Sometimes, high doses of vitamin C help improve the quality of life for cancer patients. It does not replace cancer drugs, but is used in conjunction with them. Spark Health describes what you can expect from high dose vitamin C IV therapy.
The vitamin C needs to be given intravenously because this is the most efficient way to administer the vast doses needed to help fight cancer and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy.
A person just cannot take enough pills to get the same effect. Cancer patients already have trouble with nausea, which high amounts of vitamin pills can exacerbate.
Just how much vitamin C and how many times a week you will need to get IV treatments depend upon your individual situation. Usually, you get treatment two or three times a week at 50 to 100 grams per dose. Getting an IV bag can take about an hour, so expect to sit for that time. Bring something to do, because there may not be a television to watch in your treatment room.
There have been very few bad side effects from high dose vitamin C therapy done in clinical trials. However, cancer patients that also have kidney problems, hemochromatosis, or other serious health problems need to talk to their medical team before starting this therapy.