From Multivitamins to Nerve Damage: A Warning for Australians
Courtney Butler, a 40-year-old Corrimal woman, followed her GP's advice to 'chill out and take a good multivitamin' when she first experienced unusual tingling in her hands and feet in late 2024. Little did she know this advice would exacerbate a serious health condition caused by vitamin B6 toxicity.
What Ms Butler initially thought were routine health supplements turned out to be the source of her deteriorating condition. The tingling sensation she experienced was peripheral neuropathy, a form of nerve damage that can result from excessive vitamin B6 intake.
The Alarming Discovery and Road to Recovery
After her GP dismissed her concerns and recommended more vitamins, Ms Butler's symptoms worsened dramatically. 'I was freaking out,' she recalled. 'My symptoms were getting worse and worse and I was on a plethora of vitamins... just trying to get my health back on track.'
The turning point came in January when her partner sent her a news article about a Fairy Meadow GP warning of supplement dangers. Ms Butler immediately checked her vitamin stash and made a shocking discovery - she was consuming approximately 20 times the recommended daily dosage of vitamin B6 through multiple supplements she was taking simultaneously.
Her daily regimen included:
- AM multivitamins
- PM multivitamins
- Anxiety and stress supplements
- Magnesium supplements containing B6
- Five to six different vitamin products daily
She stopped all supplements immediately, and within weeks, the peripheral neuropathy symptoms had resolved. A subsequent blood test revealed her vitamin B6 levels were nearly double the highest number in the recommended range.
TGA Steps In With New Regulations
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has responded to the rise in B6 toxicity cases by announcing significant regulatory changes to be implemented by June 2027. Under the new rules:
- Products containing more than 50mg of vitamin B6 will require pharmacist supervision
- Supplements with more than 200mg will be prescription-only
While Ms Butler welcomes these changes, she notes they might not have prevented her situation since all the supplements she took individually contained less than 50mg of B6. 'I think there needs to be an education piece for people,' she emphasized. 'They don't realise if they're taking one vitamin here and then they're adding another one, and then all of a sudden you can very easily get over the recommended daily dosage.'
Expert Warnings and Supplement Safety
Dr Joanna Harnett, chair of the TGA's advisory committee on complementary medicine, supported the regulatory changes but stressed the need for greater awareness. 'Vitamin B6 is essential for human health, yet its potential for harm at high and/or prolonged supplemental doses has long been underestimated,' she stated.
University of South Australia experts explained the risks in detail. Dr Jack Janetzki noted that many people unknowingly combine products containing high doses of vitamin B6, putting them at risk of adverse effects including potentially long-lasting peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage and muscle weakness.
Dr Vijay Suppiah warned that the common form of vitamin B6, pyridoxine, can accumulate in the body and cause irreversible damage by interfering with nerve function. 'These effects can appear even at moderate doses in some people,' he cautioned.
Experts recommend that Australians:
- Stick to low-dose options like multivitamins providing less than 10mg per day
- Obtain B6 through food sources like salmon, chicken, potatoes and chickpeas
- Exercise caution when combining multiple supplements
- Consult healthcare professionals before starting supplement regimens
The case highlights the broader issue of complementary medicine safety when taken without proper guidance from healthcare professionals. As Ms Butler reflected, 'It's really opened my eyes, and I think a lot of companies just want to sell products at the end of the day.'
