Does anyone take DIM with Tamoxifen?

gemini4

Subject line pretty much says it all -- I take Tamoxifen along with DIM, D3, and Turmeric. I know a number of ladies here take DIM instead of Tamoxifen, but I'm wondering how many take both.

crazyride43

Gemini, I do. I take DIM, fish oil, turmeric and a multi every morning, and take my tamoxifen at night.

I am so glad you started this thread. I hope others will come along - hopefully someone that knows about the clinical trial using both DIM and tamoxifen.

gemini4

My MO had not heard of DIM, so I sent her information about the clinical trial and Memorial Sloan-Kettering's website info about DIM. Her response was that it looked very interesting but that she couldn't comment on safety or efficacy (since that's what the research is trying to establish). She left it up to me -- but I figured she would advise me NOT to take it if she felt it would be unsafe. My feeling is that it's OK to do since there's a clinical trial going on that combines DIM with Tamoxifen. But I do admit wondering if it's a good idea most days when I take them together. I have no qualms, though, about the turmeric or D3 supplements that I take.

new2bc

crazyride43,

I have been considering adding either Dim or Indole 3 carbinol to Tamoxifen. I asked my oncologist and he said he does not know what they are. But if they have something to do with hormones, he does not recommend it. It is very confusing figuring out what to do. What dose of Dim are you taking daily? Did it cause any side effects such as more stiffness? Also, what multivitamin are you taking? I am shopping for a good multivitamin these days. Thank you.

Anonymous

What is DIM ?  And can I buy tumeric at Wal-Mart or is it only at health food places ?

abigail48

DIM is the extract from cruciferous vegetable which have protective nature for cancer & help if you have it.I conjecture that the operating factor is sulfur

new2bc

Hi Shelly56,

Based on my research it is best to buy Curcumin (not turmeric) that has bioperine (black pepper) in it. You have a better chance finding it online instead of walmart. The black pepper will make curcumin work better. Also make sure you check your vitamin D3 level and based on that take additional Vitamin D3. 

Anyone else uses DIM with Tamoxifen? Anyone taking I3C? Does it make you more stiff?

buftup

I'm no doctor, but it's my understanding that DIM provides "good" estrogen. There are 3 kinds of estrogen: estrone, estradiol and estriol, and they all have the ability to lock on to estrogen receptors. Estradiol is the "bad" one that you don't want on your receptors. I can't remember which of the other 2 is the good one, but it's the one contained in DIM. If the estrogen receptors are occupied by good estrogen, there's no seat available for the bad estradiol. Phyto-estrogens such as soy and wild mushrooms are also good at adhering to estrogen receptors, thereby taking up the seats that might have been occupied by estradiol.

So, should we take both tamox and DIM? I haven't discussed it with my oncologist, but the tamox literature states that it binds to estrogen receptors. Looks to me (again, not a doctor) like tamox and DIM are basically doing the same thing, but perhaps tamox is more reliable? more potent? Not sure, but I'm going to take both. Took my first tamox today because my oncologist says new tests are showing it to be even more effective at preventing recurrence. Have been doing DIM for 2 years, and will continue.

4sewwhat

I took DIM with Tamoxifen for 8-9 weeks before my initial surgery. I could feel my tumor getting softer. When they did my surgical pathology my numbers had changed and my Ki-67 had even dropped from 9 to 7. My surgeon said it was making a difference. I was taking a whole slew of things but was more selective during chemo and rads about what I took. I did not do Tumeric because the Sloan Kettering Integrative website said that it could actually make Cytoxan less effective. I figured if I was going to do it I should not do anything to counteract it!

I just finished rads weds and started back on tammy yesterday. I will start the DIM and the Breast D as well. The lady that owns the health food store I go to says that they do basically the same thing and I don't need to take both, but it doesn't hurt either. So I do both! Maybe I am doubling my protection!

Best of luck ladies!!!

new_direction

I'm considering adding DIM/I3C to tamox and giving tam SE get too terrible I'll just drop it.

Does anyone have any news about it? its getting late here but I just found this article:

http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/i3c_and_dim_for_breast_prostate_cancer_prevention/

This lead to another study by the same researchers to see if the I3C was as effective as Tamoxifen, which carries numerous undesirable side effects. They injected the first group of human breast cancer cells with I3C, a second with Tamoxifen, and a third with I3C and Tamoxifen. The cells injected with Tamoxifen alone experienced a 60 percent inhibition in DNA synthesis, the cells injected with I3C had a 90 percent inhibition, and the combination had a 95 percent reduction. These studies support the use of I3C for the prevention of a recurrence of breast cancer.

Can anyone suggest a brand? are you also taking I3C or just DIM?

Palesa2018

Hi, I'm hoping this discussion can be revived. I've been taking i3c/dim while waiting to start tamoxifen after radiation. And I was comfortable with it. I have now started Tamoxifen and I'm wondering if I can take both at the same time? I get they might have the same effect but I would not want to risk making Tamoxifen less effective. For those who have been taking both for a while what has been your experience?

dtad

Hi everyone...I take DIM in leu of an aromatase inhibitor not Tamoxifen. IMO you should take one or the other. Taking it with Tamoxifen is not only redundant but I would be afraid it could interfere with it. I also think you would be hard pressed to find any studies on it. Good luck to all.

Palesa2018

Thank you. I decided to stop DIM and go conventional. Will see how it goes. Keeping positive. One week in with Tamoxifen. So far so good...

LoriRuth

I do take DIM before breast cancer surgery on Dec 5th. I know longer than that because I have swim meet on Dec 1-2. This week my boss was out of town so no one take my place. My boss will take my place on Dec 5 and 6. I can't do vacuum and mopping at work. I will leave there until 2 weeks at Post surgery appt. I do take DIM. Little effect side so not much. Little fog. Dark urine. Not bad. Good sleep. I do take supreme green tea, vitamin C, Muiltvitamins with Ogema 3, Vitamin D and more, Calcuim and Vitamin D3. Wait to see what happen when I will take blood test on Nov 30. Positive go negative. Wait to see. I hate go through Radiation. I read Breast Cancer women wrote about Radiation. Some them abuse Breast Cancer women. That scare me. I tried to rid of cancer stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma.

Begone

how is the tamoxifen going for you

Starryeyes

I'm 6 mos past surgery & onc suggested Anastrozole. Tried it a few weeks but felt an emotional wreck so stopped. Onc offered me Tamoxifen, but I declined. Told her about DIM & she seemed receptive but hadn't heard of it. Next visit she told me not to bring up DIM again, which I hadn't intended to do. She acted so unfriendly at this 2nd visit & was reluctant to do a breast exam saying it was my surgeon's responsibility. She did it though after I got up to leave. It was the most painful breast exam ever, hurt for days after. I will never go back. But I do see my surgeon soon for my last check up. I stopped DIM for various reasons but started up only to stop again. Starting it again. Think I should do something & the literature seems promising.

VioletKali

What made you stop taking DIM?

I am a 5 year Survivor that cannot take tamox because I take an SSRI that has worked well for me for 19 years, and I am not ruining my good mental health by trying something different. As a Nirse with a psych background, among many experiences, sometimes you don't fox what is not broken.

I AM in menopause. AIs were no good, I tried for 4 months and developed trigger finger and pain-NOPE.

I began taking DIM a few days ago, because the research is exceptionally promising.

havefaithtoday

VioletKali, how are you doing now with the DIM?

VioletKali

Sorry that I missed this havefaithtoday.

I am doing well!

6 YEAR SURVIVOR!

Ileepak

Hi Ladies,

Just an FYI . . . I have been taking DIM for the past month, and I had a telehealth with one of my doctors from Sloan Kettering, who told me to stop taking it because it could have the reverse effect than what we are looking for in an "estrogen solution" . . . he also told me to focus more on my diet than taking pills/vitamins/herbs . . . because they are not the solution . . . I am at square one again! I stopped taking tamoxifen 5 months in last September . . . I just couldn't function anymore . . . my doctor said that I was one of the lucky ones who had all the "severe" reactions.

The struggle is real girls . . . .

wallycat

Not sure if this info will be helpful:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC55718...

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of diindolylmethane for breast cancer biomarker modulation in patients taking tamoxifen