Vitamin B1, B6 and B12: Brands, Price & Uses in Bangladesh

Vitamin B1, B6 and B12 is a combination of three essential water-soluble B-vitamins - thiamine (B1), pyridoxine (B6), and cobalamin (B12) - indicated for the following:

Established Uses

• Prevention and treatment of dietary deficiency or increased requirement of vitamin B1, B6, and B12, including in malabsorption states, poor dietary intake, chronic alcohol use, and certain chronic illnesses.

Guideline-Supported / Adjunct Uses

• Adjunct symptomatic treatment of peripheral neuropathy and neuralgia (for example, diabetic peripheral neuropathy or alcohol-related neuropathy), used together with treatment directed at the underlying cause, not as a substitute for it.
• Supportive therapy in neuritis, polyneuritis, and other nerve disorders associated with B-vitamin deficiency or depletion.

Note: Vitamin B1, B6 and B12 is a nutritional supplement/adjunct therapy and does not replace proper medical evaluation and treatment of the underlying cause of neuropathy or deficiency symptoms.

Dosage of Vitamin B1, B6 and B12 depends on the indication, the specific product/brand, and dosage form (oral tablet/capsule or intramuscular injection). The following is general guidance; always follow the product label and physician's instructions.

Pediatric Dose

Use in children should be individualized and supervised by a physician; safety and efficacy of the adjunct neuropathy indication in children are not established. See Use in Special Populations.

Renal/Hepatic Impairment

No well-established formal dose adjustment is required for renal or hepatic impairment at standard supplement doses, but caution and physician supervision are advised in significant renal impairment given reduced clearance of water-soluble vitamins. See Precautions and Warnings.

At standard supplement/deficiency-treatment doses, Vitamin B1, B6 and B12 is generally very well tolerated. Reported side effects are usually mild and may include:

• Nausea or mild gastrointestinal upset
• Headache
• Injection site pain, redness, or induration (with intramuscular injection)
• Rare hypersensitivity reactions (skin rash, itching; rarely anaphylaxis, more often reported with parenteral thiamine)

See Precautions and Warnings for the risk of peripheral neuropathy associated with prolonged high-dose pyridoxine (B6).