Injection
Lipo-B
A lipotropic blend of methionine, inositol, choline and B12 that supports how the liver processes fat, as part of a weight-loss plan. Prescribed and dosed by a licensed physician.
Starting at $109/mo
Explore vitamin treatments
built around a test, not a guess.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is common, easy to check with a blood test and treatable. Lipotropic fat-burner shots are sold on promises the trials have not tested. We test first, and we say plainly what each injection has and does not have evidence for.
Feeling run down can be low B12,
and that is worth a test.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is common, and it becomes more frequent with age.¹ A common medicine is linked to it as well: in a long-term diabetes prevention study, people on metformin had more low B12 levels than people on placebo.²
Our in-house team of U.S.-licensed physicians and nurse practitioners checks your history and a B12 level when the picture suggests a deficiency, treats what is confirmed, and does not offer a shot as a substitute for a diagnosis.
- 1.Oral vitamin B12 versus intramuscular vitamin B12 for vitamin B12 deficiency, Wang H et al., Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2018.
- 2.Long-term Metformin Use and Vitamin B12 Deficiency in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study, Aroda VR et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2016.
What B12 research shows
and what it cannot.
- Oral B12 compared with injection153
adults in three randomized trials of oral against intramuscular B12 over three to four months. In two of the trials, 1,000 µg a day by mouth raised serum B12 with no clinically relevant difference from injection. The evidence is low quality, and no trial measured symptoms.
Wang H et al., Cochrane, 2018 - Higher odds on acid reducers1.65
odds of B12 deficiency after two or more years of proton pump inhibitor use, compared with people who did not take them, in 25,956 patients with a new deficiency diagnosis and 184,199 without. H2 blockers were linked too, with an odds ratio of 1.25. This is observational data.
Lam JR et al., JAMA, 2013 - Low B12 on metformin4.3%
of people on metformin had low B12 at year 5, against 2.3% on placebo, in a secondary analysis of a diabetes prevention trial. Counting borderline levels, the figures were 19.1% and 9.5%. At 13 years, the difference in low levels alone was not statistically significant.
Aroda VR et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2016
Across studies of vegetarians and at-risk groups, the reported rate of B12 deficiency in older people ranged from 11% to 90%, which shows how much the figure depends on who is tested and how. Pawlak R et al., Nutrition Reviews, 2013
Trial and study results come from specific doses, groups and time frames, and they are not predictions for you. The metformin and acid-reducer findings are associations from observational or secondary analyses, not proof that a medicine causes deficiency. Our compounded methylcobalamin is not FDA-approved, and we found no trial in people comparing it with cyanocobalamin.
The right B12 plan
starts with a test, not a shot.
Feeling run down for weeks should not lead straight to an injection. Our fully in-house care team reviews your history and your B12 level, treats a confirmed deficiency, and explains honestly what the evidence supports for your case.
We check your level first, we match the route to what is confirmed, and we recheck so you know what changed and why, with plans starting at $109 a month.
Start hereWe read the research on B12 and lipotropics
before we inject them.
B12 deficiency is real and treatable, but much of the wellness market sells B12 and lipotropic shots for energy and fat loss on claims the trials have not tested. We read the studies, state what they show, and say plainly where the evidence stops.
Vitamin B12:
who is at risk and how to treat itWho is at risk, how the test is read, and what the trials show about oral and injected B12.Read the researchLipotropic injections:
what the evidence saysMethionine, inositol, choline and B12 shots for fat loss: what has been tested in people, and what has not.Read the research
who is at risk and how to treat itWho is at risk, how the test is read, and what the trials show about oral and injected B12.Read the researchLipotropic injections:
what the evidence saysMethionine, inositol, choline and B12 shots for fat loss: what has been tested in people, and what has not.Read the research
Every vitamins treatment,
in one place.
Real products and real prices from our pharmacy. Your physician helps you choose the medicine, the form and the dose.
Injections
5Measured doses you give yourself at home, usually once a week or once a day.
Injection
Lipo-C
A lipotropic blend with L-carnitine alongside methionine and inositol to support fat metabolism and energy during weight loss. Prescribed and dosed by a licensed physician.
Starting at $109/mo
Injection
MIC / B12
Methionine, inositol and choline (MIC) with vitamin B12 in one weekly injection to support metabolism alongside a weight-loss plan. Prescribed and dosed by a licensed physician.
Starting at $109/mo
Injection
MICC / B12
MIC plus L-carnitine (MICC) with vitamin B12, a lipotropic blend for fat metabolism and energy during weight loss. Prescribed and dosed by a licensed physician.
Starting at $109/mo
Injection
Vitamin B12
The classic vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) injection to restore low B12 and support energy, focus and red blood cell health. Prescribed and dosed by a licensed physician.
Starting at $109/mo
5 treatments in this area, all from our live catalog.
Questions,
answered.
Contact supportHow common is vitamin B12 deficiency?
It becomes more frequent with age, and the Cochrane review of oral and injected B12 starts from that point. A blood test is how a deficiency is confirmed.
Can I take B12 by mouth instead of by injection?
In two of three small trials, 1,000 µg a day by mouth raised blood B12 about as much as an injection over three to four months, though the evidence is low quality. Your physician chooses the route with you.
Do lipotropic shots burn fat?
We found no randomized trial of lipotropic injections for weight loss. Choline and methionine are nutrients the body uses, but a shot has not been shown to burn fat.
Which medicines are linked to low B12?
Long-term metformin and proton pump inhibitors are linked to low B12 in observational or secondary analyses. A link is a reason to test, not proof that the medicine caused the deficiency.
Are your compounded injections FDA-approved?
No. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and the FDA has not reviewed them for safety, efficacy or quality.
References
- 1.Oral vitamin B12 versus intramuscular vitamin B12 for vitamin B12 deficiency. Cochrane systematic review. Cochrane, 2018
- 2.Long-term metformin use and vitamin B12 deficiency in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2016
- 3.Proton pump inhibitor and histamine 2 receptor antagonist use and vitamin B12 deficiency. JAMA, 2013
- 4.How prevalent is vitamin B(12) deficiency among vegetarians? Nutrition Reviews, 2013
- 5.Choline: an essential nutrient for public health. Nutrition Reviews, 2009
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved and the FDA has not reviewed them for safety, efficacy, or quality. Prescription products require an online evaluation with a licensed medical professional who will determine if a prescription is appropriate. Individual results vary.