Vitamins and supplements before or during chemo starts

Has anyone used natural products to help body adjust to chemo infusion?

Comments

  • Buckwirth
    Buckwirth Member Posts: 1,258 Member
    My favorite natural herb
    would be Marijuana, assuming you can get it. I have found that the edible variety (brownies, candy bars, krispie bars) work best for me, and make dosing much more reliable.

    After infusion I now eat a bit of a krispie bar, then continue to do so for the next 24 to 48 hours (one bar, eaten a little at a time, lasts about 24 hours). It seems to keep the nausea under control, and seems to give me an appetite much sooner than I get when I was not doing this.
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    Supplements
    Don't take anything that your oncologist doesn't know about. Some doctors won't let you even take a vitamin as it might interfere with the potency of the chemo. You sure don't want to go through all that and it not be the most benefical for you.

    Kim
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    Please check with your drs
    Please check with your drs before taking any supplements. I'm attaching a link to an excelllent series of videos from Memorial Sloan Kettering Integrative Medicine. These explain why supplements that in other situations are good for us, can counteract the effectiveness of chemo. For example, chemo and rads try to kill cancer cells by oxidizing them. Therefore, antioxidants will deter the chemo and rads (green tea, other antioxidants.)

    Please do not self-treat. If you must use supplements, work with an integrative medicine specialist who knows cancer.

    http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/96363.cfm
  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    I used heaps around surgery and chemo
    I did backoff the supplements on chemo infusion Days.
    I maintained probiotics, gut relief powder and multi vitamin and milk whistle while on chemo.

    I also took turmeric on folfox, for a couple of cycles, it's supposed to help.
    I just did many extras while on treatment and now.
    I don't follow All the sheep. Who is to say the leader knows the best path. Do what's best for you.
    Good health and a great question.

    I have enjoyed reading the life extension foundations materials it's a starting point about supplements.
    Hugs,
    Pete
  • tanstaafl
    tanstaafl Member Posts: 1,313 Member
    chemo specific
    We use 20+ supplements concurrently with UFT (5FU)-LV for both molecular targets and post surgical health improvements while used with wife's daily chemo for well over a year now. She's never used oxi or -iri, but rather other adjuncts with the 5FU.

    Oxaliplatin and irinotecan will have some extra limitations. MD opinions do differ greatly as to the rest that are acceptable. Some alternative treatments or supplements are known with varying levels of evidence and experience to ameliorate chemo toxicities.

    The greatest number of objections seem to be hypothesized for oxi but many objections are often not meaningfully trial or experience based either.
  • barbebarb
    barbebarb Member Posts: 464
    Has anyone used natural products to help body adjust to chemo in
    Thank you all for this information. I was diagnosed Stage IV - 2 lung lesions, and spot on liver. Have treatment through Northwestern hospital in Chicago. Port will be put in this week and probably starting Chemo next week.
    I have found all the posts on this sight very encouraging and taking some of the power away from this disease and helping with my anxiety.
    I was Stage I three years ago, no follow-up therapy, and certainly surprised with this advancement but grateful it was discovered now.
    I will have chemo then surgery (1 left lobe and a wedge of other left lobe)to remove lung mets, and a liver surgeon is looking at the spot on the liver and my doctor thinks they can wedge this to remove.
    I was diagnosed with MS shortly after my Stage I Colon Cancer diagnosis in 2008 and have been doing very well with this disease but isn't one enough!?
    My neighbor had her chemo through the Block Center in Evanston, IL and is totally wholistic in her foods, etc. She was Stage II Breast Cancer and a great source of strength for me.