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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Vit C overdose, please help!

33 replies

Alexa808 · 02/09/2008 03:01

Have just found out that unbeknownst to me our domestic helper has been giving me overdoses of Vit C (1000 mg liquid supplement) on top of the orange juice and fresh fruit I normally eat anyway AND the 60mg in my supplement pill I take each day.

For the last 10 days I've felt dizzy, nauseous, had headaches, light diarrhea, have vomited and had backaches and light contractions. I thought I was just stressed and had braxton hicks, and now THIS.

I've called the doc but he's in the theatre. What I'm reading on the internet has made me cry in frustration and got me scared.

Can any of you kind mumsnetters please assure me it'll all end well? I feel really beside myself reading stuff about low birthweight in babies & scurvy...

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

sandcastles · 02/09/2008 03:12

Well Scurvy is lack of Vit C, so I think you'll be OK there!

NHS Direct?

How far along are you?

Original poster

Alexa808 · 02/09/2008 03:18

hello sandcastles, thanks for the update. I'm 35 weeks tom.

OP posts:

zippitippitoes · 02/09/2008 03:21

vit c is soluble so excess leaves the body quickly

1000mg is what i take everyday (not pregnant)

what have you read to scare you

could you have had a virus

sandcastles · 02/09/2008 03:26

OK, well please get all your other symptoms checked out as soon as possible.

Not trying to scare you further, but a few of your symptoms could be Pre Eclampsia.

Please do not google anything further, it should come with a health warning!

zippitippitoes · 02/09/2008 03:30

i agree with sandcastles re get a check up to see what yourt symptoms might be related too

Original poster

Alexa808 · 02/09/2008 03:31

Hi zippi, numbness in fingers (check, have actually had items gliding out of my fingers for no reason), low birthweight in babies due to vit c overdose, can cause spontaneous abortions (think I'm past that to take effect though), can trigger contractions, and the the other things: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, back and stomach aches. Definitely no virus from my side.

I'm still waiting for doc to call me but he's busy.

I think you're right sandcastles, must really stop googling or i'll drive myself crazy.

OP posts:

zippitippitoes · 02/09/2008 03:35

well googling symptoms is always panic inducing

i think your symptoms are very unlikely to be related to vit c

but nevertheless they are clearly symptoms so you are doing the right thing seeeking medical advice

hopefully he will put your mind at rest

sandcastles · 02/09/2008 03:39

Numbness in fingers - could well be carpal tunnel...I had it terribly in my second pregnancy. I had no gripping power in one of my thumbs at all for weeks towards the end.

When did your symptoms start & when do you think you had the Vit C overdose?

zippitippitoes · 02/09/2008 03:44

how cqan someone else be giving you vit c without your knowledge that is a bit odd

you mean adding it to food or something?

Original poster

Alexa808 · 02/09/2008 03:44

Started early last week. I actually told doc about my dropping things but he suggested water retention. My bloods and sugars were fine.

I've been given the supplement for the last 10-12 days I believe. I started driving my DH to work and having breakfast with him, the maid prepared fresh O-juice as requested...only, she lied and put a vit c supplement into it. I'm so at her. I've just had her removed from the house.

OP posts:

zippitippitoes · 02/09/2008 03:47

if you have had a recent check up tghen i would be optimistic

did he take your blood pressure

sandcastles · 02/09/2008 03:58

Yes, my carpal tunnel was because of water retention.

ghosty · 02/09/2008 04:01

I think sacking your maid is a bit harsh. She was probably only trying to help . You should be in control of what you are eating and drinking to be honest ...
I work in the vitamin industry, I will email the company I work for and see what they say ... but like someone said, it is one of those vitamins that your body naturally gets rid of what you don't need. You should be ok. Go to the doctor and get checked over, though, to set your mind at rest.

Original poster

Alexa808 · 02/09/2008 04:01

Yes, and baby's heart beat. All good news he said.

We have a maid working for us, very normal in Asia. She was asked to prepare freshly squeezed O-juice for DH. I'd normally get up later than him, so no O-juice for me.

Over the last ten days I started getting up with DH to drive him & shared the O-juice. In the fridge he keeps bottles of very high potency jap brand vit C supplements which he takes before he flies and straight after a journey (a bit like the American brand Airborne). Instead of using only oranges & squeezing them, she's put the liquid supplement into the juice to 'enrich' it.

I saw it by coincidence this morning as I fed the cats and opened the trash can.

OP posts:

Original poster

Alexa808 · 02/09/2008 04:09

sandcastles, oh I see. Did it go away after you had baby?

Ghosty: I hear you & I agree. However in this case she was asked to prepare freshly squeezed orange juice. Just that. Nothing more, nothing less. When you get an infection from eating in a restaurant you'd also blame the supplier or chef, no? You wouldn't blame yourself for eating a panna cotta made with bad cream?

If you had an employee who would do something that you didn't ask her to do, actually deviating from what you asked her to do, then how would you be to blame?

I really appreciate you checking!!! Thank you.

OP posts:

sandcastles · 02/09/2008 05:59

Mostly, yes. I am still getting tingling in my thumbs [worse affected area]. Dr said should've gone by 6 weeks, now been 8.

BUT a friend said that your body takes 9 months to 'get into this state, so it takes about the same to recover' which I kinda agree with.

I can live with the tingling, compared to the intense pain it caused me at night, the tingling is a breeze!

Original poster

Alexa808 · 02/09/2008 06:16

Oh dear, so sorry to hear that sandcastles. Doc still hasn't called back. Hmmm...so worried for baby.

Ghosty, did you hear anything back from your company?

OP posts:

ghosty · 02/09/2008 08:42

No not yet, they are based in the States so it may take a while ... I'll email a colleague too ...

Original poster

Alexa808 · 02/09/2008 08:59

Thank you. Much appreciated!!

OP posts:

zippitippitoes · 02/09/2008 09:44

hi alexa

my non medical feeling is that you will not have harmed yourself or your baby by having the extra vit c

ot would be hard if not incredibly hard to have toxicity from vit c

and you only had a 1000mg dose for s hort period

and there is no evidence that that would really do anything tho it might give you diarrhoea etc

JellySnakes · 02/09/2008 09:50

Alexa, as someone else said, Vit C is soluble so I think any excess is just excreted via your urine. I would like to think that you will not have done any damage to you or your baby, especially since it was only for a short time that you were taking the higher dosage.

Hope you get some answers soon, and good luck with your new baby!

msdemeanor · 02/09/2008 10:04

1000mg is not a very high dose of vitamin C at all, and is VERY unlikely to have caused your symptoms.

ghosty · 02/09/2008 22:53

Just out of interest Alexa, whereabouts do you live?

zippitippitoes · 03/09/2008 13:43

so what did your doctor say in the end?

lou031205 · 03/09/2008 13:58

Alexa, the reason we need 5 portions of fruit& veg a day is partly because we cannot store Vit C - we use it or lose it. Try not to worry.

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