Vitamin B12 is essential because it helps maintain nerve cells and red blood cells. More importantly though, it's needed to make DNA, the genetic material found in every cell in your body. 
An adult woman needs 2.4 micrograms (mcg) of B12 a day, and great sources of this vitamin include chicken, beef, fish, eggs, dairy products, and fortified cereals. If you're vegetarian or vegan, or eat a limited amount of meat and dairy products, you may not be getting enough. A vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anemia, which may cause you to feel weak, lightheaded, depressed, and tired.
For those with a deficiency, it's recommended to take vitamin B12 supplements. If you don't like taking pills every day, you can try the B-12 Patch. To learn more about how it works, and find out if it's safe, read more.
Just like the Ortho-Evra patch delivers hormones through the skin to prevent pregnancy, this B-12 Patch supposedly delivers a consistent amount of B12 through a dime-sized patch you wear behind your earlobe. Each patch is worn for one week and contains 1,000 mcg of B12. It's safe to take this much vitamin B12 in a pill form because many people's digestive systems don't absorb enough B12, so it's necessary to take extra. I'm not sure how safe it is to take this much extra B12 through your skin, though. On the B-12 Patch's website, they mention that in 2003 the B-12 Patch was tested in a "small clinical trial on six volunteers." Doesn't sound like the study was very thorough, which doesn't make me feel confident about using this product.
The best thing to do is obtain at least 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 from the food you eat every day. If that's not possible, talk to your doctor about what oral supplement would be best.
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I'm not really interested in the B12 patch, but it is nice to see an alternative to injections. I'm a nurse and the only way I've given Vitamin B12 is via intramuscular injection- not fun!
1you can also take those Emergen-C vitamin packs and get your b12 without a creepy patch.
2i think that before i would consider using this - i would have to know that more research was done and that more than 6 people were able to say if there were side effects etc from it. being a veggie, i am anemic and that's always been a problem for me, so anything that could help that's not a pill would be great. you can only take soo many pills in your day.
3I'm with superfoxml on the Emergen-C...I can't trust something tested on only 6 people.
4I'll pass.
5I am unable to utilize the b-12 in my food (pernicious anemia) and so I get regular b-12 shots. I love the days that I get my shot because I have so much energy and concentration!
6For those that can take pills but don't like to swallow them, the sublingual (under the tongue) microlozenge is an alternative. They're much less expensive than this patch and and take seconds to dissolve. Mine is 500 mcg which I take daily. I was anemic as a kid and now a vegan, so I supplement all my B vitamins. Also a RN and BS in nutrition (decades ago!) but I always say everyone is different and you need to find out what works for you alone.
7I take a multivitamin with B12 in it, plus I eat a lot of food with B12 in it, so I think I'm ok on it.
8patch? interesting..
but i'll just take B complex supplement
9I just take one a day women's and not worry abt what vitamins/minerals i`m getting/not getting.
10Thanks for posting this-my fiance and i are vegan and last night he was feeling tired, lightheaded, weak and nauseous; i'll ask if he's been taking his supplements! We don't do injections or patches, just regular old vegetarian b12 supplements.
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