Having trouble with vitamin C dosing do to a deficiency via orange juice, need advice.

[Systemlord]

When I first encounter symptoms my first set of symptoms on TRT 2 years ago it would later be attributed to a vitamin C deficiency and a lack of it in my diet, which then lead to an iron deficiency, but I have found over the course of 6 weeks that I am extremely sensitive to vitamin C.

I first started out on 500mg vitamin C daily and after 7 days experienced extreme nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea and then the marks on my arm appeared. I realized since I had only just started vitamin C a week ago, it was more than like the cause and I reduced the dosage to 250mg and did well for a 5 weeks and those symptoms (including mildly elevated ALT levels) returned after week 5.

When I first lowered the vitamin C dosage last Thursday, my index finger and thumb are almost completely numb on the bottom half, like the skin itself is numb. It was last Thursday I encountered all too familiar symptoms of extreme nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea that had been building leading up to these symptoms.

So I decided to give up the supplements and go to a more natural approach drinking orange juice. I found citrus twist combining many fruits and mainly because it had 91mg of vitamin C, I figure it would be perfect since men need only between 65-90 milligrams of vitamin C from the daily diet.

So I started with 8 ounces which is 91mg (using precise measuring cup) and started experiencing all vitamin C deficiency symptoms as I did back in April however not as bad but still, rashes appear on skin, corkscrew curly hair on head, dry damaged skin, painful joints, slightly loose teeth all within 1-2 days.

I learned that when you supplement more than moderate doses 30-180mg vitamin C, absorption drops be 50 percent. If I drink 130mg worth of vitamin C and experienced all symptoms associated with excess vitamin C within a few days, if I lower the dosage back to 91mg, symptoms of a deficiency is experienced that day and I'm trying to understand what is at play here.

It's as if I have no reservoir and I understand vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and the body doesn't retain it well, but this is ridiculous. I drank 91mg this morning and have felt bad all day long and just decided to drink an extra ounce totaling 102mg and feel a little better.

I'm wondering if this is similar to how when you change dosages on TRT, if there is a period where vitamin C levels are not stable, I know it sounds ridiculous but what else can explain what going on. A deficiency exists and there is threshold that is very temperamental.

I think part of the problem is my gut is not absorbing stuff well enough in the first place do to a paralyzed gut in April, then causing unabsorbed vitamin C to wreak havoc on my intestines or the gut problems is forcing me to choose a vitamin C deficiency do to a compromised gut.

How do I improve gut health more quickly?

Any advice would be welcomed.

My doctor emailed me with:

As you may know, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, with dietary excesses not absorbed, and excesses in the blood rapidly excreted in the urine, so it exhibits remarkably low acute toxicity. More than two to three grams may cause indigestion, particularly when taken on an empty stomach. However, taking vitamin C in the form of sodium ascorbate and calcium ascorbate may minimize this effect. Other symptoms reported for large doses include nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. These effects are attributed to the osmotic effect of unabsorbed vitamin C passing through the intestine. Only 65-90 milligrams of vitamin C is needed from the daily diet.

 

[Vince]

Here's something I just found out. I supplement with 1000 mg of vitamin c twice a day and just had my levels checked, something I never done before. My levels came in at <.1 wow really low. Range 0.2 to 2.1, my recommended level 1.1 to 1.2. I'm told to triple my dose.

 

[Vince Carter]

To your gut health, I had a real serious improvement with Pre/Pro-Biotics and Digestive Enzymes. I was suffering with reflux, GERD, probable malabsorption of nutrients because of it, was living on Tums, A LOT. Interrupted sleep, it was pretty bad.
But got on those probiotics and taking 3-5 a day really changed that for me. What really changed was the bottle says I think 1 per day, but I started taking two, and then taking 2, 2-3 times per day.

 

[Systemlord]

To your gut health, I had a real serious improvement with Pre/Pro-Biotics and Digestive Enzymes. I was suffering with reflux, GERD, probable malabsorption of nutrients because of it, was living on Tums, A LOT. Interrupted sleep, it was pretty bad.
But got on those probiotics and taking 3-5 a day really changed that for me. What really changed was the bottle says I think 1 per day, but I started taking two, and then taking 2, 2-3 times per day.

I took your advice and tried probiotics top rate product off Amazon, took it and had more and new symptoms. Thanks for the tip on probiotics though.

It seems I'm extremely sensitive to vitamin C, I over respond to all medications, caffeine, give my a 5 hour energy drink and the ER visit is likely. I read it's almost impossible to overdose vitamin C, guess I break all the standard rules.

I stopped potassium and went the natural route and had large bananas instead of supplements and within a couple of days symptoms returned, teeth turned dull yellow again as before in April, weakness and tiredness.

I immediately took 400mg potassium and within 30 minutes was already starting to feel good again. I'm just not absorbing potassium directly from food, guess I need more time to heal.

I'm eating a lot of natural foods and staying away from processed foods.

 

[fifty]

Seems you are sensitive to alot of stuff. I think your scientific method of monitoring intake and effects will allow you to figure it all out given time.