Naturopathic medicine

i see a naturalpath.  My mom was the one with cancer.  Mom passed away before I actually went and saw one.  Mom could have been helped a lot in my opinion. 

I believe with the right one, you can get some help.  I will say mine took 5 months to get into see as a new patient.  new patient is a 3 hour exam.  

I would not forgo conventional treatment.  Do it in addition.  What i have gotten help with is some of the following things.  Digestion issues. With all the chemo, there is a good chance she has some stomach issues.  The naturopath, will test and see if she is deficient in digestive enzymes, flora - like bifidus, acidophilus, etc,    She can also check to see if some levels of choline, manganese, msm, etc are ok.  If things are off then your digestive tract will have some problems digesting foods, even if she is eating the right things.  The farther end of the digestive tract, helps eliminate wastes, so if things aren't working well in that area, then you have some waste build up.   If your having muscle pain issues, lethargy, etc, she can figure out what is going on, whats missing in the body. 

She will probably look at your cell permeability, detox your different organs, like metal detox, or in general detox after all the chemo.  Look to see if the lymph is moving,   Some problems with minerals involve things like imbalances.  Like if you have too much of certain minerals, they can block the absorption of other things, causing deficiencies in other areas. 

The initial intake forms were like 10 pages long.  They ask a million and one questions, and its good she does, cause the regular docs just want to treat symptoms, she looks to find out what imbalances are in the body.  Then will vitamins, minerals, homeopathic drops, etc.

I will say they will have stuff that affect your hormones.  So, if she is er+ or pr+, make that loud and clear.  Make sure to ask if they have any experience working with present or current chemo treatment and what kind of success.   Make sure they feel confident working with your wife. 

She can check your hormone levels to see if things are high, low, etc.  Before any treatment would be done to affect hormone levels, definitely talk to the onc first and get the opinion.

She has also helped with my allergies, so much so i've stopped taking 3/4 the dose of my nasal steriods, and other rx nasal sprays, and stopped another pill in addition, not having to use rx drops as much.   

Best luck, i would get on a waiting list now if its any kind of wait i had.  Its actually been just a long a wait to get my husband in, since last nov, and we still don't have an appointment, which would be a couple months out.  Since the regular appointments are 1 hour long, she only sees 8 people a day, or even less if she sees a new patient (3 hours).  just something to keep in mind.  Of course not all offices are run the same, and make sure to find out how long things are, as that would make a difference in how hard it is to make an appointment. 

Connie

My oncologist group (as well as sloan kettering) has a natropath/integrative MD right on site.  I met with the one at my group when I started treatment - I did do some, but not much, supplements during chemo and rads but they also gave me some nutritional suggestions (organic milk and cheeses, cruciferous veggies, green tea) and offer meditation and accupuncture (that I didnt do - due to lack of time). 

I am going back next week - all treatment is over except anti hormonal - I am going to take ALOT of supplements - mushroom, iodine, vit c, fish oil - all with the knowledge of my oncologist (who is who referred me to him in the first place) 

I also exercise every day - I think that is huge.  I cant remember if you said your wife is/was active or not.  But please push (just a little) for her to at least go for a short walk each day.  It helps so much physically and emotionally.

tho i would love to see a naturopath and may possibly, i think it is important to be very suspicious of claims and suggestions and research for yourself.  The type of cancer a woman has is unique. 

I love flax seed and regularly made it part of my diet yet I came to find out it might not be so good for estrogen driven cancers.. I love grapefruit but i found it can interact with some cancer meds.  I would love to take ginseng but found it too is not good for estrogen positive cancers.

i think there is much we can do to incorporate nutritious foods that help us fight and possibly supplements.. i myself am very cautious.

I want to say Timothy, that you must be the best supportive husband. I am always happy to read your concerned and loving posts.

apple  -

Any other foods that aren't good for ER+ breast cancer.  Why is flaxseed bad?  A few years ago the lignan fanatics were pushing this stuff hard on me - I let this woman convince me to buy a HUGE bottle of flaxseed oil which I never consumed.  I was skeptical about it. 

Thanks!

Check out the Forum -- High Risk Women, and the thread -- Is Flaxseed Bad for BC Survivors.

My research indicates that flaxseed is highly beneficial for several disorders, incl. high LDL cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes (as well as constipation).  There seems to be a great deal of misunderstanding about it, because flaxseed produces lignans -- which have a chemical similarity to estrogens.  However, because of this resemblance, they appear to fit into estrogen receptors on cells, and thus block estrogen from stimulating cellular activity.  Thus it would seem flaxseed is safe -- and maybe very beneficial -- for e+ bc patients.

However, there are some studies which indicate that flax (or at least, too much flax) may be detrimental to prostate cancer patients (having to do with alpha-linolenic acid found in flax). 

I'm e-pos and lack a prostate (!), so I consume a tbsp of ground flaxseed every day.