# How much Vit C for a sick toddler?



## mrsfrenchy (Apr 14, 2008)

How much Vit C would you give a sick (daycare-attending) toddler (sick as in nasty cough, feeling crummy--but not feverish, etc)? And would you continue this dose when they were not sick

We have some liquid Vit C that suggests the dose for an 16 month old would be about 250 mg/day. But DD won't take the liquid stuff. So we got the Hylands Vit C tablets (which DD will eat like candy and gets mad when I say 'thats all you can have'), but their recommened dosage is only 25-50 mg/day for 2years+

How much can she / should she have? (I don't mind giving her several of the hylands a day since she likes them, I just don't want to give her too much.)

Thank you.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Hi. I am glad you asked this question, because ds is sick, and we too have the Hyland's vitamin C tabs and am wondering if I can give him more than the 25-50 mg a day.


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## 3plus2isme (Nov 8, 2009)

I've been wondering the same thing... we seem to be fighting something and the boys normally get 50mg but I was wondering if I can/should up it.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Some mamas here give sodium ascorbate to bowel tolerance when their child is sick, which I am thinking is WAY more than 50 mg. I was on the Hyland's site last night and here is a quote from their vitamin C page:

Quote:

Most youngsters today take multiple vitamin supplements every day, but many parents feel that extra Vitamin C is important. With Hyland's lemon -flavored tablets, you can give your child as much extra as needed.
That last sentence.....

Quote:

you can give your child as much extra as needed
makes it sound as if it is ok to give as much you feel your child needs.


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## Marnica (Oct 4, 2008)

SA to bowel tolerance is what is needed when a child is ill. Hylands won't come close to cutting what your child's body needs to fight an infection. 50mg a day for a healthy child is a joke anyway let alone when they are sick. I would think that you' d have to use an entire bottle in a day of the hylands to get close to a dose that would be effective. I would conjole and bribe and do whatever I had to to get him to take the SA....hide it in juice..in a smoothie...whatever. The dose should be 250-375 mg per kg of body weight. 1 kg = 2.2 pounds. My son is 22 pounds so he weighs 10 kg. Dosing him while ill (which he happens to be right now) would be (starting at the 250 mark) 2500mg/day in divided doses over a 24 hr period. If there is no loose poop, Id up it by 50 mg until I got some loose poop and then back off a tad and that is the dose he requires. I was very sick last week and was dosing myself....I was able to take upwards of 15,000mg before I got bowel involvement. When I am healthy it only takes about 3,000mg before bowel tolerance. This demonstrates that when you are sick, the body is utilizing much more Vit C.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:

The dose should be 250-375 mg per kg of body weight. 1 kg = 2.2 pounds.
Marnica, just curious, where did you get these dosing instructions? I am assuming this is for when you are sick?

And do you have dosing instructions for daily use when you are healthy?

One more question: do you give bioflavonoids with your SA?


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## paakbaak (Jan 24, 2007)

oh i need this info too! i give my almost 4yo 1000mg minimum when he is sick, sometimes can get up to 2000mg. but i feel it´s not enough now. i would love to try your dosing MARNICA. the problem i have is that i live in mexico and can´t find liquid drops or anything over 250mg chewables! i´m giving my kid the powder in my tablets 250mg 3 or 4 times a day...they taste terrible (GNC).

tell us more!!!!!!!


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## paakbaak (Jan 24, 2007)

i read this now...200mg a day sounds so little to me!
http://ezinearticles.com/?Vitamin-C-Overdose&id=144404
Using Vitamin C products beyond recommended the limits may cause stomachaches and diarrhea. Even though the body would only use as much as it needs of the vitamin, Vitamin C Overdose can hinder metabolic activities in the body.

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for Vitamin C in nonsmoking adults is 75 mg per day for women and 90 mg per day for men. For smokers, the RDAs are 110 mg per day for women and 125 mg per day for men. A dose of 200 milligrams daily is almost enough to maximize plasma and lymphocyte levels.

Higher levels of Vitamin C are needed when under environmental stress such as trauma, fever or infection. Full saturation is reached with daily intakes of 200-500 mg per day (in 2-3 divided doses). This is a water-soluble protein, and anything in excess is excreted by the body. Vitamin C Overdose can cause diarrhea, gas, or stomach upset. Other side effects could be stomach cramps, nausea, and diarrhea, and an increased risk of developing kidney stones. Large amounts of Vitamin C reduce body levels of copper, an essential nutrient. People with iron overload diseases must avoid Vitamin C Overdose, as it increases iron absorption. Special medical advice must be taken by individuals who have kidney stones. If a pregnant mother takes 6,000 mg of Vitamin C, the baby may develop rebound scurvy due to a sudden drop in daily intake. Hemochromatosis patients should not take Vitamin C due to enhanced accumulation of non-heme iron in the presence of this vitamin.


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## tanyalynn (Jun 5, 2005)

I use the same dosage guidelines Marnica mentioned, but that's our minimum, dosing really is pretty individual. My kids usually need a lot more. The amount for any of us to get to diarrhea or stomachache (bowel tolerance) is a lot higher than that article suggests.

I buy Now brand sodium ascorbate online (no idea if it's shipped internationally or what the cost would be), we all use it, I mix it in a couple tablespoons of OJ and drink it fast.


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## momofmine (Jan 8, 2007)

Yes, my kids are fighting something off right now and it is so amazing to me, but I can totally tell when they really need the C and when they don't. It takes a LOT more to get them to bowel tolerance when they need it more.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:

TanyaLopez: I use the same dosage guidelines Marnica mentioned, but that's our minimum, dosing really is pretty individual.
Tanya, you use this daily with yourself and your kids? Was this recommended to you by a ND or other professional? (Just wondering how you found out about SA and dosing in the first place) I noticed that not a lot of professionals suggest megadosing with C.

Quote:

TanyaLopez: I buy Now brand sodium ascorbate online (no idea if it's shipped internationally or what the cost would be), we all use it, I mix it in a couple tablespoons of OJ and drink it fast.
Do you give your children bioflavanoids with the SA?


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## tanyalynn (Jun 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 
Tanya, you use this daily with yourself and your kids? Was this recommended to you by a ND or other professional? (Just wondering how you found out about SA and dosing in the first place) I noticed that not a lot of professionals suggest megadosing with C.

I ran across the dosing guidelines here, old posts and links by Momtezuma Tuatara, it's probably also discussed in the huge Sodium Ascorbate thread here in H&H.

I'm torn on whether everyone should do it daily. We've got health stuff, too much mercury, and vitamin C is a significant help for getting the circulating metals and other toxins out, so I give it daily to bowel tolerance. Someday, well, I don't know what we'll do when we're done (we take a lot of pills now, but it won't be forever).

I started using it just for illnesses before I knew we had more complex health issues going on, and now my current HCP recommends it daily as an important part of detoxification support. I think she'd recommend it as a permanent thing for dealing with toxin exposures just from day-to-day living, but we haven't specifically talked about the "after" plan.

Do you give your children bioflavanoids with the SA?

I _should_ give bioflavonoids, someone even linked a stand-alone bioflavonoid product that I meant to check into, but it wasn't high enough on my list of pills-to-buy.


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