Q. I have been suffering with hives for eight years. No drugstore remedy worked. After reading on your website that vitamins might help, I started to take vitamin C and vitamin D supplements. I am amazed with the results.
I talked with my allergist this morning and he was surprised as well. Keep spreading the word!
A. We have not found any recent studies of vitamin C for treating hives, but a case series published in the West Virginia Medical Journal (Jan.-Feb., 2011) suggests that many people with hives may have low vitamin D. When this is corrected with supplements, the hives go away.
We have also heard from others who have had success using vitamin C for hives. Here’s one reader’s comment: “Vitamin C works. But not just any old brand … It has to be high quality.
” started getting hives for no apparent reason 7 years ago. After years of Zyrtec – which certainly helped but did not cure – I asked my naturopath doc for a natural remedy. This is the doctor who discovered I had developed food allergies and had put me on an elimination diet which got the hives under control. I felt that Zyrtec was making it hard to get up in the a.m.
“He put me on 900 mg three times a day of Integrative Therapeutics (brand) Vitamin C With Quercetin and it is the best thing that ever happened to me! My hives are now under control – meaning the difference between head to toe hives to just some on my hands if I don’t eat right or get stressed. I can now go in the sun – before it would trigger a full hive attack. It also treats my seasonal and cat allergies. I get the flu less than I used too – once in last 4 years. I have my life back!
“I tried other brands of vitamin C, but did not get same result. I order it online. It’s $20 per bottle of 90 pills.”
She also offered an update: “The vitamin C continues to work and my hives are pretty much non-existent.
“Some things still irritate me (ibuprofen in particular) but I just avoid those things and, for the most part, the hives are gone.”
