FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. B12 Direct works only with government licensed laboratories. Our primary supplier has been manufacturing vitamins since 1969 and certified Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP, World Health Organisation) by Thai Food and Drug Administration.

Further we have have independently tested our vitamin B12 for quality and safety at Mérieux NutriSciences (Silliker, Vancouver CA). Our testing covers potency and common contaminants.

Any treatment with injectable vitamin B12 should be done under a doctor’s supervision. The initiation, administration and discontinuation of use of vitamin supplements should be under the guidance of a treating physician. Proper injection requires guidance and experience. Injections should be performed under the supervision of a doctor or medical professional.

While we don’t advise that people self inject these vitamin supplements themselves we offer a safe injection protocol for intramuscular injection as follows:

1. Swab the top of the vial with isopropyl alcohol
2. Insert the needle of a 21-24 gauge syringe into the vial and pull out the desired measure of injectable vitamin as per your Dr.’s prescription (generally .5CC-1.0CC
3. Insert the needle into one of the areas of the body without arteries and few large veins IE. the buttocks (glutimus maximus), the shoulder muscle (deltoids) or the front of the quadriceps large (rectus femoris) muscle of the leg.
4. *Before you inject the contents of the syringe into the location you’ve selected make absolutely sure you have not inserted the needle into a vein by pulling the plunger back. If you draw any blood whatsoever into the syringe then withdraw the needle immediately and pick another location.
5. Once you’ve determined that your injection site is safe and that the contents of the syringe will be injected into a muscle only, then slowly depress the plunger of the syringe until all of the syringes contents are safely inside the muscle tissue.
6. Slowly withdraw the syringe.
7. Swab the injections site with alcohol.
8. Put the cap back on the used syringe and dispose of it in a safe manner.

Ampules are small single use vials. They are designed to be broken at the narrow point in the neck. Most have been weakened to make this easier and mark the weak point with a printed line.

Opening an ampule:

1. To help keep the ampule and medicine as sterile as possible, use some sanitizer gel on your hands, or wash your hands thoroughly.
2. Hold the ampule upright and tap the top to remove solution from the head space.
3. Swab the neck of the ampule with an alcohol pad.
4. Wrap the neck with an alcohol pad or gauze, and grasp the top with the thumb and index finger of one hand. With the other hand, grasp the bottom of the ampule.
5. Quickly snap the ampule moving your hands away and out from you. If the ampule does not snap easily, rotate it slightly and try again. A light pressure should cleanly
   snap the ampule open, while using too much force can cause it to shatter.
6. Inspect the opened ampule for any particles of glass that might have fallen inside.

If the glass shatters when you open your ampule, wrap all the pieces in a tissue and discard. Don’t use the medicine if your ampule shatters.

Transferring the solution from the opened ampule:

1. Hold the ampule at about a 20-degree down angle.
2. Insert a needle/straw into the ampule taking care not to touch the ampule neck where it is broken.
3. Position the needle in the shoulder area of the ampule beveled edge down. This will avoid pulling glass particles into the syringe.
4. Withdraw solution but keep needle submerged to avoid withdrawing air into the syringe.
5. Withdraw needle from ampule and remove all air bubbles from the syringe.
6. Transfer the solution to the final container using a filter needle or membrane filter.

Without vitamin B12 the body has difficulty creating the red blood cells which carry oxygen and allow the brain and the nervous system to function properly. A deficiency in vitamin B12 can result in symptoms of chronic fatigue and lethargy. Evidence abounds of people combating the adverse of effects of such deficiencies with vitamin B12 supplementation. (Vitamin B12’s application in respect of chronic fatigue)

BY EXTENSION MANY PEOPLE WITH NORMAL TO HIGH ENERGY LEVELS USE VITAMIN B12 TO MAXIMIZE THEIR ENERGY EITHER FOR DAILY LIFE OR ATHLETIC ENDEAVOR.

Read more about the role of vitamin B12. 

In addition to auto immune disorders there is strong evidence that vitamin B12 has been highly effective in the treatment of the symptoms of: anemia, ataxia, muscle weakness, rigid muscles, incontinence, low blood pressure, vision problems, dimentia, pyschosis and mood disturbances.

Other conditions such as alzheimers disease, angioplasty, breast cancer, canker sores, cardiovascular disease, cervical cancer, claudication, depression, diabetic neuropathy, prevention of fractures, high cholesterol, and joint (elbow pain) have been shown to have benefited from vitamin B12 supplementation under certain research conditions. (more information)

Vitamin B12 has for decades been used with anecdotal success in the treatment of those suffering from the effects of:

• Immunosuppression
• Chemotherapy
• Allergies
• Inflammatory Bowl Disease
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Liver disease
• Male Infertility
• Tennis Elbow
• Periodontal Disease
• Diabetes
• Tinnitus
• Pigmentation Disorders
• Seizure Disorders
• Carcinogens IE. Tobacco Smoke
• Thyroid Disorders

For further exploration of illnesses for which vitamin B12 may be relevant in the treatment can be found at the Mayo Clinic Online.

Read more about the role of vitamin B12 in our health.

B12 supplementation can be quite helpful for people who do not eat meat or animal products which are normally humans best sources of B12. This is especially true for vegans.

Vitamin B12 is very popular amongst athletes who place heavy demands on their body for high performance. Even a small B-vitamin deficiency can result in reduced performance and recovery. Individual B-vitamin requirements vary and may depend upon the type and intensity of exercise, the amount of nutrients lost through sweat, and urine, and individual differences in diet. Those most at risk for the B-vitamin deficiencies include athletes who are limiting calories or have specialized, consistent or restricted eating plans.

Researchers at Oregon State University, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, found that athletes who lack B-vitamins have reduced high-intensity exercise performance and are less able to repair damaged muscles or build muscle mass than their peers who eat a diet rich with B-vitamins.

Additionally, the heightened sense of well being that can result from supplementation has been reported anecdotally to contribute to increased motivation and drive which leads to better performance. Athletes that feel good perform better.

Yes. B12 Direct works only with government licensed laboratories. Our primary supplier has been manufacturing vitamins since 1969 and certified Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP, World Health Organisation) by Thai Food and Drug Administration.

Further we have have independently tested our vitamin B12 for quality and safety at Mérieux NutriSciences (Silliker, Vancouver CA). Our testing covers potency and common contaminants.

Any treatment with injectable vitamin B12 should be done under a doctor’s supervision. The initiation, administration and discontinuation of use of vitamin supplements should be under the guidance of a treating physician. Proper injection requires guidance and experience. Injections should be performed under the supervision of a doctor or medical professional.

While we don’t advise that people self inject these vitamin supplements themselves we offer a safe injection protocol for intramuscular injection as follows:

1. Swab the top of the vial with isopropyl alcohol
2. Insert the needle of a 21-24 gauge syringe into the vial and pull out the desired measure of injectable vitamin as per your Dr.’s prescription (generally .5CC-1.0CC
3. Insert the needle into one of the areas of the body without arteries and few large veins IE. the buttocks (glutimus maximus), the shoulder muscle (deltoids) or the front of the quadriceps large (rectus femoris) muscle of the leg.
4. *Before you inject the contents of the syringe into the location you’ve selected make absolutely sure you have not inserted the needle into a vein by pulling the plunger back. If you draw any blood whatsoever into the syringe then withdraw the needle immediately and pick another location.
5. Once you’ve determined that your injection site is safe and that the contents of the syringe will be injected into a muscle only, then slowly depress the plunger of the syringe until all of the syringes contents are safely inside the muscle tissue.
6. Slowly withdraw the syringe.
7. Swab the injections site with alcohol.
8. Put the cap back on the used syringe and dispose of it in a safe manner.

Ampules are small single use vials. They are designed to be broken at the narrow point in the neck. Most have been weakened to make this easier and mark the weak point with a printed line.

Opening an ampule:

1. To help keep the ampule and medicine as sterile as possible, use some sanitizer gel on your hands, or wash your hands thoroughly.
2. Hold the ampule upright and tap the top to remove solution from the head space.
3. Swab the neck of the ampule with an alcohol pad.
4. Wrap the neck with an alcohol pad or gauze, and grasp the top with the thumb and index finger of one hand. With the other hand, grasp the bottom of the ampule.
5. Quickly snap the ampule moving your hands away and out from you. If the ampule does not snap easily, rotate it slightly and try again. A light pressure should cleanly
   snap the ampule open, while using too much force can cause it to shatter.
6. Inspect the opened ampule for any particles of glass that might have fallen inside.

If the glass shatters when you open your ampule, wrap all the pieces in a tissue and discard. Don’t use the medicine if your ampule shatters.

Transferring the solution from the opened ampule:

1. Hold the ampule at about a 20-degree down angle.
2. Insert a needle/straw into the ampule taking care not to touch the ampule neck where it is broken.
3. Position the needle in the shoulder area of the ampule beveled edge down. This will avoid pulling glass particles into the syringe.
4. Withdraw solution but keep needle submerged to avoid withdrawing air into the syringe.
5. Withdraw needle from ampule and remove all air bubbles from the syringe.
6. Transfer the solution to the final container using a filter needle or membrane filter.

In the US our recommended supplier for needles, syringes and other injection supplies is Allegro Medical.  Great prices and service.

Allegro Medical can only deliver syringes to the United States.

Our injection kit also cannot be shipped military mail so FPO, APO, DPO addresses cannot receive our kit.

No. We cannot compete on cost for syringes and find it is best to keep things simple through customs.  Injection supplies are widely available, consult your health professional for recommendations.

Vitamin B12 Direct offers a promotion where we provide a $10 shipping credit to returning customers that leave a review of a past ordered product.

Without this support we can’t afford to offer free shipping, so it is required. We wish we could give free shipping to everyone, but we can’t. Our shipping is $10 flat rate pretty much world wide which we think is very reasonable. Our free shipping promotion is limited to European Union, North America and Australia.

 Free shipping for writing a review

1. Be a returning customer living in a country to which we ship for free
2. Go to the webpage of a product you have purchased from us in the past
3. Leave a review using the same email address you used when last ordered (click on ‘reviews’ part way down any product page and leave your own at the bottom of the list, email addresses are not published)
4. Add any items you would like to purchase to your shopping cart
5. In checkout look for the “You supported us in social media…Thank You!” message
6. Choose ‘free-shipping-social’ or one of the other gifts

Problems? – visit our Free Shipping Social Promotion Details Page

If the online tracking does not provide the answers you need you may be able to learn more by phoning USPS. Be prepared for a long wait on hold.

The phone number for USPS: 1-800-275-8777

We find the best option to choose in the main voice menu is the 4th option, “carrier”. From this option you can provide your tracking number and speak to an agent. You may have to listen to long answers and say “agent” even when this is not suggested as an option.

Some tips:

• the first menu item “package” only provides access to tracking information and not access to a live postal agent
• say “agent” (repeatedly) when asked for a piece of information, even when this is not what the voice system wants, can sometimes get you through to a postal agent
• say “main menu” to return to the main menu if you get lost

All orders are shipped registered mail. Shipment tracking is included.  Shipping times world wide are approximately 2-5 weeks worldwide from time of processing. 

Flat Rate Shipping ($10 or FREE*): includes tracking, 2-5 weeks

All delivery times are approximate and exclude public holidays both here and abroad.

*our flat rate shipping is FREE with a minimum $40 order and a social coupon, available during checkout

Visit our tracking page! All orders ship with package tracking. Your shipping confirmation email will include a courier tracking code and tracking link. We also include the AfterShip tracking service which will email you when your order is out for delivery or if there is a problem.

Tracking will be begin with the Thai postal service, and once the order reaches your home country tracking will resume with your local postal service.

The online trackers for the couriers and postal services we commonly use are:

Thailand Post, USPS, Canada Post, Royal Mail, Australia Post

Need to speak to USPS by phone? Read our USPS phone FAQ…

We ship world wide.  Below is a list of countries we have experience shipping to, and to which we guarantee delivery.  For other countries ask us.  We may not be able to guarantee delivery, but we are likely willing to try! 

Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States

Note: Our free shipping promotion is limited to European Union, North America and Australia.

VitaminB12Direct does not sell or ship to counties where we have experienced import issues with our products.We guarantee delivery and will re-ship or refund in the event of customs issues.

Compliance with the laws surrounding the importation of the products sold on this website to your country of residence is your responsibility. It is advised that you check with your local governments customs office to ensure that ordering the products in the volumes advertised comply with local law.

There are no taxes collected on the sale of products through this website. You will have to settle any local taxes.

We offer our products for sale for personal use and not for commercial use or wholesale.

Your credit card purchase is secure.  Your entire visit to our website is protected for your privacy. Payment is processed by PayPal, an industry leader. Vitamin B12 Direct does not collect or store your credit card details outside PayPal’s secure servers.

We collect and store only the information we need to serve you as a customer.  As part of our ordering process we collect your name, address, phone and email.  If you create a VitaminB12Direct account we store the account details including name and either email address or social network depending on how you opened the account.

We will never provide your information to any other business without your express permission, except to process your order.

We use your information for delivery and to contact you.  We may email you with order related updates or special offers.  You can choose not to receive emails from VitaminB12.

We have consumer volume pricing already in place in our store in the form of 5 or 10 vial packages.  VitaminB12Direct is focused on direct to consumer. If you are looking for much greater volume contact us.