IV vitamin C and carboplatin/paclitaxel chemo

Is there any evidence that IV vitamin C would interfere with carboplatin/paclitaxel chemo?

[Conquerer]

I did some iv C after my treatment.  If you google IV C and ovarian cancer you will see some studies going on   good luck

[alanpvegas]

Whoa good question!  I personally like the idea of IVC, but no idea on firsthand knowledge of if it has any effect (my mother passed before we could try it).

However, your question brings up the long standing debate of 'antioxidants' during chemotherapy.  Although Oncologists who practiced in the dark ages still believe you shouldn't take any (which is very old thinking, won't interfere with chemo), there are those who now know the facts that it won't interfere (the whole debate stems from how certain chemotherapies produce 'free radical' damage to cancer cells...they believed that antioxidants may interfere with this effect.  This has never been proven, in-fact those who take antioxidants deal with treatment better).

Now with IVC, the concentrations you get of vitamin c are much higher (thus why you take it intravenously...your body 'dose limits' oral vitamin c).  The NIH did a study and found out that IVC does help with cancer treatment...then you have the other side still entrenched saying no, it will interfere.

The bottom line?  Who knows.  I will side with it will not interfere with treatment.  Remember, chemotherapy is toxic (it's a fact of life) and the goal is for chemo to give cancer a blow before it gives you a blow.  The dose limiting factor for chemo has always been how much damage it does to you (including your immune system).  Thus antioxidants (and others) have helped make patients better able to continue treatment (the key to success with chemo).

It's going to be 1) a personal decision and 2) a discussion with your oncologist.  If you chose this route, work with your oncologist to ensure you get monitored to ensure IVC does WORK for you and not AGAINST you.  Obviously, signs will be present during the first infusion period along with your first infusion period of IVC...if cancer progresses...it may not be for you (every persons body works differently).

I found this link in my old research file 'favorites'.  There is plenty more out there, including on medical research sites:

http://www.jeancarper.com/news/newsflash/1688