Estrogen positive cancer and black cohosh

cinnamonsmile
cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
Just wondering what your doctors told you about your estrogen positive cancer and taking black cohosh.

Thanks.

Comments

  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #2
    Would also love input about this
    Bumping up, hope others have info about this -- I've heard about taking black cohosh for hot flashes, but have no idea whether or not it acts as a "pseudo-estrogen," the way many other hot flash remedies do (and are thus off-limits for those of us with estrogen-positive cancer).

    Any experience with this, ladies?

    Traci
  • cruf
    cruf Member Posts: 908
    #3
    TraciInLA said:

    Would also love input about this
    Bumping up, hope others have info about this -- I've heard about taking black cohosh for hot flashes, but have no idea whether or not it acts as a "pseudo-estrogen," the way many other hot flash remedies do (and are thus off-limits for those of us with estrogen-positive cancer).

    Any experience with this, ladies?

    Traci

    Black Cohash
    I was told 11 years ago NOT to take any Pyhtoestrogen meds. Black Cohash is considered 1 of them. Ask around and see what others tell you but this is what I was told. Good luck! HUGS!!! Cathy
  • roseann4
    roseann4 Member Posts: 992 Member
    #4
    cruf said:

    Black Cohash
    I was told 11 years ago NOT to take any Pyhtoestrogen meds. Black Cohash is considered 1 of them. Ask around and see what others tell you but this is what I was told. Good luck! HUGS!!! Cathy

    I was told no! To take it.
    I don't think they know for sure but are cautious. I chose to follow her instructions but many don't. Suzanne Somers takes them all and wrote a book about it.

    Roseann
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #5
    roseann4 said:

    I was told no! To take it.
    I don't think they know for sure but are cautious. I chose to follow her instructions but many don't. Suzanne Somers takes them all and wrote a book about it.

    Roseann

    All I can tell you is what my onc. said
    Since my tumor was extremely estrogen/progesterone positive, she said absolutely NO hormone supplements at all--including over the counters such as black cohosh, estroven, etc. It makes sense because women usually take those when they are menopausal and experiencing hot flashes, etc. so they must have a similar function to estrogen--which would be a bad thing for me.

    Hugs, Renee
  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #6
    My gyno suggested it so I
    My gyno suggested it so I looked it up. It doesn't appear to increase your risk of BC but once you have BC, it increases your risk of lung mets.
    I would avoid it.
    Cindy
  • Frankie Shannon
    Frankie Shannon Member Posts: 457
    #7
    my onc. said not to take any
    my onc. said not to take any natural supplements as my cancer was also estrogen positive Black Cohosh was one of them as they still produce estrogen which we don't want thats why she put me on Tamoxifen.Frankie
  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #8
    I too was told not to take
    I too was told not to take any natural remedies without running them by him first because some of them could actually add to the progression I imagine because of the estrogen positive. I would rather have hot flashes than do anything to make this condition worse. I would definitely ck with your mo before taking anything.
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #9
    camul said:

    I too was told not to take
    I too was told not to take any natural remedies without running them by him first because some of them could actually add to the progression I imagine because of the estrogen positive. I would rather have hot flashes than do anything to make this condition worse. I would definitely ck with your mo before taking anything.

    No...
    This doesn't apply to me, two friends who this would apply to, were told NOT to use this....so I would follow your oncologist's advice on this...

    Big ((((((( hugs)))))
    Nancy
  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #10
    No oncologist needed
    I don't have the need for an oncologist, seeing that I had DCIS, double mastectomy, now I have had my ovaries removed with the hysterectomy. Their was disagreement originally as to whether Tamoxifen was even needed since DCIS is only in the milk ducts and the ducts were removed. The possibility of me getting a reocurrence is very rare and mets would even be more rare. The oncologist I saw said no, breast surgeon said yes, but I couldn't take Tamoxifen anyway as we found out I have some other health issues. I had the oopherectomy and hysterectomy for other reasons.
    Both my breast surgeon and ob-gyn said it was ok for me to take black cohosh. I was just wondering what other's dr.'s said.
    It really all depends on the person's variables.
  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #11
    dobule post
    sorry for the double post
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #12
    cinnamonsmile said:

    dobule post
    sorry for the double post

    Estrogen here, estrogen there, estrogen everywhere...
    I figured black cohosh was probably on the list of phytoestrogens, along with just about every other hot-flash remedy besides air conditioning and ice cubes....

    If they ever discover that Pepsi or Ben & Jerry's (my drugs of choice) contain phytoestrogens...I'll be way screwed.

    :-) Traci
  • Lynne Logan
    Lynne Logan Member Posts: 105 Member
    #13
    Yuck, night sweats
    I took HRT for years since I was one who really suffered from menopause. I continued taking them as a preventive measure for osteoporosis. Ooops, seems that 2 little pieces of 30 year old benign breast tumor started gobbling up estrogen. So my results came back 100% estrogen receptive.
    I'm not sure how I'm going to handle Arimidex as I've been having hot flashes since ending chemo. Not during mind you, but after. I haven't even filled my script for Arimidex. Oncologists don't seem to have a lot of info about after care it seems. I asked about hot flashes and all he could recommend was vitamin E. Nothing was said about osteoporosis and I'm not sure if my NP is well versed in post cancer treatment.
    Does anyone have a suggestion about the possible damage to the bones from lack of estrogen? What are the typical precautionary measures? I think I'd better be prepared to teach my NP.
    Hugs to all
    Lynne
  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #14
    Lynne Logan said:

    Yuck, night sweats
    I took HRT for years since I was one who really suffered from menopause. I continued taking them as a preventive measure for osteoporosis. Ooops, seems that 2 little pieces of 30 year old benign breast tumor started gobbling up estrogen. So my results came back 100% estrogen receptive.
    I'm not sure how I'm going to handle Arimidex as I've been having hot flashes since ending chemo. Not during mind you, but after. I haven't even filled my script for Arimidex. Oncologists don't seem to have a lot of info about after care it seems. I asked about hot flashes and all he could recommend was vitamin E. Nothing was said about osteoporosis and I'm not sure if my NP is well versed in post cancer treatment.
    Does anyone have a suggestion about the possible damage to the bones from lack of estrogen? What are the typical precautionary measures? I think I'd better be prepared to teach my NP.
    Hugs to all
    Lynne

    evening primrose oil
    Lynne, ask your doctors if you can take the supplement, evening primrose oil. I was taking vit e and epo prior to my surgery for natural hotflashes suggested by my breast surgeon.

    I am not sure about the bone density exactly. I do know menopause can effect it.My ob-gyn suggested I get a bone density scan a year after my oopherectomy/hysterectomy.Hopefully someone else can help you out with that, and me too, for that matter!

    I asked him about cardiac health,too since I had read some women had concerns on another board. He said years ago he would have said yes, it could effect it. But he said the more recent findings say that it is more pertinent for women under 40. Thank goodness I am 43!!
  • Kristin N
    Kristin N Member Posts: 1,968 Member
    #15
    cruf said:

    Black Cohash
    I was told 11 years ago NOT to take any Pyhtoestrogen meds. Black Cohash is considered 1 of them. Ask around and see what others tell you but this is what I was told. Good luck! HUGS!!! Cathy

    I've heard of this, but,
    I've heard of this, but, never knew that much about it. Interesting post, thanks!

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