Got a cold after IVC

[AngieLynn]

I had a tooth pulled two weeks ago. To kill infection and help with healing I had three vitamin C IV's within a week or so with 15-18 grams of IVC from beet source - I had one that night, one 3 days later, and one about 3-4 days later after that.

I felt a slight sore throat come and go after the second one, and when I took my third I figured if I was coming down with something it would knock it out, but instead by the next morning it turned into a full out cold.

Has anyone had this happen?

[ofonorow]

Please describe your oral intake of vitamin C during this period?

If you were not taking much oral C, then the IVs may have started the "enzyme" process where you body starts converting excess vitamin C into other substances (as described by Linus Pauling in HOW TO LIVE LONGER AND FEEL BETTER, 1086). This is sometimes referred to as a "rebound" effect, since if the supply of vitamin C in the blood is discontinued, the enzymes still convert any vitamin C available for 12-36 hours, creating lower than normal vitamin C blood levels.

Oral Vitamin C needs to be continued daily in the right amount for you. The IV/C can raise blood levels high enough for various anti-viral effects.

Something like this is described in Pauling's book about the "big name in nutrition" - professor Stare, who had the same experience. He took vitamin C, apparently stopped or did not take enough - and caught a cold!

[AngieLynn]

Hi - To be honest I only take maybe 1-3 grams of oral C a day, and I'm not that consistent with it. Then when I had IV's on those days I didn't take any. So are you saying my body didn't use the vitamin C IV at all, and that I could have become deficient in it? Or am I misunderstanding?

[majkinetor]

I have similar experience with oral dosing and several of my friends. It looks like C needs some time to start working like proclaimed and it can produce paradoxical effects before that in some individuals.

I don't want to comment the reason for it - is it suddenly overactive immune system ? is it herx reaction ? too fast detox, prooxidative effects with gsh deficiency ?... who knows... the point is that it happens but its not a reason for panic or dismissal of vitamin C.

[Serdna]

Personally, I got a flu-like illness just in the middle of a preventive vitamin C saturation. I was applying iodine for some fungal issues --it worked-- and decided to increase vitamin C just in case it wasn't fungal (I am not going to doctors much these days). Usually I take 3g/day (keeps in check my acne), and I looked for saturation with 1g every half hour, starting at morning. By the evening I had a fever and I hadn't saturated. The three following days I got to saturation by taking 1g every 5 minutes, some days followed by lyposomal vitamin C. No symptoms when approaching saturation, as expected.

So, I personally don't consider vitamin C much of a preventive measure for cold and flu, but very effective in saturation doses. I am not convinced to up my usual dose since I am not ill as further as I know. I haven't read Pauling's book, though.

[ofonorow]

Hi - To be honest I only take maybe 1-3 grams of oral C a day, and I'm not that consistent with it. Then when I had IV's on those days I didn't take any. So are you saying my body didn't use the vitamin C IV at all, and that I could have become deficient in it? Or am I misunderstanding?

That makes sense.

When you took so many IVs, you reached a threshold where your body "figured" you were taking in vitamin C regularly. At this point, enzyme reactions begin (as Pauling describes) that converts some of the now "excess" vitamin C into other health improving substances.

When you don't take enough vitamin oral vitamin C under these "Plenty of C" conditions, and the supply of C is reduced or cut off after these enzyme reactions begin, what little C is in the blood (30 minute half life) is converted via the enzyme reactions. This reduces the amount of vitamin C in the blood, and people have these temporary rebound reactions, including colds.

The answer is to take more oral vitamin C around the IVs, and slowly reduce the intake if you want to lower it for some reason.