Sodiumascorbatetreatmentofwhoopingcough.[formerlytitledthevitaminCtreatmentofwhoopingcough]

SuzanneHumphries,MD

Abbreviations:SAsodiumascorbateAAascorbicacidLSAliposomal/liposphericsodiumascorbatePSApowderedsodiumascorbateWCWhoopingcough

Iwrotetheoriginal2012treatmentdocument,basedonHilaryButler’s30yearsofresearchandmyownexperienceandknowledgeoftoxin-mediateddiseases.

Mymotivation to find a solution came fromwatching two young girls that wereclose to me, suffer from whooping cough. Neither conventional antibiotics norhomeopathic options helped at all. A skilled and revered homeopath was soconcerned,thatheevensaidtotaketheantibiotics.Onegirlrefusedandtheotherpromptlyvomitedupherfirstdoseandtheirmotherwaswiseenoughnottopushtheantibiotics.Ilaterlearnedthatthereislittletonoevidencethatantibioticshelptheseverityordurationofcoughinsuchchildren

Bothofthosechildrenrecoveredfromanillnessthatneitherwilleverforget.Theirexcellentbaselinehealthandnutritionnodoubthelped themsurvivewithoutanyhugedrama.Watchingthemcough,mademeunderstandwhyanyoneeverwantedtodevelopavaccineagainstwhoopingcough.Theproblem is, thevaccinedoesn’tworkwell at all andhas toxicity issues.Had I knownabout the sodiumascorbatetreatment,thegirlswouldhavehadamucheasiertimeofit.

Astudyofthemedicalliteratureshowedthattherewasscientificrationaleforsucha treatment, whichmotivatedme to start recommending vitamin C in thosewhohave need, and to write the original document. After several years of expandedunderstandingofwhoopingcoughinbabiesasyoungas2weeksofage,andolderchildren, I’ve received hundreds of letters of appreciation telling me how theprotocolworkedforparentsusingitontheirown.

Broader experience and observation has highlighted individual differences anduniquesituations,andresultedintechniquerefinementsandimprovementstothepre-existingwriteup.Newmedicalliteraturereferenceshavealsobeenadded.

Youmustcarefullyreadeverywordofthislongdocument.Pleasedonotjumptotheprotocol if you do not understand the full picture, youmay struggle towork outhow,whenandwhytoadjustvitaminCdosing.Yourchild’shealthandrecoveryisworthafewhoursofyourtimetolearn.

If you have a cooperative medical provider, this document can serve as aguideline for them and you to work together. However, as you will see byparents’ experiences on drsuzanne.net, most parents use the document ontheirownwithsuccess.Theirstorieswillgiveyouhopetoputasidethenegativemessages propagated by ignorant and miseducated mainstream media and theconventionalmedicalsystem.

B.pertussisinfectionasNOTawalkinthepark.Formanypeopleitisasevereandworryingcough.IftheB.pertussisvaccinewassafeandeffective,itmayhavebeenworth using. However, the B. pertussis vaccine is provably one of the mostineffective. It’smanydisadvantageswhich lenddubious, fleetingprotectiontotheindividual,resultsinnumerousdosesandboostersfromcradletograve.Infact,themorewhoopingcoughvaccinesapersonreceives, the lesseffective theybecome.1Diavatopoulishasevencomparedtheacellularvaccinethatisusedtoday,toallergyshots,because thecellular immunesystemresponds lessand lessaftersuccessivedosesinthosewhohavebeenprimedwithacellularvaccines.

Conversely one episode of naturalwhooping cough renders the recoveredpersonimmunefarlongerthananyseriesofvaccineswill.

The information provided here is distilled from a wide body of literature thatdemonstrates that the ascorbate molecule, in frequent doses, is extremely safe.ExperienceshowsittobeinstrumentalinthebiochemicalrecoveryfromBordetellapertussis (whooping cough) infection.Natural recovery fromwhooping coughhasadvantagesforanentirelife.

Bordetellapertussisinfection

While it is not ideal for a newborn infant to catch whooping cough, it can bemanagedathome.Successfultreatmentwillrequirediligenceandanadultrockingveryyounginfants,atthepeakofinfection,24hoursforseveraldays.Babiescannotget vaccinated until they are two months of age, and by then, the cough can betreated much more easily than in a younger infant. After three months, a fullybreast-fedbabywillrespondwell.Otherwisehealthybabiesoversixmonthsofagewith whooping cough, should not worry any parent if they understand theprinciples and protocols to deal with the infection, and are well equipped andorganized.1Diavatopoulos2017,WhatIsWrongwithPertussisVaccineImmunity?,PMID:28289059

B. pertussis bacteria is very tricky, and part of its armor involves several toxins.Toxinproductionisthemajorreasonfortheworstsymptoms.Conventionalmedicaldoctors don’t know how to address the toxin issue inmost infections. They giveantibiotics,whichhaveneverbeenshownwithanycertainty, to limitthedurationorseverityofwhoopingcoughinwell-establisheddisease.

After years of experience treating infants of all ages, it has become evident thattherearesomeexceptionstotheantibioticissue:

Ø In2weekto2monthagebabies,iftheantibioticisgivenatthefirstsignofcough, the severity of cough can often be decreased. I’ve worked that outwithobservationanduse,butthetwodosesofantibiotichavetobegivenattheveryfirstsignsofthefirstphaseoftheillness.Thiscanonlyhappeniftheindex case has previously been identified and the parents know what iscoming.

Ø This does not seem to be the case in older babies, where parents almostalwaysreportworseningsymptomsaftertheantibiotichasbeengiven.Thismaybeduetostartingthemafterthecoughis fullblown. I’venottriedthetwo days treatment with azithromycin on older babies, because IMO, therisk:benefit is not there at that age. One exception could be someonewithcystic fibrosisorotherunderling lungproblems.Butagain, itwillprobablyonlymakeadifferenceifthecoughisanticipatedasaresultofknowingthattheexposureoccurred.

Ø Antibioticsdon’tseemtohelpwhoopingcoughsymptoms inanyoneatanyage,afterithasbecomeafullblowninfection.

Is ascorbate a cure? No, but themajority of parentswho use it on their infectedbabies, and young and older children, report a significant decrease in coughintensity,withthinningandlooseningofstickymucus,withinthefirst24hoursofproperdosing.Ascorbate,inproperlyspaced,veryhighoraldoses,willgetyouandyour children through theweekswithvastly reduced symptomswhiledevelopinglasting immunity that will later protect those around themmore effectively thanvaccinescan.

A2010studysuggestedthatnaturalimmunitytowhoopingcoughlastsatleast30years2,whereastheimmunityfromavaccinelaststhreeyearsatmost.3

Becauseofthelimiteddurationoftransientimmunityaftervaccination,B.pertussisboosters are now being recommended for 8-12 year-olds, adults, women duringeachpregnancy,andcontactsofnewbornsbeforeeverybirth.

2Wearing,HJ,RohaniP.2009.“EstimatingtheDurationofPertussisImmunityUsingEpidemiologicalSignatures.”PLoSPathog.Oct;5(10).PMID198763923Feunou2010,Long-termimmunityagainstPertussisinducedbyasinglenasaladministrationofliveattenuatedPertussisBPZE1,PMID:20708998

Ifyouthinkthatavaccinatedpersoncannotgetwhoopingcough,inthemostseveremanner,thinkagain.Mostbabiesovertheageof6monthswhogetwhoopingcoughare fully and “appropriately” vaccinated. In2012, a newpeer revieweddocumentfrom professor of infectious diseases, Dr Maxwell Witt of Keyser Permanente inCalifornia showed that B. pertussis runs rampant in fully vaccinated childpopulations.

“Our data suggests that the current schedule of acellular pertussis vaccinedoses is insufficient to prevent outbreaks of pertussis. We noted a markedlyincreasedrateofdiseasefromage8through12....AcellularvaccineshavenotbeenstudiedforclinicalefficacyinnorthAmericaandnostudiesexistonlongterm.”4

Quiteimpressive,right?Table1attheendofDrWitt'sdocumentshowsthepercentofcases in thevaccinated,and itas follows:86%age2-7,86%age8-12,62%age13-18, 81%age 2-18. So nowyou knowwho getsmoreB. pertussis. It is not theunvaccinated.Heevensays,intheintroduction:

“Our unvaccinated and under-vaccinated population did not appear tocontributesignificantlytotheincreasedrateofclinicalpertussis.Surprisingly,thehighest incidenceofdiseasewasamongpreviously vaccinated children intheeighttotwelveyearagegroup.”

Therateof infectionsinthevaccinatedishuge.LookatthischartpreparedbytheCaliforniaDepartmentofPublicHealth,ImmunizationBranch.

TheabovechartwaslastprintedintheCaliforniadepartmentofpublichealth

4Wittet.al,2012.“UnexpectedlyLimitedDurabilityofImmunityFollowingAcellularPertussisVaccinationinPre-AdolescentsinaNorthAmericanOutbreak.”ClinInfectDis.2012Jun;54(12):1730-5.Epub2012Mar15.

pertussisreport5,November10,2011.Thereafter,thereportoncasesbyvaccinehistorystopped.Infact,wordsearchingfor‘vaccine’bringsupnodataintherecentreports.Itjustsaystogivethevaccineininfancyandpregnancy.

Graphabovefrom

https://archive.cdph.ca.gov/programs/immunize/Documents/pertussis_report_2017-1-23.pdf

Vaccinedefenderswill say that thehigh rate in thevaccinated is justbecause themajorityofpeopleinthepopulationarevaccinatedThereareknownandpublishedreasons why vaccinated children are becoming infected, even at high vaccinecompliance rates which I have discussed elsewhere. See herehttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgH2vCx5TOgXZrRRM-ObX7JXt_0Ie8OI0&disable_polymer=true

Thefactisthatregardlessofwhetherachildisvaccinatedornot,everyoneneedstobeableandreadytotreatwhoopingcough.

Personalprotection:Whowinsout?

5https://archive.cdph.ca.gov/programs/immunize/Pages/PertussisSummaryReports.aspx

Vaccinated babies, children, and adults are not able tomount the comprehensivebronchialandcellularimmunitythatanon-vaccinatedpersonnaturallydevelopsinthe course of the disease.6Why? Because the vaccine primes the body to fight B.pertussistoxinandsometimesacoupleofothercellantigens,intheblood,butdoesnot provide protection at the lung interfacewhere the real life battle occurs. Theineffective immunity “learned” from the vaccine series (referred to by Dr. JamesCherry as “original antigenic sin”)7, is the same way the body will respond to asubsequentnaturalexposure.

The learned immune response to an acellular vaccine results in numerousdifferences compared with the normal response mounted to a natural infection.Someofthekeydifferencesinvaccinatedpeopleare:

Ø Antibodypreferentiallymadeinthebloodratherthanthelunginterface.Ø IgGantibodyratherthanIgAantibody.Ø Thewrong typeofantibodybecause thevaccineantigensarenot thesame

shapeasthereallifeantigens.8Ø Arelative,progressivelossofprotectionwitheachvaccinedose,becausethe

Tcellresponseissimilartowhatallergyinjectionsdo.9Ø Farlowercomplement-mediatedkillingofbacteria.Ø Suboptimal inflammatoryresponsesresulting in impaired lungclearanceof

bacteria.Ø Impairedphagocytosis.

It is well known that never-vaccinated B. pertussis disease-convalesced children,develop important immune responses that the vaccinated do not 10 . Thevaccinationists have attempted to compensate for this phenomenon by creatingvaccines with multiple antigens. The point they miss is that it is only front line,innate,andnaturallyacquiredcomplex-cellularandbronchialresponses,whichgivethe full protection. It has been shown that response to B. pertussis toxin11andadenylate cyclase toxin 12 is far more robust in the unvaccinated, than thevaccinated. Because of this, the naturally immune upon re-exposure, will clear

6MillsK.,2001.“ImmunitytoBordetellaPertussis.”MicrobesandInfection,(3)655−677PMID:114454527CherryAD.,2004“DeterminationofSerumAntibodytoBordetellaPertussisAdenylateCyclaseToxininVaccinatedandUnvaccinatedChildrenandinChildrenandAdultswithPertussis.”ClinInfectDis.Feb15;38(4):502-78Eberhardt2017,“What’swrongwithPertussisvaccineimmunity?”,PMID:282890589IbidDiavatopoulos2017PMID:2828905910CherryJDet.al.,2004.“DeterminationofSerumAntibodytoBordetellaPertussisAdenylateCyclaseToxininVaccinatedandUnvaccinatedChildrenandinChildrenandAdultswithPertussis."ClinInfectDis.Feb15;38(4):502-7PMID1476534211CherryJDet.al.,2010.“AntibodyresponsepatternstoBordetellaPertussisantigensinvaccinatedandunvaccinatedyoungchildrenwithPertussis.”Clin.Vac.Immun.May17(5):741-747.PMID2033543112IbidCherry2004

bacteria far more rapidly than the vaccinated. There is an enormous differencebetween broad, long-lasting immunity from the normal disease, and limitedantibodydevelopmentandshort-termpseudo-immunityfromthevaccine.

Ifyourchildhaswhoopingcough, thedoctorwill try tomakeyougiveantibioticseventhoughantibioticsdonotshorten,ordoanything, to lessenthecourseof thedisease once the cough is full blown13. Even alternative doctors will suggest itbecause theydon’t know themedical literatureandbecause theywant to justDOsomething. The conventional medical culture does not seem to understand thedamagecreatedbyantibiotics.

Any antibiotics given during full-blown infection seem to uniformly make thingsworse. They can make the coughing fits more severe by releasingLPS(lipopolysaccharide)fromothergram-negativegutbacteriaduringthemicrobialdie-offthathappens.Thiswill increasetheworkoftheliverinitsdetoxificationofallbodilytoxinsduringatimewhenlungbacteriaarereleasingexotoxinhandoverfist.TozzireportedthatChildrenwhoreceivedanantibiotichadadurationofcough6 to 11 days longer and spasmodic cough 4 to 13 days longer than untreatedpatients. 14 The authors insinuated that the sicker patients may have beenpreferentially treatedwithantibiotics.Howevercombiningthatwith theCochraneresults15and my hands-on experience, leaves me confident that antibiotics arehighlyunlikelytomaketheestablishedcoughanybetter.

Conventionsaysthatantibioticsstoptherecipientfromcoughingasmuchbacteriainto the environment for others to catch. That is true to an extent, but I’ve seennumerousbabiesgettheantibiotics,continuetocough,gettestedagainweekslater–and still culture or test positive. There is now a growing issue with antibioticresistantB.pertussis.Azithromycinappears tobemaintaining itsstrengthagainstthebacteriawithonlyone case reported in the literatureof possible resistance.16However, I’ve seen babies treatedwith azithromycin continue to remain infecteduponfurthertesting.

If your childhaswhooping cough, youhave theopportunity to control it the firsttime,sothatyoudon’thavetoworryaboutitforseveralmoredecades.Mostpeoplewho are naturally convalesced and have not been given antibiotics, will notexperiencethecoughatalllaterinlife,becausetheywillbeexperiencingaseriesof

13AltunaijiSetal.,2007.”Antibioticsforwhoopingcough.”CochraneDatabaseSystRev.Jul18;(3)PMID1763675614Tozziet.al,2012.“ClinicalPresentationofPertussisinUnvaccinatedandVaccinatedChildrenintheFirstSixYearsofLife.”PMID:1459504815IbidAltunaiji2007.

16Guillotetal,2012.“Macrolide-ResistantBordetellaPertussisInfectioninNewbornGirl,France”.PMID22608348

natural boosters in the environment, since B. pertussis bacteria appears to becontinuallycirculating.

Thewhoopingcoughbacteria

First let it beknown that the speciesof bacteria responsible forwhooping cough,Bordetella pertussis, has properties that not all bacteria have, and that is whatmakesitsuchaproblemtodealwith:Itsecretesseveraltoxins,andhasadaptedtosticktothecellsoftheairway.

Thosepartsmarked“Nonciliatedcells”arethedamagedones.Theylooklikealawnmowerhascutthemdown.

Mostof therespiratorytract lining(fromthenoseto thebronchi) iscoveredwithhair-like (ciliated) epithelial cells. The cilia beat in one direction, moving mucustowards the throat where it is swallowed. Moving down the bronchi, the cellschange in shape but are still ciliated. In health, the bronchial hairs are movingmucusaroundall the time. It is thiscontinuousmovement thatkeeps theairwaysfreeof invasion frompathogens. If the lungsdidn'tdo this, thenwewouldnotbeabletogetridofthebacteriaandviruseswebreatheeveryday.

The liningmucus ispartof the innate immunesystemand is loadedwith immuneglobulins.Soyoumustkeepthemucusmoving,especiallyinasickchild.OncetheB.pertussisbacteriahaveaholdonthecilia,itsecretestrachealcytotoxin,whichcutsthe hairs off, stops them from beating, and destroys the cells underneath17. Themucusthenstopsmovingnormallyandinstead,itpoolsdeeperinthelungs.Thenitbuildsup,breathingbecomesharder,andthebodysignalscoughingtotrytomovethemucusoutoftheway,forproperbreathingtooccur.

As long as you keep the mucus moving, your baby should not get a secondaryinfection.Ascorbateandgoodhydrationwillhelptokeepthemucusthin.Whenyoufirststarttouseascorbate,themucusmaythinoutquicklyandthepersoncoughing17Cookson,BT.,1989.“Primarystructureofthepeptidoglycan-derivedtrachealcytotoxinofBordetellaPertussis.”Biochemistry.Feb21;28(4):1744-9PMID2541765

may bring up large quantities of mucus in the first 24 hours. That is a sign ofsuccess.

There are two first-line bacterial toxins18; pertussis toxin (PTx) which stops thebody from sending neutrophils (immune cells) to kill the bacteria, and AdenylateCyclaseToxin(ACT).ACTinhibitstheimmunecellfunctionandpoisonstheimmuneresponse19,actingasa“force-field”toshieldthebacteriafromtheimmunesystemwhilethebacteriastartstrippingthelungciliaoffoftheepithelialcells.Vaccinatedchildren cannot mount antibody to ACT20. Ascorbate will help neutralize thesetoxinswhilethebodyismountingaproperimmuneresponse,whichtakesweeks.

Ifthediseasegoesoutofcontrol,toxinscanenterthebloodstreamandirritatethebody.Ifthebaby'simmunesystemisnotsogood,ortheliverdetoxificationsystemis inhibited,thenB.pertussistoxinscanalsogettothebrain,butthis isveryrare.Thisisonereasonwhy1in200babiescandie—theirfigures,whichIamrepeatingbacktoyou.Whatismorelikelyisthat1in200babieswhohavereceivedstandardmedical treatment, or no ascorbate treatment whatsoever, might die. Thesenumbers are used to frighten parents into vaccinating, but the numbers aregeneratedbycountingchildrenwho’vebeentreatedconventionally,notbythoseofus who have successfully treated the infection in breastfeeding infants, withsupportive care and ascorbate—at home. Those children rarely land up in thehospital,andthusarenotcountedinthestats.

If the mucus is not coughed up, other bacteria can grow and cause a secondarybacterial infection,whichdoctorswillwant to treatwithantibiotics. It isbelievedthatwhoopingcoughcancauselong-lastinglungproblems,inrarecases.Yesitcan,ifyoutreatitthewayconventionaldoctorsdo,doingnothingotherthanantibiotics.Justusingantibioticsdoesnotdealwiththepoolingmucus,ormanagethecough,ordeal with the toxins. If you keep the mucus moving, there should be no furtherproblemsotherthanthecoughitself.

Clinicalscenarioanddiagnosis

Whoopingcoughhas twostages.The first stage, colonization, is likeaminorcold,which can, but does not always increases in intensity over about a 10-day timeframe.Thenitseemslikethecoldisgoneandthereisnothingtoworryabout.Thesecond or toxemic stage of B. pertussis begins gradually. The child starts the odd

18CarbonettiNHetal.,2005.“PertussisToxinandAdenylateCyclaseToxinProvideaOne-TwoPunchforEstablishmentofBordetellaPertussisInfectionoftheRespiratoryTract.”InfectImmun.2005May;73(5):2698-703PMID1584547119GoodwinMS.1990.“AdenylateCyclaseToxinIsCriticalforColonizationandPertussisToxinIsCriticalforLethalInfectionbyBordetellaPertussisinInfantMice.”InfectImmun.1990Oct;58(10):3445-7.PMID2401570.20IbidGoodwin

cough,andafterabouttwoweeks,thecoughstartstogetstrong,withprolongedandparoxysmalcoughingthatoften(butnotalways)endsinacharacteristicinspiratorygasp(whoop).Thecoughisoftenmoreprominentatnight.Ifthecoughchanges,andbecomesmoreofabark,andmoreregular—developingapatternatnightof“everyhour,onthehour”—thenyouhavetoconsiderthatitcouldbewhoopingcough.

If youneeda laboratorydiagnosis,PCR (polymerasechain reaction)andbacterialculturearebothavailable.Bothhaveadvantagesanddisadvantages.Theculturetestis less reliable than a PCR test. A negative test does not necessarily rule out B.pertussis.Blood testing is sometimesused later in thecough,butmostpeoplegettheirdiagnosisbythemorereliablePCRmethod.ReadmoreaboutavailabletestingontheCDCwebsite.21

Mostparentsbenefitfromconfirmingthediagnosis.Firstoff,youknowexactlywhatyou are dealing with, and recent contacts can be warned. Secondly, you have arecord of infection that can be used as evidence of immunity later. The potentialdisadvantage of requesting a test is how you could be treated by the consultingdoctor. It is not uncommon for parents of both vaccinated and unvaccinatedchildren, to diagnose the cough before the doctor does, and after the doctor hasmisdiagnosedandmisprescribedmultipletimes.Thedoctorsurprisinglycontinuesto deny parents the right to get their child tested. Often, when this happens, theparentswillgotoanotherfacilityandgetthetest,whichcomesbackpositive.

As thecoughbecomesmoresevere,variousstimulican trigger it.Aclassicwayofdiagnosis is totouchthemiddleof thetonguewithyour fingertosee if thisstartsthecough.Or ifeating(i.e.,passing foodover the tongue)startsacough,considerwhoopingcough. Ifa childhappens tobebreathing in,aswellaseatingwhen thefoodtouchesthetongue,andthecoughstartsontheinhale,thereisapossibilityoffoodgoingdownthewrongway.Ifthishappens,youmayhavetodoagentlepushunderthediaphragmtohavethempassthefoodbackupfromthetrachea.Runningaroundisanothertrigger.

Ifyouwatchthechild,theygocough,cough, . . .cough,cough,cough,cough,cough(andatthispointarestartingtogopinkintheface,andarestartingtowonderwhenthey can have an in-breath) cough, cough, and then right at the end, they stopcoughing,andthein-breathisreallyfast,becausetheywanttoexpandtheirlungs,andtheresultcanbea“whoop.”Olderchildrendon’twhoopmuch,ifatall.

Theearlyprogressionofcough:

The coughwill becomemore regular and predictable, first at night. Youmay getcoughs every hour, on the hour. This is because it takes around an hour for themucustopooldeeperinsidethelungs.21CDClastaccessedAugust24,2017https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/clinical/diagnostictesting/diagnosis-confirmation.html

Usuallyparentsstarttosuspectwhoopingcoughoncethecoughbecomesregularinthedayaswell. If you suspect it iswhooping cough,writedown the timeof eachcoughingspell at thebeginning, to see if apatternestablishes.Thiswillhelpwithdiagnosis.

Why write it down? Because life will become so hectic you won't be able toremember,andyourpaperpadwillbeyourmemory.Itwillenableyoutolookbackclearly,withoutpanic,andseewhattheprogressionhasbeen.

Oncethecoughisestablished,attheendofsomecoughs, fairlythickmucusmightcomeup.Thisisbecausethebacterialexotoxinshaveerodedmostofthehairsinthebronchithatnormallysweepthemucusupandaround,likeanon-stoprivertokeepthesurfacesmoist.

Theearlierintheillnessyoustartusingtheascorbate,thefewerbronchialhairswillbelost.Oncebronchialhairsarelost,thecoughsoundsdry,andthat'sbecausethemucusmembranesaren'tbeingkeptasregularlymoistasnormal.Mostchildrendonotpoolmucus,solongastheycontinuallybringitup.

Healthybabies,toddlers,andolderchildrenwithwhoopingcoughlookquitenormalbetweenthetelltalecoughingspells.

Takingcareofthecaretaker

First, let’s talk about you, theparent.Mostpeoplewho find this article, have firstbeenterror-strickenbythepronouncementsofgloomovertheircoughingchild,andthehugefieldoffearthatexistsinthegeneralpublic.Theyalsomaynotbelievethatthey can treat the coughwithout a doctorwith a prescription pad,whomay alsochidethemfornotvaccinating.

Ifthatdescribesyou,thenthefirstthingyouneedtodoistakesomedeepbreathsandthink. Ifat first,youremotionalscale isoff theRichter line, that isnatural—itcan happen to anyone. But it doesn't help the child. You need to stand back andanalyzethesituationclearly.

Getsomepaperandapen.Analyzewhensymptomsstartedbythinkingbackwards,andwritingdowntheprogression,workingupfromthebottomofapieceofpaper.Startwritingabouttoday,andleavespacesbetweeneachdayasyouwrite,becauseyouwouldbeamazedatwhatyourememberandcanfillin,astimegoesby.Fillasmanysheetsasyoucan,andwhenyouhaveworkedoutwhenyouthinkexposurewas,numberthepagesfromthebeginningoftheinfectiontonow,thencontinueonwritingdownexactlywhatyouseeandheareachday.(Ifyoudoneedprofessionalhelp,thiswrittenrecordbecomesinvaluable.Givethemacopytoread.)

Thereareparentsallaroundtheworldwhoknowthatanybaby,atanyage,canbemanagedifamotherissupportedandknowswhattodo.Arockingchairisamust

forparentsandcaretakerstoconservetheirownenergy,andbeabletoeasilyrockveryyoungbabies.Thiswillservetokeeptheinfantrelaxedandthemucusmoving.

Powderedsodiumascorbateisgoodforstarting.Youshouldalwayshavethisinthehousetotreatmanydifferentexternalandinternalconditions.Makesureyougetanon-GMO formulation. I have themost experiencewith Nutribiotic brand sodiumascorbate.DONOTUSEEster-CORCalciumAscorbate.Whenusingthehighdosesnecessary formost illnesses,nobodyneeds thatmuchcalcium.Besideswhich, theintestinestransporttheascorbateintothebodyusingsodiumtransportersandforthatreason,sodiumascorbateismorecompatiblebiomedically.

Caretakers/parentswill findwhooping cough stressful. The stress can also take atollonyourhealth.Eatwell,and ifyou feelyouneed it,youcantakea largedose(onetablespoon)ofcodliveroiloromega-3fattyacid,and5-10gramsofascorbatespreadoutoverwakinghours. Ifyouarecoughingorundera lotof stress, itmayalsobeagoodideatogiveyourselfaloadingdoseof5gramsinhalfaglassofwater.Ifthisgivesyouloosebowels,cutthedoseback.

Mixthesodiumascorbateinwhatevervolumeofwaterworksbestforyouandsplitit into maybe 4 doses through the day for YOU the adult. You can also make aconcentratedshot,orevendiluteitmuchmore,dependingonhowwellyoutoleratethesaltyfeeling.Regardlessofhowyoutakethepowder,youmuststayhydratedwithplainwateralldaylong,especiallystartinginthemorningwhenyoururineismostconcentrated.Hydrationisimportantforbabiestoo.

There is one important key for breastfeeding mothers, which I've seen happennumeroustimes,especially ifyou, themother,havewhoopingcough.YOUneedtokeepyourascorbatelevelsconsistentlyhighalldayandnight,becauseifyoudon't,yourexotoxin canpasson to thebaby throughyourmilk. So, youmustefficientlyneutralizethetoxininyourownbody.

Typesofascorbatetohaveonhand

Sodium ascorbate crystalline from a non-GMO source. I recommend Nutribioticbrandavailablefromamazonoriherb.

Liposomal sodium ascorbate. I recommend Livon labs brand lipospheric sodiumascorbate,available fromAmazonandiHerb.Notethatthis isasoy-basedproductandalsocontains12%,about1/8thteaspoonperpack.Evenso,Ihavenothadanyproblemsadministeringittoveryyoungbabies.Fornon-soysensitivechildrenitisideal. If the child or mother are known to be soy-sensitive, you can locate asunfloweroilbasedproductinstead.

AmorerecentdiscoveryofminewasSufficient-Cbrandascorbicacid.Thebenefitofthisbrandisthatittastesamazing.ItisabitmoreexpensivethannutribioticSAanditisAAnotSA,butIrecommendyouuseitforolderchildrenandoldertoddlerswho

areweaned from breastmilk IF you have to give very high doses of PSA or LSA.Why?BecauseyoucanhidethePSAandLSAinit.Ihaveyettoseeoneadultorchildsaytheydidn’tlovethisbrandofascorbicacid.Bestofall,itissweetenedwithsteviaand nothing harmful. It also contains caffeine free green tea extract, L-lysine andbromelain.Youcanusea50:50PSAandSufficient-Ccombination,oraddsomeLSAtothesufficient-CtohidethetasteoftheLSA.Theowneris lovelyandwillofferadiscountforlargerorders.

Generalcareofthechild

Watchthechildcarefullythroughouttheday,andwritedowneverything,includinghowyouarefeeling.Ifthechildfeelshot,goaheadtakethetemperature.Undernocircumstances use cough suppressants of any kind, or acetaminophen, feverreducers,orcoldmedicines.Parentshavebeenconditionedtofearfever,butfeveristhebody’sinnatemechanismtodealwithdisease.

However,knowthatwhoopingcoughbacteriadonotpermeate intothebloodandfevers arenotusual in anyphaseofwhooping cough. If the temperature is abovenormal, other infections should be considered. I have never seen an secondaryinfectioninascorbatetreatedchildren,butinconventionallytreatedpeoplethiscanhappen, most probably as a result of subclinical scurvy, white blood cell under-function,andantibioticusewhichcanskewthemicrobiome.

Let the child play at home but if they run or exert themselves, they will have acough.Keepthechildawayfromsusceptiblepeople,pregnantwomen,andsiblingsof very young babies until they are no longer contagious. Contagion in naturallytreatedchildrenisbetween3and6weeks. If thecoughisstillroaringat4weeks,assumethechildisstillcontagious,unlessthey’vetestednegative.

VitaminCtoxicity?

In thewakeofpharmaceuticaldisasterafterdisaster inall areasofmedicine, it isironicthatthereisevendiscussionofatoxicitylevelforvitaminC–especiallyforasickperson.VitaminCisneverapoisoninthebody,becausesomanyfunctionsofthebodyrequire it,andwheneveryoutaketoomuch,youwillhaveanepisodeofloosebowels,astheexcessisremovedfromthebody.Thisishowyouknowyou’vehadmorethanenough.

For anyone to consider that vitamin Cwould have toxicitymeans that they havelimitedunderstandingof thevariousroles that ithas in thebody.There isahugemassofresearchliteraturesupportingthetruththatvitaminCisnontoxicandsafein indicated circumstances, even inmegadosequantities.There ismuchevidenceindicatingthatvitaminCmetabolismchangesduringinfectionsandthismaychange

the relationship between doses and adverse effects22if you are burning throughvitaminC.Becauseyourbodyisrequiringmoreandmore,andusinghugeamountsofit,youwillnotsufferfromtoxicity.Youwillsufferifyoudon’tusevitaminC.

Oneofthebiggestproblems,especiallyintoxin-producingillnesseslikeB.pertussis,is thatpeoplearehesitant touse thehighdoses that areneeded.Theyhavebeenbrainwashed about how dangerous ascorbate is in large doses. They see 20-30Grams for an adult or 5 -10 grams for a child as an outrageous amount. Theseseeminglyhighdosesof ascorbateareoftenonly just enough tokeepup,becausethe body will use it up very rapidly as it works to cope with ongoing toxinproduction,alongwiththeresultantoxidativestress,.It's likepouringwaterintoabucketwithleakingholes.ThevitaminCintakehastoincreasetokeepupwiththebody’sneedforit.

NobodyhaseverdiedofavitaminCorsyntheticascorbateoverdose.TheLD50isaconvention used to represent the lethal dose for 50%of a tested population. TheLD50 for ascorbate is 11,900 mg/kg, for table salt 3000, acetaminophen 1944,aspirin, 200, caffeine 192mg/kg. Think about that for a bit. Nobodywould thinktwice before using aggressive caffeine therapy on a premature baby who hadrespiratory depression after a vaccine23, or aspirin and acetaminophen for anyaches pains or acetaminophen for fever. Why the concern about vitaminC/ascorbate?Ignorance.

Ithasbeenreported24,25thatpeoplewithseriousinfectionscaningestover50g/dayof vitamin Cwithout gastric problems. This same principlewhereby the use of asubstanceacutelyneededbythebodywillnotcausetoxicity,appliestoafewothernutrientsduringinfection,likevitaminA.YoucangiveachildwithmeaslesvitaminA in doses that would normally be considered toxic, because the action of themeasles viruspulls vitaminAoutof thebodyhandover fist.All youaredoing, isreplacing what the infection in the body is mining. Therefore, in the context ofmeasles,highdosesofvitaminAwillnotbetoxic.

KidneyStones

Ahealthypersondoesn’tneedmegadosesofascorbatewhentheyarehealthy,butonlyinconditionswhensuchdosesarerequired.

22HarriHemilä.2006.“SafetyofVitaminC:UrbanLegends”,DepartmentofPublicHealth,UniversityofHelsinki,Helsinki,Finland.23DeMeo2015,AdverseEventsAfterRoutingImmunizationofExtremelyLow-Birth-WeightInfants.JAMAPediatrics,PMID:2603030224LuberoffBJ(1978)SymptomectomywithvitaminC:achatwithRobertCathcart,MD.CHEMTECH8:76-8625Cathcart1985,VitaminC:TheNontoxic,Nonrate-Limited,AntioxidantFreeRadicalScavenger,MedicalHypotheses18:61-77.

Researchshowscasereportsofoxalatecrystal formation in thekidneysofpeopleusinghighdoseascorbateforvariousillnessesandinhealth,butitisveryrareandcan be prevented. Note that the presence of crystals in the urine does notmeanstoneswillform.Thecrystalshavetoprecipitateandjointogetherinordertomakea stone. Urine pH, citrate concentration, and other factors can control the joiningtogetherofcrystal-formingelementsintoastone.

Existing case reports that implicate ascorbate, donot necessarily prove ascorbatewastheonlyfactor.

Peoplewhohaveaconditionknownasprimaryoxalosis,arepronetoformoxalateinthebody.Somepeoplewhohavefatmalabsorptionabsorbmoreoxalatefromtheintestine, and those peoplewill have an underlying risk of oxalate stones. If theyingestascorbate,theascorbatewillusuallybeimplicated,andinsomecasesitmaycontribute.

If kidney stones are a concern, check with your doctor. If you have a history ofkidney stones, please inform yourself of the risks and be sure to drink plenty ofwaterandalkalizetheurine.Ihaveyettohearoforwitnessaninfantwithkidneytrouble or stone formation at the time of or following ascorbate dosing. Could ithappen?Yes.Itispossible.ButwhenIseeaninfantblueinthefaceandknowthatascorbatewillhelp,itseemsunethicaltowithholdthetreatment.Ifthatsameinfantwere septic, nobody would consider withholding antibiotics even though thechancesofanaphylacticshockfromantibioticsareaboutthesameas,orhigherthanthe chance of kidney stone formation from vitamin C in that infant. In fact,antibioticsareroutinelygiven toB.pertussispatientsdespite the lackofevidencethat they do anything beneficial to the recipient, once the infection is wellestablished. I always tell parents that stone formation is apotential, but very lowrisk. I don’t know of any parentwho has considered not using ascorbate in theircoughinginfants,oncetheylearnthephysiologicbenefit.

Ifthereisconcernaboutkidneystoneformation,orkidneyfailure,donottakevitamin C or ascorbate without consulting your doctor. In older children andadults, hydration with water and fresh lemon will alkalize and dilute the urine,makingoxalatestoneformationnearly impossible. If there isaknownhistoryofastone forming disorder called hyperoxaluria, then caution should be exercised.However tobesafest,keep theurinediluteandalkalineasoxalatestones form inacidic,concentratedurine.

G6PD

Anyone with a very rare disorder called Glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenasedeficiency (G6PDD), which can cause anemia and red blood cells breaking openwhen certain foods anddrugs are given, shouldnot usemegadoses of vitaminC,exceptunderspecialistcare.Thisissueaswellasothertoxicityissuesarediscussed

in a previous BLOG26. If you or your family has a history of anemia or G6PDdeficiency, consult a doctor well informed in vitamin C immunobiology beforetakingvitaminC. If Isuspecttherecouldbea familyhistory, Ialwayssendfortheblood test as early as possible. People with this disorder can still takemoderatedosesofascorbatewhentheyareveryill.

TheG6PDgeneiscarriedontheXchromosomebutwomenandgirlscanstillhavethedisease,sodon’tassumeitisonlyamaleissue.27

HowAscorbateworks

Ascorbate,beingtheanti-oxidantportionofwholevitaminC, isanelectrondonor,neutralizestoxinsintheblood,andwillstabilizethechild.Ifyouarebreastfeeding,youwillhavetotakeityourselfand/orgiveittothechilduntilthecoughingstops.ItisbetterforyoutogivevitaminCdirectlytobabies,ratherthantryingtoguesshowmuchiscomingthroughbreastmilk.Evenifyoutakehighdoses,youwillnotgetthedoseyouneedintothebaby.

The ascorbate will not kill the bacteria, but it will mobilize the neutrophils andphagocytes (the immune cells that process the infection), which grind to a haltwithoutit,becauseascorbateistheirfuel28,29.Thebacterialtoxinformsabarriertothe immune system. In using ascorbate, you are clearing out the barrier andallowingtheimmunesystemtogetinanddealwiththebacteria.Itcouldstilltakethewhole100daystodealwiththeB.pertussisandstarttoregrowcilia—,butthechildwillhaveLESSserioussymptoms,becauseyouarekeepingthebodyasclearoftoxinaspossible,andtheimmunepathwaysfunctioningproperly.Myexperienceisthatmostpeopletreatedwithascorbatewillnotcoughforthefull100days,usually50-75anditisaverymanageablesituation,withonepeakweekbeingmostdifficult.

The functions of vitamin C and ascorbate in any toxin-mediated disease (whichincludes tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, Staph. aureus, Strep. A,meningococcal invasive disease, pneumococcal invasive disease, etc.), arenumerous.Threeofthemanyfundamentalfunctionsofascorbatearestrengtheningcellular and vascular collagen bonds, detoxifying the body, and keepingmitochondriarunningproperly.Theverycommonreasonwhypeoplewhoareillfor26Humphries,Suzanne,Aug3,2012,“WhyisnobodystudyingvitaminCinwhoopingcough?”http://www.vaccinationcouncil.org/2012/08/03/why-is-nobody-studying-vitamin-c-in-whooping-cough-by-suzanne-humphries-md/27G6PDdeficiency.orghttp://g6pddeficiency.org/wp/g6pd-deficiency-home/women-with-g6pd-deficiency/#.WaiJYIpLdE428Bozonetet.al2015,EnhancedHumanNeutrophilVitaminCStatus,ChemotaxisandOxidantGenerationFollowingDietarySupplementationwithVitaminC-RichSunGoldKiwifruit,Nutrients,PMID:25912037

29Schorah1996TotalvitaminC,ascorbicacid,anddehydroascorbicacidconcentrationsinplasmaofcriticallyillpatients.PMID:8615361

alongtimehaveextremelethargy—islackofvitaminC30.Youcan'thavefunctioningmitochondriawithoutascorbate.And it'sno fluke that if a competentdoctor testsbabiesafterSIDS,theycanoftenfindundetectablevitaminC/ascorbate levels,andbone evidence of scurvy. Okamoto has found a reproducible experimentalrelationshipbetweenSIDS,ascorbatedeficiency,andcarnitinedeficiency.31.

HereareafewfunctionsofvitaminC,usingwhoopingcoughastheexample:

Ø ThefrontlinefunctionofvitaminCistoneutralizecirculatingtoxin,whichisthenremovedfromthebodybeforebeingabletodestroytissueanddisruptnormalfattyacidsandcellfunction.Withwhoopingcough,thebodymanagesthetoxinwithitsantioxidantreserves,untilitrunsoutofantioxidants.Thenthetoxinbuildsup,thecoughintensifies,andthereisbreakthroughoftoxininto the bloodstream. In babies with subclinical scurvy, the blood brainbarriercanweakensignificantly—andresultintoxincrossingintothebrain.

Ø Whenababywithwhoopingcoughruns lowonvitaminC, themothermaynotice that the child's gumsmay go red around the edges—a first sign ofscurvy. Then the cough getsmuchworse, because the neutrophils becomeless functional.Thebacteria spreadsdeeper through the lungs, eroding thebronchial hairs, which means that instead of the mucus flowing up andrecyclingnormally,itnowpoolsatthebottomofthebronchi,andtoxinrulesthearea.Atthispoint,ascorbateinlargeenoughdoseslowersthetoxicload,but itwon't stop the need to cough, because the hairs aren't intact, so thechildstillhastocoughupthatpooledmucus.Ascorbatethinsoutthemucus,makingitmucheasierforthechildtoexpectorate,avoidingtheblueorred-in-the-face stage, because the mucus isn't as thick and moves up and outmoreeasily.However,becausethemucusmovesupquickly,youmaygettheodd “vomit” session, particularly if the child has just eaten food, orswallowedthemucusinsteadofcoughingitout.Vomiting,inmyobservation,seemstobearesultofswallowedtoxin-containingmucusinthestomach.

Ø WithoutadequatevitaminC,theintegrityofthebody'scollagenintracellularbondsinbloodvesselsandcapillariesstarttoweaken,andthechildwillgetpinkeyesfromthecranialforce,thelungscanstarttobecomecongested,andthe blood-brain barrier can weaken, and become permeable. Poor tissuestrength will also contribute to the rare collapsed lung that the medicalliteraturereportsduringwhoopingcough.

30SagunKCetal.2005.“VitaminCentersmitochondriaviafacilitativeglucosetransporter1(Glut1)andconfersmitochondrialprotectionagainstoxidativeinjury.”FASEBJ.Oct;19(12):1657-67PMID16195374.31OkamotoM.2005.“IssuddendeathwithvitaminCdeficiencycausedbylackofcarnitine?”JClinForensicMed.Jan;13(1):26-9PMID16084747

Ø Vitamin C is a prolific antioxidant. Without it, the neutrophils and liverstruggletodealwiththefreeradicalsandtoxinsgeneratedbythebacteria32.

Ø Vitamin C has amajor role inmitochondrial function. The patient can feelexhausted without adequate reserves, because carnitine won't pull fattyacidsintothemitochondria,andthusmitochondriaproducelessenergy.

Withoutascorbate,thewholeofthebody'scorefunctionsgraduallyshutdown,andif it is not replaced, there is only one result, and that is death. You can tosseverything else into a human body—every other good food or nutrient . . . but ifthereisnoascorbate,deathwillensue.

Generalrules(notsetinstone)

If youareusingascorbate tobond to andneutralize toxins inwhooping coughorany other disease, youmust use asmuch as the bodywill soak up, to get all thefunctionsgoingandcompletetheprocess.Everythingyouputinisquicklyutilizedto joinwithexotoxinand flush itout; tokeep theneutrophilsmovingaroundanddealing with waste; to keep the liver functioning well; to keep the mitochondriafunctioning properly; to keep the connective tissues intact; to cope with thecoughing.

Powdered and lipospheric sodium ascorbate are what you have to keep in thehouse.It isavailabletoyoufromyourhealthfoodstoreoronlinefromAmazonoriHerb. The lipospheric ascorbate can be used by itself in exclusively breastfedinfants. Sometimes you will have to add powdered SA even to breastfed infants,when the bowels are sluggish. Anyone eating food will need powdered sodiumascorbatebecauseitgetsdowntothesmallbowelandcolonwhereotherbacterialivewhichalsoproduceendotoxin.

Somepeoplewant touse IVascorbate,with the idea thatmore isbetterand IV isbetterthanoralascorbate.Thisisnottrueformostcasesofwhoopingcough.IhavehadpeopletellmetheytriedIVascorbateandithadnoimpactonthecough.Thereisareasonforthat:Theascorbate, inanyoneeatinganythingbesideshumanmilk,mustget to the lowerbowel todealwitheverydayendotoxinproduction, and thepertussisexotoxinthat isswallowed. Ifaveryyoung infant is in theICUwithwellestablishedandseverewhoopingcough,beforeIcouldgettotreatthemathome,Iwould recommend thedoctors giveonedoseof IV ascorbateplus continuingoralascorbateornasogastricascorbatedosingwithclosemonitoringofurineoutputandkidney function. I also would recommend administering IV hydration andcontinuingmaternalmilk either orally or through nasogastric tube.But I wouldnever use only IV without oral dosing. So if you are tempted to go get an IV

32Chatterjeeetal.2008.“AscorbatesustainsneutrophilNOSexpression,catalysis,andoxidativeburst.”FreeRadicBiolMed.Oct15;45(8):1084-93.PMID18675339

treatmentforanadultorteengoahead,butknowthatitisprobablynotnecessaryandthatoralascorbatehasalwayssufficedinmyinfantandtoddlerpatients.

Dealingwith endotoxin in the intestine by using powdered ascorbate, spares theliver having to take on that job,which it normally does. The liver can then,moreeasily, deal with the other toxin being produced by the B. pertussis. Powderedsodium ascorbate is going to be necessary for any infant drinking formula andanyonewhoisnotexclusivelybreastfed.

Breastfeedingmoms can express some breastmilk into a cup, and put a pinch ofsodium ascorbate powder into it, and mix it. Then, using a plastic eyedropper,dribblethisintothebaby’smouthgraduallyoverafewminutesforeachdose.Don'tsquirt it in - just drip it in, bit by bit. If your baby is formula fed, that babywillrequiremoreascorbatethanabreastfedbaby,anditshouldbedosedintheformulaovertheday.

Liposomalascorbateisthesamechemicalbutembeddedintoafattylayerthatdoesnotrequirethetransportersinthebowelforabsorption.Therefore,itgetsintothebodydifferentlyandprobablyfaster,usinglessofthebody’senergytobringitin.Itisreallyeasytodoseinfantsbecauseallyouhavetodoistakeyourcleanfingerwithadabonitandswipeitinsidethecheek.Babiesdon’tlovethetastebuttheytolerateit fine. Infantsasyoungas twoweeksof agehavebeen taking itwithgoodeffect.Twoweekoldinfantsusuallyrequireawhole1000mgsachetperdaygivenintinydabsevery15-20minutesandcanrequireuptotwosachetsperdayatpeakofthecough.

For older children and adults, liposomal ascorbate taken just before bedtimereducescoughingatnight,andcanbeusedatthebeginningofthecough,inordertoboostthebloodlevelsquickly.Itcanalsobetakeninabolusafteraseverecough.

Inonechildwhohadmildunderlyingkidneyissues,therewassomeswellingwithhigh dose sodium ascorbate. If that is an issue, ascorbic acid can be used withsodium ascorbate to cut down on the sodium. Youmay need professional help ifswellingbecomesanissue.Itisveryrare.

TheProtocol

Thesodiumascorbateisinitiallydosedinamg/kg/dayfashion.Pleasebesurethatyoursodiumascorbateisanon-GMObrand.Donotusecalciumascorbateorester-C.Forbabiesolderthan6months,ifyouhavetouseascorbicacidbecausethatisallyou can get in an emergency, it should beneutralizedwith sodiumbicarbonate. IrecommendyouusesodiumascorbateassoonasyoucangetitandonlyuseSAoninfantsyoungerthan6months.

B.pertussis toxinexcretioncanbereduced toverymanageable levels in12hourswithcorrectascorbatedosing.Youhavetocontinuetheascorbateforthewhole

time thebacteria continue tomake toxin,which canbeup to threemonths.Ascorbatedoesnotpreventor stop thedisease. Ithelpsclearawaythetoxins,andmakes the coughingmuch,muchmilder, increases the ability of the body toclear out the bacteria and develop immunity naturally, and vastly reducescomplications.

The startingdose in children for sodiumascorbate is200-375mgperkgover24hours.Butatpeakofcoughing,thedoseneededintoddlersandolderchildrencanbeashighas1000mg/kg/day.

Iftheyarecoughinguntiltheyarepurple,orgasping,thenyourdosesaremuchtoosmallor infrequent.Bumpthemrightupto the levelof375milligramsperkiloofbodyweightoverthewakinghours,asastartingdoseandknowthatyoumaystillneedmuchmore.

Ifyouusepounds,knowthatonekiloisequalto2.2pounds.Sogetacalculatorandweighyourchildandconverttheirweighttokg.

LypoSA(LSA)orPowderSA(PSA)?

Parentswanttoknowhowtodecidewhichtogive.Generally,non-exclusivelybreastfeedingbabiesandolderpeoplewillneedPSAandyoudoseitmorefrequentlytheyoungertheinfantorchildis.YoustartwiththePSAinfrequentdosesbecausethemore frequent youdose, themore the body and colonwill tolerate.Once you getintestinalgurgling,smellygas,or loosebowelsyou’vegottothebowelintolerancelevel and probably hit themaximumdose and frequency thatwill be tolerated. Ifseverecoughingisstillhappening,thenyouwillhavetoaddonsomeLSA.

The flush: Diarrhea after a certain amount of PSA, is commonly called the bowelflush.Mygoal isminimumoftwoloosebowelmovementsininfants,children,andadults. Breastfed infants will oftenmove bowelsmore often than twice, so thosebabiesdon’tneedanypushtomakemorestool.Anyonewhoisnothavingatleasttwoloose(notnecessarilywatery)stoolsperdayneedsmorePSA.Ifanolderchildor adult developsdiarrhea, youwill probablynotice the cough is better just afterthat flush. That is not a bad thing but you don’t want anyone having ongoingdiarrheaorbecomingdehydrated. Ifa flushhappens, theneithercutbackthePSAdoseorgiveinsmallerdosesmorefrequently.YoumayhavetoswitchovertoLSAifthediarrheaisnotstoppingafteroneflush.

Liposomal ascorbate can be used by itself in exclusively breastfed infants.Sometimes you will need to add powdered SA. Liposomal can be used alongsidepowderedSAinsomeonewhoisalreadytakingpowderedSA,yetstillneedsmoreascorbate, but has hit bowel intolerance with the SA. Liposomal does not causediarrheaexceptwhentakeninveryhighdoses.

Exclusively breastfeeding infants can usually be dosedwith only LSA. If for somestrange reason theyget constipatedandare still coughing, thengive somePSA insmallpinchesinexpressedbreastmilkadministeredwithadropper.

Don’trelyonanyvitaminCyoutaketogettoyourchildthroughyourmilk.Ittakesabout8hoursforthevitaminCthemotheringests,togetthroughtothebreastmilk,andifyourinfant’sascorbateneedsarehigh,youdon’twantthatgap.Ifyourownneedincreases,evenlesswillgetthroughintoyourbreastmilk.

NEVER DOSE A SLEEPING BABY OR CHILD. THEY CAN BREATHE IN THEASCORBATEWHICHCANLEADTOBIGPROBLEMS.IFYOUTHINKADOSENEEDSTOBEGIVEN,WAKETHEBABYUP.

Dosing

Hereishowyouarriveattheamountofmilligramsofsodiumascorbate,whichwillbespreadoutover24hours,inmultipledoses.Youwillhavetosplitupthebabyorchildren’s doses in small amounts of water or humanmilk through the day, andbecausetheyaresmalltheyneeditconcentrated.Youmusthowevermakesuretokeep everyone well hydrated with human milk or water all day, and if you arebreastfeeding,youneedtobeverywellhydratedtopassthatwaterontothebaby.Idon’trecommendgivingwatertoabreastfeedingbaby,whosemotherisproducingwell, but rather to just feedmother’smilk asmuch as possible. Youwant to seereallywetnappies/diapers.

Sometimesbabiesgetwhoopingcough justafterbeing introduced to food. In thatcase I recommend you stop the food and go back to all breast milk wheneverpossible.Thereasonsbeingthatexclusivelybreastfedbabiestoleratethecoughwaybetter than formula fedorbabiesalreadyon food. Inaddition,aspirationduringacoughcouldbeaproblemwithfood.

Thefollowingdoseisjustaguidelinetostartworkingwith.Youmaydeterminethatyourequiremoreorless.Thisisexplainedbelow.

Ifusingpounds,usethisequation:(weightinpoundsdividedby2.2)times375=the24hourdose,inmgperkg.

Example: If your child weighs 20 pounds then you have 20 divided by 2.2 times375=3409mgof vitaminC/ascorbatepowder tobe given in a 24-hourperiod inmanysmalldivideddoses.

If using kg, just usewt. in kg times 375= your dose of sodium ascorbate for 24hoursinmgperkgtobedividedintomanydosesover24hours.

Keepachartonthefridgesothatyoucanseewhatyouhavedone,andalsowritedownanything that tellsyouyouhavereachedbowel intolerance,orany factyoufeelisrelevantandmightneedcheckinglater.

Ifthepatientconsumesmorethanyoucalculatebeforethe24hours,andtherewasno bowel intolerance, it was obviously needed. Do not worry. If the child needshigherdoses,justgivethem.Mostparentsareconcernedaboutgivingtoomuchandcanbereluctanttodosehighenough.Justmakesuretheyarestayinghydratedandthediapersareaswetorwetterthannormal.

Apinchofascorbate isabout250mg. Ifyouwant tobemoreexactaboutdosing,calculatetheamountyouestimatewillbeneededin24hours,putthepowderintoalittlecontainerand justusepinches inexpressedbreastmilk throughthedayandnight.

Forolderchildrenwithhigherdoses,calculatethedailydoseandgiveithourlyorasoftenasneededindividedquantities.

Ifusing liposomalascorbateon infants,youwillneedtodoseevery15minutestoeveryhour.Ifthereisabigcough,youwillneedtogiveabiggerfingerswabintothecheekandincreasethedoseorfrequency.

Twotofourweekinfantsusuallyrequire1-2sachetsofliposphericascorbateper24hours.Fivetoeightweekbabiesusuallyrequire1-3packs.Treatingsuchveryyounginfants usually requires assistance from a medical practitioner and very closemonitoring,oftenrockingthebabyalldayandnightduringthepeakdays.

Ifyouarehavinganytroubleordoubtonthedose,pleasecheckwithsomeonewho can do this calculation for you.Onceyoustartusingascorbate, themucuswillthinoutconsiderably.Thefirst24hoursmaybeatimewhenmucusseemstocomeoutingreatabundance,asitthins.

If yourdose is right,within8hours there shouldbea significant reduction in thecoughing frequencyandseverity. If youstart to taper theascorbate too soon, e.g.,before two-fourweeks, you could see an increase in cough.Youwill thenhave toincreasethedosesbackuptotheolddose.Itisprobablynotagoodideatoeventrystoppingbefore4weeks.

Ifyourchilddevelopsveryloosebowels,thenyoumaybegivingtoomuch.Inthiscasecutbackby50%andmonitor.Bowel intolerancewillalso tellyouwhen it istimetotaper.Eg.Thecoughwillbelessintenseandthebowelswillnottolerateasmuchascorbate.Startslowlytapering.Ifthecoughworsensthenjustgobackuptoahigherdoseinordertocontrolthecough.

Note:goingbacktoschoolordaycarewillrequireanincreaseindosinginthedayasanythinghappeningoutsidethehomeincreasesstress,eveniftheyarehavingfun.

SendthechildtoschoolwithwatercontainingPSAorwithafewsachetsofLSAtohaveincasecoughingincreaseswhileawayfromthehome.

Thecough inmostchildrenwilldecreasetoat leastaquarterthe intensity itwas,afterproperdosesofascorbatearegiven.Butyoustillhavetoknowhowtomanagethequantityofmucusthatevenwellmanagedwhoopingcoughproduces,especiallyin babies. The babies’ relative inability to use the stomach muscles to coughproperlyand theirnarrowbronchiput themataphysicaldisadvantagecomparedwitholderchildren.Ifthatmucusisnotshifted,thensecondarybacterialinfectionscan set in, which can cause new problems. I have yet to deal with a secondaryinfectioninallthehundredsofcaseswe’vepersonallydealtwith.

Oxygensaturationcandrop inany infantduring thecough,and it isusuallynotaproblem,andnotevendiagnosed.However, insomeonewholivesathighaltitude,and has underlying lung issues, or any pre-existing comorbidities, it can betroublesome.Inthatcase,outsidehelpcouldbeneededandevenaportableoxygentankforlowflowoxygen.

Ifyouaregivingahighdoseanditseemstonotbeworking,theremaybereasonswhy.

Someconfoundingissuesandhowtodealwiththem:

Ø Sugar inthediet.This includeshoney,rice,carbs,andallgoodsugar.SugarcompeteswiththevitCtransporterincells.Limitit.Ifthecoughisstillbad,limitallsugarsevenmore.

Ø Pasteurized milk should be absolutely avoided. Some older children cantolerate fresh raw milk, but if it worsens the cough, you have to stop it.Lactating mothers can drink fresh raw milk but if you notice the coughworsensinthebaby,thenyouhavetostopit.Butter,eggs,andhardcheesesareallgoodformothersandmostchildren.

Ø Mostveganmothersgoontobutterandeggsatmyrequestduringtheinfanttreatmentperiod.Ialsoaskthemtohavesomebonebrothbutmostofthemcringeattheidea.

Ø Consideravoidingwheatandglutenforafewweeks,especiallyifyouorthechildhaveanyknownsensitivities.

Ø Pedialyte or any sucralose-containing products are poisonous and immunesuppressing. Avoid them. If you are concerned about dehydration orelectrolyte imbalance thenusewateror coconutwater inolderbabies andchildren.Freshorganiccoconutwater is somuch likehumanplasma ithasactuallybeengivenIVinemergencywartimeswithsuccess.Coconutwaterisnot the same as coconut milk, so don’t use coconut milk for hydration.Humanmilkisalwayspreferredwhenavailable.

Ø Ifalactatingmother’smilkisdryingup,itcanoftenbeincreasedwithmoresuckling and putting the baby to the breast as much as possible. Anothersuccessful intervention to increase milk production is a homemade drink

known generically as “tiger’s milk”. Google the recipes. The key nutrientswhich increase milk production contain inositol and B vitamins. Also eatfoodswithinositol.

Managingthecoughinyoungbabies

Withanycough,particularlywhoopingcough,turnthebabyaround,withitsbacktoyourabdomen.Whilesittingdown,splityourlegs,sothebabyissupportedaroundtheabdomenbutthelegsarestraightdownbetweenyourthighs.Yourhandsmakeagentlenetaroundthebaby’sribcageandabdomen,andwhenthebabycoughs,youleanforwardslightlytoanglethebaby,allowingthebabytohavesomethingfortheabdominalmusclestopushagainstasitcoughs.Yougivethebabysomepressuretouse,butdonotpress inyourself.Theyhaven'tlearnedtocontroltheirmusclestogetanefficientcoughyet,soyourhandsgivethemawalltopushagainst,andmakeitmucheasier for them.Youmaygetaclearmucousglobejectedontoyour floor.Betteroutthanin.Don'tattempttocatchit,oryoumaydropthebaby.

Someparentsliketoputthebabyontheshoulderandbounceandrock.Somedadsputthemontheforearm.Youhavetofindthepositionthatworksbestforyouandthebaby.Thesearealljustsuggestions.

If your child’s cough iswhoopingcough, itmay last thenormal time—supposedly100days,butthecoughwillbeanuisanceonly,afterthe5-7daypeakperiod.

Withyoungchildren,eatingcansometimesprovokeacoughingfit.Knowthat,andgiveachildasmallportionfirst.Ifthattriggersacoughingfit,sometimestheywillalsovomitupwhattheyhavejusteaten,particularlyiftheyhaveswallowedmucusaftercoughing.Aftertheyhavecoughedand/orvomited,theywillusuallybeabletoeatagainwithoutcoughingorvomiting.

Ifyouarebreastfeeding,youmaynoticethateachtimeyoufeed,thiscouldprovokea cough,usuallyduringabrisk “let-down”.Dealwith thecough first—let themilksprayifneedbe.Getthemucusupfromthebaby’sstomach,thenputthebabybackonthebreaststraightaway.Ifyoudoitthatway,thereshouldbenocoughbecausethemucushasgone,andbabywilltakethefullfeed.ItisbesttogetthattoxicmucusoutofthebabyBEFOREthefullfeed.Thiscouldrequireyouputtingthebabytothebreast and taking themoff after a30 second to aminute, letting themvomit, andthenrestarting. Itdependsonwhether theyarevomitingornot.Theaim is togetthevomitupbeforethefullfeed.Thesameprocessappliestoformulafedbabies.

Babieswithwhoopingcoughsleep lightly.Anexperiencedmotherwhohasgottenseveralbabiesthroughwhoopingcoughsaidthis:

IorganisedthehousesothatIsleepwiththebabiesinahugedoublebed(onthefloor,notraised)andduringtheday,apartfromtoiletstops,wellplanned…Ispentmostofthedayintherockingchairifthebabywasasleep,orputthem

in theback-pack if Ineeded todoa job, though Igota coupleofwell-placedmucusglobsdownthebackofmyneck.EverythingwasorganizedsothatIgotthemaximumsleep,as sleepdeprivation for themother is themainproblem.Littlies seem to be forever bounding with energy, even though they arecoughing - somehow they cope with sleep in short burst better than we do.Cleaning - went out the window - I concentrated on cooking, dishes, andkeepingupwiththewashing.Abathorshowerwaswhenhubbywasathome,andonhandtohelp-todobabyaswell.

WARNING:Ifyoustoptheascorbatetoosoon,youwillquicklyfindthatthecoughbecomesmuchstronger.Oncekidsknowthatit'stheascorbatethatholdsthecoughintensitydown,andparentsstopittoosoon,thekidswillcomebackandpleadforit.Itneedstobeusedforseveralweeks,orelseyouwillhaveacontinuousrelapsingand seeming recovery cycle. A properly-managed baby or child with whoopingcoughshouldnotloseanyweightatallwhencoughingandfoodintakeismanagedproperly. Though, once in awhile there is a very smallweight losswhichwill berapidlyregainedplusmoreimmediatelyafterrecovery.

Thepost-recoveryperiod

Ifyourchildgetsacoldwithin6-9monthsafterhavingrecovered fromwhoopingcough,thechildmaystartto“whoop,”orcough,thesamewayaswhenprocessingtheB.pertussis.Thereasonforthatisthatittakestimeforthelunghairstogrowback. Any infection without proper ciliary motion, will result in mucus pooling.Because there has been loss of the hairs in the bronchi, this mucus pooling isnecessarytotriggeracoughstrongenoughtogetthemucusfromthebottomofthebronchiuptothetop.Donotusecoughsuppressantsbecauseyoucouldendupwithpneumonia.

Some babies finish the cough and are transitioned onto regular food shortlythereafter.Notethatthiscouldcauseatransienthigherneedforascorbate.