Supplements

[Hebbie]

I thought I would share with you some supplements suggested by the Intergrative doctor I have been seeing. I spoke with my medical oncologist today and he reviewed the list and gave me the "go ahead" to start taking them, so I feel pretty comfortable about it.

*Keep in mind that I am not currently in treatment, and anyone considering taking supplements during chemo should check with their doctor!

Here is the list:

High antioxidant multivitamin

HerbaGreen Tea Liquid Extract (equivalent to 15 cups of tea)

N Acetyl-Cysteine (liver detox support)

Grapeseed Phytosome (liver detox support)

Coriolus VPS Mushroom (immune support)

Omega-3 Fish Oils (anti-inflamatory agent)

Turmeric-Curcumin (anti-inflamatory agent)

Boswellia-Boswellic Acid (anti-inflamatory agent)

[Alisa]

I'm on similar complementary care/herbs/vitamins from my herbologist (also with my oncologist's blessings):

A custom blend chinese herbal tea (nasty tasting) containing many things including ganoderma, astragalus, polyphenols, mushroom (I think Shiitake), licorace root, ginseng, co-10, and other traditional chinese herbs which I don't have the translations for; traditional vitamins (A,C,D,E,Selenium,Zinc); green tea capsules; Mega Soy; modified citris pectin; MGN-3; resveratroI; IP6 with inositol; tumeric (curcumin); cholestene (a natural statin); thymus spray, celebrex; juice plus; Omega 3; worm wood (artemisinin); Thisilyn, PSP (Cloud Mushroom).

[john]

I always read that soy / genistein is supposed to reduce cancer risk.

Lately I have read about soy interfering with thyroid function and also acting like estrogen which may fuel certain cancers.

The article below discusses this and seems not to think there is an issue, but people taking soy should know the pros/cons

http://www.drlark.com/nc/brh_soy.asp

http://www.drweil.com/app/cda/drw_cda.h ... onId=76903

[Hebbie]

John,

Interesting that you brought up the soy/thyroid connection.

I have been taking Synthroid for the past 11 years for hypothyroidism.

For the past several months, my levels have been continuously too low each time I go for blood test.........it has finally been determined that I have been taking my synthroid along with my morning breakfast of oatmeal made w/ soymilk......and synthroid BINDS with the fiber and soy and effects absorption of the drug!

It was suggested that I take the pill an hour to two hours prior to breakfast, and try to cut out the soymilk that early in the morning and eat my soy later in the day.

It's amazing -- you eat healthy and think you are doing GOOD.......it never occured to me that FOOD could be affecting my meds!

[dave s]

Hebbie,

My wife has been on Synthroid for about 15 years. A few years ago her TSH levels became erratic and she was told also to take the synthroid at the same time each day and at least 1 hour before eating which helped with the erratic TSHs. BTW she recently switched to Armour Thyroid (contains T3 also) from Synthroid (T4 only) and is very happy with it. Something to keep in mind in case your response to the Synthroid ever starts to fade.

Best Wishes, Dave S

[john]

Dave,

I have also read that Armour may be better since it does contain T3.

The old thought was that T3 is not needed

Synthroid I read has had manufacturing problems

I don't know how accurate this is, but here is a reference

http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/sy ... oblems.htm

[chloesmom]

Heather,

This is all really interesting to me--I guess I feel we need to do everything we can to stay well here. I wonder why he didn't recommend selenium? I know it's in Phase III trials right now for lung cancer prevention. I take 200 mcg every day. It's really inexpensive too, as those things go.

I am also taking vioxx 25 mg per day for its COX 2 enzyme inhibitors. I know it's not proven to prevent tumors, but as long as the onc says it won't hurt me, I'm going to take it. I can't take celebrex because of it's sulfa ingredient--I'm allergic to sulfa.

[Hebbie]

Good question about the selenium and i will talk to him about it next time see him. The only thing I can figure is that maybe these mega-multi vitamins he prescribed have a lot of selenium in them? I haven't started taking them yet, I have to go to the office to pick them up.

[Guest bean_si (Not Active)]

Here's what I take after doing research on the web and reading dozens of books:

Herbs & Vitamins (4 times a week)

Astragalus Root 1.41g

B-100 Complex

Chromium 200 mcg

CoQ10 200mg

Dandelion Root 540 mg

Flaxseed Oil 1000 mg

Garlic Oil 0.2 mg

Glutathione with Vit. C (ascorbic acid) 200/200mg

Grape Seed Phytosome 50mg

Inositol Hexaphosphate 800 mg.

Magnesium Citrate 170 mg

Milk Thistle 80% Silymarin 180mg (Blessed Thistle) /175 mg Milk Thistle

MycoMedicinals Host Defense (Mushroom Complex)

Probiotic E and Selenium 50 IU & 100 mcg

Wobenzyme N Enzyme Formula

Zinc Caps 50 mg

Other Natural - Daily

Protein Drink (Soy power with spirulina and multivitamin & minerals)

Essiac Tea - 1 cup

Kukicha Twig Tea - 1 cup

Kyo-Green Drink (Barley Grass, Brown Rice, Wheat Grass, Chlorella, Kelp)

Other Natural - Occasionally (2/wk)

Kombu

Lotus Root Slices

Miso Soup with Maitake mushrooms and Dulse sea vegtable

I think I'll add tumeric (my rad onc recommended it), the green tea extract and drop soy protein & start whey protein. I get enough soy through tofu dishes.

[dave s]

I'm delighted to see others posting the supplements they take or believe in. My list has changed numerous times as my circumstances have changed and as I have encountered new data. My current list is as follows:

alpha-Lipoic Acid , 600mg

Beta Carotene , 25,000 IU

Biotin , 3000mcg

Calcium , 1110mg

Celebrex , 400mg

Co-Q10 , 200mg

Flax seed oil , 4000mg

Folic Acid , 800mcg

Glutamine , 30g

Grape Seed Extract , 150mg

Green Tea Extract , 450mg

Magnesium , 266mg

Melatonin , 15mg

MGN-3 , 1000mg

Selenium , 400mcg

Vitamin A , 24,000 IU

Vitamin B12 , 1000mcg

Vitamin B6 , 100mg

Vitamin C , 18,000mg

Vitamin D , 400 IU

Vitamin E , 1200 IU

Zinc , 50mg

Quantities are daily totals. Some are taken in split doses. I'm currently considering some changes but haven't decided for sure yet.

Thanks again for the info. I'll be checking into the things I'm not already familiar with.

Dave S

[Hebbie]

Chloesmom ~

I checked on that Selenium issue and the multi-vitamin he recommended (Nutrient 950) has 200 mcg of selenium in it, which is the same as the selenium supp you are taking!

[mhutch1366]

Heather,

I found the selenium included in the anti-oxidant supplement I take.

OXOXOX

MaryAnn

[Guest bean_si (Not Active)]

News about Essiac tea, survivors who believe it helped or cured them.

http://www.essiac-resperin.com/en/report01.html

You can get the (supposedly) original formula, Essiac tea here:

http://www.essiac-resperin.com/en/index.html

[chloesmom]

Here are my current list of medications and supplements that I want to share with you all. I have just done this as a result of reading various things, some here, some not, and going over all with my onc. Plan to see her again next week and will add in any suggestions.

Here it is:

tamoxifen 20 mg/day (to prevent recurrence of breast cancer)

Effexor (was taking to offset some side effects of tamox, I am weaning my self off of it)

Vioxx 25 mg/day (COX 2 inhibitor)

Multi vitamin

Anti-oxidant

selenium 200 mcg

green tea 315mg 2x per day

calcium--1200-1500 mg per day

vit c--1000 mg per day (over and above what is in multi and anti-oxidant)

Green Earth Foods (algae, barleys, whey other supposed to be really good for you foods)

Baby aspirin

Been thinking about Omega 6 fatty acids, and maybe some other things, but have to be careful about things like soy because I had an estrogen receptor positive breast tumor and soy is like a natural estrogen.

I also eat apples and broccoli and cauliflower and green pepper and berries and all that good for you food-----

I have a morning and evening pill container right now because I don't have enough room in one to put all of the day's supplements. I don't care though, I'd take twice that much if I thought it would help twice as much.

Can anybody think of anything else I might want to add?

Hebbie--I am really glad you are getting that selenium--I know that it is in final trials right now--and I also know it won't hurt you and isn't expensive, so why not?

I find it so interesting that most of what you take is about immune system. I have always felt that stress plays a big role in cancer and a lot of other diseases because stress brings down your immune system and then those diseases like cancer can take hold.

At least nutrition and supplementation is something we can control to a certain extent----I looooooove seeing new things on this thread......

[Alisa]

Dear Chloesmom,

You may want to look into Curcumin (Turmeric) and Modified Citrus Pectin powder, both for their anti-cancer properties. Do a google search on each one with cancer (i.e. Curcumin+cancer; "Modified Citrus Pectin"+cancer) and see what you think.

[Jim]

Hi

I noticed in all the protocols that they have low to know vitamin D3. High dose D3 in my opinion is very important in a cancer protocol.This is often overlooked by alot of people when they build a protocol. Vitamin D3 is also synergistic to taxol/taxotere, this is often overlooked also. There are other things that are synergistic to taxol that get overlooked. If the reader gets the time to read my wifes story in the link below it may help one to do some research into some things they haven't thought of yet.

http://www.thecancerzone.com/pam.html

Take Care

Jim

[Fay]

Here is a good site to look up supplements and their benifits: http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/i ... HS,00.html

This is an interesting article on supplements and chemo

http://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/fulltext/anti4-5.html that we received from my mom's natropath doctor.

Faylene

[chloesmom]

Thanks everyone for the interesting information and references. Sounds like I have some searching and reading to do along with some additions to my list.

[Guest bean_si (Not Active)]

I thought I'd ressurect the subject of supplements and alternative clinics

http://www.lchelp.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=9590