May 22, 2019

How Vitamin IV Therapy can help your allergies

By Kate McLaird, ND
How Vitamin IV Therapy can help your allergies

Spring is in full swing with trees blossoming, grass growing and the grounds thawing. But with this, allergies are also in full swing with constant sneezing, persistent watering eyes and sometimes even asthma flairs.

Taking over the counter “anti-histamines” are an effective and fast way to help the body get rid of the histamines and provide relief from allergy symptoms; however, this is not addressing the possible root cause of where those allergies have originated. In this case, you will be dependent on taking these medications year after year and run the risk of your allergies becoming worse with age.

Vitamin IV therapy and Allergy Treatment

One of the ways we approach seasonal allergies is by using high dose Intravenous Vitamin C. In an allergic response, histamines are released from an immune white blood cell called a mast cell. Vitamin C, along with other nutrients, help stabilize these cells so it becomes more resilient to the allergic triggers (such as pollen) and prevents the hyper-reactive release of histamine and hence prevents the allergic symptoms from occurring.

We observe this is clinical practice, as well as in the research as seen in an observational study conducted in Germany, with more than 50% of patients not requiring allergy-related medication with the adequate relief provided by the Vitamin C intravenous therapy provided to the cohort.

Reference: Vollbracht C, Raithel M, Krick B, Kraft K, Hagel AF. Intravenous vitamin C in the treatment of allergies: an interim subgroup analysis of a long-term observational study. J Int Med Res. 2018;46(9):3640–3655. doi:10.1177/0300060518777044


Why Intravenous Therapy is superior to taking those delicious chewable vitamin C tablets?

Intravenous administration of Vitamin C is most effective due to the fact that vitamin C is limited to the amount able to be absorbed orally. Should an individual consume orally too much vitamin C it will result in diarrhea. By bypassing the gastrointestinal system, we are able to provide the body with high doses of a safe potent antioxidant without this side effect.

Some patients respond in as little as a few sessions, while others may need this supportive therapy for the entire season along with adjunctive acupuncture and botanical supports depending on the severity and chronicity of your allergic health history.

Extra TIP:

It is important to note that frequent use of Benadryl© has been linked to a possible increase in risk of developing dementia later in life.

Reference: DeGage SB, et al. "Benzodiazepine use and risk of Alzheimer's disease: Case-control study," BMJ (Sept. 9, 2014), Vol. 351, published online; Salahudeen MS et al. "Anticholinergic burden quantified by anticholinergic risk scales and adverse outcomes in older people: A systematic review," BMC Geriatrics (March 15, 2015), Vol.15, No.31, published online.