Choose balanced diet over vitamin C drips, which can cause kidney failure: DOH

MANILA -- The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said vitamin C can be acquired through various fruits and vegetables, and it does not have to be intravenous (IV) or administered into veins.
 
The use of IV vitamin C or vitamin C drips, along with glutathione drips, has recently been the subject of discussions due to criticisms of TV host Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla's IV drip session in the office of her husband Sen. Robin Padilla.
 
Rodriguez-Padilla noted that what was injected to her was vitamin C, not glutathione.
 
Like glutathione use for skin whitening, DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said they are not for intravenous Vitamin C.
 
"Ang vitamins kasi natural na nakukuha natin sa pagkain iyan. Kaya sinasabi namin, eat a balanced diet. Mas maraming gulay, mas maraming prutas kasi nandoon ang vitamins. Sa vitamin C, hindi siya dapat in-intravenous. Ang problema kasi sa intravenous vitamin C, kapag ito ay hindi nakayananan ng ating bato o kidney, nagkakaroon tayo ng kidney failure o problems," Domingo told ABS-CBN News.
 
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also mentioned this in a 2019 advisory warning against the use of glutathione as a whitening product, as vitamin C is also usually offered along with glutathione.
 
"Injectable glutathione is sometimes paired with intravenous vitamin C. Vitamin C injection may form kidney stones if the urine is acidic. Large doses of vitamin C have resulted in hemodialysis in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency," the advisory read.
 
Domingo, who is also a doctor, explained administering something to one's vein poses a number of risks.
 
"Ang paggamit ng isang intravenous administration ay isang invasive procedure. Para kang nag-oopera, gumagamit ka ng karayom, tinuturok mo iyong ugat at pumapasok sa dugo," he said.
 
"Hindi lahat ng tao, hindi lahat ng propesyon ay pwedeng gumawa ng intravenous procedure. Ang pwede lamang gumawa ay iyong mga doktor, ang nurse kung meron siyang certification for intravenous procedures --but even the nurse can only do it under supervision and instructions of a doctor," he added.