Vitamin C overdose: A cancer patient's life and death lesson

Author: Duan Yuechu

On a sunny July morning in Virginia, 74-year-old Jenny faced a life-or-death decision. She was being treated for endometrial cancer, but life had its own plans. An abnormally high creatinine reading on a standard blood test prompted her oncologist to send her to the hospital. Nephrologist Dr. Sasmit Roy diagnosed and treated her kidney problems.

At first, Dr. Roy suspected that Jenny was simply dehydrated. Chemotherapy drugs often cause patients to lose their appetite, become thirsty and have dehydration. However, when an ultrasound showed no obvious problems with her kidneys, Dr. Roy decided to dig deeper into her medical history.

At the bedside, Dr. Roy noticed that Jenny's face was getting paler, she was drowsy, and she was nauseous. These were clear signs that her physical condition was deteriorating rapidly. Even more worrying was that her creatinine level continued to rise, which was a clear sign that her kidneys were being damaged. If she did not immediately undergo dialysis to remove the accumulated toxins in her body, she might face heart disease and neurological complications, or even death.

After a thorough review of Jenny's treatment and cancer journey, a new detail emerged: Jenny had been receiving a mysterious injection to relieve her discomfort and increase her appetite. The injection was vitamin C.

Vitamin C, which seems harmless at first, turns into poison when taken in excess. Jenny receives 100 grams of vitamin C intravenously every week, which is 50 times the daily safe limit. This dose is far beyond the normal range, and her kidneys can hardly handle so much vitamin C. During the kidney filtration process, vitamin C is converted into a compound called oxalate. Oxalate crystals are like sharp blades, blocking the renal tubules and eventually leading to kidney failure.

Dr. Roy immediately started dialysis for Jenny to replace the kidneys' function of filtering blood, hoping that the kidneys would have a chance to heal themselves. Over a six-week period, Jenny received a total of 600 grams of vitamin C injections. After consulting scientific literature, Dr. Roy found that this dose broke the previous record. Especially for intravenous injections like Jenny's, the danger is even greater because they will rush into the blood at the same time.

Dr. Roy thought that Jenny should be told the truth. Jenny had always trusted another doctor, but he almost killed her. She sympathetically analyzed the condition of Jenny's kidneys and explained that the injections might be the culprit. Of course, this news was shocking. Jenny was so angry that she even called in front of Dr. Roy to replace the doctor who had previously injected her with vitamin C and hold him accountable for his actions.

Dialysis stabilized Jenny’s condition and she was eventually discharged from the hospital. Fortunately, she was able to attend her granddaughter’s wedding and enjoy family time again, despite still battling cancer. However, the kidney damage proved permanent and she had to rely on dialysis three times a week to stay alive.

This case warns us that even well-known vitamins can lead to serious consequences in excess.