Oral vitamin B12 is widely used in Sweden and Canada. In 2005
we conducted a systematic review for The Cochrane
Collaboration looking at oral vitamin B12 for the treatment of
vitamin B12 deficiency. With the evidence derived from the
limited studies we found comparing oral versus intramuscular
administration of vitamin B12 we concluded that 2000 mcg doses
of oral vitamin B12 daily and 1000 mcg doses initially daily
and thereafter weekly and then monthly may be as effective as
intramuscular administration in obtaining short term
haematological and neurological responses in vitamin B12
deficient patients.
(1) Vidal-Alaball J, Butler CC, Cannings-John R, Goringe A,
Hood K, McCaddon A, McDowell I, Papaioannou A. “Oral vitamin
B12 versus intramuscular vitamin B12 for vitamin B12
deficiency”. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005,
Issue 3. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
10 June 2010
Josep Vidal-Alaball
GP & Honorary Research Fellow
Department of Primary Care & Public Health, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4YS
Rapid Response:
Re: Oral replacement
Oral vitamin B12 is widely used in Sweden and Canada. In 2005
we conducted a systematic review for The Cochrane
Collaboration looking at oral vitamin B12 for the treatment of
vitamin B12 deficiency. With the evidence derived from the
limited studies we found comparing oral versus intramuscular
administration of vitamin B12 we concluded that 2000 mcg doses
of oral vitamin B12 daily and 1000 mcg doses initially daily
and thereafter weekly and then monthly may be as effective as
intramuscular administration in obtaining short term
haematological and neurological responses in vitamin B12
deficient patients.
(1) Vidal-Alaball J, Butler CC, Cannings-John R, Goringe A,
Hood K, McCaddon A, McDowell I, Papaioannou A. “Oral vitamin
B12 versus intramuscular vitamin B12 for vitamin B12
deficiency”. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005,
Issue 3. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests