Back in the 1990s, there were no conventional therapies for influenza-like illness. The best conventional medicine could offer to a person suffering with the flu was recommending rest and lots of fluids. That’s not bad advice, but I felt more could be done to help such a patient.
Tamiflu, a drug that is commonly used for the flu, was brought to market in 1999. It is widely prescribed for influenza infections even though the drug fails to work for the vast majority of people who receive it.
But the best this drug can offer a patient with the flu is a few hours of symptom relief.
Unfortunately, Tamiflu is associated with multiple adverse effects. In my opinion, Tamiflu should never had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. I don’t recommend it to anyone. In order to help my patients overcome influenza-like illnesses, I had to develop my own protocols. And because so many die from the flu-like illnesses each year, any therapy that aids the body’s immune system when it is fighting such an illness should be welcomed.
I was aware that there was a great deal of literature concerning the use of vitamin C to aid the immune system when confronted with a viral illness. Vitamin C has both immune-supporting and antiviral effects — particularly when taken intravenously. And besides the possibility of loose stools, there are few side effects from taking vitamin C.
Reading old medical literature about vitamin C is fascinating. It makes clear that all doctors should understand this nutrient and its benefits for the immune system.
My medical school training provided little knowledge about vitamin C. On the other hand, my holistic training has provided a vast amount of knowledge, and it’s ongoing. My partners and I have been checking vitamin C levels in patients for nearly three decades.
The vast majority of patients do not have optimal vitamin C in their bodies. And when you see how the immune system depends on vitamin C to fight viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections, it’s easy to understand why so many Americans succumb to the flu on a yearly basis.
Vitamin C is found in high concentrations in cells that populate the immune system. Both aspects of the immune system — innate and adaptive immunity — depend on the vitamin to facilitate their activities.
In times of stress (such as a viral infection), vitamin C requirements increase, and vitamin C levels can decrease. This can further disrupt normal immune system functioning.
It has also been shown to fight sepsis, which is a serious infection that has spread to the bloodstream. I generally recommend taking 3,000 mg to 5,000 mg of vitamin C orally per day. If a person becomes ill, I suggest increasing the dose to 1,000 mg per hour until bowel tolerance is reached or symptoms improve.