Partner is Sick - Vitamin C?

[JonnyRadar]

Hi All,

My partner has been pretty sick for the last few days. Severe congestion, itchy throat, sore muscles, lots of mucus and headaches. She's been taking supplements (Magnesium, Zinc, Iodine), and getting plenty of rest, and our diet is pretty good these days. She just tried taking some C but it made her throw up - which is what happens almost every time. If she takes C, she at least gets nausea, if not vomiting.

Can anyone suggest an alternative form of C (right now we have stearate-free capsules and sodium ascorbate powder) - or perhaps something else that might work the same, aside from the supplements I mentioned above?

Thanks :)

Edited for spelling...

 

[Gaby]

Hi All,

My partner has been pretty sick for the last few days. Severe congestion, itchy throat, sore muscles, lots of mucus and headaches. She's been taking supplements (Magnesium, Zinc, Iodine), and getting plenty of rest, and our diet is pretty good these days. She just tried taking some C but it made her throw up - which is what happens almost every time. If she takes C, she at least gets nausea, if not vomiting.

Can anyone suggest an alternative form of C (right now we have stearate-free capsules and sodium ascorbate powder) - or perhaps something else that might work the same, aside from the supplements I mentioned above?

Thanks :)

Edited for spelling...

I would get some N-acetylcysteine in powder form. I don't know if she is on the diet or not, but for this acute illness, I would get it in powder form from the pharmacy, even if it has sugar. Then I would take 600mg at least twice a day. I have taken as much as 1 and a half grams before with good tolerance.

I don't know what else might be available in your area, but I have taken acerola tablets (rich in vitamin C) like candy, almost the entire jar.

 

[JonnyRadar]

I would get some N-acetylcysteine in powder form. I don't know if she is on the diet or not, but for this acute illness, I would get it in powder form from the pharmacy, even if it has sugar. Then I would take 600mg at least twice a day. I have taken as much as 1 and a half grams before with good tolerance.

I don't know what else might be available in your area, but I have taken acerola tablets (rich in vitamin C) like candy, almost the entire jar.

Thanks so much Psyche, we'll take a look for N-acetylcysteine and Acerola.

 

[Alana]

I also wonder if the liposomal version of vit C might be better for her, since it is not affecting digestion like regular vit C does. You can search "liposomal" on the forum for the pertinent threads.

 

[JonnyRadar]

I also wonder if the liposomal version of vit C might be better for her, since it is not affecting digestion like regular vit C does. You can search "liposomal" on the forum for the pertinent threads.

Thanks Alana, will look into that right away. :)

 

[KTC]

I am also struggling with a fluey thing. My Vietnamese friend has given me the recipe of a soup they make for colds. She said to drink it every morning until you clear (tastes ok too).

Bok Choy
Ginger
Prawns/fish (optional)
Water

Boil it up and wallah.. she tells me that in Vietnam they believe that the Bok Choy cleanses the body.

Enjoy and get better soon...

Did you also see the post re Elderberry?

 

[griffin]

My partner has been pretty sick for the last few days. Severe congestion, itchy throat, sore muscles, lots of mucus and headaches. She's been taking supplements (Magnesium, Zinc, Iodine), and getting plenty of rest, and our diet is pretty good these days. She just tried taking some C but it made her throw up - which is what happens almost every time. If she takes C, she at least gets nausea, if not vomiting.

Can anyone suggest an alternative form of C (right now we have stearate-free capsules and sodium ascorbate powder) - or perhaps something else that might work the same, aside from the supplements I mentioned above?

You didn't say what exactly is in the capsules and the amount, but (a) if it's not just ascorbic acid then whatever it's compounded with could be causing her distress, and (b) if the dosage is large (500mg or more per capsule), taking so much in concentrated form at once could be responsible.

Also, she might not tolerate the sodium in the sodium ascorbate powder, so you might look for plain ascorbic acid powder. She should be able to take ascorbic acid powder in water, up to 1/2 tsp (about 5g) per big glass of water, along with a natural non-sugar sweetener like stevia to cut the bitterness, without inducing nausea. She should be able to drink one glass per hour, up to her tolerance level.

Vitamin C tolerance levels vary, but she will know she is approaching tolerance when she feels her bowels gurgle. Taking too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea, but that goes away if one takes less.

Otherwise, I would suggest she avoid milk and other dairy products as those tend to promote mucus, and perhaps try traditional remedies like tea and chicken soup or other broth.

 

[Gertrudes]

I also wonder if the liposomal version of vit C might be better for her, since it is not affecting digestion like regular vit C does. You can search "liposomal" on the forum for the pertinent threads.

I was thinking about that as well. Liposomal vitamin C has a much greater degree of absorption than regular C and may not affect her digestion as much. My husband also gets a little bit of nausea with regular Vit. C, I think due to its acidity, but has no problems with the liposomal form.

There is a lot of information on liposomal nutrients on this thread, but since she is ill right now, you may want to try an already made commercial brand.

 

[Nienna]

She should be able to take ascorbic acid powder in water, up to 1/2 tsp (about 5g) per big glass of water, along with a natural non-sugar sweetener like stevia to cut the bitterness, without inducing nausea.

Just a fwiw, 1/2 tsp does not equal out to 5g in all products. You need to read the label and serving size. For me, 1/2 tsp = 2g. So read the label to tell how the dosage goes.

 

[JonnyRadar]

Hi, thanks for the tips guys. She is feeling much better today. We couldn't get anything from the store so we did some more reading on iodine and she took more of that, and it seems to have done the trick. We also both doubled up our magnesium last night and that seems to be helping.

Regarding the nausea, we do have sodium ascorbate, so perhaps like you said, the trick is to just use ascorbic acid and keep the individual doses a bit lower... We're also going to look into making some liposomal C.

 

[Nancy2feathers]

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar(about a shot glass full several times a day) can help cut mucus and help with sinus congestion along with Vit. C .