High Dose Iv Vitamin C Side Effects

Winning The Hospital Game

When faced with hospitalization, the most powerful person in the most entire hospital system is the patient. However, in most cases, the system works on the assumption that the patient will not claim that power. If on your way in you signed the hospitals legal consent form, you can unsign it. You can revoke your permission. Just because somebody has permission to do one thing doesnt mean that they have the permission to do everything. Theres no such thing as a situation that you cannot reverse. You can change your mind about your own personal healthcare. It concerns your very life. The rights of the patient override the rules of any institution.

If the patient doesnt know that, or if theyre not conscious, or if they just dont have the moxie to do it, the next most powerful person is the spouse. The spouse has enormous influence and can do almost as much as the patient. If the patient is incapacitated, the spouse can, and must, do all the more. If there is no spouse present, the next most powerful people in the system are the children of the patient.

This is deadly serious. Medical mistakes are now the third leading cause of death in the US. Yes, medical errors kill over 400,000 Americans every year. Thats 1,100 each day, every day.

If a family member of mine died due to coronavirus infection, after a doctor refused to use intravenous vitamin C, I would challenge his or her treatment in a court of law. I would win.

What Other Drugs Interact With Ascorbic Acid

If your doctor has directed you to use this medication, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider or pharmacist first.

• Ascorbic Acid has no known severe interactions with other drugs.
• Moderate interactions of ascorbic acid include:

This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your physician if you have health questions or concerns.

Palliative Care Of End

In patients with advanced cancer, where a cure is unlikely, QOL becomes an important and highly valued consideration for both the patients and their families. Yeom et al. carried out a prospective study of 39 terminal cancer patients who were not undergoing adjuvant chemo-/radiotherapy. The patients were administered IV vitamin C followed by oral vitamin C intake . The EORTC QLQ-C30 was used to assess QOL before and after vitamin C administration. The patients reported significantly lower scores for fatigue, pain, nausea/vomiting, and appetite loss following administration of vitamin C . The patients also reported significantly higher scores for physical, role, emotional, and cognitive function, as well as an overall improvement in their global health scale following vitamin C administration.

A recent phase I clinical trial designed to test the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of IV vitamin C in patients with advanced cancer also measured health-related QOL using the EORTC QLQ-C30 . Patients with refractory advanced solid tumors were treated with IV vitamin C at 0.83 g/kg body weight for 14 weeks. The QOL assessment gave variable data depending on the week and sample size, but overall there appeared to be an improvement in most functioning and symptom scales for weeks 2 and 4 .

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Risks Of Vitamin C Injections

If youre thinking about getting high doses of vitamin C through injection, talk with your doctor about the potential risks.

Vitamin C increases iron absorption from the food you eat. If you take very high doses of vitamin C, your body might absorb too much iron. This could be a potential problem if you already have high levels of iron in your body.

If you have kidney disease, very high doses of vitamin C might result in kidney damage.

High-dose vitamin C injections might increase your chance of developing a kidney stone. People whove had kidney stones in the past may have a greater risk.

When any injection is given, there is also risk for infection.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance

The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C is based on the amount of vitamin C intake necessary to maintain neutrophil vitamin C concentration with minimal urinary excretion of vitamin C and is proposed to provide sufficient antioxidant protection . The recommended intake for smokers is 35 mg/day higher than for nonsmokers, because smokers are under increased oxidative stress from the toxins in cigarette smoke and generally have lower blood concentrations of vitamin C .

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Linus Pauling Institute Recommendation

Combined evidence from metabolic, pharmacokinetic, and observational studies, and from randomized controlled trials supports consuming sufficient vitamin C to achieve plasma concentrations of at least 60 mol/L. While most generally healthy young adults can achieve these plasma concentrations with daily vitamin C intake of at least 200 mg/day, some individuals may have a lower vitamin C absorptive capacity than what is currently documented. Thus, the Linus Pauling Institute recommends a vitamin C intake of 400 mg daily for adults to ensure replete tissue concentrations an amount substantially higher than the RDA yet with minimal risk of side effects.

This recommendation can be met through food if the diet includes at least several servings of vitamin C-rich fruit and vegetables as part of the daily recommended fruit and vegetable intake . Most multivitamin supplements provide at least 60 mg of vitamin C.

Older adults

Copyright 2000-2022 Linus Pauling Institute

The Effect Of Intravenous Vitamin C On Cancer

• 1Department of Pathology, Centre for Free Radical Research, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
• 2New Brighton Health Care, Christchurch, New Zealand

Cancer patients commonly experience a number of symptoms of disease progression and the side-effects of radiation therapy and adjuvant chemotherapy, which adversely impact on their quality of life . Fatigue is one of the most common and debilitating symptom reported by cancer patients and can affect QOL more than pain. Several recent studies have indicated that intravenous vitamin C alleviates a number of cancer- and chemotherapy-related symptoms, such as fatigue, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea, and pain. Improvements in physical, role, cognitive, emotional, and social functioning, as well as an improvement in overall health, were also observed. In this mini review, we briefly cover the methods commonly used to assess health-related QOL in cancer patients, and describe the few recent studies examining the effects of IV vitamin C on cancer- and chemotherapy-related QOL. We discuss potential mechanisms that might explain an improvement in QOL and also considerations for future studies.

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Basic Facts Intravenous Vs Oral

• Vitamin C levels in the body are tightly controlled by the bowels and the kidneys

• Even by taking up to 18000mg per day orally in divided doses throughout the day, the blood levels do not change and do not exceed 0.2 mMol/L

• Intravenous vitamin C bypasses the tight control by the body leading to a 70-fold higher blood levels with only a 2000mg injection

• A simple injection of 5000mg of vitamin C produces a blood value of 3mMol/L and the research has shown that you can kill abnormal cells in the laboratory with values between 0.5 to 3mMol/L

Mechanisms Of Action / Alleged Indications

At the normal low physiological concentrations , vitamin C is an anti-oxidant that inactivates reactive oxygen species25. However, at high pharmacologic concentrations it was found to become a pro-oxidant generating oxidative species, i.e. extracellular hydrogen peroxide, which is lethal to cancer cells26,27. Normal cells were unaffected by both concentrations of vitamin C. In vitro findings were confirmed in rats and mice, where virtually the same cancer-killing hydrogen peroxide concentrations were found in extracellular fluid, but not in blood, after intravenous administration of high-dose vitamin C oral doses did not result in generation of hydrogen peroxide28-30. It was proposed that extracellular hydrogen peroxide diffuses into cancer cells and mediates toxicity by ATP depletion, thereby causing cell death. Moreover, hydrogen peroxide toxicity compromises membranes, glucose metabolism, and DNA integrity. In normal cells hydrogen peroxide is readily neutralized by antioxidant enzymes like catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, while levels of these antioxidant enzymes are low or imbalanced in most human cancers31.

Daily high-dose intravenous vitamin C significantly decreased the volume of tumours in mice by 41-53% for diverse aggressive cancer types29. Inhibition of tumour growth was also found in other mouse models of human cancers and in human cancer cell lines9,30,32-34.

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Quality Of Life And Fatigue Measures

Numerous instruments exist that can be used to assess health-related QOL in cancer patients . These include general measures such as the short form 36 and the EuroQoL 5 dimensions , as well as specific measures such as the functional assessment of cancer therapy-general and the European organization for research and treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire . The UK national institute for health and clinical practice recommends generic measures such as the EQ-5D in order to compare different disease conditions, however, the EQ-5D has been criticized for its lack of sensitivity with cancer patients , and the SF-36 also does not appear to perform as well as the EORTC QLQ-C30 . The FACT-G and EORTC QLQ-C30 perform equally well and three of the four studies assessing the effect of IV vitamin C on cancer-related QOL have used the EORTC QLQ-C30 . The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a reliable and valid QOL questionnaire comprising 30 core items . Multi-item scales include five functional scales , three symptom scales , and a global health and QOL scale. Additional single item scales include symptoms commonly reported by cancer patients as well as the financial impact of the disease and treatment. The measures range in score from 0 to 100, with a difference of 410 points representing a small change, and a difference of 1020 points representing a medium change in QOL .

Intravenous Vitamin C Patient Version

On This Page

• Vitamin C is a nutrient found in food and dietary supplements. It is an antioxidant and also plays a key role in making collagen .
• Vitamin C may be taken by mouth or given by an intravenous infusion. When taken by IV infusion, vitamin C can reach higher levels in the blood than when the same amount is taken by mouth .
• Some studies of IV vitamin C use in people with cancer showed it improved quality of life and reduced cancer-related side effects .
• In general, vitamin C given by IV infusion has caused very few side effects in clinical trials. However, IV vitamin C may cause serious side effects in people with kidney disease, G6PD deficiency, or hemochromatosis .
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of IV vitamin C as a treatment for cancer .

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What Are The Side Effects And Risks Of High

Intravenous high-dose ascorbic acid has caused very few side effects in clinical trials. However, high-dose vitamin C may be harmful in patients with certain risk factors.

• In patients with a history of kidney disorders, kidney failure has been reported after ascorbic acid treatment. Patients with a tendency to develop kidney stones should not be treated with high-dose vitamin C.
• Case reports have shown that patients with an inherited disorder called G-6-PD deficiency should not be given high doses of vitamin C, due to the risk of hemolysis .
• Since vitamin C may make iron more easily absorbed and used by the body, high doses of the vitamin are not recommended for patients with hemochromatosis .

Randomization Allocation And Blinding

Each ICU was assigned with an independent random numeric table generated by Microsoft Excel 2019 by the primary investigator alone. Each table had equal numbers of 1 and 2, which represented the placebo group and treatment group , respectively. The generated random list was stored by the principal investigator who was not involved in the treatment of patients and hidden to the other investigators. When a patient was transferred to the ICU and met the enrollment criteria, the clinician on duty would inform the principal investigator and obtain a number from the list. Then, participants were enrolled in the corresponding group according to the chronological order of ICU recruitment. The grouping and intervention were unknown to the participants and investigators who were responsible for data collection and statistical analysis. VC injection and sterile water for injection were both colorless and contained in the same brown syringes with different marks and without explanations on the syringe to make sure that patients could not distinguish the treatment they receive.

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Data Collection And Management

Baseline data, which included demographics, anthropometrics, comorbid conditions, vital signs, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores, and Glasgow Coma Scale scores, were obtained on the day of randomization. Laboratory data, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores, PaO2/FiO2, and other treatments used were monitored on days 1, 3, and 7 .

Risks And Adverse Events

Adverse events related to HDIVC included nausea or vomiting during or after infusion of VC electrolyte disturbance and acute kidney injury, as described by Khoshnam-Rad . AEs and serious adverse events were observed and followed in accordance with the good clinical practice guidelines issued by the National Medical Products Administration of the Peoples Republic of China. If any severe adverse events were observed during infusion, the infusion was stopped immediately, and the patients vital signs were carefully monitored. All the AEs and SAEs were recorded in detail, and the causal relationship between the infusion and AEs was analyzed.

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Why Not Just Use Oral Vitamin C

Oral Vitamin C is limited by 2 significant factors.

First, Vitamin C has a maximum absorption rate of approximately 200 mg/hour. Most Vitamin C supplements far exceed 1,000 mg, let alone 200 mg. If one takes more than 200 mg oral Vitamin C, the vast majority of it is flushed out of the body not used.

Second, and probably most important, oral Vitamin C has a very low peak plasma concentration, likely related to the first point. Oral Vitamin C will not raise plasma concentration significantly higher than 200 microMolar.

The lowest plasma concentration that has been shown to be toxic to cancer cells is 500 microMolar with the target maximum cancer kill rate in the 10-20 millimolar range.

In contrast, IV Vitamin C has been shown to reach peak plasma concentrations of 20-40 millimolar and higher. That is at least a 20,000 times higher peak plasma concentration with IV Vitamin C compared to oral Vitamin C.

History Of Ivc As A Cancer Treatment

While the nutritional value of Vitamin C is well known, did you know intravenous Vitamin C has been studied as a cancer treatment for almost 50 years? Nobel Prize-winning chemist Linus Pauling and Scottish physician Ewan Cameron studied the possible benefits of Vitamin C therapy in clinical trials in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Later, Pauling and Canadian physician Abram Hoffer collaborated on a micronutrient regime, which included high-dose Vitamin C as an adjunctiveAnother treatment used together with the primary treatment. Its purpose is to assist the primary treatment. cancer therapy.

The study by Pauling and Cameron suggested that Vitamin C, given by I.V., could extend the life of advanced cancer patients by as much as six times the estimated prognosis. Vitamin C is thought to act as a pro-oxidant inside the cell in high concentration, and some hydrogen peroxide is formed which is rapidly disposed of by catalase in a normal cell, Dr. William Wassell said. Since cancer cells have a deficiency or lack entirely of catalase, the peroxides kill the cell.

Riordan et al. demonstrated the likelihood that Vitamin C was an effective anti-tumor therapy as long as high enough concentrations of it could be achieved inside the tumor. These researchers also concluded that oral Vitamin C supplementation was unlikely to produce blood levels of Vitamin C high enough to have a direct killing effect on a given tumor.

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When Is An Ideal Time To Have A Vitamin C Infusion

Vitamin C Infusions may assist best:+ Post surgery for improved healing. + For immune support when travelling. + During the cooler months where immunity can become compromised.+ If you are unwell or exposed to those who are unwell+ If your immune system is compromised and you experience a frequent recurrence of cold or flu.

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Impair The Effectiveness Of Niacin

Evidence suggests that taking vitamin C supplements may impair the bodys ability to increase high density lipoprotein cholesterol in people taking the combination drug niacin-simvastatin. This drug combines the vitamin niacin with the statin simvastatin , and people take it to treat high cholesterol.

Doctors consider HDL cholesterol the good cholesterol because it reduces the amount of harmful cholesterol in the blood.

If a person takes vitamin C supplements and niacin-simvastatin, they should talk to their doctor about ways to make each more effective. Doctors do not know whether vitamin C also affects the ability of other medicines similar to Zocor.

A persons body cannot make vitamin C, so people need to eat enough foods that contain vitamin C to meet their daily needs. If someone is at risk of a vitamin C deficiency, they can take vitamin C supplements.

The advise aiming for the following RDA of vitamin C each day:

People who smoke should take 35 mg more vitamin C per day than those who do not smoke.

During pregnancy or when breastfeeding, women should get the following levels of vitamin C per day:

• 1418 years: 80 mg during pregnancy and 115 mg when breastfeeding
• 19 years and older: 85 mg during pregnancy and 120 mg when breastfeeding

There is not enough research to suggest an RDA for vitamin C in those younger than 1 year of age. As a result, the ODS provide an adequate intake, which is the amount that is likely to be sufficient:

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