1 May 2026Injectable drugsSource update: August 2021
Thiamine = Vitamin B1 injectable
Injectable thiamine guidance for severe vitamin B1 deficiency, acute beriberi, and neurological complications of alcoholism.
Prescription under medical supervision
This guide page is for structured reference only and does not replace a clinician, pharmacist, or emergency review. Dose choice, route choice, interactions, and safety decisions still need professional judgment.
Therapeutic action
Vitamin.
Indications
Initial treatment of severe thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency: severe acute forms of beriberi and neurological complications of chronic alcoholism such as delirium tremens and Wernicke's encephalopathy.
Forms and strengths, route of administration
- 100 mg thiamine hydrochloride in 2 ml ampoule (50 mg/ml) for IM injection or very slow IV administration over 30 minutes.
Dose and duration
Infantile beriberi
- 25 mg by IV route then 25 mg by IM route once or 2 times daily, then change to oral route 10 mg once daily as soon as symptoms have improved.
Acute beriberi
- 50 mg by IM route then change to oral route, 50 mg 3 times daily until symptoms improve then 10 mg once daily.
- Or, depending on severity, 50 mg by IM route every 8 hours for a few days then change to oral route 10 mg once daily.
Delirium tremens, Wernicke's encephalopathy
- 100 mg by IM or IV route 3 times daily for 3 to 5 days.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- May cause hypotension and anaphylactic reaction, especially when injected IV. Inject very slowly over 30 minutes.
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: no contra-indication.
- Thiamine is also called aneurine.
- Injectable thiamine is not included in the WHO list of essential medicines.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page reproduces the structured reference information for this batch while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections.
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