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It is found in listed medicines, energy drinks, cereals, and weight loss shakes, and some people consume more than 50 times the recommended daily intake, which can cause debilitation.
When Dr. Mary Buchanan started taking magnesium daily four years ago, it provided the pain relief she had been searching for for years.
Living with hereditary restless leg syndrome, the GP’s spasms and paresthesias worsened over the years, eventually becoming so severe that he was unable to sleep at night.
The pharmacist recommended magnesium tablets, and when the cramps subsided, she knew she was finally on the road to recovery.
But little did Dr. Buchanan know. This was the beginning of a long and painful journey that ultimately led to the diagnosis of vitamin B6 toxicity.
“I noticed a slight decrease in strength in my thigh muscles and buttocks. After that, there was a slow and continuous decline in strength,” she said. News GP.
“After that, I couldn’t walk anymore and it was difficult to go more than 100 meters.
“I used to go to tennis and soccer, but I haven’t done it in a year because it’s impossible to walk the distance or go up and down the stairs.”
The mysterious illness eventually became so bad that Dr. Buchanan sought help, consulted a neurologist, and embarked on a radiology and pathology screening plan.
After an anxious wait, she was diagnosed with vitamin B6 toxicity and peripheral neuropathy caused by magnesium tablets she had been taking for several years.
“We’ve noticed muscle weakness in both legs and glutes, but there’s no cure, there’s nothing we can do other than stop taking the pills and see what happens,” Buchanan said.
“I’m disappointed that it hasn’t improved as much as I expected. It’s very slow. There’s a continuous delay in the back of the leg and it feels very stiff.”
Now Dr Buchanan wants to raise awareness among other general practitioners about the potential dangers of vitamin B6 toxicity.
More than 1,000 medicines in Australia now contain vitamin B6, and products such as energy drinks, breakfast cereals and weight loss shakes also contain vitamin B6.
The recommended dietary intake of vitamin B6 varies by age and gender, ranging from 1 mg per day for children aged 9 to 13 years to 1.7 mg per day for men aged 50 years and older.
In 2022, after discovering a “lack of awareness” about the vitamin, the Therapeutic Goods Agency (TGA) tightened labeling requirements, requiring products with a daily dose of more than 10mg to carry a peripheral neuropathy warning. I suppose there is.
“It is recommended that patients review their vitamin B6 intake, paying close attention to potential sources such as multivitamins, magnesium, and zinc products, especially when taken in combination,” the TGA said.
Dr Terrilyn South, a general practitioner and nutritionist, says most patients are completely unaware that they are taking vitamins, let alone at levels that are more than 50 times the recommended daily intake. he said.
“This is not something GPs are aware of and some symptoms can be difficult to diagnose. Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet is most common, but it may not be specific at all,” she says. Told. News GP.
“The good news is it’s reversible, but it’s creeping into the average Australian’s consumption in a variety of ways.
“The true prevalence of this problem is difficult to know, so greater awareness is needed.”
By August 2022, the TGA had received 32 adverse event reports establishing a possible causal relationship between peripheral neuropathy and products containing vitamin B6.
Two-thirds of these involved daily doses of 50 mg or less, and 28% involved multiple medicines containing vitamin B6, some of which did not have warning labels.
Clinical dietitian Dr Kathy Harbury is spearheading an awareness campaign about this toxicity, saying most people don’t need supplements and already get enough vitamins through their diet.
“There are absolutely thousands of multivitamins on supermarket and pharmacy shelves that have B6 levels that exceed the recommended dietary intake,” she said. News GP.
“There are many products that contain 10, 20, or even 50 milligrams of B6, which far exceeds the recommended daily intake.
“We need to inform the public. You can buy these on supermarket shelves, but they have no idea what B6 levels are.”
Dr Harbury added that for general practitioners, simple questions about a patient’s multivitamin or supplement use are an easy way to detect toxicity.
The warning comes as Australians continue to consume more of these over-the-counter medicines, energy drinks and protein shakes.
Approximately 43% of Australians report taking vitamins or supplements, and a further 26% take digestive medicines.
Meanwhile, more than half of children reported having tried energy drinks, with 19% consuming them weekly and 2% drinking them daily.
Dr South is now calling on GPs to remind patients that over-the-counter products are not guaranteed to be safe or worry-free.
“People really need to know what they’re putting in their bodies, especially if it’s a tablet, whatever it is,” she says.
“GPs should be aware of vitamin B6 toxicity and consider testing, but even before testing there is a great opportunity to ask patients about over-the-counter supplements and energy drinks.
“We should regularly ask about supplements, drugs and adjuvants, but we often don’t do so because we don’t have the time, and even when patients tell us they are taking such things, they often do not. , you don’t really ask, you know what to do with it.’
It’s been a year since Dr. Buchanan stopped taking the magnesium tablets, but her recovery is still ongoing and she fears the effects will last a lifetime.
She is speaking out in hopes that no one else will have to go through what she did.
“It’s not back to normal yet, but I think it’s probably here to stay,” Dr. Buchanan said.
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