Pyridoxine is also known as vitamin B6. Vitamins are required in small quantities to help our bodies grow, develop, and function properly. Although most people receive sufficient amounts of pyridoxine from the food they eat (good natural sources are fish, meat and potatoes), pyridoxine deficiency can sometimes occur in people who have a condition which interferes with the way food is absorbed. Other people may be at risk of pyridoxine deficiency as a result of taking some medicines - people who take isoniazid as a treatment for tuberculosis (TB) and people who take a medicine called penicillamine can be affected in particular. Pyridoxine is also prescribed for people who have a type of anaemia known as sideroblastic anaemia, and also for people who have certain metabolic disorders.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/medicine/pyridoxine-vitamin-b6