Vitamin B12 Injection
No booking needed for B12 injection at Home Pharmacy
- You can bring your Doctor prescribed B12 injection vials into the pharmacy or purchased the vials directly at Home Pharmacy.
- Our trained pharmacist can do a B12 intramuscular injection
- There is a fee for the injection service and purchase of B12 injections vials without a prescription.
What is Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is needed to make new cells in the body such as red blood cells. A lack of vitamin B12 leads to anaemia, low energy, stomach problems (constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss), poor memory and nerve damage.
Most people get enough vitamin B12 from their diet. It is is found in meat, fish, eggs, and milk. It is generally not found in plant foods but many foods have added vitamin B12 such as breakfast cereals. A normal balanced diet usually contains enough vitamin B12.
What causes Vitamin B12 deficiency?
The most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency is pernicious anaemia. Some problems of the gut can also be a cause of vitamin B12 deficiency, but this is less uncommon, for example:
- vegetarian, vegan, or following a plant-based diet
- surgery to remove parts of the bowel (the stomach or the end of the small intestine)
- Crohn’s disease
- atrophic gastritis (where the lining of the stomach is thinned).
A deficiency of vitamin B12 can also occur with poor nutrition. Long term strict vegetarian or vegan diets (no animal products) are associated with a higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. This is especially important during pregnancy and breastfeeding when more vitamin B12 is needed.
The level of vitamin B12 in the body can be measured by a blood test. If you have low levels of vitamin B12 your doctor or pharmacist at Home Pharmacy may prescribe hydroxocobalamin, which is given as an injection.
How do you test for Vitamin B12 deficiency?
How is Vitamin B12 given?
- Hydroxocobalamin is given as an intramuscular injection, drops or sublingual tablets
- The usual dose of hydroxocobalamin in people with pernicious anaemia is 1 milligram injected three times a week for two weeks, then once every two to three months.
- For people with gut disorders and older adults (over 50 years) who don’t get enough vitamin B12 in their diet, hydroxocobalamin is given as twice yearly injections (every 6 months). This can be stopped when vitamin B12 levels have returned to normal and if the diet has improved. Women who are following a vegan diet may also need vitamin B12 injections if they are pregnant or breastfeeding.
What are the main sources of vitamin B12?
Most people get enough vitamin B12 from their diet. It is found in meat, fish, eggs, milk and milk products. It is generally not found in plant foods, but many processed foods have added vitamin B12, such as breakfast cereals.
Vegan dietary sources of vitamin B12 include fortified cereals, fortified non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast and Marmite.
What are the signs of Vitamin B12 deficiency?
A lack of vitamin B12 leads to anaemia, low energy, stomach problems (constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss), poor memory and nerve damage. Symptoms include mouth ulcers, a sore and red tongue, feeling tired, pins and needles and changes in your vision.