Hello to everyone. I feel that a very large dose of vitamine C has caused my present flare and I'm just wondering if anyone else has been in this situation.
I've had RA for over 30 years and after the first year or two in has settled in my hands, wrists, feet and ankles, so I consider myself lucky. For a few months I've had periods of extremely unpleasant vertigo with sickness, nausea and tiredness. For the tiredness my GP prescribed a medication (liquid) which has 1000g vitamine C, magnesium and 4 amino acids. This was to take for 14 days. It worked well for the tiredness but after eight days I had strong pains in my knees, hips, elbows, neck as well as my hands and feet. I stopped the medication but the pains have continued and this has been for two to three weeks now. The mornings are very difficult to say the least and I'm hoping it's not going to go on for too long.
I take methotrexate weekly and use paracetamol often. I haven't really had many flare-ups although after my latest covid booster last year I certainly did. I know with RA one shouldn't take echinacea because of its effect on the immune system and I think this has been a similar problem with the vitamine C. The medication was on prescription but in fact it can be bought over the counter in the pharmacy, although maybe not in the UK - I live in France.
Thank you for reading this, I would love to have some feedback. Perhaps it's nothing to do with the vitamine C. Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Mardie
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Mardie
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I’ve been on high dose vitamin C, for a few years now, my gp recommended them. I haven’t had issues where it’s increased my pains, and it’s not listed as a side effect. If the pains haven’t improved since stopping them, then I’d say it’s coincidental
Thank you for your reply. I hadn't seen it listed as a side effect either but it just seemed to coincide. I was beginning to wonder why this sudden change had come about and thought it could possibly be the vitamine C. It's not pleasant and my rheumatologist is on holiday!
I’ve always taken vitamin C in the past - it is supposed to be very good for healing, I started taking it following a tooth extraction and just carried on taking it for years then wondered if it was pushing up my iron levels so I stopped taking it regularly but I will take it again if I feel I need it for a particular reason.
Thank you for reply. Because Vitamine C boosts the immune system and RA being an autoimmune disease I wondered if the high amount I was suddenly taking could send my immune system into overdrive and cause a flare. I've never had a flare like this so I'm wondering what is happening. Thanks again for replying.
You need vitamin C in order to absorb iron so if you have the iron deficiency therefore any vitamin C taken acts as an enzyme catalyst & helps .. having changes to diet or meds can have an effect on RA as many probably know.. because if you introduce a new something into your body then it acts like something alien & the body will attack it to defend itself causing upset in many areas joints stomach resulting in pain
Hello BuonaSalute. I don't have an iron deficiency and do get enough vitamin C from my diet, I'm pretty sure about that. However, something is definitely attacking my joints and I thought maybe it's a large overdose of vitamin C because I couldn't see what else it could be. Thank you for replying. All the replies have been most helpful. Mardie
Any extra vitamin C your body doesn’t need is just excreted and is extremely unlikely to have anything to do with your flare.
Your sickness, tiredness and nausea probably needs further investigation to rule out other problems you may be cooking up. Your current medication may now not be effective and may need tweaking or changing.
I’d get an appointment with your doctor or rheumatologist , some more blood tests and take it from there. All the very best and hope you feel better very soon.
Thanks for replying. Yes, of course, the body doesn't store vitamine C and I had forgotten this. So maybe it is all a coincidence. I've never actually been completely pain free on my medication but I don't weigh much and take the maximum amount of methotrexate for my weight. It seems that the vertigo, nausea etc that I have been suffering from is caused by crystals in the inner ear no longer being in the right place and I am being treated for this. I have my usual six monthly appointment with my rheumatologist in September. Thank you again.
I have this type of vertigo BPPV occasionally, and it can be treated with the Eplay manoeuvre it’s quick and cures it. The last attack was 2 days before a break in France and my GP did it. I’ve never heard of it being linked to anything to do with RA but of course it may be. Mine was left sided and the first bout is always worse, every time I sat up I passed out. But now can recognise the beginning of an attack and get the Eplay quick to stop it. I have some simple exercises that help but really it doesn’t stop an attack just makes it less worse. I hope they do it in France as it’s unpleasant but effective.
Hello medway-lady. I have been shown the Epley manoeuvre by my ENT doctor and on my last visit the movement was a bit more drastic. I was turned upside down, backwards and then forwards, strapped in a chair of course but, fingers crossed, I'm hoping this is going to be the answer. Thanks for your reply. Mardie
I was under the impression that Vitamin C helped regulate rather than boosting the immune system.
However, whilst trying to research that I found this article where they are trialling Vitamin C as a treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis. They only got as far as trialling it in mice though. But quite an interesting read. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/385....
Thank you bpeal1. I have read the article. At first I noticed that vitamin C appears to moderate the autoimmune response in RA and help prevent a worsening of the condition, so perhaps what I took should have been beneficial. However later in the article it says early research suggests taking too much vitamin C may have the opposite effect, albeit in guinea pigs! Mardie
I know that bit is confusing but it said that was related to osteoarthritis (in guinea pigs). It then says 2000mg is a normal dose but you only took 1000mg.
Do you have any food allergies? I’m allergic to oranges and cannot take vitamin c supplements because it is made from oranges. Perhaps you have an allergy to it or the other ingredients.
Hi TT, No I don't have an allergy to vitamin c but perhaps to one of the other ingredients, hadn't thought of that. I eat really well, with enough vitamin c so I just thought my problem could have arisen because of the very large amount that was suddenly added to my body. Thanks or your reply.
The human body cannot store vitamin C so, it takes what it needs and flushes any excess straight out of the body. It’s sometimes a waste of time taking vitamin C supplements unless you are deficient and don’t get it from the diet.
Good luck and I hope you start to feel better soon.
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