Energy Drinks and B6 Toxicity: An Overlooked Cause of Neuropathy in the U.S.

johnhayesjr1
Aug 4
2 min read

If you're seeing younger patients with unexplained nerve symptoms burning feet, tingling hands, or electric shocks look beyond diabetes or autoimmune disease. Increasingly, vitamin B6 toxicity is emerging as a hidden cause of peripheral neuropathy, and the culprit often lies in energy drinks, pre-workouts, and over-the-counter supplements.

The Paradox of "Too Much of a Good Thing"

While vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is essential for nerve function, excess amounts become neurotoxic. The irony? Many patients are unknowingly overdosing.

Here’s how:

Energy drinks containing 10–40 mg of B6 per can
Pre-workout powders or multivitamins taken 1–2 times daily
Stackable supplements like “B-complex,” “immune boosters,” and “brain formulas”

These individuals can accumulate hundreds of milligrams of B6 daily, far above the tolerable upper limit of 100 mg/day, and toxic levels have been reported as low as 50 mg/day in sensitive individuals.

Symptoms of B6-Induced Neuropathy

Unlike other forms of neuropathy, B6 toxicity often starts with:

Bilateral hand numbness (glove distribution)
Burning in feet, especially at rest
Sensory loss with preserved reflexes
Ataxia or imbalance in later stages

Many providers miss this completely because:

Serum B6 is rarely ordered
Standard neurological workups don’t account for supplement history
The myth persists that water-soluble vitamins can’t be harmful

What to Do in Your Practice

As an independent or direct-pay physician, you can:

Ask about supplements, energy drinks, and powders at every intake
Order plasma B6 (pyridoxal phosphate) in patients with atypical nerve symptoms
Educate patients on safe ranges and the risks of self-supplementation
Create a nerve recovery protocol including diet, detoxification, red light therapy, and targeted nutrition

Your patients will appreciate a root-cause explanation especially when other providers have told them “it’s nothing.”

Want to Build Your Expertise in Treating Hidden Causes of Neuropathy?

Chat with John Hayes Jr., MD to discover how practices are identifying, treating, and reversing neuropathy caused by B6 toxicity and other overlooked drivers without defaulting to medication.