Vitamin C and Stomach Upset - Alternative Medicine Message Board

Sarah68 · 01-11-2003, 11:58 AM

I don't know whether Vitamin C can cause stomach upsets?

I had a routine appointment with my ND about 3 days ago now and as I had a touch of flu at the time, he advised me to take some high dose Vit C. He said 3000mg daily, until I felt better. I did as he said and came home and took this and was fine, until I woke at 2 am with terrible stomach cramps and a very gurgly belly. I was then on the toilet for nearly an hour with a very runny belly - sorry guys, diarrhea. I stopped taking the Vit C as I was not sure whether it was this, or whether I just had an upset stomach anyway, as I continued to have diarrhea for most of the following day.

My stomach seems to have settled down a lot now, but does anyone know?

Marie55 · 01-11-2003, 06:28 PM

My guess would be that the touch of flu finally got you big time. 3000 mg. vitamin C is a very high dose. My gyn doctor put me on 2000 mg. vitamin C and quickly my internist took me off of it and I now take 1000 mg. time release.

Vitamin C is a blood thinner and before surgery patients are told to go off of it for a period of time. It may be 3000 mg. was too much for your stomach, especially since it was not up to par to begin with.

Marie

clairety · 01-12-2003, 12:06 AM

pretty sure it was the high dose of vitamin C - it will cause diarhhea in large quantities (can be used this way as a cleanser - did such a thing post-amalgam removal to help detoxify) - and, if you took it all at once, it must've assaulted your poor tummy. something like 3000mg, like the last post said, could be done time-released and divvied up into a few doses per day.

Sarah68 · 01-12-2003, 02:14 AM

Thanks for that and at least I will know for next time. I think I probably did have a touch of the stomach flu too, but my stomach seems to have settled down now, but I am still being very gentle with it just in case.

That is something I didn't know about the detox effect after dental amalgum removal. I am thinking of getting my mercury amalgums removed soon, as I think that some of my recent health problems may be related to this, so I will remember the Vit C for afterwards.

Thanks again.

Sarah

isolated one · 01-13-2003, 08:41 AM

I always take my daily dose of Vitamin C (1000 mg) with lunch so I don't know whether it would cause problems on an empty stomach. 3000 mg does sould like a little to much for one day. I could be wrong but I've always thought that Vitamin C was mainly for "prevention" from colds or flu rather than treatment once your're already sick.