b12deficiency.info - vitamin b12 information website

Educating yourself about vitamin B12 deficiency can be hard work.  You need to be able to understand your health professionals. Thankfully Tracey, a self described “patient with B12 deficiency,” has collected and organized a huge collection of vitamin B12 deficiency links and information. As always you will want to consume internet research with a critical eye … confirm with your doctor and look for references!

This site was created as a hub to bring all the key websites on vitamin B12 deficiency together in one place.

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Once in a while life throws something our way which is completely impossible to ignore. I was diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency in 2012 and the profound lack of knowledge of this condition inspired me to join others in raising awareness of this very common but little known life threatening deficiency. Please head straight for the Life Savers page for direct links to support groups and key sites.

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Hello, you may have just been diagnosed with B12 deficiency or you may have had this condition for a while. Sometimes our doctors do not tell us all we need to understand, so please use this page as your ‘crash course’ in B12 deficiency.

Visit B12Deficiency.info

vitamin b12 deficiency

Getting your daily recommended dose of vitamins isn’t always easy, but this can be especially true when it comes to vitamin b12. Vitamin b12 (also called cobalamin or in it’s different forms cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin and hydroxocobalamin) plays a key role in the overall function of the brain, nervous system, and even the formation of blood within the body. Even so, many people aren’t getting the daily dosage of this vitamin that the body needs.

Importance of Vitamin b12

Because vitamin b12 plays such a huge role in the nervous system, brain function, and blood production, there are many ways in which a b12 deficiency can impact the body. Specifically, those who aren’t getting enough vitamin b12 often find that they suffer from ongoing symptoms such as:

  • tingling in the hands, legs, and feet
  • general, unexplained fatigue
  • memory loss and other cognitive difficulty
  • paranoia and hallucinations

Unfortunately, because many of these symptoms can be attributed to other medical conditions it can be very difficult to diagnose a vitamin b12 deficiency without specifically testing for b12 levels within the body.

Decreased b12 Absorption With Age

Anybody can be vitamin b12 deficient, but it’s more common among the elderly. That’s because, as people age, the body’s natural ability to absorb this vitamin from food decreases significantly. Furthermore, older people tend to eat fewer foods that are rich in vitamin b12 as they age, which only contributes to the problem.

Read more

[UPDATE] We have restocked 1000mcg and are still offering 2000mcg … win, win!

Thank-you to all our customers! B12 Direct is very busy making it more difficult to find and keep B12 in stock.  If you have ordered don’t worry – your order has shipped. We do not accept orders if we do not have stock on hand.

We are currently out of stock on the 1000mcg concentration of B12.  This is temporary, hopefully very temporary.  But we have a solution! We have added a new product: a higher concentrated B12, 2000mcg.  If you substitute this product you can use less (half as much) to get the same dosage. As always, check with your medical professional.

We understand some customers prefer the 1000mcg as it can be easier to measure in a syringe.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

If this petition is successful our business would be a lot harder, but getting vitamin B12 would be a lot easier in the United Kingdom.

Tracey Witty has drafted a letter petitioning CEO MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) Ian Hudson to:

Please make our life saving injectable vitamin B12 (hydroxocobalamin) available over the counter.

Your signature on this petition will help us fight for our right to health. UK sufferers of B12 deficiency and PA are routinely restricted or denied access to the life saving 55p vitamin B12 injections they desperately need.

The majority of UK patients suffering from Vitamin B12 deficiency and auto immune pernicious anaemia (PA), are restricted to a ‘maintenance dose’ of just four B12 (hydroxocobalamin) injections per year. This is tragically under treating a serious and very common deficiency – and this is only if patients are fortunate enough to achieve a diagnosis.

B12 deficiency affects both sexes and all ages, but the general misconception is that it only affects women over 60. Many of us inherit this condition and in turn, so do our children.  

Hundreds of thousands of UK citizens are B12 deficient, there are many symptoms, many causes and it is commonly misdiagnosed. Vitamin B12 has no known toxicity, in fact it is used in huge quantities as a treatment for cyanide poisoning. You cannot overdose on B12 injections.  

When last checked the petition had over 4000 signatures so is getting a lot of attention. If you are a UK resident that is interested in this petition you can find out more here:

Petition to ask you to remove the Prescription Only Medicine (POM) classification from injectable Vitamin B12

Empty B12 vials

UPDATE: The US injectable vitamin B12 shortage appears to be slowly resolving – if 1ml ampules satisfy your vitamin B12 requirements. Availability has been updated below. 

Injectable b12 (Cyanocobalamin) shortage status update – the FDA has updated their shortages list and reports that both North American laboratories are reporting limited supply or back-ordered.

American Regent/Luitpold (Re-verified 04/25/2014) – limited supply
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC (Re-verified 04/25/2014) – available in 1ml ampules

FDA Drug Shortages List – Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) Injection

[edited April 25th to update status]

Vitaminb12direct has stock of vitamin b12 Cyanocobalamin for sale if you are having trouble ordering from a North American supplier.

Amanda Shupack has compiled a list of reasons you could have lower energy than you should.  The list isn’t exhaustive or in depth, but B12 makes an appearance at #4.  I am sure some of our clients are wondering about her research, but it is HuffPost…

It’s sometimes easy to pinpoint why you’re flagging by the afternoon — that weekend of partying, for instance — but sometimes the causes are more complicated.

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4. You’re low in vitamin B.
You need B vitamins for your mitochondria to turn glucose into energy. We can absorb B vitamins well in liquid or pill form, but 99 percent of us don’t get enough from our diets. Try taking a vitamin in the morning and evening. This will keep levels stable and get you energized, and there’s no harm in it since you’ll excrete any excess water-soluble vitamins.

If you’re having symptoms of low energy, check your vitamin B12 and D levels, and, in any case, have them checked annually. If you find you have the rare case of not absorbing them well into your intestine and stomach, you can get a B12 injection yearly.

[image courtesy Jacob Bøtter, cc]

Empty B12 vials

The injectable b12 (Cyanocobalamin) shortage continues – the FDA has updated their shortages list and reports that both North American laboratories have returned to a back-ordered and out of stock status with regards to injectable vitamin b12.

American Regent/Luitpold (Re-verified 10/21/2014) – out of stock / back-ordered
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC (Re-verified 10/24/2014) – out of stock / back-ordered

FDA Drug Shortages List – Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) Injection

[edited Oct 24 to update re-verified dates from FDA]

Vitaminb12direct has stock of vitamin b12 Cyanocobalamin for sale if you are having trouble ordering from a North American supplier.

Empty B12 vials

The injectable b12 (Cyanocobalamin) shortage continues – the FDA has updated their shortages list and reports that both North American laboratories have returned to a back-ordered and out of stock status with regards to injectable vitamin b12.

American Regent/Luitpold (Reverified 09/23/2014) – out of stock
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC (Reverified 09/26/2014) – out of stock

FDA Drug Shortages List – Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) Injection

Vitaminb12direct has stock of vitamin b12 Cyanocobalamin for sale if you are having trouble ordering from a North American supplier.

Another review – thanks “convinced customer”:

Great service and a great price but an even better product. Found this site when researching what is available to treat fibromyalgia. Don’t understand why B12 is the only thing that seems to kill a lot of the pain and stiffness but it sure is working.

A Convinced Customer

And after a lost shipment:

I did NOT know they had the package at the post office. I’ve never had to go pick up mail and I’m 63!! Anyway, it arrived safely and I’m getting injection this evening after dinner. Thank you so much and Bless you for the work you do to help people the way you do. I rely on B12 a LOT as I have an inoperable brain tumor and other health issues. The shots give me energy…or at least I believe in my head that they do!! 🙂

Have you purchased B12 from us? We would appreciate your feedback.  You can email us, post a comment on a blog post, or review our B12.

As always, for medical problems consult a doctor.

Empty B12 vials

[see this post for current injectable vitamin b12 shortage info]

Injectable vitamin B12 continues to be in short supply from North American laboratories – limited supply and back-ordered.  Laboratory Fresenius has been reporting an expected release for months but has never delivered. From the FDA Drug Shortages List as of August 19th:

American Regent/Luitpold (Reverified 08/22/2014) – limited supply and back-ordered
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC (Reverified 08/27/2014) – 1000mcg 1ml vials available

UPDATE August 19th: Laboratory Fresenius Kabi has come online with 1000mcg 1ml vials available

UPDATE August 27th: FDA shortage list refreshed, no improvement

FDA Drug Shortages List – Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) Injection

And if you are interested our July post on injectable B12 availability.

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