What supplements do you take?

Linda37

What supplements do you take?

Linda37

Hi,

I just started tomoxifen last night and I'm not too excited about it.  I'm very interested in natural supplements but I know nothing about them or where to even start.  For those of you taking natural supplements, would you share what it is that you take and how much? Also, do you take it with tomoxifen or instead of tomoxifen?

Thanks for your insight!

Linda

dlb823

Linda ~  There are many of us on a thread here called "natural girls" who are either no longer on Tamox or an A/I, or seriously contemplating going to off them in favor of a natural approach. There are also excellent, very active threads on DIM, Iodine and Progesterone.  

Unlike Tamox or an A/I, supplementing isn't a one size fits all, and many of the women on the threads mentioned are working with an MD or naturopath doctor and/or doing at-home self-testing to figure out their hormone levels before trying to modulate them with I3C, DIM, and the other things mentioned above.  But the good news is, if you cannot tolerate Tamox, there are natural alternatives.  So do start with "natural girls."  I think you'll find it really helpful.     Deanna

alain23

Yes,

by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">Regarding this subject, I read we must ask oncologist. And ask as soon as possible in order to have the best by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">nutrition as soon as possible. If there is a impact on survival it would be a shame to wait too long.

And it's very important to collaborate (and ask of course) with a registered dietician who knows well oncology (1) and who abolutley has to collaborate with your oncologist. I read it's the best way that your body gets all the nutriments he needs without problems. I also read your medical team will also make analysis to know if your body has the good amount of nutriments. And I read studies that showed an increased survival.

Here is the complete version regarding this subject. (Sorry for my English this is not my native language ;-))

by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">Nutrition is very important for cancer patients and many studies show an improvement of many factors (quality of life, immune system, SURVIVAL) thanks to the help of a registered dietitian for cancer patients. (1).

Of course this registered dietitian has to know well oncology and to collaborate with you oncologist . (you must also tell your team about the treatments for other illnesses than cancer you're taking on the same time)

It's highly advised to collaborate with the dietitian right after the diagnosis.

He will help you, for instance, for the following situation :

- He can help us before during and after the treatment .Thanks to his advises you will also be able to eat healthy on the long time going after the end of the treatment, what is also important.

- Your team (oncologist and registered dietitian) can also advise you about physical activity. Ask them advises about physical activity because many studies showed an increased survival thanks to that.

- Your team will also make sure your body gets all the nutriments he needs, also by making analysis, according to what I read. This is important because studies showed that that a correct amount of nutrients in the body increases survival and decreases relapse. For instance there is by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">a relationship between a correct amount of selenium in the body and cancer rate. Ask them how to get the good levels of nutrients (and selenium) during all the time (before, during and on the long term going after the treatment) without problems (2)

- I ALSO READ IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN A CORRECT by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">VITAMIN D LEVEL IN YOUR BODY (neither too high nor too low) DURING AND AFTER by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">THERAPY (ALSO TO INCREASE SURVIVAL). ASK YOUR TEAM TO ANALYSE YOUR by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">VITAMIN D LEVELS AND HOW TO MAINTAIN THE GOOD LEVEL. Also ask which other nutrients it's important to analyze. It is also important to have a correct amount of vitamin D on the long term going after the therapy. Discuss with your team how to maintain this level and to make analyses regularly. I also heard vitamin D works together with calcium.

But I also read it's not good to have a too high level in your body that's why we need professional coounselling

I read that certain nutrients are easier to analyze than other. For instance Selenium can be analyzed in the blood, in the hairs and in the by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">nails.

Speaking about alimentation, I read interesting studies regarding cruciferous vegetables (like brocolis, Brussel by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">sprouts, and so on), and cancer. In these studies, they show the following effects (thanks to isothiocyanates and other substances) :

- Decreasing cancer rate (also for people who has no cancer = prevention)

- Increasing survival amoung cancer patients (62% in a study)

- In some studies, cruciferous vegetables increases the efficacy of chemotherapy

Cruciferous vegetables were more effective than many other foodstufs in these studies.

Here is something very important I also read these vegetables are much more efficient if we add other foodstufs that have interesting properties like ),brocoli sprouts, radish because it hels to cross the intestinal by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">barrier.

This is very important to add these foods to cruciferous vegetables because with this simple method whe make sure to have an efficient action for all the body (thanks to the fact that it helps to cross the intestinal barrier)

Brocoli sprouts contains 50 times more isothiocyianates than broccoli.

And of course, if our imune system is weak, I read there are some precautions to take (for instance cooking the foods that could give infections if consumed raw). I don't know what is the best way to cook the vegetables in order to preserve the most their properties and to kill the bacteries. I have been told we have to avoid to put the food in contact with plastic pieces during the cooking because it can put toxical substances in it. Finally I also read taht once the imune sistem is ok again, the situation is different. Some foods have more anticancer properties if eaten raw, some other cooked (but we must avoid cookind methods that destroy the anticancer properties of the food). And for some it is advised to consume them both raw and cooked because each one has its advantages.

WE MUST ALSO AVOID TO BUY THESE VEGETABLES DEEP FROZEN BECAUSE THEY ALSO LOOSE THEIR PROPERTIES (the industrial process to deep-froze them make them loose a great part of their properties).

In the studies I read it's very efficient from a certain amount of servings a week incuded in a healthy and by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">balanced by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">nutrition.

If you take blood thinning medications like warfarin, ask your medical team how to consume cruciferous vegetables because they by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">contain by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">vitamin K that change (decrease) the effectiveness of these drugs. Also ask about other foodstufs that contains by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">vitamin K. But I don't mean to say that people who take blood thinning medications must avoid cruciferous vegetables, just that they have to ask their medical team how to consume them. Ask as soon as possible in order to take advantage of these vegetables as soon as possible. It would be a shame to wait if there is a positive effect regarding survival.


And of course if you are pregnant or breastfeeding I read you have to ask your doctor which food you must avoid (for instance horseradish must be avoided during pregnancy and lactation. I also read wasabi must be avoided but anyway we can't eat sushis or food like that durang pregancy and breast feeding. I know, this is a totaly different subject that has nothing to do with the subject of my by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">present message but my sister is pregnant, that's why I know this. And this was an opportunity to share good news

Ok, I am not a doctor but I wanted to talk about a subject that I find interesting.

Have a nice day

(1) Ask your oncologist to advise you a good registered dietitan that knows well oncology and insist because it can help by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">regarding survival and quality of life. I also read that your oncologist and your reg dietitian have to collaborate together. It's important because studies showed that the collaboration with a registered dietitian (before, during, and after the treatment = all your life ) increased survival and quality of life. It's important to collaborate with the reg dietitian right after the diagnosis.

The name of this kind of specialist can vary from a country to another, that's why it's good to ask your oncologist the name of the most efficient kind of by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">nutrition specialist for your situation

(2) Oncology is very complicated and nothing is white or black. I read studies that say we have to maintain good level of selenium because it reduces side effects and even increase efficiency of some treatments. But another in vitro study show that a compound that by Internet Speed Checker" style="border: none !important; display: inline-block !important; text-indent: 0px !important; float: none !important; font-weight: bold !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; min-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; text-transform: uppercase !important; text-decoration: underline !important; vertical-align: baseline !important; width: auto !important; background: transparent !important;">contains selenium named Ebselen reduces slightly the efficiency bloeomycin. Ok this is one particular case of interaction and it doesn't mean at all that we don’t' have to maintain a good level of nutrients (and selenium) in our bodies. As I said nothing is black or white in oncology and we have to ask our oncologist and registered dietitian how to get the correct amount of selenium without having problems.  

alain23

Anyway, with or without supplementation an healthy food (fruits, vegetables and so on) is good. But aslo ask your doctor about your diet.

Husband11

There is some evidence that melatonin, tocotrienols (a type of vitamin E) and green tea (ECGC) enhances the effectiveness of tamoxifen.  No large scale human trials though.

Raili

Under the guidance of a naturopath, I am taking vitamin D, green tea extract, medicinal mushrooms, melatonin, and digestive enzymes.  I am still in the surgical phase of treatment, although I just had my first meeting with the med onc and she's recommending hormone therapy, and chemo or ovary removal.  I'm not thrilled with ANY of those options, so I will be meeting further with my naturopath to see what alternatives she could recommend.

I'll second what alain23 said - regardless of what supplements you're taking or not taking, a healthy, anti-cancer diet is very important.  I highly recommend the book Anticancer by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber - it is full of helpful information, scientific but quite readable, and inspiring and uplifting.  There are lots of wonderful, cancer-fighting foods that you can eat...SIMPLE ones, like broccoli, raspberries, garlic, cabbage.  With supplements, it's dangerous to play around with dosages on your own, but eating an anti-cancer diet is something we can all do at anytime.  There are no side effects to eating lots of blueberries!   The power of food, IMO, is often underestimated... but when you think about it, it's what we put into our body at least 3 times a day, EVERY day, for our whole lives.  I've begun to think of food as medicine.  I've increased my food budget in order to continue eating high quality, organic food, because how I see it, this will decrease my need (at least to SOME degree) for expensive medical care in the future.