Experiences with
HydroxocobalaminHydroxocobalamin is a manufactured version of the vitamin B12. It's used to treat and prevent vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia, where you have low levels of this vitamin in your body.
Your body requires vitamin B12 to make red blood cells. You can get it from your food or supplements, but sometimes there may not be enough vitamins in what you eat. This can happen if you are vegan or you do not eat much meat or dairy products.
The most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency in the UK is pernicious anaemia (an autoimmune condition that affects your stomach).
Vitamin B12 deficiency can also be a side effect of metformin, a diabetes medicine, particularly if you take a high dose of metformin or if you take it for a long time.
Hydroxocobalamin is only available on prescription.
It is given as an injection. This will usually be at your GP surgery but you might sometimes have it in hospital.
Who can have hydroxocobalamin
Most adults and children can have hydroxocobalamin injections.
Who may not be able to have hydroxocobalamin
Hydroxocobalamin is not suitable for some people. To make sure it's safe for you, tell your doctor before having hydroxocobalamin if you:
- have ever had an allergic reaction to hydroxocobalamin or any other medicine
- have an allergy to cobalt
- have been told you have low levels of potassium
- have an irregular or fast heartbeat (arrhythmia)
Dosage
When you first start having your hydroxocobalamin treatment, you'll usually have an injection a few times a week.
Your dose may go up or down, depending on your response to the treatment and the vitamin B12 levels in your blood.
To see how well it's working, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms such as tiredness and lack of energy. They will also give you regular blood tests to monitor the vitamin B12 levels in your blood.
As your symptoms and vitamin B12 levels improve, you may be able to have the injections less often, such as every few months.
How you will have it
A nurse, or possibly a doctor, will usually give you your hydroxocobalamin injection. The injection is given into a muscle (known as an intramuscular injection).
You may have some pain, swelling or itching where you had the injection. This is usually mild and will wear off quite quickly.
How long you'll have it for
Your doctor will decide exactly how long you will need to have hydroxocobalamin injections. It depends on how well you respond to your treatment.
It will usually be a few months or sometimes years.
For pernicious anaemia, you'll need to take hydroxocobalamin for the rest of your life.
If you miss an injection
It's important to go to your appointments.
If you miss having your injection, the level of vitamin B12 in your body will go down further. This may make your health problems worse.
If you do have to miss an appointment, ask your doctor or nurse when you should have the next dose.
Common side effects
There are things you can do to help cope with these common side effects of hydroxocobalamin:
These symptoms are usually mild and should only last a few hours. You can ask a pharmacist to recommend a mild painkiller if the pain is bothering you.
Stick to simple meals and avoid rich or spicy food. If you're being sick, try small, frequent sips of water to avoid dehydration.
If you take the combined contraceptive pill or the progestogen-only pill and you're being sick, your contraception may not protect you from pregnancy. Check the pill packet for advice.
Drink plenty of fluids, such as water or squash, to avoid dehydration. Signs of dehydration include peeing less than usual or having dark strong-smelling pee.
If you take the combined contraceptive pill or the progestogen-only pill and you have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, your contraception may not protect you from pregnancy. Check the pill packet for advice.
Make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink too much alcohol. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a painkiller.
Talk to your doctor if the headaches are severe or last longer than a few days.
Stop what you're doing, and sit or lie down until you feel better. Do not drive, ride a bike or use tools or machinery until you stop feeling dizzy.
Try cutting down on alcohol and drinks containing caffeine, such as tea, coffee, cola and energy drinks. It might help to use a fan to keep the room cool. You could also spray your face with cool water or sip cold or iced drinks.
The flushing should go away after a few days. If it does not go away, or if it's causing you problems, contact your doctor.
Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects are very rare.
Tell your doctor or call 111 immediately if you get irregular heartbeats or heartbeats that suddenly become more noticeable (palpitations) after having treatment.
As hydroxocobalamin contains cobalt, it can cause sensitivity reactions in people who have an allergy to cobalt. Symptoms can start straight away or up to 3 days after having a dose. Talk to your doctor or call 111 if you get an allergic skin reaction such as a rash or hives.
Serious allergic reaction
In rare cases, hydroxocobalamin can cause a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
Meds New IA (H4) - serious allergic reactionThese are not all the side effects of hydroxocobalamin. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine's packet.
Hydroxocobalamin and pregnancy
Hydroxocobalamin can be used during pregnancy.
It's important that a vitamin B12 deficiency is correctly treated to make sure that you and your baby are healthy.
Hydroxocobalamin and breastfeeding
You can have hydroxocobalamin while you're breastfeeding.
Hydroxocobalamin is a natural part of breast milk. When you have hydroxocobalamin injections as a supplement or treatment, it passes into your breast milk in low amounts and helps your baby to stay healthy.
If your baby also has vitamin B12 deficiency, they will still also need treating themselves.
If you notice your baby is not feeding as well, or you have any concerns about your baby, contact your doctor, pharmacist, health visitor or midwife.
Hydroxocobalamin and fertility
There's no evidence to suggest that taking hydroxocobalamin affects fertility in either men or women.
Meds New IA (H2) - Pregnancy non-urgent care cardCautions with other medicines
Hydroxocobalamin is usually safe to have with other medicines, including painkillers.
Mixing hydroxocobalamin with herbal remedies and supplements
There's not enough information to say that complementary medicines, herbal remedies and supplements are safe to take with hydroxocobalamin. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.
Meds New IA (H2) - Cautions with other medicines alertRelated links
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