Ascorbic Acid and Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Recurrent Pancreatic Cancer That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery

Inclusion Criteria: * Capable of giving informed consent * Histological diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas * Stage IV or recurrent pancreatic cancer by imaging * Locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer by National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) criteria * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 0-1 * No prior treatment for metastatic disease (prior neo-adjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy, except FOLFIRINOX, chemoradiation or radiation allowed) * White blood count \>= 3000 * Platelets \>= 100,000 * Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 mg/dl * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =\< 5 X upper limit of normal (ULN) * Creatinine \< 1.5 mg/dL * Glucose-6-phosphatase deficiency (G6PD) level of 5-14 units/g hemoglobin (Hgb) or within institutional standard parameters * All subjects of child producing potential must agree to use contraception or avoidance of pregnancy measures while enrolled on study Exclusion Criteria: * Other pancreatic cancer histology (islet cell, acinar, neuroendocrine tumors) * Resectable pancreatic cancer * Prior neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX * Pregnant or lactating females * No clinical ascites (mild ascites on scans permissible) * Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis * Known congestive heart failure, significant ventricular arrhythmias, cirrhosis, grade 4/5 chronic kidney disease, uncontrolled diabetes * Active, uncontrolled bacterial, viral, or fungal infection(s) requiring systemic therapy * Peripheral neuropathy grade 2 or greater * Any condition, psychiatric or otherwise, that would preclude informed consent, consistent follow-up or compliance with any aspect of the study (e.g., untreated schizophrenia or other significant cognitive impairment, etc.)