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Drug side effects

pyridoxine Side Effects

The reactions most often reported to the FDA for pyridoxine (also sold as Vitamin B6), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.

Data updated 2026-05-15

2,439
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2004 to 2025. A FAERS report records a temporal association, not proof of cause. See our methodology for how figures are compiled and de-duplicated.

The most commonly reported side effects of pyridoxine come from 2,439 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 2,439 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for pyridoxine (Vitamin B6): the reactions reported most often, who reported them, serious outcomes such as hospitalization, and year-over-year trends. A FAERS report does not prove the drug caused the effect, and report volume tracks how widely a drug is used, not how likely an effect is for any one person. Educational information, not medical advice.

Total Reports

2,439

Reports Mentioning Death

501

20.5% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

1,129

46.3% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

NAUSEA
389
VOMITING
357
PAIN
306
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION
286
ABDOMINAL PAIN
276
ABDOMINAL DISTENSION
269
CONDITION AGGRAVATED
262
CONSTIPATION
255
HEADACHE
255
FATIGUE
253
SOMNOLENCE
253
SEPSIS
223
ASCITES
221
DIARRHOEA
220
HYPONATRAEMIA
216
APPENDICITIS
211
APPENDICOLITH
210
CARDIOGENIC SHOCK
202

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 1,274 (57%)
Male 942 (42%)
Unknown 2

Age Distribution

0-17 76 (4%)
18-44 394 (22%)
45-64 501 (28%)
65-74 311 (17%)
75+ 533 (29%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2004 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 501 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
VOMITING 240
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 239
ABDOMINAL DISTENSION 223
ABDOMINAL PAIN 216
ASCITES 212
APPENDICITIS 211
APPENDICOLITH 210
CONSTIPATION 207
NAUSEA 207
SEPSIS 206
HYPONATRAEMIA 204
CARDIOGENIC SHOCK 202
MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME 198
STRESS 189
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 182
VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION 171
DRY MOUTH 164
SWELLING 145
BLOOD CHOLESTEROL INCREASED 144

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 1,129 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
NAUSEA 216
VOMITING 215
SOMNOLENCE 200
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 196
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 177
DRUG HYPERSENSITIVITY 169
FATIGUE 166
GASTROOESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE 166
SWELLING 165
ABDOMINAL PAIN 161
DIARRHOEA 157
BLOOD CHOLESTEROL INCREASED 156
DYSPNOEA 156
DRY MOUTH 153
PAIN 152
ABDOMINAL DISTENSION 142
SLEEP DISORDER 138

Compare pyridoxine vs ascorbic acid →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About pyridoxine Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 2,439 voluntary reports linked to pyridoxine and its brand equivalents (Vitamin B6), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 501 (20.5%) listed death as an outcome and 1,129 (46.3%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 57% were female and 42% male; age distribution skews toward 75+, with 533 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is nausea with 389 submissions, followed by vomiting and pain.

How to read these numbers

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice, speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.