Sinusitis Study Results

Vitamin C will hel if the dose is adequate

Most all clinical studies have difficulties, especially compliance. In blind studies, where the patient knows that he is likely to be taking a placebo, compliance gets even harder. In the Cforyourself sinusitis study, compliance is difficult since there is now in-person contact and, while there is no “placebo” problem, I am asking people to take doses that most would consider ridiculous.

The results so far have been very disappointing. Not because people haven’t signed up and not because people have told me that they have tried and the vitamin C therapy hasn’t helped. The disappointment has come from almost everyone not even keeping in touch with me! My guess concerning the almost complete drop-out of participants is that they have not taken vitamin C in high enough doses for long enough to be therapeutic. I admit that this is my guess based on the inconvenience to participate and my belief that the C therapy really will help. (Update: I just received an email from a participant telling me that the C didn’t help her. When asked about dosage and duration, I was pleased that she got up to 15 grams a day, but only for a week and a half! We now have at least one validation of my concern. Let’s hope she tries again.)

I promise to report results from any participant that tells me they have complied with the study protocol that they agreed to.

If I ever get enough results to have any statistcal significance, I will provide statistical conclusions. Until then we are left with anecdotal evidence from participant’s experiences.

Individual Sinusitis Study Participant Results

Jan Clarke
New Zealand
September 14, 2001

1. Tell me briefly about your sinusitis history.

Life long with allergies, leading to congestion and infections – treated with repeat courses of oral antibiotics during childhood. Exacerbated by occluded drainage, following deviation of nasal septum (direct nose trauma) in 1976. Worsened, following mercury poisoning in 1988 then increasingly constant following vaccination with Hepatitis B, in 1989.

Several courses of antibiotics, oral decongestants (sudomyl), topical decongestant nasal sprays and Beconase as well as oral antihistamines over the years did not resolve the condition nor the postnasal drip or sore throat.

I could not sleep on my back because of the phlegm sticking to the back of my throat, nasal stuffiness and snoring.

With the failure of antibiotic therapy, I was forced to suck lozenges overnight, to manage postnasal congestion and nasal congestion, just to get some sleep. This has naturally ruined my tooth enamel and teeth.

Once a promising young singer, I have been unable to breathe well enough to sing, due to infected and blocked sinuses with postnasal drip/congestion.

2. Tell me as best you can remember what your condition was when you started in the study.

As above.

3. Please tell me in detail how much vitamin C you have taken during the study period and how long you’ve been taking this high dose. I hope that you pushed your bowel tolerance limit and that it has reduced over time, indicating an increase in your state of health. Please also tell me what forms of vitamin C you have been taking (e.g. Ascorbic acid tablets, sodium ascorbate powder).

In February I commenced bowel titration levels of sodium ascorbate as a result of severe exacerbation of Rheumatoid Arthritis – a flare up which had left me increasingly fatigued and housebound if not totally bedridden.

Within 3 months of using 60 – 100 g of na ascorbate daily (That’s right, 60 to 100 GRAMS per day!, Rusty), my RA and energy levels had dramatically improved and use of pain killers virtually ceased apart from occasional NSAID.

4. Have you changed any medications or other supplements during this period? Please explain.

QUIT all NSAIDS and other pain relievers.

5. How has your sinusitis problem changed during this period?

Able to sleep without constant lozenges or nasal congestion and postnasal
blockage.

6. How do you plan to go from here concerning taking vitamin C?

For financial reasons, I have reduced my ascorbate levels to the minimum required to induce bowel titration. During this reduction and balancing act, I have noticed return of rheumatic pains and disability and reactivation of nasal allergy reactions with increased nasal drainage, post nasal drip. This would indicate need for increased ascorbate dosage.

7. Have you noticed any side-effects from taking high-dose vitamin C?

Bowel titration not always easy to acquire, pending fluctuating needs but sometimes the vitamin C levels are clearly more than is required at that time, resulting in diarrhea beyond bowel titration comfort levels. During the initial 3 months on ascorbate, I suffered offensive flatulence but this leveled off with my improved health and reduced dosages.

8. Do you think taking high-dose vitamin C has had any other positive effects on your health?

Naturally, I took mega doses for amelioration of my rheumatic disease and was pleasantly surprised by the bonus reduction in sinusitis problems.

9. Please tell me anything else that you think would be of interest regarding your health and vitamin C.

I believe access to C-Stix would more accurately gauge my changing needs for ascorbate. However these are un-obtainable in this part of the world.

I know that when I start to get sore again, I increase my ascorbate until the pain subsides. If vitamin C is not part of my daily routine, the pains return after a few days. I also realize that a number of factors, predominantly stress and climatic conditions, increases my symptoms and am still adjusting the ascorbate intake accordingly.

My Comments: Jan has shared with me that the vitamin C therapy has dramatically changed her life for the better. I hope to be able to report additional results soon.

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Betty Storm
November 24, 2001

1. Tell me briefly about your sinusitis history. (I can get this from the form you filled out, which I have copied below, if you’d like).

Episodes of Sinus and bronchitis began in the early `50`s when I entered nursing school in Philadelphia, PA. I remember having bad headaches and attributing them to all the city pollution and also long hours studying and working in the hospital as a student nurse. The episodes gradually began occurring once or twice yearly and have been occurring consistently in the fall and spring since then. At times the sinusitis occurred more frequently and I developed a chronic postnasal drip. These episodes were treated with antibiotics and decongestants. In the early 70`s, I began taking natural vitamin C. tablets about 500mg to 1000mg daily but was not always consistent with it. So many of my family and friends had the same problem and I assumed it would continue the rest of my life.

2. Tell me as best you can remember what your condition was when you started in the study.

However in January of this year 2001, I read an article in a newsletter- Medical Update- a Saturday Evening Post monthly medical newsletter, by some doctor who prescribed mega doses of vitamin C. for his patients suffering with different infections. He stated that he had them increase the amounts of vitamin C. daily until they developed diarrhea, which indicated they were taking the maximum amount for their body. I cannot locate the article, but I believe he suggested 20,000mg plus during times of infection and then an average of about 10,000mg daily maintenance. He gave your address as a source of information. Since I was at that time experiencing a severe episode of sinusitis, the beginning of bronchitis and just in general feeling physically miserable, I decided to up my intake of vitamin C until I reached my “maximum level”. Antibiotics and decongestants were not giving relief. Also, I was beginning to show signs of high blood pressure and was advised to stop the decongestants.

3. Please tell me in detail how much vitamin C you have taken during the study period and how long you’ve been taking this high dose. I hope that you pushed your bowel tolerance limit and that it has reduced over time, indicating an increase in your state of health. Please also tell me what forms of vitamin C you have been taking (e.g. Ascorbic acid tablets, sodium ascorbate powder).

Listed below beginning on 1-24-01 are the amounts I began with and comments regarding my experience.

This is now my daily maintenance dose which is increased another 1 or 2Gms at the first sign of infection, virus, etc. Mid. Feb. changed to Ester C for a few months and now am taking Calcium Ascorbate Tablets from Bronson .

In August as suggested I began also taking Beta Carotene 25,000 am and
pm along with the usual daily multivitamin that contains vitamin A 10,000 U. (83% Beta Carotene ) and vitamin C. 100mg.

4. Have you changed any medications or other supplements during this period? Please explain.

Except as already stated in #3 above, the only change I have made is switching to Ester C in hopes of reducing the gas. This change began on the 21st of Nov. and the gas seems to have decreased but it may be too soon to know since this is only the 23rd today.

5. How has your sinusitis problem changed during this period?

No episodes of severe sinus infections or bronchitis since January. However, gas persists with some days being worse than others and some days very little. Chewable papaya tablets seem to help with the gas.

6. How do you plan to go from here concerning taking vitamin C?

I plan to continue with a daily maintenance dose of 2000 mg of vitamin C in a.m. and 2000 in p.m. If signs of illness begin I will increase vitamin C by taking an additional 1000 mg every 1-2hrs until the illness begins to subside at which time I will decrease the additional doses gradually until I feel better.

7. Have you noticed any side-effects from taking high-dose vitamin C?

The main side effect noted from taking vitamin C at high doses is a significant amount of gas, which I find very embarrassing. Bowels move more frequently but are not a problem. When the amounts of C were over 10,000 mg daily some nausea was noted.

8. Do you think taking high-dose vitamin C has had any other positive effects on your health?

The positive effects of high doses of vitamin C are shorter periods of illness, probably about half as long or even less, especially with the sinusitis and bronchitis and also the episodes are less frequent. Have only had one episode since January of this year. That is a marked improvement.

9. Please tell me anything else that you think would be of interest regarding your health and vitamin C.

In conclusion, I am so very glad that I became involved with this study. On the whole, my body seems to be much less vulnerable to the usual childhood illnesses that five of my grandchildren (who live near by) always shared with me. My daughter is now giving them chewable (500mg) vitamin C tablets daily, plus extra when they become ill.

My Comments: You have to give Betty a lot of credit for sticking to the study despite the gastrointestinal distress it caused her for a while. I believe her experience to be pretty typical of what I would expect except that she got results faster than I would have thought.