What is the difference between hydroxocobalamin and cyanocobalamin?

and can both be injected sub cutaneously?

[shaws Administrator]

This is an excerpt from the Pernicious Anaemia Society

Cyanocobalamin is the least effective of the B12 serums because it does not have as great a retention period in the body than hydroxocobalamin. It also contains a very small molecule of cyanide which makes it dangerous to use for any person who carries the Hereditary Leber Optic Neuropathy Disease gene. Furthermore, you should be a non-smoker to use cyanocobalamin because of the cyanide influence. A smoker has a certain amount of cyanide built up in the body from smoking, this is called tobacco amblyopia.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/205...

pernicious-anaemia-society....

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

The British National Formulary quotes the British Pharmacopoeia:

Note

The BP directs that when vitamin B12 injection is prescribed or demanded hydroxocobalamin injection shall be dispensed or supplied

You may find the letter here of interest:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Rod

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Thanks both. V interesting. I can only source cyanocobalamin - which was ok while injecting IM, but sub cue it does nothing for me.