Key facts
- Active ingredient
- Cyanocobalamin
- Drug class
- Vitamin B12
- Form
- Injectable, Solution, Spray/Inhaler, Spray/Inhaler, metered
- Strength
- Cyanocobalamin 1MG/ML
- Type
- Prescription (Rx)
- Brand or generic
- Generic
- Manufacturer
- Gland
- What the pharmacy pays
- ~$1.50 per ml — not your price
- FDA application
- ANDA214390
What is Cyanocobalamin?
From the FDA label:Cyanocobalamin Injection, USP is a sterile solution of cyanocobalamin for intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. Each mL contains 1,000 mcg cyanocobalamin. Each vial also contains Sodium Chloride, 0.9%. Benzyl Alcohol, 1.5%, is present as a preservative. Hydrochloric acid and/or sodium hydroxide may have been added during manufacture to adjust the pH (range 4.5-7.0). Cyanocobalamin appears as dark red crystals or as an amorphous or crystalline red powder. It is very hygroscopic in the anhydrous form, and sparingly soluble in water (1:80). It is stable to autoclaving for short periods at 121°C. The vitamin B 12 coenzymes are very unstable in light. The chemical name is 5,6-dimethyl-benzimidazolyl cyanocobamide; the molecular formula is C 63 H 88 CoN 14 O 14 P. The cobalt content is 4.34%. The molecular weight is 1355.39. The structural formula is represented below. cyanocobalamin-spl-structure
How to use
Cyanocobalamin is sold in more than one form (Injectable, Solution, Spray/Inhaler and Spray/Inhaler, metered), and each is dosed differently. The instructions below come from the FDA label for application ANDA214390 — follow the label that came with the product you were actually prescribed.
Avoid using the intravenous route. Use of this product intravenously will result in almost all of the vitamin being lost in the urine. Pernicious Anemia : Parenteral vitamin B 12 is the recommended treatment and will be required for the remainder of the patient's life. The oral form is not dependable. A dose of 100 mcg daily for 6 or 7 days should be administered by intramuscular or deep subcutaneous injection. If there is clinical improvement and if a reticulocyte response is observed, the same amount may be given on alternate days for seven doses, then every 3 to 4 days for another 2 to 3 weeks. By this time hematologic values should have become normal. This regimen should be followed by 100 mcg monthly for life. Folic acid should be administered concomitantly if needed. Patients with Normal Intestinal Absorption : Where the oral route is not deemed adequate, initial treatment similar to that for patients with pernicious anemia may be indicated depending on the severity of the deficiency. Chronic treatment should be with an oral B 12 preparation. If other vitamin deficiencies are present, they should be treated. Schilling Test : The flushing dose is 1,000 mcg. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit.
Side effects
Generalized : Anaphylactic shock and death have been reported with administration of parenteral vitamin B 12 (see WARNINGS ). Cardiovascular : Pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure early in treatment; peripheral vascular thrombosis. Hematological : Polycythemia vera Gastrointestinal : Mild transient diarrhea Dermatological : Itching; transitory exanthema Miscellaneous : Feeling of swelling of entire body
Warnings
Important safety information
Patients with early Leber's disease (hereditary optic nerve atrophy) who were treated with cyanocobalamin suffered severe and swift optic atrophy. Hypokalemia and sudden death may occur in severe megaloblastic anemia which is treated intensely. Anaphylactic shock and death have been reported after parenteral vitamin B 12 administration. An intradermal test dose is recommended before Cyanocobalamin Injection, USP is administered to patients suspected of being sensitive to this drug. This product contains Benzyl Alcohol. Benzyl Alcohol has been reported to be associated with a fatal "Gasping Syndrome" in premature infants. This product contains aluminum that may be toxic. Aluminum may reach toxic levels with prolonged parenteral administration if kidney function is impaired. Premature neonates are particularly at risk because their kidneys are immature, and they require large amounts of calcium and phosphate solutions, which contain aluminum. Research indicates that patients with impaired kidney function, including premature neonates, who receive parenteral levels of aluminum at greater than 4 to 5 mcg/kg/day accumulate aluminum at levels associated with central nervous system and bone toxicity. Tissue loading may occur at even lower rates of administration.
Who should not take Cyanocobalamin
Sensitivity to cobalt and/or vitamin B 12 is a contraindication.
Overdose — what happens if you take too much
No overdosage has been reported with this drug.
U.S. Poison Control: call or text 1-800-222-1222 (free, 24/7). In an emergency call 911. From the FDA label; not medical advice.
Storing Cyanocobalamin, and how long it keeps
Quoted from this product’s own FDA label. Storage belongs to the product and its device, not to the drug in general — a pen and a tablet of the same medicine are kept completely differently.
- “Store Cyanocobalamin Injection at USP Controlled Room Temperature, 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F); excursions permitted between 15°C and 30°C (59°F to 86°F).”
Drug class
Dosage forms
Injectable, Solution, Spray/Inhaler and Spray/Inhaler, metered
The forms currently marketed in the U.S., per the FDA National Drug Code Directory.
Ways to save
Ask for the generic
Same active ingredient, far cheaper. Is there a generic? →
Request a 90-day supply
Bulk fills usually lower the per-dose price vs monthly refills.
Use copay cards
Manufacturer copay cards & patient-assistance programs — especially for brand drugs.
Compare alternatives
A same-class option may cost less. See alternatives →
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Cyanocobalamin cost?
- Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $1.50 per ml, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.
- Is there a coupon or discount for Cyanocobalamin?
- pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Cyanocobalamin. To pay less, Cyanocobalamin is already a generic — usually the lowest-cost version — so the main levers are comparing cash prices between pharmacies and using a pharmacy discount-card service. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.
- Who makes Cyanocobalamin?
- Cyanocobalamin is marketed by Gland. You can see Gland's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.
- Is Cyanocobalamin a brand-name or generic drug?
- Cyanocobalamin is a generic medication; its active ingredient is Cyanocobalamin. Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name original and are usually lower cost.
- Is Cyanocobalamin available over the counter?
- No. Cyanocobalamin is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.
- What forms does Cyanocobalamin come in?
- Cyanocobalamin is currently marketed as injectable, solution, spray/inhaler and spray/inhaler, metered, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.
- What class of drug is Cyanocobalamin?
- Cyanocobalamin is classified as vitamin b12, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.
- Is Cyanocobalamin FDA-registered?
- Cyanocobalamin is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number ANDA214390. You can verify this on its official FDA label.
- Is Cyanocobalamin safe?
- There's no single safe-or-not verdict, and we don't yet have a composite recall-safety score for Cyanocobalamin. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings below, and always consult a licensed professional.
- What are the side effects of Cyanocobalamin?
- Cyanocobalamin's side effects are taken directly from its FDA label. From the label: Generalized : Anaphylactic shock and death have been reported with administration of parenteral vitamin B 12 (see WARNINGS ). Cardiovascular : Pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure early in treatment; peripheral vascular thrombosis.… Both common and serious reactions are documented in full on this page. This is general reference from the FDA, not medical advice — always consult a professional.
Clinical content sourced from the FDA label via openFDA (U.S. FDA). View the FDA label on DailyMed → Provided for general reference only — not medical advice. Always consult a licensed professional and the current prescribing information.
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