Intravenous Vitamin C For Depression?

By: Jadon Webb, MD, PhD
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Safe, effective help for depression can sometimes be tricky. Medications such as antidepressants, and for severe depression ketamine, can be very effective, especially when combined with talk therapy.  But these sometimes do not work well enough on their own, or they may have unwanted side effects. 

Many treatments of depression also take a long time, sometimes even weeks before they start to work. This can be a lot to ask of a patient, especially when they are suffering from severe depression. 

One of the challenges in how to fight depression is finding safe, rapidly effective treatments. As mentioned, ketamine can be a very effective, rapid antidepressant that we also use here at Bloom. Another possible rapid treatment for depression may be intravenous Vitamin C! 

Single infusions of Vitamin C in mice caused rapid antidepressant effects and regrowth of neuronal dendritic spines, very similar to the effect observed from ketamine infusion treatment. There is also some evidence that Vitamin C may help with symptoms of anxiety as well. 

This rapid antidepressant effect does appear consistent in multiple studies in mice, but remains to be worked out in humans. Meantime, many people incidentally notice feeling better after a Vitamin C infusion, and it is generally quite safe. Vitamin C is, after all, an important natural vitamin! Also, since it is readily water soluble, excess Vitamin C that is not needed can generally be excreted from the body with relative ease. 

If you need help with depression, and are wondering about rapid, natural treatments, talk to your provider for more information about Vitamin C!

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