The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Side Effects
Posted by John (Mt. Pleasant, Mi) on 11/13/2015
I've been taking chewable vitamin C for about two weeks and got a sore about a week ago.
Side Effects
Posted by Tee (Swedesboro, Nj) on 06/15/2013
Hello, I had extensive blood work done and found that I was low on vitamin c, d, and b vitamins. I just started with the c vitamin (absorbic acid) with rosehips at 1000 mg and the Dr. wants me up to 3000 mg. Well at 1000mg of vitamin C, I am so tired. I don't understand. I am on day 7 of the vitamin c (and today I had to really nap) as I am waiting in the mail for my b's and d.
I do take Effexor xr and Klonopin. All my other blood work was okay except for vitamin deficiencies and epstein bar virus old antibodies that are high. Anyone know if 1000 mg of vitamin c is just too much for me? Thanks. It seems like there is people out there that have this side effect but it does not seem common when I google it.
Side Effects
Posted by V (Anon, Usa) on 11/09/2012
Yeah I bought my "pure" ascorbic acid online and took just 1/4 tsp (1 tsp = 5g) and my stomach felt upset, no runs though. I will try taking it with food next time. Also I tried sodium ascorbate but I'm sodium sensitive and makes my heart kind of do a flutter thing when I lay down to sleep. Sodium bicarbonate has a similar effect.
Side Effects
Posted by Wendy (London, England) on 05/06/2012
Have suffered for years with IBS, in my case diarrhoea.
I tried to discover what I was taking that could be making this worse. It suddenly came to me that something I take, every day (because it is good for me, so I thought) is 1000mg of Vitamin C. I know too much can give you diarrhoea, but it never occured to me this could be too much.
Anyway I have stopped taking it and all those gripey pains have gone. This of course won't apply to everyone but if you are taking it as a supplement it could be the answer.
Side Effects
Posted by Virginia (Hamilton, Canada) on 10/31/2011
Vitamin C side effects
I have been taking 1/2 teaspoon Vit C Ascorbic Acid with 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda with a few oz of pineapple juice 2 times per day. After a few days I woke up with really sharp pain in my bladder area, and then following day pain in my leftside kidney. Can Vitamin C cause kidney stones? Is this too much Vit C?
Side Effects
Posted by Rupa (Canada, On) on 11/20/2009
Does Vitamin C causes hair fall? I have been asked by doctor to take iron tablet as my hair was falling. I learned that iron tab (300mg) taken with Vitamin C helps to absorb iron (folic acid) faster. So I took together Vitamin C and iron tablet. But to my surprise my hair fall increased as never before. The rate of fall is higher. I almost lost so many hair. I am confused why it is so. May be Vitamin C is acidic in nature and that may causes hair fall? Or It is some thing like fall is the season for hair fall too?
Side Effects
Posted by KT (Irvine, Ca) on 11/11/2009
I agree with people linking Vitamin-C to cold sores. So, I am not alone! When taken in a dose as high as 500mg I start to get cold sores or ones already present get worse, talking about lip-condition here. I wonder what the explanation is! Reacta-C is one I took and it gives me cold sore symptoms. If I buy a formula where Vitamin-C is a part, I make sure it's not more than 50mg or else I don't buy the formula at all. B-Complex for eg. comes with Vitamin-C as part of it, some with 50mg some with 500 mg. So yea, may be taking Vitamin-C in small doses is okay or make your own like suggested here by grinding dry citrus fruit peels.
Side Effects
Posted by Jean (Redding, Ca, Usa) on 10/04/2009
I have a very odd situation. Vitamin C causes strange side effects in me and my children. These include small, hard nodules in our fingers, sores in our mouths and bruising on our arms. I am 49, but it has always been this way. my children have the same symptoms. My dad has gout ( I have never had any symptoms of that), but I wonder if the two conditions could be related? Has anyone else had anything like this?
EC: Please tell us what type of vitamin C you are taking. Thanks!
Side Effects
Posted by DarenM (Trenton, MI) on 02/02/2009
I too experienced something like the above post in my case it was very odd and scary palpitations. After going to the doctor several times and being in the emergency room more than once I lowered the C and things started to get better. I had EKG's performed and wore a halter monitor but of course over the 24 hours period I wore the monitor nothing happened. I found more information on the internet about this before but I can't remember where. At the time of problem I was taking 5-15 grams a day of chewable sodium ascorbate with 1 gram of sugar in it (unfortunately). I now take 2-6 grams a day of pure powder ascorbic acid and I always try to take it with a meal and a cookie. :) In addition I supplement with 250mg-600mg of magnesium.
Jacqueline do you mean 200 grams? 200 milligrams is not that much.
"read about a doctor/researcher who would give up to 200 milligrams per day"
Side Effects
Posted by Patricia (Elmont, NY) on 02/02/2009
emergen-c caused a herpes simplex outbreak. I was shopping at Trader Joes and I picked up a pack of emergen-c. thinking that it will supply me with needed vit-c. I took one packet right at the store with water that I bought there. I felt really weird after taking it. I read the ingredients and I noticed natural flavors and natural sucrose. I know from previous time that anything edible containing natural flavours it is MSG. No sooner did I get into my car to leave,my lip became inflamed and I had the start of a cold sore. I returned to the store and got my money back. I later spoke to the manager about the situation and he said he cannot pull anything off the shelf. It has to be done by headquarters. Now I only depend on good quality Vit C. Emergen-C is on my not-to-buy-list!
Side Effects
Posted by Rosy (Orlando, Fl) on 02/01/2009
I feel the same way after taking the emergen-c. I had to give it way. I didn't know that Aspartic acid was an excitotoxin.
Side Effects
Posted by Catherine (Seattle, WA) on 01/31/2009
I was fighting a sinus infection last week after landing in California and went to a Whole Foods to get some Vitamin C. I decided to get Emergen-C to add to water because it had a really tempting fruity flavor. Immediately after taking my first packet (which was delicious), I felt a weird sensation in my head and then I got really edgy (as in bad mood edgy). I read the ingredients on the box and sure enough, the vitamin C used in this brand is Aspartic acid, an excitotoxin. The Emergen-C also contained "natural flavors", aka MSG. I waited 24 hours and tried again to see if I would have the same side effects. Again, within a minute of drinking the packet, I got the same sensation in my head. My question is, are you doing more good or harm to the body when you take this form of vitamin c?!! Also, does Whole Foods know what they're selling? I thought they had stricter standards than most health food stores about supplements! I now need to check the ingredients on the dissolvable vitamin c from Trader Joe's that I have at home to see if it's the same stuff. GRRRR!!!
Side Effects
Posted by Philip Lim (Makati, Philippines) on 12/09/2008
Can vitamin c cause urinary tract burning sensation and hair lose? I take 1000 mg daily for one year. is it overdose? Im 45 yrs old.
Side Effects
Posted by Roxanne (Easton, Pennsylvania) on 11/21/2008
I found the information about aspartame in Ester C product interesting. I've had two spinal fusion and my Doctor wants me to take vitiman C for healthy cell growth etc. I could not take regular vitamin C after awhile needing nexium for months. I switched to Ester C. 6 months ago taking 500-1000mgs. a day. I had have a burning, tingling and pain in legs for months only getting extremely worse over the past 2 months. Now I am taking Neurontin 300mg;bid. My neurosurgeon wants me to go through an EMG again. I've been throught every MRI/scan to rule out my fusions/nerves at spine. After reading this and how aspartame can effect peripheral nerves it makes sense. It must be the Ester C? Thanks again for the insight.
Side Effects
Posted by Wes (Webster, TX) on 01/10/2008
I'm 220 and work out almost everyday. I started taking 2000mg of vitamin C. Ester C tablets. A few days later I noticed I was very easily enraged. I did this for about 4 weeks and decided it wasn't worth it. I recently started taking and animal pack vitamin package. After taking for several days I noticed the same effect. Read the ingredient 2000 mg Vitamin C. So I stopped taking it. Is there anyway to counteract the aggressiveness. IE some other vitamin.
