DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 78-year-old male who has been taking a daily dose of 400 IU of vitamin C for so long that I have forgotten why I take it. My wife’s doctor recently told her to stop taking vitamin C, for it does nothing for her, and recent studies indicate that it could contribute to a heart problem. She is 77 years old and we are both in relatively good health.

I would appreciate your opinion. DEAR READER: The endorsement of high-dose vitamin C by Dr. Linus Pauling years ago has not worked out. Although the vitamin is vital for normal metabolism, huge doses do not protect against colds, cancer and other ailments; in fact, such megadoses can cause heart problems. I recommend that you continue vitamin C therapy at a lesser dosage, such as 200 IU per day, a level that will not harm you. Your wife’s doctor might suggest the same compromise if she wishes to continue the vitamin supplement.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Vitamins and Minerals.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.>DEAR DR. GOT$> I recently read your column wherein you were asked about pain from bilateral mastectomy.I had a radical mastectomy on my right side in 1978. Although it was only a very small tumor just under my collarbone, my surgeon chose to cut me from my collarbone down past my rib cage. He also removed 22 lymph nodes. I was really in the dark about my chances of reconstruction or any options I may have had with the surgery. I have been cancer free since then, but I have continued pain in my right arm, shoulder and neck. I had an MRI and was told I had a torn rotator cuff in my shoulder. However, the pain is now in my armpit, which was drastically pulled around toward my chest to complete the suture.

Since I have no lymph nodes on my right side to fight infection, would it be very risky to have surgery on my shoulder to repair the rotator cuff? The pain is quite intense at times, and I’ve been concerned, since pain has begun in my armpit, as well.

My surgeon was elderly when he performed the surgery almost 30 years ago and is either completely retired or deceased. I don’t know whom to see concerning the pain. Should it be a surgeon, oncologist or orthopaedic specialist? Please advise me what to do.DEAR READER: This is a difficult situation. Rotator-cuff repair is fairly significant surgery, especially on the side of your body that has already been traumatised by the previous excision of lymph glands.My suggestion is to have the surgery, but I prefer to defer this decision to the doctors who are caring for you. I recommend that you request a sit-down session with your orthopaedic surgeon and your oncologist. I am certain that these specialists can reach a consensus, review the risks of surgery, inform you of the benefits of the procedure and support your decisionDoctor Gott is a retired physician and the author of the new book “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet,” available at most chain and independent bookstores.>If readers would like to contact Dr. Gott, they may write him through your newspaper or send their mail directly to Dr. Gott c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., 4th fl., New York, NY 10016. However, if readers want to request a newsletter, they should write to the Ohio address.