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Can vitamin C cause fight or flight response?

Messages
64
Hey guys, I had a bad reaction to vitamin C and I think it has to do with my hormones/adrenal fatigue. I broke open a 1000mg capsule of vitamin C from a very reputable company, sprinkled just a pixie dust amount into a cup, added water, and swallowed.

I was fine for the remainder of the day, but the following morning, I awoke with extreme anxiety -- fight or flight response to the extreme. My whole body was shaking, nerves were rattled -- just out of it -- and it took until the afternoon to feel somewhat normal, but not entirely.

Has anyone had a similar reaction to vitamin C when dealing hormone issues/adrenal fatigue?
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,334
Location
Southern California
@wondrous - I don't think it was the Vitamin C either, for the reason @dannybex stated, as well as this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25701025
which states that vitamin C actually helps ameliorate excitotoxicity in the brain.

I would start by looking at what you had to eat and drink the night before - perhaps msg was in something you ingested. It can go by innocuous names like "natural flavoring" etc.
 
Messages
64
I doubt it was the C if you felt fine until almost 24 hours later.

@dannybex You would think that, but whenever I have a reaction to something, it's usually experienced the following morning upon waking up. I really want the reaction to not be due to the vitamin c. :confused:

Thank you for the response!
 
Messages
64
@Mary Thank you for your response and research!

I'll have to think hard back to what else I possibly put into my body on that same day. It was pretty much the same reaction I have after consuming too much sulfur.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,334
Location
Southern California
@Mary Thank you for your response and research!

I'll have to think hard back to what else I possibly put into my body on that same day. It was pretty much the same reaction I have after consuming too much sulfur.

You're welcome! I just learned this myself recently in a different context, when I learned that vitamin C actually helps me with sleep. I hope you find the culprit :nerd:
 
Messages
64
@Mary What do you think of this? I was reading on a review for a multivitamin that most citrates are derived from corn, and corn is heavily sulfited during processing. The ascorbic acid from the brand I used is derived from corn.

Do you think that with my sulfur sensitivity, my body was able to pick up on possible sulfur that was carried over from processing the corn?
 

TigerLilea

Senior Member
Messages
1,147
Location
Vancouver, British Columbia
I doubt that it is the Vitamin C, either. Is it possible that because you expected to have a reaction the next morning, you unconsciously brought one on? Different supplements should bring on different reactions at different times - not always first thing in the morning upon waking.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,334
Location
Southern California
@Mary What do you think of this? I was reading on a review for a multivitamin that most citrates are derived from corn, and corn is heavily sulfited during processing. The ascorbic acid from the brand I used is derived from corn.

Do you think that with my sulfur sensitivity, my body was able to pick up on possible sulfur that was carried over from processing the corn?

You could be right, I think it makes sense, though I don't have any experience with sulfur sensitivity. But you noted above that it felt like you had consumed too much sulfur. I'm guessing there must be forms of vitamin C which are not derived from corn so hopefully you would still be able to take vitamin C - we have to be chemists with this disease! :confused:
 
Messages
64
You could be right, I think it makes sense, though I don't have any experience with sulfur sensitivity. But you noted above that it felt like you had consumed too much sulfur. I'm guessing there must be forms of vitamin C which are not derived from corn so hopefully you would still be able to take vitamin C - we have to be chemists with this disease! :confused:

@Mary Somehow I still feel that excess sulfur is an issue for me and can definitely explain a lot of my symptoms.

I just purchased a multivitamin from Thorne too. I probably should have checked to see if the vitamin c in there is corn derived.

I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, so I'll confront my doc with all of this information and see what she thinks.
 
Messages
64
When you are up for it again, if you want to make certain. Try to do things with the same conditions, and see if it happens again!

GG

@*GG* I know, that would be the best way to determine if the vitamin c was truly the issue. Unfortunately, I have to play lab rat and be the one to potentially experience the reaction again. We'll see once I'm feeling a little more up to it!
 

A zombie

Senior Member
Messages
197
I'm taking liposomal c maybe try that it's a good source . i wouldn't think it was c either
 

Learner1

Senior Member
Messages
6,305
Location
Pacific Northwest
I'm guessing there must be forms of vitamin C which are not derived from corn so hopefully you would still be able to take vitamin C - we have to be chemists with this disease! :confused:

@Mary Somehow I still feel that excess sulfur is an issue for me and can definitely explain a lot of my symptoms.

I just purchased a multivitamin from Thorne too. I probably should have checked to see if the vitamin c in there is corn derived.
I'm allergic to corn, react to it in any form. Most surprisingly in methylB12 shots...I have to quiz every pharmacist and call every supplement manufacturer to be sure I'm safe.

I take both Alive Fruit Source vitamin C capsules and Nutricology Cassava source Buffered vitamin C (be careful - that have several products, this is the only non-corn one).

Also, I have never had a problem with any Thorne Research products and corn, including the Extra Nutrients, MetaFem and NutriFem multivitamins.

I'm not sure vitamin C is your problem, though, unless you've got a corn problem, or your oxidant/antioxidant balance is off.

Maybe check your glutathione and B vitamin status and look into the sulfate problem. You might need B1, molybdenum, or taurine for your transsulfuration pathway.

And see if the problem is repeatable...
 

Paralee

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
USA
I would get a vit. C from natural food, not ascorbic acid....and of course make sure where the food comes from. I couldn't take a natural food vit. C and had to give it to hubby. Or maybe that's why I had to give it to him, I can't handle sulfur either....hummmmm. Maybe I had this whole vit. C thingy bass ackwards.
 

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,092
I recently read somewhere that supplementation with vit C can cause loss of B6 in urine (sorry, lost the reference, I think it was a nutrition book).