ANYONE HAD ANY EXPERIENCE WITH HIGH DOSE IV VITAMIN C??

maggie_wilson
maggie_wilson Member Posts: 596
in Ovarian Cancer #1
dear sisters,

i have upse (uterine cancer) and am nearly through with chemo for a first recurrence. i've heard and read about high dose iv vitamin c, and was wondering who among you have had experience with this, or know someone who has? there are fewer treatment options for upsc, so i'm wanting to know what has worked for my ovarian sisters, since upsc and ovarian are so similar.

thanx so much,

sisterhood,
maggie

Comments

  • Tethys41
    Tethys41 Member Posts: 1,382 Member
    #2
    IV vitamin C
    Hi Maggie,
    I have been receving high does IV vitamin C since just after my second chemo. I can't say enough good things about it. The vitamin C made the chemo much more tolerable. I posted an item on this board back in April titled, "Information on IV vitamin C use for cancer treatment" which explains what it does. I completed chemo in March of 2010 and still receive IVC as a preventative. There is another member of this board who does the same, Nancy707. Both of us are doing well and have avoided a recurrence up to this point.
    A couple of other things you may find interesting are Iscador and bindweed (C-statin). Hope this helps.
  • maggie_wilson
    maggie_wilson Member Posts: 596
    #3
    Tethys41 said:

    IV vitamin C
    Hi Maggie,
    I have been receving high does IV vitamin C since just after my second chemo. I can't say enough good things about it. The vitamin C made the chemo much more tolerable. I posted an item on this board back in April titled, "Information on IV vitamin C use for cancer treatment" which explains what it does. I completed chemo in March of 2010 and still receive IVC as a preventative. There is another member of this board who does the same, Nancy707. Both of us are doing well and have avoided a recurrence up to this point.
    A couple of other things you may find interesting are Iscador and bindweed (C-statin). Hope this helps.

    tethysl
    thank you so much for your response. i'm so glad you and nancy707 are both doing so well and have avoided a recurrence. i had emailed my doctor when i first started chemo for my first recurrence, and mentioned ivc as a possibility during chemo, among other things, and did not get a response. when i bring it up again when i'm finished with chemo (one more), i think she'll be amenable. i'm in berkeley, california, and have heard of a clinic in san francisco that administers ivc. i'm determined to have it, especially since there's very little out there for uterine cancer. where are you located? i'll check out iscador and bindweed.

    thanx again,
    sisterhood,
    maggie
  • Tethys41
    Tethys41 Member Posts: 1,382 Member
    #4
    maggie_wilson said:

    tethysl
    thank you so much for your response. i'm so glad you and nancy707 are both doing so well and have avoided a recurrence. i had emailed my doctor when i first started chemo for my first recurrence, and mentioned ivc as a possibility during chemo, among other things, and did not get a response. when i bring it up again when i'm finished with chemo (one more), i think she'll be amenable. i'm in berkeley, california, and have heard of a clinic in san francisco that administers ivc. i'm determined to have it, especially since there's very little out there for uterine cancer. where are you located? i'll check out iscador and bindweed.

    thanx again,
    sisterhood,
    maggie

    Colorado
    I'm in Durango, CO, which is in the Four Corners area. Nancy 707 is in California, somewhere a couple of hours north (I think) of L.A. You should not have much trouble finding a doctor or naturopath who will administer the IVC. It will probably not be your oncologist. There are quite a few oncologists who do not support their patients receiving IVC, mine included, but it really is your decision. Elsewhere, there are oncologists who administer it with chemo, to enhance the effects of the drugs. There is obviously a big split between oncologists on this subject.
  • LaundryQueen
    LaundryQueen Member Posts: 676
    #5
    Tethys41 said:

    Colorado
    I'm in Durango, CO, which is in the Four Corners area. Nancy 707 is in California, somewhere a couple of hours north (I think) of L.A. You should not have much trouble finding a doctor or naturopath who will administer the IVC. It will probably not be your oncologist. There are quite a few oncologists who do not support their patients receiving IVC, mine included, but it really is your decision. Elsewhere, there are oncologists who administer it with chemo, to enhance the effects of the drugs. There is obviously a big split between oncologists on this subject.

    IV ascorbic acid treatments
    I've been getting 50-75Gm ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C) IV treatments since shortly after I was diagnosed with epithelial papillary serous ovarian cancer last year in October. Sometimes, I took the treatments immediately before chemo--my oncologist was OK with the treatments.

    There was some research done at Memorial Sloan Kettering on oral ascorbic acid that indicated it helped to protect the cancer against chemo. This doesn't seem to be the case when the drug is given IV. There is a clinical trial going on in Canada using the high-dose IV ascorbic acid along with chemo. I don't know when those results will be in.

    A similar trial was started in the US and stopped by the FDA--it had something to do with ascorbic acid was not approved for use in cancer. So don't expect any conventional doctor to treat you with the IV ascorbic acid.

    I see an osteopath who does integrative medicine and does acupunture, homeopathy, laser therapy in addition to the IV ascorbic acid treatments. There is a new book out called Defeat Cancer: 15 Doctors of Integrative & Naturopathic Medicine Tell You How. That book has a LOT of different treatments but it is a little overwhelming even to me (and I have been working in the natural medicine field x 15 years).

    I have not been able to maintain a normal CA-125 for the past month (the number is over 150); however, I have no ascites and the MRI scan looks slightly improved from 4 months ago when my CA-125 was < 10.

    I was deemed stage IIIc / grade 3 at the time of surgery. I had a conversation with the oncology nurse who agreed that I may have actually been stage IV as malignant pleural effusions were found around my lungs shortly after surgery. I didn't have any chest imaging done pre-operatively and the pleural effusions may have been present at the time of surgery.

    All things considered, I believe that I am doing pretty well overall. The only residual symptoms that I have that reminds me of my diagnosis is poor stamina & fatigue. My ears were ringing for a couple of months after I finished chemo but acupuncture helped that.

    I have done a LOT more then the ascorbic acid (herbs and various nutritional supplements) so I don't know if the ascorbic acid gets all the credit for the fact that I have never had any of the bone/joint pains or residual neuropathy. I did have transient neuropathy for the week after chemo but it never lasted very long.

    There was some research that was done on prostate cancer that showed the IV ascorbic acid helped to avoid chemoresistance. If the ascites does return or the MRI shows progression of the disease, I'll be back on chemo in the fall. Meanwhile, I've started on a product made from bindweed that has anti-angiogenic properties (similar to Avastin).

    LQ
  • childofthestars
    childofthestars Member Posts: 251 Member
    #6
    IV Vit C
    Hi Maggie
    My friend (who I met through chemo) had IV Vit C throughout her treatment which she finished in August last year. She is still having these treatments and swears by them. She was dx stage 111c ovca.
    Michelle x
  • maggie_wilson
    maggie_wilson Member Posts: 596
    #7
    LaundryQueen said:

    IV ascorbic acid treatments
    I've been getting 50-75Gm ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C) IV treatments since shortly after I was diagnosed with epithelial papillary serous ovarian cancer last year in October. Sometimes, I took the treatments immediately before chemo--my oncologist was OK with the treatments.

    There was some research done at Memorial Sloan Kettering on oral ascorbic acid that indicated it helped to protect the cancer against chemo. This doesn't seem to be the case when the drug is given IV. There is a clinical trial going on in Canada using the high-dose IV ascorbic acid along with chemo. I don't know when those results will be in.

    A similar trial was started in the US and stopped by the FDA--it had something to do with ascorbic acid was not approved for use in cancer. So don't expect any conventional doctor to treat you with the IV ascorbic acid.

    I see an osteopath who does integrative medicine and does acupunture, homeopathy, laser therapy in addition to the IV ascorbic acid treatments. There is a new book out called Defeat Cancer: 15 Doctors of Integrative & Naturopathic Medicine Tell You How. That book has a LOT of different treatments but it is a little overwhelming even to me (and I have been working in the natural medicine field x 15 years).

    I have not been able to maintain a normal CA-125 for the past month (the number is over 150); however, I have no ascites and the MRI scan looks slightly improved from 4 months ago when my CA-125 was < 10.

    I was deemed stage IIIc / grade 3 at the time of surgery. I had a conversation with the oncology nurse who agreed that I may have actually been stage IV as malignant pleural effusions were found around my lungs shortly after surgery. I didn't have any chest imaging done pre-operatively and the pleural effusions may have been present at the time of surgery.

    All things considered, I believe that I am doing pretty well overall. The only residual symptoms that I have that reminds me of my diagnosis is poor stamina & fatigue. My ears were ringing for a couple of months after I finished chemo but acupuncture helped that.

    I have done a LOT more then the ascorbic acid (herbs and various nutritional supplements) so I don't know if the ascorbic acid gets all the credit for the fact that I have never had any of the bone/joint pains or residual neuropathy. I did have transient neuropathy for the week after chemo but it never lasted very long.

    There was some research that was done on prostate cancer that showed the IV ascorbic acid helped to avoid chemoresistance. If the ascites does return or the MRI shows progression of the disease, I'll be back on chemo in the fall. Meanwhile, I've started on a product made from bindweed that has anti-angiogenic properties (similar to Avastin).

    LQ

    thank you so much laundryqueen and tethys 41
    sisters,

    i can't thank you enough for your responses and information. i do doubt my oncologist, as current, and cutting edge as she is, would administer the iv vitamin c, but i do know of a clinic in san francisco that does. plus i'm looking for a orthomolecular doctor in the bay area. i'm having my last cycle of chemo the next two mondays, i hope, unless my platelets are too low, then will seek other kinds of treatment. i'm skipping my 6th cycle of chemo, with my doctor's consent, because my ca 125 has gone down below the "acceptable" 35. i really feel the less chemo the better, unless absolutely necessary.

    as i said to tethys, i'm going to check into bindweed and iscador. i'm reading a good book called: "i have cancer, what do i do", which is extremely informative re: cancer and high dose vitamin c, plus supplements and diet. it's readable, and not too overwhelming. i have a lot of fatigue during chemo, along with nausea, so i'm sorry i wasn't able to have vitamin c treatments along with chemo. this chemo is kicking my butt, but doing its job, so i'm not complaining too much.

    may you both continue to maintain good health.

    sisterhood,
    maggie
  • maggie_wilson
    maggie_wilson Member Posts: 596
    #8
    childofthestars said:

    IV Vit C
    Hi Maggie
    My friend (who I met through chemo) had IV Vit C throughout her treatment which she finished in August last year. She is still having these treatments and swears by them. She was dx stage 111c ovca.
    Michelle x

    thanx, michelle
    wow, seems like a number of women have been able to have vitamin c during treatment; i'm sure it would have made a big difference for me during my chemo, which has been quite rough.

    thanx for sharing infor re: your friend's experience; that's what i've been consistently hearing.

    sisterhood,
    maggie

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