LAST FYI ON shelf life of B12. Hope it helps.

[RisingOne]

How quickly does the B12 degrade when exposed to light? I’m curious how fast I need to inject the needle once it’s drawn with fluid. I took about 2 minutes to line up and finish the first injection. Did that have any significant effect on the supplement?”The truth is, there is no straightforward answer. But here’s some research:Photolysis of Vitamin B12The rate of destruction of crystalline vitamin B12 in neutral aqueous solutions, when exposed to direct sunlight, indirect sunlight, dim daylight, artificial light, ultraviolet light, and various monochromatic light sources has been determined. Sunlight, at a brightness of 8,000 foot-candles, causes a ten per cent loss for each half hour of exposure. Below 300 foot-candles, no destruction is noticeable. Artificial light of about 14,000 foot-candles causes a loss of about twelve per cent per half hour. A brightness of 3,600 foot-candles causes no alteration after two hours. With ultraviolet light the pattern of destruction is similar to that obtained with sunlight. For monochromatic light sources, photolysis is higher in the short wave length region. No destruction was observed in the red.

perniciousanemia.org/b12/in...

[FlipperTD]

Speaking as a non-specialist, I interpret the advice as 'keep it in the dark, and don't panic. Don't leave it in the sun for several days!' So, take one out of the cupboard, and inject it. You will have plenty of time to inject and get the benefit without panicking. I would be surprised if many folks do anything different, but I'm sure they'll tell us!

[helvella]

I haven't ever used a foot-candle to calculate anything - so checked what that level of illuminance actually means!

Full, unobstructed sunlight has an intensity of approximately 10,000 fc. An overcast day will produce an intensity of around 100 fc. The intensity of light near a window can range from 100 to 5,000 fc, depending on the orientation of the window, time of year and latitude.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot-...

[newlandvale]

As I find the doctor's surgery's B12 more effective than the B12 I buy online, I have often wondered about the effect of scanning of mail (for bombs etc).

Mentioned this on the forum some time ago but got shouted down by someone no longer a member.

[Bellabab in reply to newlandvale]

Your doctors source of B12 almost certainly comes from Germany by air anyway and a scan would give a very, very small exposure.

[newlandvale in reply to Bellabab]

The B12 the NHS uses isn't sent by post but would probably be imported by container(the last injection came from Sweden) and waived through customs as a regular assignment. However the injections I buy from Germany would be scanned several times both in Germany and UK by postal services.

I have no scientific knowledge but would think X-rays, although quick, would be more damaging than light mentioned in RisingOne's post Both are on the electromagnetic spectrum

Any scientists out there for an opinion?

[Bellabab in reply to newlandvale]

I am a scientist (though retired) and I do not believe there is any reason at all to be concerned about it. All my B12 comes by courier from Germany and its worked very effectively on my PA symptoms.

[newlandvale in reply to Bellabab]

Just trying to find the reason my injections are a little less effective than those given at the surgery - still effective but effects wear off more quickly

[Dilly_blue in reply to newlandvale]

Last summer I paid for some hydroxocobalamin injections from a beauty salon, and they did not have the same effect on me as the ones from the GP (I have episodic weakness in my hands that disappears the day after an effective B12 injection from the GP, but this didn’t happen with the beauty salon injections) - and I noticed the beauty salon kept them in a lockable metal box - and this was during the extreme 40 degree heat that we had. I wondered whether this exposure to temperatures above 25 degrees meant that it was deactivated - I seem to remember the nurse at the GP practice getting the ampoule out of a large glass-fronted fridge, maybe this results in the GP ones being more effective? So I suppose if your supply of B12 encountered temperatures above 25 degrees either in transit, or in storage at your house, maybe that has caused it to degrade slightly. I avoided ordering B12 from Germany last year until the weather was significantly cooler (late Nov / early Dec), just in case.

[RisingOne in reply to Dilly_blue]

Hope this info helps:

How to Keep Your B12 From Going BadBottom line, B12 is extremely stable when dry, and will last this way for many years. Even in liquid form, it will last for a year or two past the expiration date stamped on it, unless it’s compromised by mold, in which case you should dispose of it immediately. This is not to say that we recommend injecting non-moldy B12 that is past its expiry date. With injectable B12 being so affordable, it’s better to just obtain a new supply.However, in a parallel universe where expiration date stamps do not exist, here are some general tips for you to extend the life of your injectable B12:B12 is remarkably stable to both heat and light when dry. Liquid formulations spoil faster, either due to contamination, or to photolysis (destruction by light). Therefore, keep your injectable B12 in dry form for as long as you can (if you can).If you have already dissolved the dry B12, or if you bought your injectable B12 in liquid form to begin with, then store it properly. This means you make sure the vial is covered with aluminum foil, and you place it out of sunlight, preferably in a dark, cool environment (5-25°C / 41-77°F), protected from humidity. Fridge is good.For antimicrobial protection, avoid rubber closures if you can. These closures actually allow ingress of contamination from the hole through which the needle passes, because it is too large to keep out bacteria. Also, rubber closures are prone to contamination by rubber additives. If you bought a B12 vial from us, maintain its integrity by ensuring it’s tightly closed. Make sure the needle you’re using is sterile, straight from its packaging, without having been laid flat on any surface prior.As for the gold question, now – is it OK to take expired vitamin B12 injections if you follow the above tips? Probably nothing’s going to happen, but why risk it? Even in the case you took good care of your B12, we still advise to stay well within the expiration date stamped on it, and to avoid expired B12 shots if you can.

perniciousanemia.org/

[Dilly_blue]

Thanks so much for this. Since getting my own supply of B12 in December I have been storing it in a cupboard, but will consider switching to the fridge. Do you know what the issue is if B12 is stored below 5 degrees? (Parts of our fridge get very cold)..

[RisingOne in reply to Dilly_blue]

You can store your vials and ampoules of vitamin B12 cyanocobalamin and B-Complex out of sunlight in a cool room between the stable temperatures 59-86 Fahrenheit or 15-30 Celsius. However, ideal storage temperatures range between 59-77f  / 15-25c. The B vitamins should not get near freezing temperatures.Although your vials might have dark amber glass instead of clear glass protecting them, it is still necessary to protect the nutrients contained inside by shielding B-vitamins from all light. You can do this by keeping your B12 injections in their original box, a paper bag or wrapping the vials in aluminum foil.  

[Dilly_blue]

thanks for this