Intravenous Vitamin C
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Intravenous Vitamin C
Linus Pauling
In the 1970's, two time Nobel prize winner Dr. Linus Pauling, speculated that high doses of vitamin C might be beneficial as a cancer treatment. Studies performed on patients with advanced cancers using intravenous vitamin C bore this out. Follow-up studies performed at the Mayo Clinic using oral dosing of vitamin C did not show a benefit. The different routes of administration led to the different outcomes. Oral ascorbic acid is a vitamin whose absorption and uptake is tightly controlled and is an antioxidant. Intravenous administration of vitamin C attains plasma and tissue levels many times above oral dosing.The vastly higher levels of vitamin C allows the development of hydrogen peroxide in the tissues, (which means it is working as a pro-oxidant not an antioxidant like the oral form). Hydrogen peroxide is the agent responsible for targeted cancer cell death, while leaving normal cells unharmed.*

Scroll down for research journal articles on intravenous vitamin C and cancer

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. We understand that IV C is a pro-oxidant, not an antioxidant, because it generates hydrogen peroxide in the extracellular space. H2O2 is the drug that preferentially kills cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. For those in the later stages of cancer, the intravenous vitamin C protocol may improve the quality of life. The protocol also suggests a strict diet with oral supplementation.*

How do I know if the intravenous vitamin C therapy will work for my cancer?

We cannot predict how different tumor types respond - it is very individual. A PET scan usually is a good guidepost. If the PET scam is positive, the tumor usually responds to the vitamin C. If the PET is negative but there is active tumor present, the vitamin C is less effective in most cases. The intravenous vitamin C protocol is a general protocol for most cancers. Physicians experienced with the IV C protocol believe that the therapy works in the early stages of cancer when used in conjunction with chemotherapy or radiation. We will only consult on patients who are also being followed along by a traditional oncologist.*

What is the duration of IV Vitamin C infusions?

Intravenous vitamin C infusions are administered at least twice a week for up to 3 ½ hours per infusion.The infusions may have to be continued for a year or more. You also must be under the care of an oncologist who approves of you getting the IV Vitamin C.

May I take oral vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and get the same results?

Oral ascorbic acid is a vitamin whose absorption and uptake is tightly controlled and is an antioxidant. Intravenous administration of vitamin C attains plasma and tissue levels many times above oral dosing. The high levels of vitamin C allows the development of hydrogen peroxide in the tissues, (which means it is working as a pro-oxidant not an antioxidant like the oral form). Hydrogen peroxide is the agent responsible for targeted cancer cell death, while leaving normal cells unharmed.*

Is the protocol safe and is there a chemotherapy with which it should not be used?

There are no contraindications to giving intravenous vitamin C with any chemotherapy, if the protocol is followed.*

What is a G6PD blood test and why should I get the results from that test before I start the vitamin C infusions?

A G6PD test must be done and results received before any infusions are given. G6PD deficiency is an inherited condition in which a person’s body doesn’t have enough of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) which helps red blood cells (RBCs) function normally. Patients with this deficiency should not receive vitamin C infusions because it can cause hemolytic anemia.

My oncologist or radiologist is concerned that the intravenous vitamin C will reduce the effectiveness of my chemotherapy or radiology treatments. Is this true?

No. That’s a medical myth. At this time it does not appear that concurrently used intravenous vitamin C reduces the effectiveness of chemotherapy or radiation. In addition, intravenous vitamin C is not an antioxidant; it is a pro-oxidant and, therefore, seems to augment the effectiveness of chemotherapy or radiation.*

Does the intake of large amounts of vitamin C contribute to the formation of oxalate-type kidney stones because of the metabolic conversion of vitamin C to oxalic acid?

This is an unlikely occurrence. Urinary oxalate (the salt of oxalic acid) can be easily monitored if the patient has a history of kidney stones.*

How do I convince my oncologist to let me do the vitamin C infusions?

Because the vitamin C infusions are still in the experimental stage and not FDA approved, it may be difficult to get your oncologist to agree to the infusions. We encourage them to read the research articles included in this section of the website. Intravenous vitamin C is a pro-oxidant not an antioxidant because it generates hydrogen peroxide in the extracellular space. Hydrogen peroxide is the substance that preferentially kills cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. We ask patients to sign a waiver stating that their oncologist is aware of the treatment and have given their support to the infusions. Diet and nutritional supplementation also provide a large role in the treatment.*

Do you make additions such as B vitamins to the vitamin C infusion?

No, 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 are started out at a low dosage and work their way up to the therapeutic level. Once at therapeutic level the infusions will take between 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Normally the infusions should be done twice a week, but some patients may require three times a week. We usually administer the infusions at the therapeutic level for a year and then reevaluate. If there appears to be no initial benefit, infusions may be stopped sooner.*

Is it okay to stop getting the vitamin C infusions for a period of time and then begin again at the same dosage?

We do not recommend stopping the intravenous vitamin C infusions unless the patient has been cancer free for at least a year. It is possible, if the patient stops the infusions but is not cancer free that the patient will develop tumor cells that are resistant to the intravenous vitamin C’s chemotherapeutic effects. Stopping the infusions for a week, perhaps for a vacation, is acceptable. But we recommend that the patient get an extra infusion the week before and the week after they return. The infusions can be continued at the same dosage.*

I’ve started the intravenous vitamin C, but my tumors markers are continuing to go up. Are the vitamin C infusions causing the cancer to spread?

No. 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. Also, if you are missing any components of the protocol such as diet and oral supplements, the infusions may not work.*

Will my health insurance cover the costs of the vitamin C infusions?

In most cases, no. Alternative medical treatments are not usually covered by insurance companies and because vitamin C infusions are not FDA approved, insurance companies are not inclined to cover costs. Vitamin C infusions cost $150-$200.*

How important are diet, lifestyle and oral nutritional supplementation?

Diet, lifestyle and oral nutritional supplementation play a large role in the protocol.*

My doctor has questions about intravenous vitamin C. Can he or she talk with Dr. Klingsberg?

Yes, certainly. But, we suggest that they read the research articles provided below before setting up a time to talk.
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