Separating Intravenous Ascorbic Acid [IV Ascorbate] and Glutathione on the same Day in Oxidative Therapies. Rationale and limitations of clinical timing.

Dr. Paul S. Anderson

While non-oxidant doses of intravenous vitamin c (IVC) and glutathione (GSH) are synergistic in support of the ReDox cascade between physiological compartments (Cytosol-Cell Membrane-Plasma-Plasma Lipids)* it was previously theorized that an oxidant therapy such as high dose IVC (HDIVC) may be defeated by addition of GSH in proximity. Chen et. al proved this in an animal model. [Quote below]

This has led to the common separation of GSH from HDIVC on the same day.

In reality due to the kinetics of HDIVC and IV GSH there is some question regarding the time required between IV GSH and high dose IVC (or most oxidative therapies**).

To shorten this discussion the following clinical points are helpful:

1. If giving IV GSH prior to or following HDIVC a separation of “a day” is a common recommendation. A consideration for people needing IV GSH and HDIVC within a 24 hour period would be that HDIVC distributes through and stays in Plasma much longer than IV GSH – so if one “must” administer GSH and HDIVC within a 24 hour period administration of the GSH should be done prior to (and not after) HDIVC to minimize crossover.
2. Generally a separation of 24 or more hours of any antioxidant IV (GSH, Nutrient IV followed by GSH etc.) allows plenty of time to have both the oxidative and anti-oxidative therapies work to maximum.
3. In cancer specifically as noted in the paper below survival was improved with BOTH HDIVC and GSH separately (but not when used together in proximity) my general use in cancer is to have “oxidant” days of therapy and “antioxidant” days to maximize both effects and my experience is similar to the animal data of Chen et. al – people survive longer and have better quality of life with a balance.
4. If considering infectious and other non-cancer cases where alterations of oxidative and anti-oxidative therapies may be considered I personally observe the same separation of a day between each therapy type.

*Redox Biology – a review of four systematic review papers – https://www.consultdranderson.com/redox-biology/

**Oxidative therapies may include HDIVC, Artesunate, H2O2, Ozone etc.

Quote from Abstract: Chen, Ping & Stone, Jennifer & Sullivan, Garrett & Drisko, Jeanne & Chen, Qi. Anti-Cancer Effect of Pharmacologic Ascorbate and Its Interaction with Supplementary Parenteral Glutathione in Preclinical Cancer Models. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 51(3):681-7 · May 2011.DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2011.05.031

“Although all treatments (AA, GSH, and AA+GSH) improved survival rate, AA+GSH inhibited the cytotoxic effect of AA alone and failed to provide further survival benefit. These data confirm the pro-oxidative anti-cancer mechanism of pharmacologic AA and suggest that AA and GSH administered together provide no additional benefit compared with AA alone. There is an antagonism between ascorbate and glutathione in treating cancer, and therefore iv AA and iv GSH should not be coadministered to cancer patients on the same day.”