The easiest site when self-administering an IM injection is the middle third of the vastus lateralis muscle of the thigh. Other options include the deltoid muscle of the upper arm and the dorsogluteal site on the bottom. This maybe useful if you have a carer or a family member willing to administer your injection.
Injecting in the wrong area can cause an abscess to form under the skin. To avoid this only inject in the area recommended by your nurse or doctor. Do not inject into a painful or inflamed area. Seek medical advice if this happens.
Vitamin B12 shots are a form of supplementation that contains a synthetic version of vitamin B12, or cyanocobalamin. A doctor will inject the shot into the muscle. If they inject it into a vein, the body may lose a high proportion as the person passes urine.
The injection site will be in the muscle directly below your two fingers. Think of a triangle and you will insert the needle in the center of the triangle.
Vitamin B12
According to health experts at Click Pharmacy, as a general rule of thumb, take your B vitamins in the morning or with a meal. Vitamin B12, for example, should definitely be taken in the morning. This is because it is important for energy metabolism, which may interrupt your sleep if taken at night.
Avoid alcohol for 48 hours after your treatment. Avoid strenuous exercise for 48 hours after your treatment. Avoid touching the injection site for 6 hours after your treatment. You may experience a dull ache at the injections site for around 1 hour after your treatment.
It may take a few weeks before your vitamin B12 levels and symptoms (such as extreme tiredness or lack of energy) start to improve. If you have hydroxocobalamin injections to boost your vitamin B12 levels at the start of treatment, the cyanocobalamin tablets may start to work within a few days.
Subcutaneous Vitamin B12 Injections
Fill the syringe with B12 and remove the cap from the needle. Use the thumb and pointer finger of your non-dominant hand to pinch the skin at the injection location.
Since B12 shots are injected intramuscularly bypassing the digestive process, they start to work immediately. Typically, our patients experience positive effects between 24-72 hours after the treatment.
Vitamin B12 shots work right away and your body will begin to manufacture new red blood cells as early as 48 hours so you will feel the effect in two or three days.
If your vitamin B12 deficiency is not caused by a lack of vitamin B12 in your diet, you'll usually need to have an injection of hydroxocobalamin every 2 to 3 months for the rest of your life.
Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 85 degrees F). Protect from light. Throw away any unused medication after the expiration date.
Vitamin B12 shots are generally only administered through a medically trained professional. Most shots are injected directly into the patient's muscle in the upper arm or thigh, depending on the levels of fat.
Intramuscular injections are among the safest, and anyone can be trained to do them. However, things can occasionally go wrong. Aspiration is the term for pulling back a little on the syringe before injecting to be sure you aren't in a blood vessel.
If a nerve is hit, the patient will feel an immediate burning pain, which can result in paralysis or neuropathy that does not always resolve.
High doses of vitamin B-12, such as those used to treat a deficiency, might cause: Headache. Nausea and vomiting. Diarrhea.
Thus if you're otherwise healthy but still continue to feel tired after taking a B-12 supplement, it could be a sign of a mild allergic reaction. If a rash, difficulty breathing or swelling coincides with taking your dose of B-12, get to the doctor right away.
B12 injections work quickly. They are one of the most effective ways for your body to assimilate vitamin B12. Within 48 to 72 hrs, your body will begin making new red blood cells. For deficiencies, you may require a number of injections over a few weeks to see peak impact.
Redness and swelling may occur, and the area may be painful for a few hours. Give yourself the time to avoid vigorous activity right after the treatment to minimize these side effects.
B12 injections may contribute to low potassium levels in your body. Though rare, this reaction can cause muscle cramping, extreme fatigue, and an irregular heartbeat.
You may ask what about vitamin B12 – how often should you get lipo B12 injections? For nutrient deficiency, doctors often prescribe only vitamin B12 as the single component of your lipo injection. You may have to take it once or twice a week depending on your condition – your nutritional balance.
You're certainly not alone, since soreness in the upper arm is the most common vaccination side effect. It happens after the tiny squirt of vaccine injected into your arm muscle stretches the muscle fibers and triggers an immune response, leading to temporary inflammation and discomfort.
Another benefit of a vitamin B12 shot is that there isn't a “crash” associated with it either. The way we like to describe it to people is that you will feel focused and energized for 3-5 days with the benefit of being able to sleep (won't keep you up at night) and no crash as your body metabolizes the vitamin.
Some researchers have studied vitamin B-12 to find out if it can raise energy and endurance during exercise. But there isn't evidence to prove this. And unless you have low vitamin B-12 levels in your body, vitamin B-12 shots aren't likely to give you more energy or improve your performance.
Deficiency of Vitamin B12 can result in hematological changes, neurological and psychiatric problems, which can manifest as irritability, changes in personality, depression, and memory loss [9]. It is also known to worsen depression by excitotoxic reactions caused by the accumulation of homocysteine [10].