Taking more than 1,000 mg of supplemental B6 a day may cause nerve damage and pain or numbness in the hands or feet. Some of these side effects have even been documented after just 100–300 mg of B6 per day ( 49 ). For these reasons, the tolerable upper limit of vitamin B6 is 100 mg per day for adults (3, 50 ).
Can vitamin B6 be harmful? People almost never get too much vitamin B6 from food. But taking high levels of vitamin B6 from supplements for a year or longer can cause severe nerve damage, leading people to lose control of their bodily movements. The symptoms usually stop when they stop taking the supplements.
Taking more than 1,000 mg of supplemental B6 a day may cause nerve damage and pain or numbness in the hands or feet. Some of these side effects have even been documented after just 100–300 mg of B6 per day ( 49 ). For these reasons, the tolerable upper limit of vitamin B6 is 100 mg per day for adults (3, 50 ).
Cabergoline induced a marked fall in serum PRL which began within 3 h and continued for 7 days. The maximal decrease ranged between -49.2% and -55.2% and occurred after 2-5 days.
Vitamin B6, along with the other B vitamins, helps the body turn food into energy. On its own, vitamin B6 has many other uses that are important to maintaining a healthy body and developing a healthy brain. Vitamin B6 is so important it may have triggered the growth of the first living creatures on Earth.
Potential Side Effects of Too Much Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 toxicity is not likely to occur from food sources of B6. It would be nearly impossible to consume the amount in supplements from diet alone. Taking more than 1,000 mg of supplemental B6 a day may cause nerve damage and pain or numbness in the hands or feet.Vitamin B6 is found in a wide variety of foods, including:
- pork.
- poultry, such as chicken or turkey.
- fish.
- bread.
- wholegrain cereals, such as oatmeal, wheatgerm and brown rice.
- eggs.
- vegetables.
- soya beans.
Vitamin E levels were significantly increased (1.11 vs 1.22 mg/dl, p < 0.05). These results show that vitamin E treatment lowers prolactin levels in uremic hemodialysis patients. This might be due to inhibition of central prolactin secretion. Vitamin E inhibits pituitary gland hypertrophy in vitamin E-deficient rats.
Treatment for high prolactin levels
- changing your diet and keeping your stress levels down.
- stopping high-intensity workouts or activities that overwhelm you.
- avoiding clothing that makes your chest uncomfortable.
- avoiding activities and clothing that overstimulate your nipples.
- taking vitamin B-6 and vitamin E supplements.
Curcumin, a commonly used food additive in South Asian cooking, inhibits proliferation of several tumor cell lines; however, its effect on pituitary tumor cell proliferation has not been determined. Furthermore, curcumin suppresses intracellular levels and release of both prolactin and GH.
Oral medications often can decrease the production of prolactin and eliminate symptoms. Medications may also shrink the tumor. However, long-term treatment with medications is generally necessary. Doctors use drugs known as dopamine agonists to treat prolactinoma.
Calcium-rich dried fruits like figs, apricots, and dates are thought to help with milk production. Apricots, like some other lactogenic foods on this list, also contain tryptophan, which naturally boost prolactin levels.
Vitamin E levels were significantly increased (1.11 vs 1.22 mg/dl, p < 0.05). These results show that vitamin E treatment lowers prolactin levels in uremic hemodialysis patients. This might be due to inhibition of central prolactin secretion. Vitamin E inhibits pituitary gland hypertrophy in vitamin E-deficient rats.
If a non-pregnant woman has abnormally high levels of prolactin, it may cause her difficulty in becoming pregnant. Women with the mildest cases involving high prolactin levels may ovulate regularly but not produce enough of the hormone progesterone after ovulation.
Several in vitro studies have documented the inhibitory effects of physiological ranges of zinc concentrations on PRL secretion from the pituitary gland. 6 Oral zinc supplementation has been found to clinically reverse hyperprolactinemia in uremic men 7 as well as decrease PRL levels in healthy men and women.
This kind of tumor is called a prolactinoma. It's the most common type of pituitary tumor and is most often benign, which means it's not cancer. But for men or women who aren't nursing, high prolactin in the blood can be a sign of a prolactinoma. Doctors don't know what causes it, but it's fairly common.
The normal range for prolactin in your blood are: Males: 2 to 18 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) Nonpregnant females: 2 to 29 ng/mL. Pregnant females: 10 to 209 ng/mL.
It also usually decreases the size of micro- and macroadenomas to normal. Prolactin levels usually fall within the first two to three weeks of treatment, but detectable decreases in adenoma size take more time, usually several weeks to months.
Introduction: Evidence suggested that exercise may affects release of prolactin hormone. Participation in exercise may increase secretion of prolactin hormone and may give sharp decrease in secretion of prolactin and not only that published work demanded that there is no effect of exercise on secretion of prolactin.
PROLACTIN: A MILK-PRODUCING HORMONE. Prolactin is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland which is located at the base of the brain. It circulates in low levels in the bloodstream of non pregnant women. During pregnancy, prolactin levels increase approximately ten-fold and stimulate milk formation.
As prolactin is regulated by dopamine , medications that interfere with this substance in the brain can cause elevated prolactin levels. An underactive thyroid or inadequate thyroid hormone replacement can also raise prolactin levels, as can kidney disease, pregnancy, stress, and chest trauma.
Serum prolactin levels are ideally measured in the morning in a fasting state. Prolactin levels should not be measured after an examination since the stress of a gynaecological or breast examination may raise the prolactin levels.
For women, high levels of prolactin in the blood can stop the ovaries from making the hormone estrogen. Low levels of estrogen can cause irregular periods or stop periods completely, reduce sex drive, and cause vaginal dryness. For men, high levels of prolactin can cause erectile dysfunction and low sex drive.
If prolactin levels are higher than normal, it often means there is a type of tumor of the pituitary gland, known as a prolactinoma. This tumor makes the gland produce too much prolactin. Excess prolactin can cause the production of breast milk in men and in women who are not pregnant or breastfeeding.
Hyperprolactinemia is a condition of too much prolactin in the blood of women who are not pregnant and in men. Some women have high prolactin levels without any symptoms. In men, high prolactin levels can cause galactorrhea, impotence (inability to have an erection during sex), reduced desire for sex, and infertility.
Symptoms include irregular or absent menstrual periods, infertility, menopausal symptoms (hot flashes and vaginal dryness), and, after several years, osteoporosis (thinning and weakening of the bones). High prolactin levels can also cause milk discharge from the breasts.
Taking more than 1,000 mg of supplemental B6 a day may cause nerve damage and pain or numbness in the hands or feet. Some of these side effects have even been documented after just 100–300 mg of B6 per day ( 49 ). For these reasons, the tolerable upper limit of vitamin B6 is 100 mg per day for adults (3, 50 ).
The delayed-release formulation means you'll feel better about five to seven hours after taking it. Taking it before bed at night can help control your symptoms of morning sickness when you get up the next day.
However, too much vitamin B-6 also can cause:
- A lack of muscle control or coordination of voluntary movements (ataxia)
- Painful, disfiguring skin lesions.
- Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as heartburn and nausea.
- Sensitivity to sunlight (photosensitivity)
- Numbness.
- Reduced ability to sense pain or extreme temperatures.
You can get vitamin B6 from food or supplements. The current recommended daily amount (RDA) for B6 is 1.3–1.7 mg for adults over 19.
B vitamins are also important for energy levels. The vitamins also provide a host of other benefits. Among other things, vitamin B6 helps keep blood sugar within a normal range, vitamin B12 protects against anemia, and folate (folic acid) helps prevent changes to your DNA that could lead to cancer.
For example, low levels of vitamin B6 are associated with a decrease in brain serotonin levels which could result in an increased appetite. On the other hand, some people may blame multivitamins for weight gain or a lack of weight loss because they ignore the bigger picture of their overall lifestyle.
You can get vitamin B6 from food or supplements. The current recommended daily amount (RDA) for B6 is 1.3–1.7 mg for adults over 19.
In most instances, the clinical signs of toxicity were reversible once ingestion of high doses of vitamin B6 had ceased. However, in some instances where the dose of this vitamin was especially high, signs of damage remained.
What can happen if I take too much vitamin B6? Overdoing B6 supplements can cause skin sores, a sensitivity to light, nausea, and heartburn. If you take too much for more than a year, you could have problems with your nerves and lose control of movements.
