 percent of your recommended intake if you eat ¾ cup of many fortified cereals, 35 percent of your recommended intake if you consume a whole baked potato and 34 percent of your recommended intake if you eat one medium banana.
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