Question: I have always found in the past that taking vitamin C pills gives me diarrhea. Is there any way to avoid this problem and still get extra vitamin C, short of having it injected?

Dr. Brownstein's Answer:

Humans must take vitamin C because we lack an enzyme necessary to produce it naturally (L-gulonolactone oxidase). Vitamin C is an essential nutrient; that is, we cannot live without it and must get it in food or in supplements.

The main side effect of oral doses of vitamin C is diarrhea. Everyone has a different level of tolerance to vitamin C; some can take large doses, while others can handle only small doses. Vitamin C can be taken orally or intravenously (IV). Taken by IV it is a very safe and an effective natural therapy that does not cause diarrhea. I have been using IV vitamin C for nearly 20 years. Taken orally, however, it will cause diarrhea in high doses.

Everybody has a “diarrhea threshold” for vitamin C. Generally, when you are ill, you can tolerate an increased dosage of vitamin C. I routinely ask my patients to take from 3,000 to 5,000 mg/day. Smaller doses are recommended if you suffer from diarrhea.

For those who get diarrhea with any dose of vitamin C, I recommend trying a slow-release form. More often than not, it will not cause diarrhea in sensitive individuals. Optimox makes a slow-release form of vitamin C. It’s available through my Web site www.centerforholisticmedicine.com.