Hi all,
I'm writing this post as a record of my recent experimentation with high-dose Vitamin C as a treatment for hay fever (seasonal allergies). In short, it has worked surprisingly well and had strong beneficial effects on some other seemingly unrelated health problems. I continue to dose with Vitamin C at the time of this writing.
Background
I've had allergies since the winter of 2010. The onset was sudden and severe. On high pollen days I would wake up with sinuses full of mucus that take 10-15 minutes to clear with constant nose-blowing, and then would continue to go about my day with itchy eyes, constricted nasal passages, periodic cough, and regular nose-blowing every half hour or so. On days like this my energy levels would be low and I wouldn't be capable of exercising, barely going through the motions at work and at home. Over the years I had tried conventional approaches as well as various alternative approaches but with no significant resolution.
Vit C
I came across some research a few weeks ago detailing how Vitamin C is capable of regulating mast cell activity, in the context of allergic reactions. As I read more on the topic, I came across websites promoting a high dose Vitamin C protocol as an antihistamine. On March 6, which was a high pollen day where I live, I decided to go in for a Vitamin C intravenous treatment at a men's spa. Within 30 minutes of leaving the place, I started to notice cessation of mucus production and easier nasal breathing. Itchiness around the eyes subsided. Subjectively I would say my symptoms lessened at least by half overall and stayed that way until the next morning.
Since IV infusions are expensive, this one running $150 a pop, I decided to go with the following very simple protocol for an extended period:
1 gram ascorbic acid (powder form, bought from Whole Foods a while ago and had it sitting in my cabinet) taken every 2 hours, every day, until bowel discomfort was reached.
This ended up getting me to about 10 grams a day on average before things started rumbling down there. The reason the dosage has to be split throughout the day is because the half-life of ascorbic acid plasma levels is pretty short, and absorption overall is pretty poor, so it's better to take smaller amounts more frequently.
I kept this level of supplementation from March 7 until the middle of April.
Results
Hay fever symptoms receded almost immediately and stayed that way. Subjectively I'd say the improvement was about 60-70%. There was a bit of residual mucus production in the nose, but energy levels were greatly improved and itchiness went away. When I experimented with varying degrees of daily dosage I noticed that 4g to 5g per day seemed to be the minimal dose I needed to see meaningful symptomatic improvement. I've switched to using liposomal Vit C at a lower dose since mid-April as it's allegedly better absorbed and has a longer-lasting presence in the body.
Two other improvements I noticed: I've had problems eating gluten products for a few years now and have dealt with it by trying to avoid gluten as much as possible. Eating more than a couple of slices of pizza for dinner, for example, would reliably cause a delayed clogging of the sinuses as well as a burning sensation in my colon the next morning. I also more recently had an issue with persistent nosebleeds, brought on by excessive noseblowing due to hay fever. Both issues have completely disappeared. I can eat wheat without problems in much greater quantities and the nosebleeds stopped cold turkey within 2 days of starting high dose Vitamin C supplementation.
So, all in all, big thumbs up for Vit C. I'm leaving this summary as a record to share with the Peat forum so that others who might be searching around for ideas on dealing with allergies, gluten intolerance, or nosebleeds can come across it in the search results. One key takeaway I got here was that the dosing needs to be high, high enough almost to the point of loose bowels when taking conventional ascorbic acid orally, and it needs to be split over time and done consistently. I've tried it before years ago but realize now it didn't work at the time because the dose was too low, it was taken once a day, and I didn't follow through with it consistently.
References
Vitamins and Mast Cells
Relationship between Vitamin C, Mast Cells and Inflammation
The relationship between vitamin C status, the gut-liver axis, and metabolic syndrome
Antihistamine effect of supplemental ascorbic acid and neutrophil chemotaxis
Vitamin C and human wound healing
Histamine and ascorbic acid in human blood
I'm writing this post as a record of my recent experimentation with high-dose Vitamin C as a treatment for hay fever (seasonal allergies). In short, it has worked surprisingly well and had strong beneficial effects on some other seemingly unrelated health problems. I continue to dose with Vitamin C at the time of this writing.
Background
I've had allergies since the winter of 2010. The onset was sudden and severe. On high pollen days I would wake up with sinuses full of mucus that take 10-15 minutes to clear with constant nose-blowing, and then would continue to go about my day with itchy eyes, constricted nasal passages, periodic cough, and regular nose-blowing every half hour or so. On days like this my energy levels would be low and I wouldn't be capable of exercising, barely going through the motions at work and at home. Over the years I had tried conventional approaches as well as various alternative approaches but with no significant resolution.
Vit C
I came across some research a few weeks ago detailing how Vitamin C is capable of regulating mast cell activity, in the context of allergic reactions. As I read more on the topic, I came across websites promoting a high dose Vitamin C protocol as an antihistamine. On March 6, which was a high pollen day where I live, I decided to go in for a Vitamin C intravenous treatment at a men's spa. Within 30 minutes of leaving the place, I started to notice cessation of mucus production and easier nasal breathing. Itchiness around the eyes subsided. Subjectively I would say my symptoms lessened at least by half overall and stayed that way until the next morning.
Since IV infusions are expensive, this one running $150 a pop, I decided to go with the following very simple protocol for an extended period:
1 gram ascorbic acid (powder form, bought from Whole Foods a while ago and had it sitting in my cabinet) taken every 2 hours, every day, until bowel discomfort was reached.
This ended up getting me to about 10 grams a day on average before things started rumbling down there. The reason the dosage has to be split throughout the day is because the half-life of ascorbic acid plasma levels is pretty short, and absorption overall is pretty poor, so it's better to take smaller amounts more frequently.
I kept this level of supplementation from March 7 until the middle of April.
Results
Hay fever symptoms receded almost immediately and stayed that way. Subjectively I'd say the improvement was about 60-70%. There was a bit of residual mucus production in the nose, but energy levels were greatly improved and itchiness went away. When I experimented with varying degrees of daily dosage I noticed that 4g to 5g per day seemed to be the minimal dose I needed to see meaningful symptomatic improvement. I've switched to using liposomal Vit C at a lower dose since mid-April as it's allegedly better absorbed and has a longer-lasting presence in the body.
Two other improvements I noticed: I've had problems eating gluten products for a few years now and have dealt with it by trying to avoid gluten as much as possible. Eating more than a couple of slices of pizza for dinner, for example, would reliably cause a delayed clogging of the sinuses as well as a burning sensation in my colon the next morning. I also more recently had an issue with persistent nosebleeds, brought on by excessive noseblowing due to hay fever. Both issues have completely disappeared. I can eat wheat without problems in much greater quantities and the nosebleeds stopped cold turkey within 2 days of starting high dose Vitamin C supplementation.
So, all in all, big thumbs up for Vit C. I'm leaving this summary as a record to share with the Peat forum so that others who might be searching around for ideas on dealing with allergies, gluten intolerance, or nosebleeds can come across it in the search results. One key takeaway I got here was that the dosing needs to be high, high enough almost to the point of loose bowels when taking conventional ascorbic acid orally, and it needs to be split over time and done consistently. I've tried it before years ago but realize now it didn't work at the time because the dose was too low, it was taken once a day, and I didn't follow through with it consistently.
References
Vitamins and Mast Cells
Relationship between Vitamin C, Mast Cells and Inflammation
The relationship between vitamin C status, the gut-liver axis, and metabolic syndrome
Antihistamine effect of supplemental ascorbic acid and neutrophil chemotaxis
Vitamin C and human wound healing
Histamine and ascorbic acid in human blood
