“Bico” is how people commonly write B-Co, the South African shorthand for vitamin B complex — a combination of several B vitamins in one product. It is taken to address a shortfall in B vitamins, and B-Co injections are widely used in South Africa. Check your own pack, as formulations differ considerably.
What is Bico?
“B-Co” is a naming convention, not a single registered product. It abbreviates “vitamin B complex” or “vitamin B compound”, and appears on tablets, capsules, syrups and injections from several suppliers.
The Medicine Price Registry lists Vitamin B Co injections as Schedule 3 products. Their contents give a good sense of what the term usually covers:
| Typical B-Co injection contains | Also known as |
|---|---|
| Thiamine hydrochloride | Vitamin B1 |
| Riboflavin | Vitamin B2 |
| Nicotinamide | Vitamin B3 |
| Pyridoxine hydrochloride | Vitamin B6 |
| D-Panthenol / calcium pantothenate | Vitamin B5 |
Formulations vary widely, and oral products often include vitamin B12 and folic acid as well. This page cannot tell you what is in your particular pack — read the label, and if it is unclear, ask a pharmacist.
The B vitamins are grouped together because they are all water-soluble and work largely as co-factors in energy metabolism — helping enzymes convert food into usable energy. Individually they do quite different jobs:
- B1 (thiamine) — carbohydrate metabolism and nerve function.
- B2 (riboflavin) — energy production, skin and eye health.
- B3 (niacin/nicotinamide) — energy metabolism, skin, nervous system.
- B5 (pantothenic acid) — fat and carbohydrate metabolism.
- B6 (pyridoxine) — protein metabolism, neurotransmitters, haemoglobin.
- B12 and folate — red blood cell formation and nerve function.
Being water-soluble, most surplus is excreted rather than stored, which is why B vitamins are generally well tolerated. Vitamin B6 is the important exception, covered below.
What is Bico commonly used for?
- Correcting or preventing a B vitamin deficiency, from poor diet, alcohol dependence, malabsorption or increased requirements.
- Supporting people with alcohol dependence, a major reason B-Co is given in South Africa. Alcohol impairs absorption and use of several B vitamins, particularly thiamine, while often displacing food.
- Nerve symptoms attributable to a diagnosed deficiency — tingling, numbness or burning.
- Recovery from illness, surgery or poor nutrition, on medical advice.
- In pregnancy, though a dedicated prenatal supplement is usually more appropriate.
- Alongside medicines that deplete B vitamins, such as isoniazid for TB.
- B-Co injections, used where absorption from the gut is poor or a rapid effect is needed.
A supplement corrects a shortfall; it does not add benefit beyond that. B vitamins are widely present in meat, fish, eggs, dairy, wholegrains, legumes and leafy greens, and deficiency is uncommon in people eating a varied diet.
It is not an energy supplement. Because B vitamins help release energy from food, they are heavily marketed that way, and this is the most common misunderstanding about them. A deficiency causes fatigue, and correcting it resolves that fatigue — but taking B vitamins when your levels are normal does not create energy. Persistent tiredness has many causes — anaemia, thyroid disease, diabetes, sleep apnoea, depression — none of which are fixed by a vitamin you do not lack.
Who commonly looks for Bico and why
- People with alcohol dependence, or their families, often on medical advice.
- People given a B-Co injection who want to know what it was.
- People with poor or restricted diets, including some older adults.
- People with tingling, numbness or burning in the hands or feet.
- Vegans and vegetarians, particularly regarding vitamin B12, which is found almost entirely in animal foods.
- People with malabsorption conditions, or who have had bariatric surgery.
- People taking medicines that deplete B vitamins.
- People seeking more energy, who are usually better served by finding the actual cause.
- People recovering from illness or surgery.
What to check on the label before taking Bico
- Which B vitamins are included, and how much of each. This varies enormously between products.
- The vitamin B6 content specifically. This is the most important figure on the label, for reasons below.
- Whether B12 and folic acid are included.
- Whether you already take anything else containing B vitamins — a multivitamin, a single-vitamin product such as vitamin B6, or a combination such as Neurobion. Totals add up quietly.
- Whether it is oral or injectable. Injections should be given by a healthcare professional.
- Any advice on taking it with food.
- Expiry date and storage.
Safety, interactions and when to seek professional advice
Most B vitamins are well tolerated, and surplus is excreted. Two exceptions matter:
Vitamin B6 is genuinely harmful in excess. Sustained high intakes cause peripheral neuropathy — numbness, tingling, burning and unsteadiness, typically starting in the feet and hands. The cruelty of this is that these are the very symptoms people often take B vitamins to treat, so someone with tingling who increases their intake can worsen exactly what they are trying to fix. Nerve damage usually improves after stopping, but recovery can be slow and is not always complete. Stop and seek advice if you develop numbness, tingling, burning or unsteadiness.
High-dose niacin (B3) can cause flushing, itching, and with large doses liver problems. Nicotinamide, the form usually in B-Co products, causes less flushing.
B vitamins interact with several medicines:
- Levodopa for Parkinson’s disease — B6 can reduce its effectiveness when taken without carbidopa.
- Phenytoin and phenobarbital for epilepsy — B6 can lower their levels and reduce seizure control.
- Isoniazid, hydralazine and penicillamine deplete B6, which is often why it is given alongside them.
- Some antibiotics and chemotherapy agents, where folic acid can interfere.
Speak to a doctor or pharmacist before starting if you:
- Take any of the medicines above.
- Have existing nerve symptoms, which need a diagnosis first — B12 deficiency, diabetes and thyroid disease cause similar symptoms and are treated differently.
- Have anaemia, or are being investigated for it. Folic acid can mask a B12 deficiency while nerve damage continues silently — an important reason to have the cause identified rather than self-treating.
- Have kidney disease.
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Already take a multivitamin or another B product.
- Are giving it to a child.
Thiamine deficiency can be a medical emergency. In someone with alcohol dependence or severe malnutrition, confusion, unsteadiness and abnormal eye movements may indicate Wernicke’s encephalopathy, which needs urgent high-dose thiamine by injection. Treat that as an emergency — do not manage it with tablets at home.
See a doctor rather than self-treating for persistent fatigue, tingling, numbness, weakness or memory problems. A blood test and diagnosis are more useful than a guess.
Related supplement guides
Frequently asked questions
What are Bico pills used for? “B-Co” means vitamin B complex — several B vitamins combined. They are taken to correct or prevent a B vitamin shortfall. Check your pack for exactly which vitamins it contains.
What is a Bico injection used for? Vitamin B Co injections deliver B vitamins where absorption from the gut is poor or a faster effect is needed — commonly in alcohol dependence, malnutrition or malabsorption. They should be given by a healthcare professional.
Does B complex give you energy? Only if you are deficient. B vitamins help release energy from food, but taking them when levels are normal does not create energy.
Can I take too much? Most B vitamins are excreted in surplus, but vitamin B6 is a real exception — sustained high intakes cause nerve damage. Check the B6 content on your label.
Can B complex help nerve pain? Where symptoms come from a B vitamin deficiency, replacing it helps. Other causes need different treatment, and too much B6 can itself cause nerve damage.
Why is it given to people who drink heavily? Alcohol impairs absorption and use of B vitamins, especially thiamine, and deficiency can cause serious neurological damage.
Can I take it with a multivitamin? Check both labels first. Totals add up, and B6 in particular should not be doubled unknowingly.
How long before I notice a difference? Where there is a genuine deficiency, improvement typically takes weeks. If nothing changes, see a doctor rather than increasing the dose.