Hi, folks! I hope you are all doing well. I haven't posted in a long time because my B6 toxicity symptoms have gradually lessened. I have been able to incorporate more and more foods back into my diet to the point where B6 toxicity plays only a small role in my life (I should note that I've essentially been vegetarian since my symptoms started, since meat is so high in B6. That might be a bigger struggle for some people than others).
My recent meals have included chili and a medium-sized baked potato, avocado and tomato sandwiches, and even a few french fries here and there. I could not have eaten those things 670 days ago.
The last time I had noticeable B6 toxicity symptoms was over the holidays (baked ham) and about two months ago, when I ate a a lot of candies that contained walnuts. The recurrence in December was pretty bad, but the more recent one was over within a few hours.
For the most part, I feel like my life is back to normal. There's still some lingering nerve damage, but not enough to cause concern. I feel good.
Before I sign off (probably for another few months, at least), I want to share a few habits that have helped me in my own recovery:
(1) Drink water with every meal. Drinking water is always important, but it's most important when you are digesting food. If you drink water when you eat, then the B6 has a higher chance of passing from your body; otherwise your body absorbs the B6 like any other nutrient. I always drink a full glass of water with my meals, and if I eat something unusually high in B6 (like potato or avocado), then I continue to drink for another 30 minutes after eating.
(2) If I start to feel burning, twinging, or spasms in my muscles after eating B6, then I exercise those muscles immediately! I don't know why this seems to help for me, but it does. Recently, when my arms started to twinge after eating those walnut candies, I hit the weights. The symptoms went away almost immediately.
That's it. Those are the only things I've found that help -- besides time and patience, of course.
Good luck on your recovery!
