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 Antoine (Los Angeles, California) on 03/21/2007
I was born allergic to Vitamin C. It causes me to itch all over my body, sometimes even break out in Hives. As a matter of fact, doctors have suggested that i even avoid taking ANY vitamins.
Side Effects
Posted by David (Elkton, MD) on 11/18/2008
It might be the calcium, as well as bioflavanoids. Ester C is C buffered with calcium and it also contains bioflavanids, and some people are more sensitive to calcium supplements than others and bioflavanoids are a problem for many people. Most creams with Vitamin C buffer it with calcium and throw rose hips and other junk in there to make it sound even more beneficial even though it's they're far more likely to give you an adverse reaction.
Skin especially needs vitamin C. It's a primary ingredient in the process of creating collagen which gives skin elasticity and keeps it from getting saggy.
I would suggest pure ascorbic acid for consumption. Most studies indicate pure Vit C is just as viable as buffered solutions and complexes including bioflavanoids.
With adequate C intake local application of the C to your skin should not be necessary. You could however put super concentrated vit C fluid + baking soda (to make sodium ascorbate, a non-acidic version of Vitamin C) in a dropper and rub it in to your face each night before you go to bed. Powdered pure vit C and baking soda is cheap and easily obtainable and I guarantee it will not give you a rash if mixed to become neutral.
Side Effects
Posted by Pat (Lamper, MO) on 01/28/2007
Recently had bladder infection, solved with soda and ACV. Nobody ever discusses Vit C problem. If I take Vit C or even a health bar with citric acid, I develop kidney or bladder problem. Would love to cleanse with your 1/4 tsp lemon, soda and pinch of Magnesium and potassium.
Side Effects
Posted by Ted (Bangkok) 392 posts
Dear Pat: If I have a bladder infection or even a kidney problems, yes, vitamin C and citric acid is not helpful. But it is NOT the vitamin C or the citric acid being the problem. It is the pH of the things you are consuming. In event of this problem (uti), the pH should be over 8.
Vitamin C are of two types and people tend to lump them all together. One is the ascorbic acid which is acid and tends to promote bacteria growth by acidity. A sodium ascorbate vitamin C has a pH of about 8 and it prevents bacterial growth. A vitamin C can be both a pro-oxidant and an anti-oxidant depending on the pH. Vitamin C is a two edge sword. If the vitamin C is acid, it is a pro-oxidant. If the vitamin C is alkalline it is an anti-oxidant.
Citric acid and sodium citrate are very different, but chemically they are the similar in most ways, but at different pH.
When a baking soda is reacted with citric acid, it becomes sodium citrate and its pH is over 8. So in event of a kidney and bladder infection whatever you eat, its pH should be 8, or at least 7.
How do I know this is the issue. You mentioned you were helped with baking soda and ACV. The pH is about 7, but if reacted long enough it is between 7.5 to 8.0
It is the same with the other ones. It helps therefore to get a good pH paper and measure it and make sure it is alkaline and pH is about 8 in event of an infection.
Sea salt -- 1 teaspoon one dose only in one glass of water usually will kill the bladder infection. But for tough cases take this along with cranberry juice and some baking soda to increase the alkalinity of cranberry juice to about pH of 8. Sea salt pH is quite often pH is between 7.5 to 8.5. A good quality sea salt will have a pH of 8, a very bad one I have seen (overprocessed overpurified) can be as low as 6. A good sea salt is light brown and never bleached white.
Sore Throat
Posted by Lorenzo (Green River, Wyoming) on 01/17/2007
★★★★★
Quick success with Sore throat. One tablespoon of raw crushed garlic. One day flu cure: 20 grams of vitamin C. Was taking Vitamin C several times a day to keep a tooth from hurting until the Dentist appointment. Then in place of taking anti-biotics one hour before the appointment I took more vitamin C. The Dentist had to give me more novocaine than normal as it kept wearing off. I mentioned this on the Cavemanfood list and another writer said he had the swame experience. We had a teen age visitor with a toothache, she took Vitamin C and was happy again.
Side Effects
Posted by John (Oakland, CA) on 01/10/2007
re: Large doses of Vitamin C. I took 3 grams/day for periodontal disease. I'm cutting back because I would sneeze so hard I became congested and would turn to inhalers. My lungs constricted.
Side Effects
Posted by Sarah (USA) on 12/20/2006
I take high doses of Vitamin C whenever I get a cold. I always get a rash on my abdomen, breasts and underarms afterward. I don't know if the vitamin C causes it, but I wonder now if the two are linked.
Side Effects
Posted by Bret (Phoenix, Arizona) on 09/18/2008
I thought I had an allergy to vitamin c growing up. My pediatrician said no, it was an allergy to contaminants and biproducts. Some experts feel you cannot be allergic to a vitamin, but that plant biproducts, bioflavenoid, rhutin can induce allergic reactions. I know because I used to break out in pinpoint rash on my abdomen from vitamin c and had to take liquid drops which were pure. While I was growing up, I had to take this liquid form. If I was truly allergic to c, I would still have broken out, which I did not in the purest form.
Stay away from rose hips and extras. Buy the powder without the extra's. Buffered is good so don't mistake potassium, magnesium, calcium as extras. Just straight c, buffered or not.
Your liver used to make vitamin c as does every mammal. Somewhere along the line, primates lost their ability to manufacture their own c. This is why some people feel you can't be allergic to the vitamin, but can be allergic to the stuff that comes along with it. It's like being allergic to a hormone that your body already makes. If you take synthroid and have a reaction, chances are it's not the synthroid as your body manufactured this hormone naturally, it is something in the synthroid which causes reactions.
So seek out powder form, no flavenoids and such. No rose hips.
Good luck. This is a very important vitamin. Bret Peirce
Side Effects
Posted by John (Cebu City, Philippines) on 12/14/2006
I've been taking vitamin C crystals and vitamin C powder alternately for quite some time now. i take it everyday together with vit.E. So far i haven't noticed any significant improvement as to my susceptibility to upper respiratory illnesses is concerned. My concern right now is my gaining of weight. which is very visible due to my increased body weight and size. i am not sure if it is really the pure vit.C (2-4 500mg capsules a day) that has caused the weigh increase but the time i started gaining weigh and taking pure vit.C came at the same time.
Side Effects
Posted by Sue (Jamestown, Ny, Usa) on 03/10/2012
Hi, I am really confused... What type of vitamin C should I be taking? I have been taking Ascorbic Acid form of vitamin C, 3000 mg a day for hairloss as well as juicing 3 lemons with baking soda a day. I have noticed that I have gained weight and did not understand why. Could the vitamin C as well as the Lemons be causing this? I have been trying to treat my hairloss with this regimine. How do I tell when purchasing vitamin C if it is acidic or alkaline? Thanks Sue
Side Effects
Posted by Leah (NH) on 12/05/2006
I started taking pure vitamin C as suggested by a doctor to try and get rid of my cold faster. Within a couple of days I broke out with a blistery rash on the palms on my hands. It itched somewhat and was very annoying. Once i stopped taking it the rash disappeared. I also developed the rash after drinking large amounts of V8 Splash juice which also contains large amounts of vitamin C.
Side Effects
Posted by David (Elkton, MD) on 11/18/2008
It isn't the vitamin C. If Tomato juice causes it it's likely bioflavanoids that often come with vitamin C. You need C to survive, and your body doesn't produce it. You need to ingest it. Vitamin C is without doubt the most misunderstood nutrient and wrongfully disparaged therapeutic substance in modern medicine.
Sinusitis, Acid Reflux and Arrhythmia
Posted by John (Wilmington, CA) on 07/08/2006
★★★★★
I take 10,000 mg to 15,000 mg of Vitamin C everyday and it keeps a number of symptoms at bay. You have to build up a tolerance for Vitamin C. It may create a lot of bowel distress at first. See the internet site
http://www.orthomed.com/titrate.htm for more complete instructions on finding your personal level of Vitamin C.
Side Effects
Posted by Denise (Temecula, CA) on 06/04/2006
I have never been able to take Vit C. Within four days of ingesting it I would break out in massive cold sores. This also occurs when I eat large amounts of citrus or organic home grown tomatoes.
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 Don (Perth Western Australia) on 05/22/2006
High dose vitamin C caused my magnesium level to fall drastically. After taking high vit C for two months, I finished up in the emergency ward having defibrillation to correct severe atrial fibrillation brought on by low magnesium. Please add this warning to your advice pages, thanks.
