Warning - (My neuro says) do NOT take B6

[jgbmartin]

I saw my neurlogist yesterday and asked about what amount of B6 was safe to take with my Keppra. He said only the amount in a multi-vitamin is safe. He warned that B complex has severe affect on the neurlogistic system and can cause permanent damage.
Great...now I am back to being sleepy and afraid a seizure is about to start.

[Wally]

Hmmm I'd like to know some details on that.......

[Meetz1064]

What did he base his statement on? Just out of curiosity......

[morgan381]

I'd like to know what information he based his statement on as well. I do not have a medical degree, but I'm a little skeptical... The 'mainstream' medical community has very little training in nutrition.......

[epileric]

The 'mainstream' medical community has very little training in nutrition.......

Isn't that ironic!

[jgbmartin]

You know I didn't ask him to explain where he got that...he was extremely concerned that I was taking B6 supplement. I did google it and found several links that said the same thing.

[morgan381]

there is some info that says B6 (in high enough doses) can affect the effectiveness of keppra...that may be where your doc's concern lies. that being said, there are many success stories where vitamins/minerals/herbs have been as effective or more so in seizure control (and many other health issues, for that matter)

[RobinN]

You know I didn't ask him to explain where he got that...he was extremely concerned that I was taking B6 supplement. I did google it and found several links that said the same thing.

Can you please post the info that you found when you did a search.

I found just the opposite, and it can be found here:

Alternative Treatments/Therapies for Epilepsy?

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/...amins-minerals

[Molly97]

When I was taking a B complex, all of a sudden my seizures increased. When I told my doctor, he said that too much B6 could trigger seizures. He said that the strength of the B complex was dependent on the brand, with Walgreen's being the strongest. He had me go to every other day with the the B complex and the seizures settled right down. At that time, I was on Geodon only.

[jgbmartin]

I tried to post the links but got this message
You haven't been around long enough to post links or images. Sorry, but we had to restrict that privilege to prevent abuse from malicious trolls wanting to induce seizures in the photosensitive.
if you google it, you can find a lot of link about too much B6

[BuckeyeFan]

Personal Experience

B6 "can" be very dangerous if "too much" is taken. Last spring my blood levels were in the 90s when they should be between 5-30. This can cause many symptoms similar to the side effects of anti-epileptic drugs as it attacks the nervous system.

What I found out was the B vitamin supplement that I was taking for low B12 had 5000% (yes five thousand) of the recommended daily value for B6. The most that is needed is 1/10 of that. The 5000% is on the highest end of what is considered safe by some 'experts' and over what I read elsewhere. Any extra I was getting was putting me over the top. It seems like they are still learning much about it.

Don't get me wrong, B6 is a very necessary vitamin and enables many of the other vitamins to work properly. Just be careful how much you take. It is a water soluable vitamin which we normally think of as one our body will discard the excess. However, it is linked to other vitamins and will not necessarily be excreted on its own.

I still take B6 in much smaller doses as I need the B12 for other reasons.

some links

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb6.asp
http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php
http://www.vitamins-supplements.org/...pyridoxine.php bottom of page
http://www.mall-net.com/wsnutri/superb6.html about half way down
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/901212812.html

I am still looking at this in more depth, but have found that it can impact the effectivenesss of my dilantin/phenytek.

I have not found any contradictions for Keppra which I also take.

Please don't drop all B6 because of my experience - just be careful how much you take and how it may interact. Like many things, you can always get too much.

[Birdbomb]

I tried to post the links but got this message
You haven't been around long enough to post links or images. Sorry, but we had to restrict that privilege to prevent abuse from malicious trolls wanting to induce seizures in the photosensitive.
if you google it, you can find a lot of link about too much B6

If you pm me or type out the url like this, http** www*website*com
I will edit the link in your post

[jgbmartin]

ok, try these
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...5BC0A965948260


http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy213
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb6.asp

[epileric]

I checked the reference book "Herb Contraindications & Drug Interactions" and it says that B6 lowers levels of phenobarb & phenytoin (dilantin). It also says that phenytoin & primidone (mysoline) lower your levels of B6.

[Birdbomb]

Very good links jgbmartin thank you.

[RobinN]

I think like with any medical choices it will depend on your individual needs.
I do however wonder, since Vitamin B6 is metabolized in the liver, if your liver is not functioning properly it is possible that an abundance of the vitamin in your system is toxic.

Vitamin B6 deficiency is characterized by seizures, seborrheic dermatitis, glossitis, nausea and vomiting, and dizziness. There is also accumulation and urinary excretion of xanthurenic acid (an intermediary metabolite of tryptophan), which may be measured to aid in diagnosing vitamin B6 deficiency. Certain drugs can act as vitamin B6 antagonists, leading to secondary deficiency. These include hydrazines (e.g., isoniazid), cycloserine, pyrazinamide and penicillamine.

***

Precautions: Vitamin B6 is relatively nontoxic in usual doses. However, chronic administration of high doses (e.g., 2 g or more daily for several months) has led to sensory neuropathy.

Drug Interactions : Vitamin B6 increases the peripheral metabolism of levodopa. When levodopa is combined with carbidopa, this effect is prevented.

Isoniazid, cycloserine, pyrazinamide and penicillamine may antagonize the effects of vitamin B6 and lead to a secondary deficiency.

Patients taking estrogens (e.g., oral contraceptives) have higher vitamin B6 requirements.

Pregnancy: No adverse effects have been reported with the use of physiologic doses of vitamin B6 during pregnancy. However, the use of high doses during pregnancy has been implicated in some cases of vitamin B6 dependent syndrome in infants (see Pharmacology).

Lactation: Vitamin B6 is excreted in breast milk; however, adverse effects have not been reported with the use of physiologic doses of vitamin B6 during lactation.

http://www.rxmed.com/b.main/b2.pharm...AMIN%20B6.html

[hawke86]

Very good information Robin.

[BuckeyeFan]

I think like with any medical choices it will depend on your individual needs.
I do however wonder, since Vitamin B6 is metabolized in the liver, if your liver is not functioning properly it is possible that an abundance of the vitamin in your system is toxic.

One site I read discussed the impact on the liver, but it was more that the B6 would overload the liver versus liver problems leading to B6 toxicity.

In my case, I do believe that I was simply taking too much as a result of a poor choice in supplements. That 5000% of RDA seemed to be universal as the maximum safe level with several stating that it may need to be even lower. My liver enzyme tests are usually within the normal range or just slightly high (tracked for years due to the dilantin).

I have been feeling better recently, but they also lowered my keppra by 500 mg so it is hard to say which (if either) is the variable for me.

[RobinN]

The liver has quite a job these days due to all of the environmental toxins it is having to deal with. That is why I suggest that under normal situations it would be able to handle a good vitamin and mineral regimen. I thought 5000% RDA was high, but I just looked at Rebecca's Vit B complex that was recommended by a doctor and it has 3,550% Daily Value
or 71 mg.

Rebecca's liver enzyme test before supplementation was always a bit off of the norm. So I have been researching ways to help balance those numbers better.

[brain]

Actually revert the whole issue:

You should have your chemistry & hematology (aka blood
work or lab work-up) performed by your Doctor - and then
monitored to determined the evaluation. Unless you have
a birth defect, DNA, Genetic, Genome, Mitochondrial, so on
which either robs you or you are deprived of such.

An extensive chemistry & hematology - a lab work-up where
this type is very time consuming and expensive, but is very
detailed and right down to the core; will get to the bottom
line of everything and will pinpoint the entire issue of where
your chemistry & hematology make-up is.

=================

I know I've posted this on several threads, but I'll make it
brief here, due to adoption with a lax background, I've had
everything done, until the final phase of the expensive lab
work-up where it got down to the bottom line - and in my
case, I didn't have any vitamin B-9 at all, and that explained
why the frustrations of trying to get my iron levels to be in
compliant (B-9 & Iron work together); but there were lots of
other things found in there on just about every single page
where basically I'm one big mess, to be plain and simple.

=================

The Commentary - Nothing but my own viewpoint:

Then this brings forth the other issue:

You will ALWAYS have someone who overdoes something.
PERIOD. Vitamin Freaks, Health Food Nuts, Junk Food Pigs,
Alcohol-3-Times-A-Day'ers, Chain Smokers, and the list goes
on and on and on.

NOW - this brings forth a bewildering and mind-boggling
and head-banging complexion: Half of the people are healthy
as a horse while the other half are sickly as a ....(insert your
imagine here)....!

You've got a nearly 100 year old resident in a Nursing Home
who eats nothing but junk food, smokes 3 packs a day, and
has to have a martini 3 times a day - Noon, Dinner time, and
Night Cap ... and it's always been like that; and he/she is
healthy and happy as a lark! And on the flip-side of the coin,
you have another individual half the age, doing the same old
thing, and it's like ... beyond pathetic, leaving one with ...


Ironic!

I never fully understood these things, having had the golden
opportunity to meet both parties, knowing both of them have
worked very hard - their backgrounds - except one lived off
of lard, and all the other stuff (that today's society deems as
"bad stuff") and the other one is living off of what today's
society deems as "good stuff".

I had to really sit back and think - is Lard really bad as 'they
say it is'? From looking at all these 90 and 100 year olds, all
whom have grown up on all these stuff that had been deemed
has "bad for you". I've elected to live on the same stuff that
they've grown up with. Pass the pork fat, toss me over the eggs,
fork over all the stuff that they've deemed as "bad for you", for
the way I see it - in my family, all of them have lived to be old:
90-100 years old.

I changed the way I cooked and began to cook in the same
manner and style as they did, hence why the old recipes, old
utensils - not only does it taste good homemade from scratch;
we (my (ex)husband, son, and I) were doing pretty good. While
it didn't bring down the seizures, but we were healthy. We were
not fat at all, but stronger.

Collard Greens in REAL bacon fat / ham hocks
Chick Peas (Garbanzo) with REAL Andouille Sausage
Split Peas with left over Ham Bone with corn bread in cast iron
skillet.

For example, all in a cast-iron dutch oven pot, cooked over the
stove (or in charcoal pit / fire, if I'm in the mood) - slowly just
the way they made it - would send the Diet Fads and Trend Nuts
shuddering!

While everyone else was mostly drinking diet something, not
us - good old southern tea (and if you must know, southern
tea is very heavy on REAL sugar, only I used a combo of sugar
and Sugar in the Raw - which has molasses in it).

Sure, we've had our sugar levels checked and as one can be
astonished, ours was fine! We were actually BELOW the sugar
level range!


In turn - over the years, I began to realize, after reading the labels,
so much artificial this, artificial that, chemical this, chemical that;
and it leaves me wondering - if these are the issues and problems
of people's own health decline? For they are not eating the REAL
THING - but fake stuff to make it taste like they are...

But this is just my humble post here - All in all from the whole
realm in perspective from A to Z. Do not take this post seriously
because I posted it; but merely it's just a commentary from my
own personal viewpoint and my own perspective and nothing
else for that matter.