Wife with breast cancer, desperate to try any "natural" drugs

robby73
robby73 Member Posts: 1
in Breast Cancer #1

First off, thanks to everyone who posts here.  We have drawn so much inspiration from this site.  

My amazing wife of 13 years has breast cancer, and we've been fighting it all the usual ways.  We are getting very serious about the diet and the natural things you can put in your body that help it fight off certian things, and just generally living a healtheir life.  We hope these things will help her cancer, but there's just too much information out there on all these "magic" natrual health drugs.  What is everyone here supplementing with?  How have you changed your diet?  

 

There are a few things we have narrowed down that we are looking at:

1) Baking Soda (seriously).  Not sure of a specific brand, or if one is better than the other.  Thoughts?

2) Fucoidan (seaweed stuff).  All stuff we've read online says it helps against cancer.  Its extracted from seaweed and there are a lot of options to purchase.  We are looking at one called fucoidan fusion? Anyone have thoughts?  http://www.fucoidanfusion.com/products/fusion85

3)Organic WormWood.  Supposedly has direct anti-cancer properties. Specifically looking at this one: http://www.shamansgarden.com/c-97-wormwood.aspx  Again, I think there are multiple options on the market.  Anyone have experience here?  

 

Any help or discussion is so much appreciated!!! Thank you and God Bless! 

Comments

  • GlowMore
    GlowMore Member Posts: 789 Member
    #2
    ??

    You say your wife has BC and you are fighting it all the usual ways?   I'm not sure what you mean...but I can tell you what I did was get a good Oncologist and do exactly what he told me to do.   The diet did not come into play too much because I could not stand to eat very much anyway.   I ended up hating chocolate and loving milk/eggs/and not much else.  I could not STAND to smell stuff....even newspapers drove me over the wall.   You are a good husband..........she is a lucky woman to have you.   My husband was dead and I dealt with this stuff alone with the help of JC  ...

  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #3
    Not quire sure what you mean here.

    Did your wife have surgery? Chemo? Radiation? Is she on any prescribed treatment now. I am asking because some natural drugs and vitamins may interact with some of the cancer meds. I am on Coumadin for blood clots so I have to be careful, even multi-vitamins if they have vit K, I can't take. Are you planning on doing a combination of chemo along with alternative medicine? I looked at all of it when I was first diagnosed and discussed it with both my onco and the nurse. I changed my diet some, I certainly eat healthier. Natural meats and veges, fruits. Nothing that has added hormones or animals that were given antibiotics and meat in small portions so I was getting enuf proteins in my diet. For added natural potassium, bananas, potatoes, etc. Plenty of fluids mostly water and 100% fruit in juices. I cut back on sugars and cut out all alcohol(I wasnt a drinker so that wasn't too hard, but all the latest rwports were showing bc and alcohol wede not a healthy match. I looked seriously into going totaly alternative, no chemo, no rads, no biophosphates.. no meats no dairy, strictly organic vegitarian with beans and nuts as main source of proteins. Then the more I was reading, it was all based on testamonials, no proof tht the people ever were formally diagnosed with cancer, and no tracking ie. 1 yr, 5yrs, etc.
    I have done meditation and acupuncture, bowls, yoga (gentle).concurrent with traditional or western medicine.
    There are no guarantees with any of this that the cancer wont come back with any of the treatments, so I just have to have faith that the path I am choosing is the best path for me, and the combination of both seem to be helping.

    Best of luck with whatever you decide,
    Carol

  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #4
    I would have a serious talk

    I would have a serious talk with your oncologist.  Even benign sounding substances such as baking soda may react with your wife's treatment.  Besides having no known benefit, these treatments may do great harm.

    This from ACS:

    "Available scientific evidence does not support claims that wormwood is effective in treating cancer, the side effects of cancer treatment, or any other conditions. The plant contains a volatile oil with a high level of thujone (see Thuja). There are reports that taking large doses of wormwood internally can cause serious problems with the liver and kidneys. It can also cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, headache, dizziness, seizures, numbness of the legs and arms, delirium, and paralysis."  http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/herbsvitaminsandminerals/wormwood

  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #5
    CypressCynthia said:

    I would have a serious talk

    I would have a serious talk with your oncologist.  Even benign sounding substances such as baking soda may react with your wife's treatment.  Besides having no known benefit, these treatments may do great harm.

    This from ACS:

    "Available scientific evidence does not support claims that wormwood is effective in treating cancer, the side effects of cancer treatment, or any other conditions. The plant contains a volatile oil with a high level of thujone (see Thuja). There are reports that taking large doses of wormwood internally can cause serious problems with the liver and kidneys. It can also cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, headache, dizziness, seizures, numbness of the legs and arms, delirium, and paralysis."  http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/herbsvitaminsandminerals/wormwood

    Conventional treatments

    I do not have a science or medical background so if someone in authority told me to use dandilions, I might believe them.  I like to believe that my cancer is gone because it was early stage and I had both chemo and radiation and my job now is to do whatever I can to keep it from coming back and/or to avoid growing another one. 

      When I was diagnosed, I read everything I could get my hands on.  There are oncologists who work hand in hand with alternative medicine folks and as long as the left hand knows what the right is doing and nothing interferes with anything else, it might be worth looking into.  I would NOT do anything without the knowledge of my oncologist, even if that input was "it won't hurt you".  Too many things can actually hurt you and even if that result is not cancer related, I would not want to have a sick kidney or liver! 

    We can't educate ourselves to the level of our medical team but we can learn as much as possible about our cancers and be able to make informed decisions and ask questions regarding our lives after cancer.  Our medical team does the best they can given their experience and knowledge, but are often open to discussing alternative treatments.

    A couple of really good books:

    The AntiCancer Book by Dr. David Servan Schreiber.  He was a neurologist (or neurosurgeon) who developed brain cancer.  His book is an excellent guide to changing our terrain as he calls it.  He did conventional treatments along with making major changes in his lifestyle.  His theory is making the environment inhospitable for cancer cells to grow (i.e., manage your terrain).  Unfortunately cancer cells eventually got smart and adapted, but he lived for 17 years from a type of cancer that takes most people's lives very quickly.  It is a good and understandable read.

    The Breast Book by Dr. Susan Love.  This book is directed specifically at breast cancer and explains so many things in a language you can understand.  It is a big book and it covers absolutely everything.   There is some information that is a little too technical for me, but the bottom line is that it is an excellent book. 

    Wishing you and your wife a happy cancer free future.

    Suzanne

  • 24242
    24242 Member Posts: 1,398
    #6
    Alternatives

    Coming from a 32 year career in Manufacturing I never bought into Organic or natural products along with vitamins.  I returned to eating food in the most natural forms.  I know in any market that producers and growers do many things NOT to loose money and pass substandard all the time.  As far as organics go our water tables are contaminated and that is as simple as it gets for me...

    After taking many pharmacuticals and after living on 7 different medications I couldn't take the side affects anymore and I got off of everything.  Good thing since on drugs that ended up killing people.  Years later my Pain Specialist said that was probably the best thing I ever did was get off of all the drugs I was taking. 

    After much research on my own I finally did find a product that was totally natural and the hospitals in Hawaii were studying because of the medicinal properties in it.  I took this product for 5 years but when economy trashed so did my savings and could no longer afford to take.  As it turned out the cost for this product was half the amount I was paying for medication each month.  I just took the minimum dose because of the cost and felt results immediately.  Unlike most people I think we do whatever works for us and if that is snake oil or pot who am I to say.  All I know is I do not have to suffer day in and day out and have found allot of things work other than Doctor perscriptions.  Morinda Tahitian Noni is a complete natural fruit juice and I only took Morinda's Noni Juice and the creams and soap are to die for.

    Tara 

  • tasha_111
    tasha_111 Member Posts: 2,072
    #7
    Natural treatments.

    Please don't think I am some weirdo hippy, I am not.  Look into Rick Simpson Oil, or "Run From the Cure".  I was convinced and am trying this, after all, I have nothing to lose.  :)

     

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