LymeNet Flash: Vit. C - ouch! Reason for pain?

This is topic Vit. C - ouch! Reason for pain? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by duramater (Member # 6480) on :

I have a very high homocysteine level and as a consequence the doc has put me on a high dose vitamin regimen to reduce it:
B12: 625 mcg working up to 2500 mcg/day
b6: 17 mg
folic acid: 800 mcg
reduced glutathione/riboflavin
Vit C: 500 mg working up to 1000 mg

So I just started the Vit. C (powdered ascorbic acid mixed in water, drink it over about 1-2 hours). Each time after I take it, I ache like crazy for several hours.

Can any of you vitamin/supplement afficianados explain to me the how and why of this reaction? Any thoughts about whether I should I stop the Vit C? (No chance to ask doc about this yet.)

BTW, besides the homocysteine, I have a severe untreated Bb infection that I'll start treatment for next week.

Thanks.

Posted by kgg (Member # 5867) on :

Dura, do you have an food sensitivities? The reason I ask is that many Vit C products are from a corn based ascorbic acid. And food allergies can cause aches/pains.

If it was me, I would stop taking it until you can speak to the doc about it.

Karen

Posted by Gabrielle (Member # 5329) on :

I'd like to share with you something that a German fellow lymie found out. I don't know if this applies to you, though. She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, collagenosis and then - surprise - with lyme. She had horrible pain and no doctor could help her.

She was doing some research and found an article, mentioning that an US-doctor - who was treating fibro people - found out that these people - at some times - had more oxalate in their urine than normal. He treated them with a reduced oxalate diet and a med called Guaifenisin with good results.

It seems that too much of ascorbic acid produces oxale acid. This very agressive acid together with calcium forms oxalate and can lead e.g. to kidney and bladder stones.

She also found that collagene (remember she has collagenosis) needs ascorbic acid to grow. So she thought, if oxalate can deposit itself in kidneys why not in the tissue as well.

So she decided to leave out all oxale acid and ascorbic acid from her diet which was not easy as she had to find out that ascorbic acid is in so many products, even in bread.

But since she has excluded all vitamin C, the artificial ascorbic acid and the oxale acid from her diet is is most of the times free of pain. She told other fibro people and those who were willing to try the diet also report of good results.

Don't know if this is of any help to you, though.

Take care,

Gabrielle

Posted by duramater (Member # 6480) on :

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Posted by Areneli (Member # 6740) on :

Why don't you try regular vit C from a department store. Choose slow release form and see. Perhaps the powder form is killing you.

Posted by mikken (Member # 2276) on :

Huh. Don't know why you have this reaction to the C...unless there's something about that particular product that's a problem for you.

I'd definitely tell your LLMD about it. And you may want to look into supplementing with TMG, too - that can help bring those levels down.

Posted by ArtistDi (Member # 2297) on :

Durameter, I think that Vitamin C can actually
inflame when inflammation is high. I find
that too much C bugs me as well. Citrus fruits, etc. also bother me.

Cut back a bit, and make sure it is buffered.

Artist