IV Vitamin C (Asorbic Acid)...is anyone on this?

[alanpvegas]

I recall a few threads about this recently...is anyone on this trial right now or doing it themselves?

[freshair]

Hi Alan,
I hope your Mom gets out of the hospital soon. Is she able to eat?

Good luck with the vitamin C route. I am hoping so much this really helps. Dr. Revici was a true believe besides Linus Pauling.

Just a thought. I take 50 mg. of zinc every day except around chemo time. You know especially good for healing and warding off things. Cancer also produces a tremendous amount of copper. So I also take zinc to counteract that. Interestingly enough, I had a hair analysis awhile ago (when I had hair!) and the copper was way way too high.

All my best to you and your Mom,
Helen

[SimplyStar]

I sure don't pretend to be an expert on Vit C, all I know about it is what I have read, the divided dose thing comes from many of the articles,  saying that since the body excretes C so fast, that to keep the levels up, it is best to divide the dose and try to keep the levels high.  so much has been written by many researchers about the sucess of Vit C, that I just feel that it is being neglected in its use.  I looked up distributors of infusion Vit C and was not impressed at all.  I would not have the slightest idea as to where to go to get it. Leslee is lucky to have an insurance plan that does cover the suppliments, all she needs is a perscription from the doctor.  Also she does not have a port.  so she takes the pill form  4 times a day, close to 3000mg per day. Plus she gets C in many of the foods she eats.  I am trying my best to stay one jump ahead of this cancer thing,  if something isn't working I would like another plan in place immediately.  My thoughts are not to blindly follow the doctors but to be prepared to offer suggestions to them for consideration.  There is a wealth of knowledge on the net to read, digest and either prove or disprove its worth, that is what I do. I do not have first hand knwoledge of what you all are going through, but reading your posts I can get a sense of what has been tried, what has worked and what has not worked.  In reallity all I am is a Mother trying her damndest to help a daughter.

[Diane B]

I have a port in that was how I was able to do my vitamin C at home.  What do you mean about the doeses been divided like they suggest?  In the Vitamin C bag is more then Vitamin C they put in the B's, K's everything to built up your immue system.  Plus they want you to take other Viamins too, which bring up the cost.  So over time it gets pretty expensive, since the insurance companies will not pay for anything.

[Diane B]

Alan, I hope everything goes well with your Mother I will keep her my prayers.  I sure hope the Vitamin C works and gives her more energy.  Like I said it help me.  I just don't know if I will go back on it but maybe someday.  Mostly because of the money we spent and then the cancer coming back.  Good Luck!  Diane

[alanpvegas]

Thanks!  Yeah that's roughly what I heard too...anywhere from 150 to 250 depending.  The place I'm eyeing in California has been doing it for 20 years; so hopefully I can do it at home as well for her.  The goal may not be to stop the cancer but at least improve her quality of life dramatically so she can get things done that she wants to do...at least that is my goal for her now and I think it is for her too.

Speaking of, she is in the hospital as of Sunday due to an abscess that the prior antibiotics didn't get rid of.  So we are awaiting a surgeon to come in tomorrow to tell what he/she plans to do (hopefully it won't be too much surgery that will keep her inpatient for a long time again).

[SimplyStar]

looking at the math here on your infusions, with 100 mg in a gram  I wonder what would have happened if the doeses had been divided like they suggest,   with a port in  I would think it would be easy to get a maximum amount in  as tolerated.   just  a thought .

[Diane B]

Alan, when I started I did 30 grams once a week, then she up it to twice a week.  After a few weeks I was doing 50 grams twice a week.  Then once my numbers started going up she increase it three and then four times a week.  I think that was the down fall, I started taking to much and the cancer just started to grow again.  I will tell while take the Vitamin C I felt great and like I said it kept my blood counts up.  But Vitamin C is not cheap here in Philadelphia the cost was $150. per dose, but you could work the nurse giving you the vitamin C.  I did mine at home for $75.00.  I hope this will help you.

[SimplyStar]

One of the reasons no one is pushing the Vit C therapy is because it is so readily available and cheap,  I read that IV infusion of Vit C increases the  absorbsion rate by 25%,  and as a very powerful oxident,, forms H2O2 and that is what kills the cancer cells and leaves the good ones alone.  Could you possibly do IV infusions at home in Vegas, do you know a nurse that would be willing to teach you.  I believe that a person can buy the Vit C for IV use on the net or at other stores.  I believe the high dose range is between 10,000 to 15,000mg  daily in divided doses.  I know without a doubt  that if Leslee reachs bottom on her travels with  this I will be trying  what ever home remedies I can find.  The FDA cannot approve this of course, the pharmacuticals will attempt to give it a chemo name and patent it,  If Vit C is one of the answers we seek, then it is going to be those brave enough or desperate enough to try it.  Leslee told me today, she thinks that she is a guinia pig and by studying her progress they are learning to help others.  The simple use of Vit C in citrus fruits stopped Scurvy from killing sailors a long time ago.  It might not be the cure, but in my way of thinking it sure can't hurt.  On my soap box again.

[alanpvegas]

Thanks Diane!  If you don't mind me asking, what was your schedule on the IVC and how much did you take each infusion?

[Diane B]

Hello Alan,

I did the Vitamin C for about 5 month.  I am not sure if it helped to kill the cancer, but my blood counts did stay within the normal range.  At the time I was on weekly taxol and that stopped working after about 8 weeks.  I did stay on the vitamin C which at the time I think it helped keep my CA 125 down but not long after that my cancer went out of control.  So I don't know if it was because I increased taking the vitamin C did that or the cancer just got smart and started growning again.  I never started back on the vitamin C.  Also our sport person here in Philly also was doing the Vitamin C and his cancer came back too.  He has prostate he is young with small kids and he back on chemo too.  I also know that Jefferson U is also doing a study with Vitamin C.  I hope this information will help.  Good Luck to you and your Mother.

Diane

[alanpvegas]

I've been looking into them and got her a membership with AARP as well.  The sticky issue is you can't just un-enroll from advantage plans until preset times during the year.  She'd have to be on the most expensive of their plans plus the most expensive RX plan.  So looking at $300+ per month.  It's still her decision though.

[SimplyStar]

Ok this is probably a stupid idea/question  but here goes  I am concerned about Alans Mother being turned down for the help she needs, so here is what i wonder, AARP sells a suppliment to medicare, they say no medical questions asked   cannot be turned down  regardless of any present illness  so why can't you get your Mom signed up for this and pay the lost cost fees and get her accepted then on the medicare  80%  and the AARP 20%.  I would think then she could get her treatment anywhere.  I am on medicare and do not have the suppliment altho I did just send in the paper work.  at my age I guess i better get it or my kids will have to fork up the money. ha ha.

[alanpvegas]

I'm sure everyone knows I like to really really research stuff so I've been doing it on this one.  Here are two pages I found that might be interesting to all of you:

News Broadcast with video/text:
http://www.drmagaziner.com/vitamin_c.htm

PubMed.gov abstract about a recent (2006) NIH study on IV Vit C:  
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&uid=16567755&cmd=showdetailview&indexed=google

What's interesting it the 4 Mayo Clinic studies done years ago to, esentially, debunk IV vitamin C was done with oral vitamin C (something that was not reinforced when explained by physicians to their patients).  The new NIH study shows there is activity with IV vitamin C and it should be re-examined.  Unfortunatley, this will have to be done at the Federal level (NIH, NCI, etc.) because IV vitamin c is...unpatentable so there will be no big clinical trials but smaller (typically college, etc.) trials.

Hopefully the hype is worth it.  The physicians involved with this therapy plainly state that they are not saying it is a 'cure' but a treatment; some of their patients say they are 'cured', some are able to live with their cancer longer, some can tolerate chemo better, so may not respond enough.  

[alanpvegas]

yeah thankfully both are really not that too far away (about a few hours for either one), and thankfully she has her PICC line so no needle sticks so I may be able to do some at home which would be good!  I'll be sure to let you all know if we do this and how it works out.  Even if it makes her well enough for chemo again or improves her quality of life would be good.

[SimplyStar]

sounds good to me  be sure and let us know if you choose to do this   at this stage of the game for your Mom any thing  is worth trying. I will pray that you can get it  and that it helps.

[alanpvegas]

I found two near us...one in Carson City, NV and another down in Newport Beach, CA.  The one in Newport Beach supposedly has been doing it for 20 years (http://www.whitakerwellness.com/our_therapies/therapy_resources/iv_the_healing_power_of_iv_vitamin_c/)  

I've sent them an email to find out more, esp. how much it will all cost!  I've researched some complications that can arise too...but it appears if they follow the now standard protocol it's all considered and tested for prior to infusion and during the treatment.  Wether it really works or not who knows, but supposedly there was a 10 year study on it.

[SimplyStar]

I was wrong  she practices in Overland Park  Kansas which is near KC Her full name is Jeanne Drisko

[SimplyStar]

Wasn't that a Dr Drisko in Nebraska that was doing it. I also remember a few of the other cancer clinics trying it out.  I remember reading that Dr Drisko could send the plan of treatment to anyone that asked for it and also it could be done at home.  it sounded very promising to me all I read about it.