i want to mix alternative medicine with standard but...

MrsHerrera80

My oncologist says not to! I'm looking for a new oncologist in the San Diego area. I use scripps so that would be the easiest.I would like to find one that would be okay with me taking alternative therapies the same time as chemotherapy.

3/14/14 

MrsHerrera80

Ive been trying to call their cancer center all morning. Its just been busy. I've been taking other vitamins to protect myself for when I had chemotherapy. She just said to stop everything right now. Including wheatgrasd zinc all that stuff. My mom used hoxy therapy for her stage 4 ovarian cancer 15 years ago. She's alive. Mr dr isnt ok with it.

SelenaWolf

Sometimes you have to be very careful combining the two.  There may be some alternative treatments that would counteract what conventional treatment is trying to do (or vice versa) or they could - when combined with conventional - create some unexpected side effects or reactions.  It's possible that you could be doing more damage than good.  In addition, depending on the conventional therapy you're having (for example, radiation), taking vitamins and anti-oxidents are not recommended because they could, possibly, counteract/negate the conventional therapy.  Like kayb said above, check with the Intergrative Medicine Dept.  There may be good reasons for your MO's stance on this issue and you need to find out more information.

leggo

MrsHerrera, I think you might be hard-pressed to find an onc who's o.k. with alternatives DURING chemo. Some alternative medicines and therapies are pretty powerful and would certainly affect chemotherapies. I have both a regular onc and a naturopathic onc and both agree that with chemo, it's best to keep supplements to a minimum during that time. It's just too harsh to be taking any chances. If I recall correctly, the naturopathic onc recommended not taking anything until 8 weeks after chemo. 

MrsHerrera80

Thank you for the replies. I wanted to continue taking herbs and vitamins that help protect my immune system while during chemotherapy. I was able to get a hold of the cancer center, they're calling me back on monday to set up an appt for a second opiinii

juneping

Mrs. H,

what i understand is during chemo, while both cancer cells and normal cells are under attacked but while you taking supplements to help your immune system it might also help the cancer cells to survive.

My MO is at Sloan and they have integrative doctor...may be you can give them a call and see what they say. wish you the best...

Anonymous

Standard treatments could conteract the effects of a rigorous alternative protocol and wreck your immune system.