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Vitamin C Eased Hives

Q. My son, age 14, has suffered from chronic idiopathic urticaria (hives) for five years. Several months ago, your column featured another person suffering from hives. He had success with vitamin C so we decided to try it.

My son is now taking 1000 mg of vitamin C twice a day. He has been able to stop two of his three medications, Zyrtec and famotidine. With his doctor’s approval, he has halved his Allegra prescription. We are so thankful!

A. We found nothing recent in the medical literature on this approach. Some research five or six decades ago suggested that vitamin C might dampen allergic reactions, but it has not been confirmed.

We are pleased to learn that your son’s hives have responded so well to this approach. Please make sure his doctor is aware of his continued use of high doses of vitamin C.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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