Your brain and spinal cord comprise your central nervous system, and they work in tandem to relay messages throughout your body to control your muscles and organs. The B vitamins are vital to the health of your central nervous system, and numbness or tingling could indicate a deficiency in one or more of these important nutrients. B vitamins are typically found in animal sources, so if you lack meat, poultry and seafood in your diet, speak to your doctor about supplementing with a B vitamin complex to avoid numbness and tingling. You rely on vitamin B-12, or cobalamin, to manufacture nerves. The recommended dietary allowance for an adult is 2.4 micrograms, which you must get through food or supplements. A lack of B-12 in your diet or the inability to adequately absorb it causes a deficiency, symptoms of which could include numbness and tingling in your hands, legs and feet. This can intensify over time. A vitamin B-1, or thiamin, deficiency can result in beriberi, a disease affecting your central and peripheral nervous systems.
Beriberi is characterized by burning, pain and numbness in your arms and legs due to nerve degeneration. A thiamin deficiency is prevalent in developing countries and can affect those who consume a high-carbohydrate diet. The deficiency can also occur among those with anorexia, bariatric surgery patients and individuals with malabsorption problems. In the United States, it’s most commonly found in alcoholics. Adult males and females need 1.2 milligrams and 1.1 milligrams, respectively, of vitamin B-1 daily. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states a vitamin B-3, or niacin, deficiency can cause peripheral neuropathy. With this condition, your peripheral nerves are damaged, interfering with sensory information being transmitted from your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body. Nerve damage leads to temporary numbness and tingling. The RDA for adult men and women is 16 micrograms and 14 micrograms, respectively. You can easily meet this requirement through diet, and a deficiency is not common in the United States.
A deficiency in many B vitamins results in numbness and tingling, but taking too much vitamin B-6 can also produce those symptoms. According to Dr. Bruce Bistrian of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, large amounts of B-6 alter the nerves carrying information to your brain, causing a tingling sensation. Adults 19 to 50 years should get 1.3 milligrams of vitamin B-6 a day. After age 50, the recommendation rises to 1.7 milligrams a day for men and 1.5 milligrams a day for women. The upper limit is set at 100 milligrams daily. Fortunately, symptoms typically disappear after decreasing your B-6 intake, but it can take several months. How to Take Vitamin B12 Orally Vitamin B6 & Numb or Tingling Feet Vitamin B12 Deficiency & Numb Fingers How Much Vitamin B-12 Should a Woman Get? Benefits of Vitamin B12 Injections Vitamin B12 for Burning Tingling & Numb Feet Do B Vitamins Help the Nervous System? Numbness in the Tip of the Big Toe Which Foods Contain B12?
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Loss of coordination may also occur. This condition typically reverses itself once you stop taking vitamin B-6 supplements. Your chance of experiencing this temporary nerve damage increases proportionally to your vitamin B-6 supplement dosage. The U.S. Office of Dietary Supplement notes that this reaction has occurred in doses lower than 500 mg per day, but is more common with higher amounts. Conversely, feelings of numbness or tingling in the limbs may also occur with a vitamin B-6 deficiency, although this type of deficiency is rare in the United States. Individuals with a vitamin B-6 deficiency that suffer from this nerve damage may use vitamin B-6 supplementation to treat this condition. Experiencing tingling or numbness in your limbs is unlikely if you are otherwise healthy as long as you keep your vitamin B-6 daily intake close to the recommended dietary allowance for your age group and gender. The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin B-6 is 1.3 mg a day for adult males and females between the ages of 19 and 50.
Individuals over the age of 50 require larger amounts. Men over the age of 50 should aim for at least 1.7 mg of vitamin B-6 a day, while women of the same age group should aim for at least 1.5 mg. While taking slightly more than these amounts is unlikely to cause any adverse reactions, always limit your intake to well below the tolerable upper intake limit. All adults should not exceed more than 100 mg of vitamin B-6 a day unless they are deficient in the vitamin, have a certain medical condition that interferes with vitamin B6 absorption or are specifically instructed to do so by a doctor. Some people believe that large doses of vitamin B-6 can treat certain conditions, such as seizures, depression, headaches, chronic pain, Parkison’s disease, carpal tunnel syndrome and premenstrual syndrome. Not only is there no clinical evidence to prove the effectiveness of this treatment, but taking these large amounts increases the risk of experiencing adverse reactions to the vitamin. Never take large amounts of vitamin B-6 to treat any medical condition on your own.
Significant quantities of this vitamin should only be taken under the guidance of your doctor. Although rare, a numbness or tingling sensation in the feet after taking vitamin B-6 may also be caused by an allergic reaction to the supplement. If this is the case, a rash, hives, itching sensation or swelling may also be present, and you may find it difficult to breathe or have a tightness in your chest. Since allergic reactions may be life-threatening, seek emergency medical attention if any of these symptoms occur. Foot Numbness & Eating Too Few Calories How to Determine the Dosage of B12 for Weight Loss Negative Effects of Too Much Vitamin B-6 The Side Effects of Vitamin B-100 How Much Vitamin B-6 Should You Take Daily? Can a Vitamin B-12 Deficiency Cause Eye Floaters? Tingling as a Side Effect of Yoga Can Hands Tingle From Eating Too Much Sodium? How to Inject B12 Via the Buttocks Risks of Too Much Vitamin B12 The Side Effects of B12 Lozenges