You may have seen recent news stories about vitamin B6 supplements causing serious side effects, including nerve damage. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is now taking action against high-dose products after reports of people experiencing numbness, tingling, and nerve pain.
One of the products at the centre of these reports — Blackmores Super Magnesium+ — contains synthetic B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) at a level far higher than the recommended safe limit.
Let’s break down why that’s a problem, and why your Patched Up Activated B-Complex Patch is completely different.
1. The Form of B6 Matters
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Blackmores Super Magnesium+ uses pyridoxine hydrochloride — a synthetic form of B6.
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Patched Up's Activated B-Complex Patch uses pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P) — the active, bio-ready form your body actually uses.
Why it matters:
P5P doesn’t need to be converted in the liver to work. Your body can use it immediately, at much lower doses, reducing the risk of build-up and toxicity. It’s also water-soluble, so any excess is naturally excreted.
2. The Dose Matters Even More
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Blackmores delivers ~117 mg of B6 per day — that’s about 29 times the Australian RDI (1.3–1.7 mg) and more than double the TGA’s upper safe limit of 50 mg/day.
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While the 6 mg of active B6 (P5P) in our B-complex patch is above the Australian RDI (1.3–1.7 mg), it’s still well below the TGA’s upper safe limit of 50 mg/day — and is delivered gradually over 48 hours, avoiding the high blood spikes linked to nerve toxicity.
3. How It’s Delivered Makes a Difference
High oral doses of synthetic B6 flood your system all at once. With repeated daily use, this can lead to nerve toxicity over time.
Our patch works differently:
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The B6 is released gradually over 48 hours through your skin.
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This avoids large spikes in your blood levels and gives your body time to use the vitamin as it’s delivered.
4. Chosen with Care
We don’t manufacture patches, but we choose them carefully from the businesses that do.
That means:
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Selecting natural vitamin forms your body will recognise and use without extra processing in the liver.
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Avoiding unnecessary additives and synthetic forms where possible.
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Ensuring the science is checked every time.
Why You Can Trust Patched Up
We select only science-backed patches with safe doses, natural vitamin forms, and delivery methods that work with your body — not against it.
Unlike some products now under investigation, our Activated B-Complex Patch is designed to support your health without putting you at risk.
✅ Key Takeaway:
B6 toxicity is a real risk — but it comes from very high doses of the wrong form taken for long periods. Our patch avoids this entirely by using the right form, at the right dose, delivered in the safest way possible.