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orange1
orange1 Member Posts: 930
edited June 2014 in Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment

I'm not sure if this is the correct venue for this, and I may post it somewhere else, but I'm curious - how many people take presecription drugs or mainstream vitamins to prevent recurrance. 

Please give the rationale for use.

I take:

Zometa 2x/year  based on ABCSG-12 Study showed 35% reduced chance of recurrance in HR+ premenopausal women.

Simvistatin 40 mg/day based on "Breast cancer Growth Prevention by Statins" Cancer Research 2006;66:(17): 8707-14 - "In vivo results showed that oral dosing of statins significantly inhibited the growth of a mouse mammary carcinoma. Lipophilic statins can exert direct anticancer activity in vitro by reducing proliferation and survival signals in susceptible breast cancer phenotypes.  Tumor growth inhibition in vivo using a clinically relevant statin dose also seems to be associated with reduced tumor cell proliferation and survival."  Fluvastatin and Simvastatin seemed to be the most potent.  Lovastatin was slightly less potent, but similar.  Pravastatin was not effective at the doses tested.

Vitamin D3.  I take 1800 mg/day, but suspect this is not enough.

I'm interested in what others take.  Thanks,

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  • pip57
    pip57 Member Posts: 12,401
    edited June 2009

    Good topic.  I try to follow the 'natural girls' but it is so hard to keep up to them!  I also like to hear what others are doing so I can research and decide if I want to do the same.  Here is what I take each day:

    Armidex

    Green Tea (I drink a pot a day)

    Green Tea Extract

    Co10

    Vit D

    Vit C

    Magnesium

    Grape Seed Extract

    Calcium

    Multi Vitamin

     Omega Oils

    Glucosomine

    I also try to eat a lot of bran, mushrooms, asparagus, watermelon, blueberries, broccoli, etc.  No salt, limited sugar, 1 (large) coffee.

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  • reen
    reen Member Posts: 164
    edited June 2009

    What is Co10 and what does it do?

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  • pip57
    pip57 Member Posts: 12,401
    edited June 2009

    Co10 is actually Coenzyme Q10.  It occurs naturally in the body and essential for good heart health.  I had chemo and left chest rads, so my heart, although okay, has been stressed. 

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  • reen
    reen Member Posts: 164
    edited June 2009

    That's good to know.  I too had left rads and chemo.

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  • orange1
    orange1 Member Posts: 930
    edited June 2009

    Since I posted on the alternative thread, I just realized I should provide an explanation of why I "supplement" with prescription drugs instead of supplements.  Its not that I believe that certain supplements can't be helpful - I do believe they can be.  Based on what I've been reading DIM and mushroom powder seem promising, and of course D3.  Before diagnosis I used to take a lot of CoQ10, also grapeseed extract, biotin and ginko (I have a terrible memory).  The only reason I stay away from natural supplements now is because I am on tamoxifen, and my onc warned me that the enzyme (CYP2D6)  that metabolizes tamoxifen into its active form is very "twitchy", or easily disrupted.  Many many drugs interfere with this enzyme and my onc reminded me that we have no idea which supplements may interfere with this enzyme.  So the reason I "supplement" with prescription drugs instead, is because for those that were approved in the last 20 years or so, information is published regarding which liver enzyme systems they may interact with.  I look up the information to be sure they are not metabolized by or interfere with CYP2D6.

    In order to get some of the benefits of natural foods, I am trying to eat more of the foods themselves.  There is no guarentee that components of certain foods won't interact with the enzyme, but I hope if I eat a varied diet, it won't be inhibited they way it would be if I took a concentrated amount of a supplement daily.  And hey, I have to eat.

    PIP - Thanks for your reply.  What dose of D3 do you take?  Have you had your levels tested?

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