What is the most important information I should know about oral cyanocobalamin?
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to cobalt, or if you have Leber's disease.
What is oral cyanocobalamin?
Cyanocobalamin is a man-made form of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is important for growth, cell reproduction, blood formation, and protein and tissue synthesis.
Cyanocobalamin is used to treat vitamin B12 deficiency in people with pernicious anemia and other conditions.
Cyanocobalamin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking oral cyanocobalamin?
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to cobalt, or if you have Leber's disease. Cyanocobalamin can lead to optic nerve damage (and possibly blindness) in people with Leber's disease.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- heart disease;
- diabetes;
- a bleeding or blood clotting disorder;
- gout;
- an iron or folic acid deficiency;
- low levels of potassium in your blood; or
- an intestinal disorder such as ulcerative colitis.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Do not give this medicine to a child without medical advice.
How should I take oral cyanocobalamin?
Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.
Carefully follow instructions about whether to take your cyanocobalamin with or without food.
Your dose needs may change if you become pregnant, if you breast-feed, or if you eat a vegetarian diet. Tell your doctor about any changes in your diet or medical condition.
Do not swallow a lozenge or sublingual tablet whole. Allow it to dissolve in your mouth without chewing. The sublingual tablet should be placed under your tongue.
Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet. Swallow it whole with a full glass of water.
You may need frequent medical tests to help your doctor determine how long to treat you with cyanocobalamin.
To treat pernicious anemia, you will have to use cyanocobalamin on a regular basis for the rest of your life. Not using the medication can lead to irreversible nerve damage in your spinal cord.
Pernicious anemia is also treated with folic acid to help maintain red blood cells. However, folic acid will not treat Vitamin B12 deficiency and will not prevent possible damage to the spinal cord. Take all of your medications as directed.
Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
What should I avoid while taking oral cyanocobalamin?
Avoid drinking large amounts of alcohol. Heavy drinking can make it harder for your body to absorb cyanocobalamin.
What are the possible side effects of oral cyanocobalamin?
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- shortness of breath (even with mild exertion), swelling, rapid weight gain;
- cough, chest pain; or
-
low potassium level --leg cramps, constipation, irregular heartbeats, fluttering in your chest, increased thirst or urination, numbness or tingling, muscle weakness or limp feeling.
Common side effects may include diarrhea.
- diarrhea;
- numbness or tingling;
- fever;
- joint pain;
- swollen tongue; or
- itching or rash.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What other drugs will affect oral cyanocobalamin?
Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially:
- an antibiotic;
- drugs that weaken the immune system such as cancer medicine, or steroids;
- medicine to reduce stomach acid such as cimetidine, omeprazole, lansoprazole, Nexium, Prilosec, or Zantac;
- oral diabetes medicine that contains metformin; or
- seizure medication.
This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect cyanocobalamin, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist can provide more information about oral cyanocobalamin.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
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