Where can b12 by bought over the coun... - Pernicious Anaemi...

Pernicious Anaemia Society

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Where can b12 by bought over the counter?

Grifter profile image
26 Replies

Hi, as it's the summer holidays I'm thinking of enlisting friends and family to buy some b12 for me whilst on their holidays. However, I'm not sure which countries have b12 over the counter. Help please? Thanks

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Grifter profile image
Grifter
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26 Replies
Kittycaite profile image
Kittycaite

Ah I waa just thinking exactly the same ! I shall be watching this space :) xx

fbirder profile image
fbirder

Germany and Greece are two that I know of.

EdE12 profile image
EdE12 in reply to fbirder

France, possibly Cyprus and Italy as well. Hungary is prescription only.

Grifter profile image
Grifter in reply to EdE12

Thank

Grifter profile image
Grifter in reply to fbirder

Thanks

jillc39 profile image
jillc39

Canada for sure

Grifter profile image
Grifter in reply to jillc39

Really? Do you know how it's sold I.e. Bottle or ampoules. And is it hydroxo or methyl?

Thanks

Galixie profile image
Galixie in reply to Grifter

It's cyanocobalamin and it is sold in 10ml multi-dose vials. I think the manufacturer is Sandoz.

They were having a supply shortage for awhile (at least the area of BC that I tended to visit was). You might have to check more than one pharmacy. It's been at least a year since I've been there, so my info might be out of date.

Leilanilea profile image
Leilanilea in reply to Grifter

Buy-Otc.com Is my online source of cyanocobalamin, from Canada.

Cytex is the maker. It comes in 10ml multiple-dose vial/bottle with rubber stopper under the cap. 1000mcg/ml, for Intramuscular or Deep Sub-Q Injection.

No prescription needed.

Grifter profile image
Grifter in reply to Leilanilea

I haven't used cyanocobalamin before only methyl. Do you get someone to inject you?

Leilanilea profile image
Leilanilea in reply to Grifter

No, I self inject.

jillc39 profile image
jillc39

Canada for sure....

Gambit62 profile image
Gambit62Administrator

its available OTC in Australia

It is only available on prescription in Spain, Belgium, Netherlands

jade_s profile image
jade_s in reply to Gambit62

Just a note in case someone runs into this thread (like I did) - cyanoB12 (1mg in 1mL) is available in Belgium OTC. HydroxyB12 is also available OTC but the dose is 10mg in 2mL. Needles and syringes are also OTC.

Xanthe profile image
Xanthe

Australia does, but that's not much help unless you're going long-haul! I got hydrxo version in ampoules.

Grifter profile image
Grifter in reply to Xanthe

I have a cousin in Australia. Would they be able to post it to me do you think?

fbirder profile image
fbirder in reply to Grifter

There shouldn't be any problem with it.

Make sure it's not methylcobalamin for injection. It's less stable than other forms and may well go off during transit (especially if it ends up spending a few hours on a Singaporean runway).

Grifter profile image
Grifter in reply to fbirder

Thanks. I've only ever used methyl for injection! Hydroxo and cyano are good are they?? Can they be injected subcutaneous? Sorry for more questions... 😊

fbirder profile image
fbirder in reply to Grifter

Some might say that they are better than methylcobalamin.

There are two active forms of B12, methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalmin. There is some uncertainty as to whether or not the former can be converted to the latter (Wikipedia will tell you it cannot - I disagree).

Both hydroxocobalamin and cyanocobalamin can be easily converted to both active forms by the vast majority of the population.

However, there are obviously differences. Some people swear by methylcobalamin, others find it doesn't do much or even makes them feel rough.

Another advantage of hydroxocobalamin over methylcobalamin is that it normally is quite a bit cheaper (especially important as the value of the pound plummets).

b12science.com/B12Science/D...

Grifter profile image
Grifter in reply to fbirder

Thanks. I thought that with Pernicious Anaemia we couldn't convert inactive to active, but my brain cells are not up to understandingmuch these days...

fbirder profile image
fbirder in reply to Grifter

Pernicious Anaemia prevents absorption of B12 from the gut. Once it's inside there should be no difference between sufferers and norms.

Xanthe profile image
Xanthe in reply to Grifter

I don't know, but I don't see why not unless Australia has some strange regulations.

harvold profile image
harvold

If your looking for a price competitive solution that's independently lab tested for quality and safety by an independent testing facility in Canada vitaminb12direct can probably offer you the best price on overseas generics. Hope that's helpful!

Grifter profile image
Grifter in reply to harvold

I'm not sure who I'd get to inject cyanocobalamin as its intramuscular. I've only done sub cut before?

dhm0217 profile image
dhm0217

Canada I know of for sure, I got mine from biosenseclinic.com , they have a clinical pharmacist on site, pretty professional and legitimate

genesurf profile image
genesurf

What does the back of your VitaminQuick box say?

I found a photo on a VitaminQuick box online and there were numerous misspellings and grammatical errors on it. The manufacturer is shown as "YoungSun Pharmacuticals (sic) Hong Kong". There is no third-party testing or purity guarantee on the website, either. If I'm going to inject something, I'd like to have some confidence that the lab is competent, and the ampoule isn't contaminated!

Text from box is copied below:

"СОМРОЅІТІОN:Еасh Мl оf ѕtеrіlе аquеоuѕ ѕоlutіоn соntаіnѕ:

Меthуlсоbаlаmіn В12 500 Меg

Wіth ѕоdіum сhоrіdе 0.22% w/v, Аmmоnіum Ѕulfаtе 0.1% w/v, Сіtrіс асіd 0.01% w/v, ѕоdіum сіtrаtе 0.008% w/v, аnd Веnzуl аlсоhоl 1.0% w/v (рrеѕеrvаtіvе)

Ѕtоrе аt соntrоllеd rооm tеmреrаturе bеtwееn 15с аnd 30с (59F-86F) Аvоіd ехроѕurе tо lіght Рrоduсt Nаmе: Vіtаmіn В12 Іnјесtіоn Drug Саtеgоrу: Vіtаmіn аnd mіnеrаl dеfісіеnіеѕ mеdісаtіоn Рrореrtіеѕ: Ріnk tо rеd trаnѕраrеnt lіquіd,оdоrlеѕѕ, tаѕtеlеѕѕ Ѕtоrаgе:Тhе tеmреrаturе іѕ tоо hіgh оr tоо lоng саn mаkе dіѕіnfесtіоn dесоmроѕіtіоn,ѕhоuld bе dаrk ѕеаlеd lndісаtіоnѕ:Маіnlу fоr mеgаlоblаѕtіс аnеmіа саn аlѕо bе uѕеd tо аѕѕіѕt іn thе trеаtmеnt оf nеurіtе Dоѕаgе: Іntrаmuѕсulаr іnјесtіоn,аdult,1ѕt 0.025~0.1mg оr еvеrу 0.05~0.2mg.Fоr nеurіtіѕ,thе dоѕаgе саn bе іnсrеаѕеd dіѕсrеtіоn Аdvеrѕе rеасtіоnѕ: іntrаmuѕсulаr еvеn саn саuѕе ѕkіn rаѕhеѕ,іtсhіng,dіаrrhеа аnd аllеrgіс аѕthmа,but thе lоw іnсіdеnсе оf rаrе аnарhуlасtіс ѕhосk Nоtе: 1/саn саuѕе аllеrgіс rеасtіоn,еvеn аnарhуlаѕtіс ѕhосk,іt ѕhоuld nоt bе аbuѕеd 2/whеn thе соndіtіоnѕ,mеdісаtіоn ѕhоuld mоnіtоr thе blооd соnсеntrаtіоn оf vіtаmіn В12 3/gоut раtіеntѕ wіth hуреrurісеmіа рrоduсt саn оссur Меdісаtіоn:(реdіаtrіс)іntrаmuѕсulаr іnјесtіоn 25~100ug/tіmеѕ а dау оr еvеrу оthеr dау. Аvоіd rереаtеd dоѕеѕ оf thе ѕаmе ѕіtе, аnd fоr nеwbоrnѕ, рrеmаturе сhіldrеn, іnfаntѕ,уоung сhіldrеn ѕhоuld bе"

And then it just ends.

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