We explored the effects of pharmacologic vitamin C on insomnia related to cancer chemotherapy. In our case study, we worked with a woman battling recurrent breast cancer who was experiencing significant fatigue and lethargy as she underwent weekly chemotherapy sessions.
To combat her sleep disturbances, we administered high doses of vitamin C, 50 grams per session, twice a week. We also employed quality of life and fatigue questionnaires to monitor changes over time.
The results were promising! We observed marked improvements in her insomnia and overall fatigue levels. Furthermore, there was a notable enhancement in her cognitive functioning, without any adverse side effects from the vitamin C treatment.
This case highlights how vitamin C may offer relief from insomnia associated with chemotherapy, providing a new avenue for improving quality of life during cancer treatment.
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Vitamin C shows limited insomnia benefitsEfficacy of vitamins C, E, and their combination for treatment of restless legs syndrome in hemodialysis patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Limited relevance due to combination
We evaluated the effects of vitamin C on insomnia by investigating its impact on patients suffering from restless legs syndrome (RLS) during hemodialysis. In a well-designed, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we worked with sixty stable hemodialysis patients who met all diagnostic criteria for RLS.
These patients were divided into four groups to receive either vitamin C and vitamin E, vitamin C and a placebo, vitamin E and a placebo, or double placebos for a period of eight weeks. We measured the severity of RLS symptoms using the International Restless Legs Scale (IRLS) before and after the treatment phase.
Our findings showed that while the combination and individual treatments of vitamins C and E led to reduced IRLS scores, indicating improvement in symptoms, vitamin C alone didn't demonstrate a significant effect on insomnia. In fact, there were no distinct advantages between the treatment groups when comparing their outcomes to the placebo. Ultimately, while these vitamins appeared safe and effective overall, it seems that vitamin C's role in remedying insomnia is not as pronounced as one might hope.
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