My wife has had a peptic ulcer for years. She had many treatments for it and the accompanying pain when she lived in Ukraine. When she moved here to the United States, her doctor had her tested for the presence of the bacterium called Helicobacter Pylori, or H. Pylori, which has been shown to be linked to peptic ulcers. Sure enough she tested positive.
Of course, I wanted her to take large amounts of vitamin C since it only made good sense to me that a bacterial infection should respond to high-dose C. She has been very skeptical of vitamin C as I recommend it and declined. The doctor prescribed a standard antibiotic regimen that consisted of cards of pills in a box half the size of a shoebox! She was to take a card (about eight pills, not the card!) a day for two weeks. Not a friend of pills, this didn’t last through the first morning. She agreed to try the C.
I mixed sodium ascorbate powder in a small water bottle for her to sip on during the day. Over the first week, I upped the amount of C from about 3 or 4 grams to 10. She has been taking 10 grams a day for about a month WITH NO PAIN WHATSOEVER! The vitamin C has eliminated the symptoms. Has it cured her ulcer? I don’t know, but I would expect that it has or is in the process of doing so.
I refer you to an article at Medical News Today “Vitamin C may protect against ulcer-causing bacteria” that discusses a study that was published in the August 1, 2003 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. The study looked at data and blood samples from 7,000 adults and found that “the lower the level of vitamin C in the blood the more likely a person will become infected by Helicobacter pylori”.
From this information the researchers could make no conclusions of whether the infection lowers the level of vitamin C or if those with the higher levels were protected against the infection. From my research into vitamin C, my opinion would be that high levels would often prevent the infection, that if infected, vitamin C levels would be lowered as your body tried to mount a cure and, if adequate quantities are available, vitamin C will help your body cure this infection as it will most all others.
Is there any reason to be concerned about the possibility that consuming ascorbate to ‘bowel tolerance’ might kill off normal, commensal, ‘good’ bacteria? This article implies, I think, that the ascorbate subdued or killed of the Heicobacter. There is plenty of other evidence from Klenner, Stone, Levey and many others that ascorbate will eliminate viral and bacterial infections. Does it do this directly or by ‘activating’ the immune system? What is the evidence for sparing of the normal flora of the gut while taking ‘mega’ doses?
I am not attacking the concept of bowel tolerance ascorbate, – it makes a lot of sense – but this aspect, in theory, is a caveat.
Brian,
Vitamin C works against infections by strengthening the immune system. While I don’t know if high-dose C therapy alone will kill the H.Pylori bacteria (see my Other Conditions > Experiences page for some additional information on foods that may help), I do know that the symptoms are gone. Ascorbic acid is a mild acid and should not, even at the highest doses, disturb the balance of the digestive system. I always do recommend sodium ascorbate partly because it is non-acidic.
Vitamin C is a requirement for the manufacture of certain immune system cells. My analogy is that an infection is like a brush fire in your body. Your immune system is the fire department and vitamin C is the water. While this is, of course, over-simplified, it does point to the importance of vitamin C and in large amounts.
Rusty
Yes. I agree with u, and your infromation are very helpful! vitamin C really will help our body cure this infection as it will most all others.
Yesterday I read your info on V-C and ulcers.Iwas in pain and discomfort,ther was pain below my breastbone and a dull pain(hard to explain). After months of working with my diet in lew of lots of allergies,I was getting temporary relief.Still I was thankful. But to my disappointment the familar pain was back and I knew I would have to spend the better part of the day on the couch. My hands and feet were extremely cold and I was running a temp. Whenever I had a temp I would take 1 Allegy C capsule(1000mg) and a halfed curcumin capsule to help,and it did, a bit. After coming across your sharing of info, I decided to try it with my Allergy C unsure if it had the same stenghth as regular C. So I took 2 C caps and a halfed curcumin cap. Within 20 min. my pain was gone and only the dullest of the dull ache was evident! I felt hopeful! Today I am going to up the C some more. Thanks for helping me step in the right direction with your info!
I did not know that vitamin C is a remedy after all.Thanks for the discussion.Ulcers can be immensely painful.
Good that vitamin C could give some remedy to the problem.There are also many feeling good foods like Banana and yogurt that help create a lining in the stomach and thus feel better,but the problem has to be medically treated.
Intake of vitamins is very essential for various reasons.Vitamin C rich oranges are famous but not the guavas which are equally good for health and rich in vitamin c.
What about plain ascorbic acid? Would it do the same thing? I suppose one could dissolve those tablets in the water. I am taking medicine to reduce acid in the stomach. Since three months something has been gnawing and paining, just went to hospital today. Will go to enterologist on Thursday. No source of your type of Vitamin C here, but can easily get ascorbic acid. After they see the results of proton pump inhibitor they will decide to do endoscopy or not. Thanks.
How long will it takes vitamin c to have effects. I have stomach ulcer. I have been in ppi meds but no improvement