Is intravenous zinc worth trying?

[Wonkmonk]

Hello everyone,

just posted another thread with a study that says high-dose intravenous vitamin C can help fight EBV.

That brought me to the idea that perhaps high-dose intravenous zinc might be worth trying, too. After all, zinc supplementation is effective in fighting viral infections like the common cold and some studies say it may help in some autoimmune diseases.

Does this make sense and is it worth a try?

Has anyone tried this already?

What would be a high dose that would still be safe?

I would be very interested to hear your views.

 

[pattismith]

I have read stories of acute or chronic intoxication with zinc, so I wouldn't do this

 

[Wonkmonk]

I have read stories of acute or chronic intoxication with zinc, so I wouldn't do this

I assume that would probably be dose-dependent and there is an upper tolerable limit you can do without that occurring?

 

[Wonkmonk]

"Single intravenous doses of 1 to 2 mg zinc/kg body weight have been given to adult leukemic patients without toxic manifestations."

https://www.drugs.com/pro/zinc-sulfate-injection.html

 

[alex3619]

Any amount might be toxic if it exceeds your safe threshold, and that will vary by patient. Minerals have a very narrow safe range, unlike vitamin C. You need medical supervision, and I am guessing they might require regular blood tests to monitor toxicity. Presumably a doctor will be organising the infusion, and the tests, and monitoring you. Minerals are toxic, this kind of thing has to be monitored. This is true of all minerals, not just zinc. Low mineral levels can cause dangerous symptoms, but so can high levels. Even oral supplementation can be dangerous if too much is taken over too short a time period, or lower amounts over very long time periods. Again, this needs to be done through a doctor.

 

[Wonkmonk]

@alex3619 Yes, no worries, a doctor would do it. Do you know what the highest safe dose would be that I could get via IV infusion?

 

[alex3619]

@alex3619 Yes, no worries, a doctor would do it. Do you know what the highest safe dose would be that I could get via IV infusion?

I have not investigated this but there must be published tables, based on body weight.

 

[Seven7]

Zinc kills me, if I do more than 10mg a day, I get so inflamed, I go for days down on crash. I know is needed but it send my immune system on SUPER overdrive.

 

[Learner1]

@Wonkmonk I did high dose vitamin C IVs followed by artesunate, which has been shown to be effective against herpes viruses, weekly for about 9 months. They were alternated with IVs of B vitamins, carnitine, taurine, glycine, zinc, selenium, molybdenum and glutathione, which I still do.

There are valid reasons to use IV nutrients and they are quite powerful. As you noted, they should be done under the care of a knowledgeable doctor with sterile procedures, in situations when your lab values suggest you need them. Some things you can take quite a lot of, others, like minerals in particular, can quickly build to toxic levels.

My entry into ME/CFS was after my successful cancer treatment. I had the standard chemotherapy as well as high dose vitamin C and artesunate for it. My conventional oncologist is flabbergasted that I haven't had a recurrence, like all his other patients like me who only had conventional treatment have, so I'm concluding that the C/artesunate combo helped me eradicate my cancer.

Unfortunately, they were not enough to fight my 4 herpes family infections or my 2 acellular pneumonias, along with the zinc.

They should have, and I've seen studies supporting their use. It could be that my immune system was whacked by my chemo therapy - I had very low NK cells and low immunoglobulins, including low IgG subclasses 1 and 3.

So, in someone with a healthier immune system, they probably would have worked just fine. I still do the nutrient IV with zinc weekly and take 4-6g vitamin C a day. I'm glad I gave it a try, but it wasn't until I started Valcyte, IV antibiotics and IVIG that I really began to improve.

And I also believe the IV nutrients have kept me healthier and kept me functioning at a much higher level than I would have otherwise. I was very sick, sleeping 16 hours a day and totally brain fogged at one point, but I've been able to exercise very carefully and work 10-15 hours a week throughout.

But, talk to your doctor.

 

[Wonkmonk]

So, in someone with a healthier immune system, they probably would have worked just fine. I still do the nutrient IV with zinc weekly and take 4-6g vitamin C a day. I'm glad I gave it a try, but it wasn't until I started Valcyte, IV antibiotics and IVIG that I really began to improve.

After Dr Montoya's lecture, which I linked in the other thread, I am giving the infection hypothesis another look. My - perhaps naive - hope is, if you attack the infection(s) from several angles (Vitamin C, zinc, Valcyte, antibiotics etc.) perhaps you can fight it. Perhaps once it's driven out of the organs, there even might be a permanent improvement (Dr Montoya suggests this after 5 years of treatment).

I am also wondering if calcium channel blockers and Nitrates have a positive effect in some patients, because they improve blood flow so antibodies and killer cells can reach some of the infection deeper down in the organs.

With the exception of Valcyte, all these drugs are relatively low risk and I am not aware there are any interactions. But will check with my doctor of course.