<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
Dennis wrote:
 
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Also be careful on megadoses of certain vitamins,
> particularly vitamin B6, as I know from experience that this can
> cause peripheral neuropathy.
>
> Yes, you are correct.  However, I've already had peripheral
> junction problems associated with anticholinergics that appear
> to have gotten considerably better with the Mega doses.  It's
> kinda at this point it can hurt, maybe it will help.
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Check with your doctor or pharmacist if
> you are going to do this for a long time...
>
> I did. I told them I'd continue for a couple more months.
> Already been doing it for 2.  Got the go ahead 'cause they
> don't know what it was/is and it certainly is helping.
> Neurology, Endocrinology, Primary and Neuro-Ophthalmology.
> ------------------------------------------------------------
 
If you have been taking *large* doses of vitamins (or other supplements)
it is a good idea to taper off ***gradually****  rather than
discontinuing all at once.   The higher the doses and/or the longer you
have been taking them, the more gradually you should taper off.
 
The reason for this is that your metabolism makes many adjustments to
large changes in intake of nutrients (whatever the source):
absorption/excretion is down/up regulated,  levels of enzymes are
altered, etc.     A sudden sharp change in levels of intake could result
in a "rebound deficiency" -  because absorption stayed down regulated
for a period and/or excretion stayed up regulated for a period and/or
metabolic pathways adjusted to utilize high levels took a period to
readjust to lower levels of usage, etc.
 
It took me over 5 years of gradually tapering down (from about 1,500
mg/day) B-complex to be OK on "only" 100 mg/day and more than 15 years
to be OK without supplements at all.   (The length of this time was
probably due to the extreme severity of my B-complex deficiency.)
 
IMHO, unless you *want* a sharp change for a specific reason (to stress
a pathogen or to rapidly restore a serious deficiency) it is best to
make changes gradually, giving the body time to adapt (change levels of
enzyme production, etc.).
 
Jim Barron
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