Cernevit solution contains a range of vitamins; vitamin A (retinol), vitamin D3 (colecalciferol), vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (nicotinamide or niacin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B12 (cyanocabalamin), folic acid, pantothenic acid and biotin.


What is it used for?

  • Cernevit is an intravenous vitamin supplement for people who can't get adequate nutrition by normal eating, or by feeding through a tube. It is usually added to intravenous feeding solutions.

Cernevit is added to parenteral nutrition bags under aseptic (sterile) conditions in the pharmacy.

Your doctor and pharmacist will use the results of daily blood tests to check that the components added to the parenteral nutrition are necessary and appropriate.

How does it work?



Vitamins are complex chemicals that are required for various body functions. The body cannot manufacture these chemicals itself (with the exception of vitamin D) and has to obtain them from the diet. Most are required in very small amounts.

A balanced diet that includes a variety of food is likely to provide adequate amounts of vitamins. However, a normal diet, ie where nutrients are absorbed from the gut, is not always possible. Inadequate intake of any vitamins over an extended period can lead to symptoms of deficiency. The type of symptoms depends on the vitamin concerned.


People who can't eat a normal diet include those with severe or prolonged disorders of the gut, people who have had major surgery, trauma, or burns, people in a coma, people who are refusing to eat and some people with kidney or liver failure. These people may not be able to get adequate nutrition either by eating, or by being fed through a feeding tube that goes into the stomach.

In these cases, nutrients are given by a drip into a vein (intravenous infusion). This may be in addition to normal eating or tube feeding (supplemental parenteral nutrition), or may be the sole source of nutrition (total parenteral nutrition or TPN).

Parenteral nutrition contains all the nutrients required by the body, such as fats, glucose, amino acids, electrolytes and trace elements. Cernevit is added to these intravenous feeding solutions to provide a source of vitamins. These are used by the body in the same way as vitamins obtained in a normal diet would be.

How is it given?

  • If Cernevit is not being given as part of parenteral nutrition it will be added to fluids and given by a drip into a vein.
  • If Cernevit is part of parenteral nutrition, a doctor or nurse will insert a cannula into one of the veins, either in the chest or in an arm. This cannula will be used specifically for administering the parenteral nutrition. It will stay in place as long as the nutrition is needed. The parenteral nutrition containing Cernevit will be given by a drip (intravenous infusion) through the dedicated cannula.


  • This medicine does not contain vitamin K. Vitamin K must be administered separately if it is required.

Use with caution in

  • People with decreased kidney function.
  • People with inflammatory bowel disease (enterocolitis).
  • People who are getting vitamin A (retinol) from other sources as well.

Not to be used in

  • Children under 11 years of age.
  • People who already have too much of one or more of the vitamins in Cernevit in their blood (hypervitaminosis).



Pregnancy and breastfeeding


  • Cernevit has not been studied in pregnant or breastfeeding women and the manufacturer does not recommend it for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for further information and advice.

Side effects


  • This medicine is a nutritional supplement and is unlikely to cause any side effects.
  • Allergic reactions may occur in people who are allergic to vitamin B1 (thiamine).



How can this medicine affect other medicines?

It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Likewise, always ask your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines during treatment with this one, to check that the combination is safe. Your doctor and pharmacist will always make sure that parenteral nutrition is compatible with any other medicines that you are being treated with.

Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) may reduce the effects of levodopa used to treat Parkinson's disease if the levodopa is used alone. However, levodopa is usually used in combination with either carbidopa (Sinemet) or benserazide (Madopar), and pyridoxine does not affect it in this case.

Folic acid may reduce the blood levels of the antiepileptic medicines phenobarbital, phenytoin and primidone. If you are having treatment with one of these antiepileptic medicines your doctor may need to increase the dose of the antiepileptic to make sure your seizures remain controlled.

Other medicines containing the same active ingredient

There are currently no other intravenous vitamin supplements available in the UK that contain the same combination of vitamins as Cernevit.

Last updated

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