Why Are My Feet Burning At Night? The Vitamin Remedy You Need To Know

Image: Nutritionist Karen Fischer, from burning feet to guiding others toward relief. 

What causes burning feet syndrome?

Anything that depletes certain B vitamins can trigger burning feet. Common causes include:

• Vitamin deficiencies (vitamin B5, B6, and sometimes B1, B2, or B12)

• Excess vitamin B6 (pyridoxine toxicity)

• Anaemia caused by vitamin deficiencies

• Some prescription medications

• Alcohol

• Chemotherapy

• Kidney disease

• Hypothyroidism

• Diabetes

• Pregnancy (when nutrient needs increase)

• Nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy)

• Poor diet

In my case, it was probably triggered by increased nutritional needs during pregnancy because it showed up not long after my daughter Ayva was born. It also came back when I was recovering from eczema, shortly after I reduced my intake of vitamin B6. 

Image: Burning feet syndrome can almost feel like walking on hot coals.

With all this knowledge as a newly certified nutritionist, why did I have burning feet?

The problem was, I thought I was allergic to B vitamins—they literally made me feel sick.

How I made things worse

To treat my burning feet syndrome, I tried a popular B vitamin supplement from a well-respected Australian practitioner-only brand and ended up feeling jittery, queasy and just “off.” Then things got worse—my legs went numb.

I decided B vitamins weren’t for me... and I reasoned I was "possibly allergic to them".

I stopped taking the supplement. Before long, the burning feet returned and there I was after midnight again.. standing in the bath with icy water cooling my feet muttering every swear word I knew while half-asleep and leaning against the wall for balance.

It was early in my career, and I was still finding my way. Were B vitamins good or bad for me? I was beginning to doubt their safety. 

Fortunately, I had access to the supplement brand’s practitioner manual—and that’s where I discovered the real culprits: hidden caffeine and an excessive dose of vitamin B6! The pyridoxine level was high enough to cause nerve damage, explaining the numbness in my legs. As someone who had never tolerated coffee well, the caffeine was the likely cause of the jittery, queasiness.

Poor formulation was the real issue. I realised B vitamins could be safe and incredibly beneficial, even for a sensitive person like me. 

Why I stopped trusting other supplement companies

Over time, I heard similar stories from patients—many reacted badly to supplements, including zinc and herbal supplements marketed for eczema. 

I soon realised that these brands didn’t always have the answers. 

Around that time, I had created a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, Skin Friend AM, for Ayva, who had eczema and needed nutritional support while on a restricted diet. Her skin soon began to glow and we were able to gradually expand her diet without flare-ups.

I stopped taking other people’s supplements and started taking Skin Friend AM myself. The change was almost immediate—my energy returned and the burning in my feet disappeared. I began prescribing it to my patients and many reported clearer skin, better digestion, feeling more energetic and they were even happier.

When I paired it with Skin Friend PM, my sleep also transformed—from restless, broken nights to deeper, more refreshing rest. The combination didn’t just put an end to my burning feet—it gave me steady energy and my quality of life back.

B vitamin deficiencies can cause nerve damage

Deficiencies in vitamin B5, B6 and to a lesser extent, vitamin B2, B1 and B12 have all been implicated in burning feet syndrome and a range of other nerve damage symptoms you need to know about. Nerve damage can become permanent if left untreated so this information is important for everyone, because B vitamin deficiencies are easy to fix if you know how to spot them. 

How to spot a B vitamin deficiency:

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Have you experienced any of the following symptoms recently? Pantothenic acid deficiency has been associated with burning feet, numbness, headache, fatigue, irritability, restlessness, disturbed sleep and digestive issues such as loss of appetite.* It can result from chronic inflammation, gut absorption disorders, pregnancy, alcohol consumption and poor diet (NIH).

How to get enough? Good sources of B5 include poultry, fish, eggs, sweet potato and legumes. B5 deficiency can occur alongside other B-vitamin deficiencies, so rather than take a single B vitamin, all B-group vitamins should be taken together. 

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Have you experienced any of the following symptoms recently? Thiamine deficiency can damage peripheral nerves, leading to burning feet, weakness, loss of reflexes, short-term memory loss, fluid retention in legs and muscle wasting.* It is most often caused by alcohol, malnutrition, prolonged diuretic use or certain medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism (NIH). 

People most at risk of B1 deficiency include people who drink alcohol, older adults, pregnancy, type 1 or type 2 diabetes and those who have undergone bariatric weight-loss surgery (NIH).

Taking more than 5 mg of vitamin B1 daily is unnecessary, as absorption drops sharply above this level and the effects of excessive intake are unknown. So, I recommend adults take between 2 to 3 mg per day. 

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Have you experienced any of the following symptoms recently? Vitamin B2 deficiency causes people to appear pale, they can have painful cracks in the corners of the mouth and on the lips, skin disorders, swelling and redness of the mouth (mimicking perioral dermatitis), hair loss, sore eyes and degeneration of the liver and nervous system* (NIH).

In one report, a woman with burning feet and malabsorption recovered rapidly with daily B2 injections, suggesting deficiency—worsened by poor diet and repeated pregnancies—was the cause (Lai and Ransome). Deficiency can also result from chronic inflammation, prolonged light therapy (eczema/psoriasis treatments) or excessive sunlight exposure, which destroys this B vitamin (NIH).

Riboflavin deficiency is also linked with psoriasis (Li et al., 2025), so it's an important nutrient for skin health and wellbeing.* If you have psoriasis, take 3 mg of B2 and other B vitamins to support skin health.

How to get enough? Good sources include red meat, eggs and fortified grains. I recommend adults take 3 mg per day in supplement form to help guard against deficiency. 

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

Have you experienced any of the following symptoms recently? Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to poor nerve function, burning or tingling feet, numbness, weakness and difficulty walking.* It is often due to pernicious anemia, malabsorption (e.g., from coeliac disease or bariatric surgery), or strict vegan diets without supplementation. Long-term deficiency can cause irreversible nerve damage if untreated (NIH).

How to get enough? Good sources include beef liver, fish, poultry and eggs. Vegans are at higher risk and should take a B12 supplement. Methylated forms, such as methylcobalamin (mecobalamin), are already in their active form and are more readily used by the body.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

This one could be the most important (and controversial) vitamin of all. Have you experienced any of the following symptoms recently? Vitamin B6 deficiency can cause burning feet, numbness (eg numb lower legs), tingling feet or hands, irritability (are you a cranky pants?) and confusion—these can be signs of nerve damage (NIH).* And while deficiency can cause nerve damage, excessive B6 intake can also damage nerves, leading to similar symptoms, so sensible dosing is important. 

Vitamin B6 deficiency is linked to poor diet, certain medications (such as isoniazid or hydralazine), alcohol consumption and pregnancy (NIH), which may be why pregnant or breastfeeding women often have hot feet.

The TGA requires supplements containing more than 10 mg of B6 to carry a nerve damage warning, but I believe we need to go further. Nerve damage can mean difficulty walking, chronic pain and even permanent loss of nerve function.* WTF? I did a survey and Googled "buy vitamin B6 supplement" and 28 out of the top 29 results had B6 well above 10 mg, so most B6 supplements online are risky and not in your best interest.

It’s time for supplement companies to step up and reformulate—no one should risk their customers' health for the sake of profits. 

How to get enough? Good sources include poultry, fish, bananas, potatoes and fortified cereals. For adults, choose safe supplements with between 3 mg and 6 mg of B6 per day to avoid the risk of deficiency or nerve damage. Young children (age 1-4) can have between 0.5 mg and 2 mg, and older children, 2mg to 4mg daily. 

*Important: These symptoms can be caused by other health problems so consult with your doctor if you have signs of nerve damage or other symptoms. 

Where to find the right dose of B vitamins to your nerves, skin, health and wellbeing? 

Put your health first. Try Skin Friend AM and PM and see how fabulous you can feel. Created by a nutritionist who understands how to formulate safe products for you and your family. Click here to learn more

• National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B6 – Health Professional Fact Sheet. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/ (Accessed: 15 August 2025).
• Office of Dietary Supplements. Pantothenic Acid – Health Professional Fact Sheet. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/PantothenicAcid-HealthProfessional/ (Accessed: 15 August 2025).
• Lai CS, Ransome GA. Burning-feet syndrome. Case due to malabsorption and responding to riboflavine. Br Med J. 1970 Apr 18;2(5702):151-2. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5702.151. PMID: 5440597; PMCID: PMC1699993. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5440597/
• National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Riboflavin – Health Professional Fact Sheet. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Riboflavin-HealthProfessional/ (Accessed: 15 August 2025).
  Li, A., Chen, F., Xia, Q., Liu, B., Xu, J., Song, X., Xu, T. and Cui, Y. (2025) ‘Riboflavin deficiency associated with psoriasis: Insights from population and transcriptome’, Experimental Dermatology. doi:10.1111/exd.70106.
• National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Thiamin – Health Professional Fact Sheet. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Thiamin-HealthProfessional/ (Accessed: 15 August 2025).
• Leishear K, et al., Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Relationship between vitamin B12 and sensory and motor peripheral nerve function in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012 Jun;60(6):1057-63. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.03998.x. PMID: 22690982; PMCID: PMC3376015.