Recently, I received an excellent question on using vitamin B6 to help manage hand foot syndrome during chemotherapy. I wanted to share this question and my comments with the group.
Question: "I noticed my hands and feet itching last night and this morning. I called my doctor's office and they said it was hand and foot syndrome. I saw online that B6 vitimans can help with this condition. Do you recommend this? Also, is this something I need to worry about around my two year old son?"
Hand Foot Syndrome
Hand foot syndrome is referred to by several names including plantar palmar toxicity, palmar plantar erythrodysesthesia (PPE), palmoplantar keratoderma, and cutaneous toxicity. Regardless of the name, hand foot syndrome is something that should not be ignored.
This is a potentially serious complication of certain chemotherapy treatments. Mild cases cause the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet to itch. More serious cases can cause the skin on the hands and feet to peel, which opens you up to infection and other complications.
If a person experiences a severe case of hand foot syndrome, chemotherapy treatment must be stopped or the dose of chemotherapy must be reduced to allow the hands and feet to heal.
Vitamin B6 for Hand Foot Syndrome
There are no controlled clinical trials or studies that prove that vitamin B6 will prevent or treat hand foot syndrome. However, there are case reports and small studies which suggest that taking vitamin B6 may help prevent and treat hand foot syndrome.
Without well-controlled studies, we can’t know for certain that vitamin B6 is effective. The good news is that the small studies that are available tell us that vitamin B6 is safe and well tolerated when taken for short periods of time.
The important thing to remember is that the high dose of vitamin B6 that is suggested as a way to help manage hand foot syndrome only should be used for a short period of time, approximately one to three months.
How much B6 is enough?
The small amount of available research suggests that a dose of 50 to 150 milligrams (mg) of vitamin B6 per day can help lessen the severity of chemotherapy-related hand foot syndrome. This amount of vitamin B6 is approximately 35 to 115 times the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). This is a very high dose of vitamin B6. This dose should only be used under a doctor's supervision and for a short period of time, as needed to manage hand foot syndrome.
Ask Your Doctor First
Be sure to talk to your doctor first, before you try vitamin B6 to manage hand foot syndrome. It is important that you share this information with your medical care team so they can work with you to give you the best care.
Some dietary supplements can interfere with cancer treatment and other medications. For this reason, discuss your use of vitamin B6 and any other supplements with your health care team.
Chemotherapy and Safety Around Young Children
Regarding your question about your two year old son, you will need to call your doctor's office. This is a medical question that is best answered by your personal medical care team.
Nutritionist Suzanne
Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD