PlainPill

Cyanocobalamin

Based on 6 first-hand reports and 18 meta-analyses & systematic reviews in the medical literature. Ranked #1456 of 1,974 overall.

9
User score
Mostly negative
0% positive17% mixed17% negative67% unclear

Of reports that state an outcome, 0% are positive.

Clinical research
AStrong research base
18
meta-analyses
62
RCTs
1,665
papers

What Cyanocobalamin does, according to users

Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.

No specific effects reported yet.
betterno changeworse

What the research says

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.

AStrong research base

3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.

Int Psychogeriatr · 2015 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials of folate and vitamin B12 for depression

Conclusion: The number of available trials remains small and heterogeneity between studies high. The results of these meta-analyses suggest that treatment with folate and vitamin B12 does not decrease the severity of depressive symptoms over a short period of time, but may be helpful in the long-term management of special populations.

PubMed 25644193 ↗
Pain Med · 2020 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Effect of Combined Diclofenac and B Vitamins (Thiamine, Pyridoxine, and Cyanocobalamin) for Low Back Pain Management: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrated that combination therapy of diclofenac with TPC might have an analgesic superiority compared with diclofenac monotherapy in acute LBP. However, there is not enough evidence to recommend this therapy in other types of pain due to the scarcity of high-quality studies.

PubMed 31529101 ↗

Dosage people report

As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.

No doses stated in the reports so far.

Reported side effects

How often each side effect came up across all reports.

brain fog ×1stomach issues ×1

What users say

Verbatim quotes, shortened only — each links to the original discussion.

“when buying something with B12, always check the back of the bottle. A lot of cheaper brands use cyanocobalamin B12, but what you want is methylcobalamin B12.”
Source discussion ↗
“latter is not only artificial but may also prevent you from absorbing b12”
Source discussion ↗
“it's generally best to supplement with either hydroxocobalamin or cyanocobalamin”
Source discussion ↗
“why you possibly might be crashing...Cyanocobalamin (avoid this one as much as possible)”
Source discussion ↗
“Cyanocobalamin. It's linked to lots of gastrointestinal issues and brain fog. Cyano shouldn't even be legal.”
Source discussion ↗
Top discussions (5)

More supplements

User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 2, 2026. How we rate