Please choose to continue your session or sign out now. ‘Ride the Tiger’ — a Documentary About the Bipolar Brain Do Men Sweat More Than Women? Life Expectancy Projected to Soar — Except in the US How CDC Uses False Fears to Promote Vaccine Uptake Vitamin C May Be a Potent Adjunct to Cancer Treatment The U.S. FDA has recently notified at least one pharmacy that they will no longer be allowed to manufacture or distribute injectable vitamin C. With at least one pharmacy, the FDA may also be banning injectable magnesium chloride and injectable vitamin B-complex 100. These two substances are often added to intravenous C to make the "Myers Cocktail," which many people use for a variety of chronic conditions -- usually under the care of a qualified physician. The Alliance for Natural Health has this to say on the subject:[W]hy is this being done? What possible rationale is offered? Because it can't be patented and therefore won't be taken through the standard FDA approval process.
No matter that vitamin C is one of the least toxic components of our food supply and liquid forms of it have been used safely for decades."The University of Kansas Cancer Center About the Infusion Clinic The infusion clinic, designed to accommodate 10 infusion patients at a time, includes two isolation rooms where infectious patients can receive treatment. Vitamin C Infusion Clinic Another option for cancer patients At your first visit, you and your doctor will meet for 60-90 minutes in one of our relaxing consultation rooms. You'll discuss your life history, medical history and symptoms, and review your medical records. You and your doctor will form the relationship that helps you be your own best physician. Here are some questions and answers about intravenous vitamin C treatment. What is the intravenous vitamin C cancer treatment? Research shows that intravenous vitamin C at high doses, used in conjunction with chemotherapy or radiation, kills cancer cells in the early stages of cancer.
For those in the later stages of cancer, the intravenous vitamin C protocol may improve the quality of life. How do I know if the intravenous vitamin C therapy will work for my cancer? Each individual responds differently, and we can't predict how different tumor types will react. A PET scan usually is a guidepost. If the PET is positive, the tumor usually responds to the vitamin C. If the PET is negative but there is an active tumor present, vitamin C is less effective in most cases. Vitamin C therapy works best in the early stages of cancer when used in conjunction with chemotherapy or radiation. It is not intended as a stand-alone treatment or as a last effort treatment for patients in the late stages of cancer. How do I get a copy of the intravenous vitamin C protocol? The protocol is intended for medical professionals only. Medical professionals seeking a copy of the protocol should fax a hand-signed request on their professional letterhead to 913-588-0012. We will send the protocol via fax, or by email if an email address is provided.
May a child with cancer receive the vitamin C infusions? A child receiving vitamin C infusions is dependent upon a thorough evaluation from the pediatric medical team. After assessment, if it is determined the patient is a candidate for vitamin C infusions they may receive them in the KU Integrative Medicine Department. Does oral vitamin C (ascorbate) provide the same results?Oral vitamin C is an antioxidant with controlled absorption. Intravenous vitamin C is a pro-oxidant drug that helps produce hydrogen peroxide, which targets neoplastic cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. Because this form is delivered intravenously, plasma and tissue levels are many times above that of oral dosing. Is intravenous vitamin C safe? Patients must have a G6PD test before any infusions are given. We have found no contraindications to providing intravenous vitamin C with any chemotherapy when proper protocol is followed. Additions to the protocol are not recommended. The protocol should NOT be administered in conjunction with methotrexate chemotherapy because of urine pH requirements.
What is a G6PD blood test and why should I get the results from that test before I start the vitamin C infusions? Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an inherited condition in which a person's body doesn't have enough of the G6PD enzyme. G6PD helps red blood cells function normally. Patients with this deficiency should not receive vitamin C infusions because receiving it can cause hemolytic anemia. Will intravenous vitamin C reduce the effectiveness of my chemotherapy or radiology treatments?Research has shown that using the vitamin C concurrently with chemotherapy or radiation will not decrease the effectiveness of these treatments. In addition, intravenous vitamin C is not an antioxidant. It is a pro-oxidant and seems to augment the effectiveness of chemotherapy or radiation. Dr. Drisko and our other program physicians recommend giving it on the same day as the chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment. I don't live within your area. Will your office help me find a doctor in my area to administer vitamin C infusions?
If your integrative medicine physician does not have a copy of the intravenous vitamin C protocol, he or she must fax a signed request on practice letterhead to 913-588-0012. Will my oncologist agree to vitamin C infusions? Because the vitamin C infusions are still in the clinical trial stage and are not FDA-approved, your oncologist may not agree to the infusions. We encourage oncologists to read the research articles included in this section of the website. We ask area patients to sign a waiver stating that their oncologist is aware of the treatment and have given their support to the infusions before any consult can be scheduled in our office. How will additions, such as B vitamins, affect vitamin C infusions? Additions, such as B vitamins, may reduce the formation of hydrogen peroxide, which is the chemotherapeutic agent formed by intravenous vitamin C. What's the frequency and duration of the vitamin C infusions? Patients begin with a low dosage and work their way up to the therapeutic level.
Once at therapeutic level, the infusions will take 2.5 to 3 hours. We usually provide two infusions per week, but some patients may require three infusions a week. Can I stop vitamin C infusions for a period of time and begin later at the same dosage? We don't recommend stopping the intravenous vitamin C unless the patient has been cancer-free for at least a year. If the patient stops the infusions but is not cancer free, the patient may develop tumor cells that are resistant to the intravenous vitamin C's chemotherapeutic agent. Although a patient may stop for a week if necessary, we recommend the patient receive an extra infusion the week before and the week after. Is it possible to have the vitamin C infusions at my home? We allow home infusions only under certain conditions: The patient is at the therapeutic dosage Our physicians are confident that the patient can follow the protocol The infusion nurse has provided instructions to the patient Patients outside the treatment area may need to have a medical professional write a prescription for the purchase of supplies.
The medical professional would also need to monitor the patient's care on a continual basis and keep in close contact with the individual administering the infusions. We do not write prescriptions for infusions outside of our treatment area. I've started the intravenous vitamin C, but my tumor markers continue to go up. Are the vitamin C infusions causing the cancer to spread?If the protocol is being followed correctly, the intravenous vitamin C is working as a chemotherapeutic agent. Just as some types of chemotherapy may not be successful, the same is true of vitamin C infusions. How important are diet and oral supplementation? Diet plays a huge role in the protocol. We use the four-point program: diet, oral supplements, intravenous vitamin C and chemotherapy or radiation. Oral supplements are recommended on a case-by-case basis. We highly recommend the book, Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick Quillin. If a patient smokes, or is continuously exposed to secondhand smoke, is the effectiveness of the vitamin C infusions diminished?
The oxidants from cigarette smoking or secondhand smoke lower vitamin C levels in the blood. It is extremely important that patients stop smoking and limit their exposure to secondhand smoke. Will my insurance cover the costs of the vitamin C infusions? In most cases, no. Because vitamin C infusions are not FDA-approved, insurance companies are not inclined to cover costs. Alternative medicine physicians must use different billing codes, and these are not usually accepted by insurance companies. For the cost of infusions, contact KU Integrative Medicine at 913-588-6208. Can my doctor ask KU Integrative Medicine questions about intravenous vitamin C?First, we suggest that your physician read the research articles in this section of the website and have the protocol in hand before setting up a time to talk. May I talk with KU Integrative Medicine? You can contact our office to schedule an appointment or ask general questions of our receptionists. We do also offer cancer consults for patients who live outside of the area who wish to get general information about vitamin C Infusions.