Vitamin B-12 occurs naturally in foods of animal origin such as eggs, organ meats, pork and beef. Vitamin B-12 supplements, also called cyanocobalamin, come in several forms -- tablets, capsules, pills that dissolve under the tongue, nasal sprays and gels, and injectable solutions. You can buy some vitamin B-12 supplements over the counter, but others must be prescribed by a health care provider. The choice of administration route and dose depend on the reason for taking the supplement and the patient's overall health.
Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
Vitamin B-12 is needed for proper functioning of the nervous, cardiovascular and immune systems. It helps the body produce DNA and RNA, and also to make red blood cells. Not having enough vitamin B-12 causes fatigue, dizziness, weakness, rapid heartbeat, a sore and swollen tongue, poor appetite, tingling and numbness of the hands and feet, and pernicious anemia, a condition in which red blood cells do not form properly. Long-term B-12 deficiency can cause permanent nerve damage, dementia and memory loss.
Oral Route
Vitamin B-12 is available in pill, capsule and sublingual -- under the tongue -- forms, either by prescription or over-the-counter. Doses vary according to individual needs. For example, an adult might need 25 to 250 mcg once a day to treat B-12 deficiency, according to Drugs.com. To prevent B-12 deficiency in an otherwise healthy adult or teen requires only 2 mcg per day, according to MayoClinic.com.
Injection
Health care providers prescribe injectable cyanocobalamin for pernicious anemia and for patients whose bodies cannot absorb B-12 through the intestines. The dose varies according to the type of medical condition under treatment. For pernicious anemia, injections of 100 mcg a day into the muscle might be required every day for a week, then every other day for two weeks, then every three to four days for two or three weeks, then once a month for the rest of the patient's life, according to Drugs.com.
Nasal
After treatment for pernicious anemia, patients in remission might take B-12 by nose to prevent deficiency. Intranasal gel or spray in the amount of 500 mcg might be taken once a week for maintenance, but you must return to the injectable form if you slip out of remission. Patients might take a daily dose of 25 mcg of spray in each nostril once a day or 500 mcg per week for B-12 deficiency.
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