A blood test that says your vitamin B6 is high can be unsettling, especially if you do not think of yourself as someone who takes much. The most common reason is quieter than it sounds: several supplements, each with a little B6, adding up. This page explains where the extra usually comes from, how to find B6 on a label, and what to take to your GP or pharmacist.
In short: the most common reason for a high B6 result is supplements adding up. A B-complex, an energy or stress formula, a multivitamin and a magnesium blend can each contain B6. Food alone very rarely gets there. List everything you take with the B6 amount per day, then ask your GP or pharmacist what the result means for you and whether to retest.
What a high B6 result does and does not tell you
Vitamin B6 is a vitamin your body needs, and the amounts in ordinary food are normal and necessary. A blood test shows what was in your blood on the day it was taken. A high result is worth following up, but on its own it does not tell you why it is high, or what to do next.
Reading the number is a job for your GP or the lab. It depends on the test, the unit and your own health, and a web page should not try to do it for you. What we can do is help you gather the information that makes that conversation short and useful.
With ordinary food, B6 is rarely a concern. Taken in large amounts from supplements over a long time, it is one of the few vitamins for which health authorities have set an upper level. In 2023 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) set a tolerable upper intake level of 12 mg a day for adults. That is a regulatory upper level. It is not a target and not a recommended amount.
Where the extra B6 usually comes from
Almost nobody sets out to take too much. It happens quietly, by what is often called stacking: you add one product at a time, each one sensible on its own, and the total creeps up.
These are the usual overlaps:
- a B-complex, taken for energy or because a friend recommended it
- an energy or stress formula, where B6 is a standard ingredient
- a multivitamin
- a magnesium blend that includes B6 alongside the magnesium
Any one of these may look modest. Two or three of them together can add up to far more than you meant to take.
What about food?
Meat, fish, potatoes, bananas and wholegrains all contain B6, but food on its own very rarely reaches a high level. When a result is high, supplements are the first place to look.
If you take no supplements at all
Then please tell your doctor rather than guessing. They are the right person to look for the reason, and they can see your results and your history together.
How to find B6 on a supplement label
The supplement facts panel is on the back or side of the pack. Look for a line that says "vitamin B6" or "pyridoxine". They are the same vitamin. The amount is usually given in mg per serving. A serving can be one capsule or two, so check how many make one serving and how many servings you take each day.
Go through each product like this:
- Find the B6 line, under either name.
- Write down the amount per serving.
- Write down how many servings you take in a day.
- Multiply the two, then add up the total across all your products.
Do not leave out the products you do not think of as vitamins. Energy and stress products, magnesium blends, powders and drinks can all carry B6. If a label does not mention B6 at all, write "none listed" rather than leaving it blank, so your GP can see you checked.
What to do next
You do not need to work out what your result means by yourself. Bring the list and let your GP or pharmacist do the reading.
- Write down every supplement you take, with the B6 amount per day.
- Take the bottles, or clear photos of the labels, to your GP or pharmacist.
- Ask what your result means for you.
- Ask whether to keep taking each supplement you chose yourself.
- Ask whether to retest, and when.
Please do not stop or change any medicine your doctor prescribed without asking first. Supplements you chose yourself are different: those are exactly the things to talk through with your GP or pharmacist.
See your doctor promptly if you notice tingling or pins and needles in your hands or feet, numbness, or feeling unsteady when you walk. These are the signs most often reported with too much B6 over a long time, so do not wait for a retest. Our page on vitamin B6 and its symptoms goes through them in more detail. Tell your GP too if you are pregnant, have kidney problems or take other medicines.
A B-complex made without added B6
Some people look for B vitamins without adding to their B6 total. Desert Harvest's B-Complex without B6 is a B-complex made without added vitamin B6. Each capsule contains thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), folate, B12, biotin and pantothenic acid, plus choline and myo-inositol. The directions are one capsule a day with a meal, and a bottle holds 90 capsules.
It is a food supplement, not a medicine, and we make no claim about any condition. After a high result, please check with your GP or pharmacist before starting anything new. If you are looking for a daily multivitamin, we explain the multivitamin without B6 on its own page.
Good to know
