Who has used L-Glutamine to help with Taxol effects?

gayj
gayj Member Posts: 38
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Some time ago I read someone's discussion here about using glutamine to help with the bone-pain effects of Taxol. Would that person (or anyone else who has used glutamine) please respond to this message?
I'm getting ready to my last treatment this Friday (yeah!), and I'm going to see if the L-Glutamine helps. A naturopathic doctor I'm working with found a short summary of a study that indicated that a small sample of patients who used glutamine with Taxol either had very little or no bone-pain. The study recommended the use of 10 grams of glutamine by mouth 3 times per day beginning 24 hours after the Taxol treatment.
How much did you use? When did you start it? How long did you take it? What was your experience with it? Did you use capsules or powder? Anything else I should know about it? Thanks for your help and I hope this info will help someone else who's on Taxol. - Gay Jurgens

Comments

  • lindysu
    lindysu Member Posts: 59
    #2
    hi gay.....my onco nurse recommended useing L-glutamine, so I started taking it with my 2nd taxol. the pain was less with each treatment for me, wheather it was due to the glutemine or not I Couldn't say, I started taking it the day before taxol and continued for four or five days after. I used the powder,which is supposed to be better. I bought it at GNC- one scoop which I mixed in the blender with juice 3 x a day. it doesn't taste bad, a little grainy but what the heck!Try it- It couldn't hurt.........lindy
  • cathyann
    cathyann Member Posts: 26
    #3
    lindysu said:

    hi gay.....my onco nurse recommended useing L-glutamine, so I started taking it with my 2nd taxol. the pain was less with each treatment for me, wheather it was due to the glutemine or not I Couldn't say, I started taking it the day before taxol and continued for four or five days after. I used the powder,which is supposed to be better. I bought it at GNC- one scoop which I mixed in the blender with juice 3 x a day. it doesn't taste bad, a little grainy but what the heck!Try it- It couldn't hurt.........lindy

    Hi Gay Yes, I have used L-glutamine powder from GNC 6 tsp. per day mixed w/juice. Not sure if it helps or not cause I used it for 2 treatments so far. The 2nd taxol went easier than the first- good luck to you on your LAST treatment, I cant wait.
  • gayj
    gayj Member Posts: 38
    #4
    Dear Lindy and Cathy - Thank you for your responses to my question about glutamine. Both of you mentioned purchasing it at GNC; I was wondering what those initials stand for. I live in Dallas and I'm not aware of a store that goes by those initials. Lindy, when you say you took a scoop 3 times a day in juice, would that be approximately a tablespoonful or more? I hope this stuff helps because the Celebrex they prescribed for the bone pain gave me pretty bad heartburn. This time I'm going to try to handle it with just Tylenol and glutamine. I'll let you know how it goes. Yes, I'm excited this is my last chemo although I'm not looking forward to the effects of it, as I'm sure you both understand. Cathy, good luck to you with your continuing treatments. Lindy, it sounds like you've got chemo behind you now; are you through treatment or just in another phase? Warmly - Gay
  • canderson
    canderson Member Posts: 4
    #5
    My Oncologist recommended that I try this. She specified the powder. I found it at a nutrition shop. I asked if it mattered what I mixed it with and the person helping me told me for the best effect, not a citrus juice. Anything else was fine. My doctor prescribed 10 grams 3 times a day for 2 days before chemo the day of chemo and 2 days after chemo. It was to hopefully cut down on the numbness that can occur in your fingers and toes. However, I had a reduction in bone pain from the first to the the fourth treatment. And only my little toe on my right foot is numb now so it did help that. I didn't notice any bad side effects from it. I think it is definitely worth a try. Good luck on Friday!
  • gayj
    gayj Member Posts: 38
    #6
    canderson said:

    My Oncologist recommended that I try this. She specified the powder. I found it at a nutrition shop. I asked if it mattered what I mixed it with and the person helping me told me for the best effect, not a citrus juice. Anything else was fine. My doctor prescribed 10 grams 3 times a day for 2 days before chemo the day of chemo and 2 days after chemo. It was to hopefully cut down on the numbness that can occur in your fingers and toes. However, I had a reduction in bone pain from the first to the the fourth treatment. And only my little toe on my right foot is numb now so it did help that. I didn't notice any bad side effects from it. I think it is definitely worth a try. Good luck on Friday!

    Thanks so much for your input. Did you take 10 grams per day total, or 3 1/3 grams 3 times each day, or 30 grams total, or 10 grams each dosage? I'm definitely going to do this, I just want to make sure I take enough for it to be effective. It's really heartening that your oncologist recommended this and that it worked for you!
  • lindysu
    lindysu Member Posts: 59
    #7
    gayj said:

    Dear Lindy and Cathy - Thank you for your responses to my question about glutamine. Both of you mentioned purchasing it at GNC; I was wondering what those initials stand for. I live in Dallas and I'm not aware of a store that goes by those initials. Lindy, when you say you took a scoop 3 times a day in juice, would that be approximately a tablespoonful or more? I hope this stuff helps because the Celebrex they prescribed for the bone pain gave me pretty bad heartburn. This time I'm going to try to handle it with just Tylenol and glutamine. I'll let you know how it goes. Yes, I'm excited this is my last chemo although I'm not looking forward to the effects of it, as I'm sure you both understand. Cathy, good luck to you with your continuing treatments. Lindy, it sounds like you've got chemo behind you now; are you through treatment or just in another phase? Warmly - Gay

    hi gay, GNC is General Nutrition Center, they are all over the west coast. it looks like a scoop is one heaping tablespoon.yep!I'm all done with the chemo and starting radiation now....whew!
  • canderson
    canderson Member Posts: 4
    #8
    gayj said:

    Thanks so much for your input. Did you take 10 grams per day total, or 3 1/3 grams 3 times each day, or 30 grams total, or 10 grams each dosage? I'm definitely going to do this, I just want to make sure I take enough for it to be effective. It's really heartening that your oncologist recommended this and that it worked for you!

    Sorry so slow to respond. I had a bilateral mastectomy on July 27th followed by infection after the second drain was removed so I haven't been here in a while. It was 10 grams 3x per day for a total of 30 grams a day for five days. 2 days before, the day of, and two days after. My oncologist said it was for preventing the numbness in fingers and toes only. She made no connection to the bone pain. I had less each time though so maybe??? Best of luck to you!

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