Cimetidine/Famotidine/Ranitidine -- anyone?

berrylvr

I've seen various studies that indicate Cimetidine (Tagamet), Famotidine (Pepcid), and Ranitidine (Zantac) may help to suppress breast cancer recurrence. I have not, however, see any good information on dosage and whether or not it is safe/advisable to take all of them, or if 1 or some combination of them is more recommended than others.

My MO is no help, since I do not need chemo and ER-/PR- he does not feel that there is anything to discuss. I checked with my RO (I don't need radiation either but at least he is responsive) but he just pointed me to my MO.

So, I'm writing to all of you in the hopes that some of you have received some guidance on this issue that you could share.

For my part here is what I am taking or considering taking prophylactically:

Vitamin D 5000 IU (I was on this prior to diagnosis for low levels)

Aspirin 81 mg (taking 1 tablet, considering increasing to 2)

Curcumin a/k/a Tumeric 500 mg (taking 1 tablet)

Cimetidine 200 mg (taking 1 200 tablet, considering increasing dose to 800)

Ranitidine 150 mg (not taking yet)

Famotidine 10 mg (not taking yet)

My cancer is low stage (DCIS w/ microinvasion), but high grade (grade 3 comedo necrosis) w/ <.7mm margin. No chemo or radiation is recommended but given the high grade and close margin, recurrence is a concern. I would like to do everything I can to discourage these cells from coming back!

Thank you for any information you can share!

flaviarose

I too have heard that things like Zantac can help prevent cancer, but don't take any of them. I would think that you should just choose one because they do have side effects. I also take vit d and aspirin, but also take melatonin - 20 mg, and metformin, 500 mg once a day as preventatives. I also take a mushroom supplement, alternating between several different mushrooms.

berrylvr

Flaviarose,

Thanks so much for sharing some of the things you take as preventatives, I'm looking into those items as well now, too! I must say I find it frustrating to have to do all this research/legwork/guesswork on my own. There are so many things that look like they could provide a benefit, but no medical advice to help choose the right one or combination. My MO has zero interest in anything that is not chemo, and my PC has no about cancer preventatives. I feel like I've fallen into a black hole in the medical community.

sueinfl

This link was posted in an ILC fb page concerning anti-histamines and their anti-metastasis effects.

http://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-lin...

Please give cimetidine special consideration and possible avoidance per this quote from the article:

"There is some concern that Cimetidine has estrogenic properties. Given that Integrative practitioners recommend its use before, during and for up to 2 years after surgery, if you have breast cancer or prostate cancer, for example, this may be a concern.

Swedish researchers(1) looked at over 50,000 women who had ER+ Breast cancer and those who simultaneously took a second generation antihistamine. When comparing users with non-users a significant survival improvement was seen for the users of 30 per cent or more. Various antihistamines were compared and Desloratadine provided the best results; Loratadine was not far behind."

Desloratadine is prescribed, but loratadine goes by Claritin and OTC.

Sue