I have multiple chemical sensitivities/environmental injury, for which the standard treatment is large doses of Vitamin C. I still do extremely well with an IV drip. However since escalating my daily at-home Vitamin C intake to approximately 2,500 mg (Ester-C by American HealthA) OD last winter, I have been experiencing unusual symptoms: burning in the urethra and surrounding area shortly after ingestion.

I have tried various fixes: staying off C for a week or so; switching to tapioca-based C caps; going to buffered C from cassava root; subtituting NutriCology Buffered C. Each time, the same pattern occurs: I am fine for approximately 1 week, after which the burning resumes. Liposomal C is too strong, causing reactions.

Any ideas? Is this C toxicity? If so, why doesn’t it happen following an IV? I am significantly better with about 1,000 mg of C in my system daily.

The burning sensation could be due to acidic urine. A half teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water is a multi-purpose home remedy. But don't take it at the same time as the vitamin C.

Do you have prostate problems? mercury toxicity? any other diagnosis or lab info??? Your chemical sensitivities may need additional detox help besides vitamin C.

Thank you, scurveyencounters, for your response.

I am female, so no prostate problems! And test strips show urine to be alkaline.

This particular reaction is no doubt directly linked to the C intake: take the C, get almost immediate burning sensation; stay off C for a while, burning relieved. Because I am dependent on C for some of the various medical conditions provoked by environmental/toxic injury, I’m looking for ideas. One person suggested taking liquid protein along with the C, but so far that’s not helping much.

Anyway, my thanks again!

Strange.

Did you maybe tried to ignore it for some time ?
Have you supplemented Magnesium in large dose ?

Hi Owen,

Thank you so much for the response.

The reaction occurs anywhere from 1 to about 6 hours after ingestion of oral C; no reaction with IV C. But there is a definite nexus between the oral C and the burning; when I eliminate Oral C altogether it simply doesn't occur. (I even experimented to see if Magnesium was the culprit, but not so.) I suffer from malabsorption/leaky gut and have been told that the C is "dumping itself" out, failing to absorb.

Very interested in the product you've suggested and will investigate it pronto.

Again, my thanks!

JoJo

Your amounts make no sense to me - they are off the bottom of my scale. Could you clarify amounts/dosage, and the IV regime?

I have read of the burning, and both my wife and I experienced it for a short time when we started C (and multiple sources of B vitamins). That was in 1968, at 5 grams/day ascorbic acid crystals. It soon went away, and never returned, at any dose including my now routine 15-20 grams/day. Neither wife nor daughter have ever had any such effects. Daughter raised since birth on C and taking 10gm/day routine since age 10, more if any sign of anything "not right".

I have continued to read of this, and therefore continued to think about it.
Since C is known to clear urinary tract infections, my theory is that you have a sub-clinical infection, and are altering urine PH to the point that it irritates but never gets a chance to heal the real problem. Keep at it and in fact increase your dose.
Such infections are frequently yeast infections, and B vitamins in general are helpful, as well as to other things like "malabsorption". Both yeast and bacterial infections are a common result of antibiotic use, which causes B deficiencies as well (for a year or more after completion). Yogurt both dietary and as douche is a common aid.
My proposal has worked with my sister, who also reported urinary burning when I first got her started on C.

Do NOT take large quantities of ester-C! Especially as a female in the current goofy med view, you are most likely already severely overdosed on calcium and deficient in magnesium. Dr Levy has a very good explanation.
http://www.tomlevymd.com/archiveissue9.htm

Whatever the source of your alleged problems, and especially this one, I would bet my life that MUCH more vitamin C, B vitamins, and magnesium will help or cure. Take C as ascorbic acid, preferably as crystals, or as sodium ascorbate.

FRM

Very interesting ideas, gofanu, and thanks so much for posting!

Dosage: 500-1,000 mg OD; previously was up to almost 2,500 mg OD. IV, administered twice a month, is 12,500 mg.

The reaction may not make sense to you, but I have been diagnosed as chemically sensitive (multiple chemical sensitivities), so any quirky response to almost anything put in the body, including a vitamin or a supplement, is possible. I must test every one for tolerance, and I try to use veggie caps that are gluten- wheat- sugar- and soy-free (have I omitted anything? LOL).

I instantly clicked on the link, but, alas, it's dead. Can you please repost it?

Changed link:
http://www.tomlevymd.com/health_ebytes/issue_9.html

Diagnosed by who, and why?
I obviously do not know your situation, and I haven't paid much attention to "multiple chemical sensitivities", because from what I see it is one more catch-all diagnosis that really means "we don't know what we are doing, but we'll be glad to mess with YOUR body and take your money and make you dependent on us".
"Leaky gut syndrome" is another, and so is "malabsorption". I can make a logical case that all three should be improved by what I have suggested plus a few other things, but I cannot give you any personal experience because nobody I can influence has or had any such malady. The people I've seen who do have such also have lots of signs I recognize as related to the deficiencies I mentioned. Sadly, it seems they also have belief systems and other issues that make it easier and less frightening to be sick than to get better. I've watched some dear friends suffer through successive "diagnoses" of the catch-alls: chemical sensitivity, MS, Krohn's, IBS, Lupus, TMJ syndrome, Chronic Fatigue, RA, and many other things I cannot recall. Now suffering from heart disease, carpal tunnel, diabetes, obesity, and approaching death. All the time they clearly have needed exactly what I suggested to you, not even the ones who follow and understand my argument and supporting evidence will actually seriously attempt to fix their problem.

The paltry IV is helping, which indicates you need the C; the amounts you are taking orally will not be of much use. How are you getting the IV, assuming you are in the US?

FRM

Update:

Owen and others, I had been off C for two weeks, and the burning receded. I am now experiencing a burning-urethra reaction following yesterday's IV. Any thoughts? I am running out of options. I need the C to address corneal problems and other medical issues.

Thank you!

gofanu, leaky gut is actually well known and the entire process is described in detail (see about zonulin). Some people are clearly more affected then other...

I have no idea what to suggest in this moment. In theory Mg should work as it will alkalize urine. Perhaps lots of water would be good thing ? Alkaline water ?

Here is an idea from Klenner

http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/197x/klenner-fr-j_int_assn_prev_med-1974-v1-n1-p45.htm

"burning-urethra reaction following yesterday's IV. "
JoJo-
You are now saying that you experience this after IV, not oral C?

In that case it is not either "malabsorption" nor "Leaky gut".
It could be simple dehydration, a likely thing for somebody trying on some level to avoid peeing firewater.
Or lack of magnesium or B6.
Or all of.
Have you had any chemical urine tests?

Maj- yes, I have read descriptions of "leaky gut". The establishment is very good at detailed obfuscating descriptions of issues as they see them. What is lacking is any credible explanation as to the cause. I read the Pauling-Rath hypothesis re arteries, and it came to me that the same issue of tissue integrity applies to "leaky gut". Add in Thomas Smith's lipid membranes and you actually have a cause, effect and the cure, It seems to match the condition of all the people I've met who complain of that set of horrid conditions,. I have no personal knowledge (don't want any either!).

FRM

I think this explanation is pretty credible...
Here is something more recent:

"Zonulin and its regulation of intestinal barrier function: the biological door to inflammation, autoimmunity, and cancer."
http://physrev.physiology.org/content/91/1/151.short