High-dose i.v. therapy with vitamin C (7.5g)

Question

Dear expert team,

Due to frequent infections (CF patient, 50 years old), my doctor suggested a high-dose vitamin C i.v. therapy (twice a week) in addition to taking antibiotics. This is supposed to strengthen the immune system as a supportive therapy.

I am now wondering whether this makes sense, since we as CF patients always have to grapple with bacteria.

What is your opinion on this?

I also have another question: I have not yet gotten a flu shot. Due to the infections, my doctor does not vaccinate. She usually waits about 4 weeks after I have finished antibiotics, but then usually the next antibiotics therapy starts. Can I get a vaccination nevertheless? I do not have a fever.

Many thanks.

Answer

Dear questioner,

The question how much sense a high-dose vitamin C i.v. therapy makes is not easy to answer. There are various studies that show a benefit from high-dose vitamin C in certain situations, but there are also contrary ones that actually show a negative effect or none at all. As far as I know, there is no study that has examined vitamin C therapy in CF patients. In our clinic, we do not administer vitamin C infusions, but we do recommend that all patients supply themselves with enough vitamin C in a “natural way” primarily through fruit. Of course, all our patients get a therapy with a multi-vitamin compound in order to sufficiently substitute especially the liposoluble vitamins, as is also recommended by the European CF Society.

Concerning the flu shot, we usually vaccinate the patients like you immediately after the antibiotics therapy and do not wait for four weeks, as the annual flu shot is very important for CF patients.

Kind regards
Dr. med. M. Hofer

15.01.2013