Is Anyone Doing an Alkaline Approach

My input. I start chemo in October and I am so ready to start chemo that I have actually started doing my own homemade chemo. Yes I do believe in the whole PH thing.

Mornings: iodine (4 drops), vit C & D, flaxseed oil and seleunium all mixed with tomato juice or carrot juice. 

Evenings: everything minus the iodine drops.

I am a firm believer that the industrial revolution spoiled us all. Yes sickness and death does come, but not at this alarming rate and so YOUNG!  If we take life back about 100 hundred years most of the things we are going through now were non-existent. HUMMMMMMM

Jsh- After reading your post earlier today i decided to make the drink you posted, i had every thing already and had been taking the vitamin c powder but mixed it with the lime and lemon juice and honestly it wasnt that bad so i will be doing that too.im trying to do every thing possible so i dont have to go thru what we have al been thru-

Can any one tell me why the iodine is so important, i have been seeing a few post here about it, what does it do exactly?

Debbie,

Wonderful you tried the lemon/lime concoction...did you add the apple cider vinegar? That's the stuff that I don't like taste of, but it is so good for you!  It not only helps with alkalinity, but is also good for digestion and many other things. I use the "Bragg" organic, raw and unfitered apple cider vinegar.  Sometimes I add a couple of drops of Stevia to make it taste a little better.  Iodine helps level out hormone levels and many women are lacking in iodine levels.  It is important to talk to a doctor b4 taking iodine supplements.  I will look up more about iodine and get back to you cuz my faulty brain has misplaced the file about the importance of iodine in diet. 

Glenis...lemons do work and limes work even better, but are more tart!

-Janet

Debbie, there's also a thread here called Iodine, Thyroid & Breast Cancer, and it's been discussed quite a bit on the Natural Girls thread.  What I've been able to figure out is that there is less iodine and more bromide (an additive in manufactured breads) in our diets.  Evidently, the bromide competes for the same receptors as iodine, which means that the typical US diet leaves us unable to absorb iodine properly, which affects our thyroid function.  In addition to supplementing with Iodoral or another natural iodine, some women work on ridding their bodies of the bromide, so that they can once again properly absorb iodine. 

I'm sure Janet will have additional info, but check out the 2 threads I mentioned for lots more info'.  Janet is absolutely right -- getting (and absorbing) sufficient iodine is extremely important to us.    Deanna

BreastCancerChoices.org is where you will find all of the info on Iodine and supplementing for it.  I highly recommend it!!!

To everyone doing the iodine treatment - do you do that in addition to AI's/Tamoxifen or instead of? It would be great if it was something that can be done "instead of" because I am soooo leary about those.

Edited to add:

I see everybody is adding lemon or lime to their water, and I also read somewhere that drinking that first thing in the morning (I think?) helps detox the liver - something I definitely want to do after I finish chemo! 

Janet- yes i used the apple cider vinegar, im used to it b/c i put it on my salads but will hunt for the organic, hopfully they carry it at safeway

Deanna- thanks i will go read those after i post this

I went thru homeopathic doctor b4 starting iodine treatment...he 1st checked my hormone levels, then my iodine levels. Both were off...iodine levels were low.  By checking levels, he knew how much I needed...have to do another iodine test to see if levels are up. I did take iodine while I was on tamoxifen, but I decided to quit the tamoxifen because it also was playing havoc with my hormone levels.  I never had any real side effects from the tamoxifen, but for my individual case I did not feel it was that much of a benefit and didn't want to take it...just a gut feeling for me.

Anyways, back to the iodine...this is what I read about it:  From what I understand with estrogen, you want correct ratios of these 3 estrogens...estriol, estrone, and estradiol. Having correct ratios lowers cancer risk.  You need to have more estriol than the other 2 and then it becomes cancer protective.  The other 2 are procarcenigenic if have too much of.  Iodine stimulates the metabolism on estradiol and estrone into estriol. So by taking iodine you are not only helping raise your estriol levels, it also helps fibrocystic breast disease.  What the iodine does to protect against BC besides raising protective estriol levels is that it stimulates the formation of iodolipids...fats combined with iodine...in the breast.  These iodolipids kill many types of breast cancer cells.  Important to take iodine supplements thru doctor supervision, because too much iodine and inhibit our thyroid glands.  And just as a side note...iodine also helps with acid reflux which some people get during radiation treatment.  Hope this info helps...I didn't know about the bromide, so thanx for that information.

 And yes, the warm lemon/lime water does cleanse the liver...helps if you have constipation too!!! Good health to you all...have a great day!

-Janet

Designermom,

Janet is absolutely right with her information, but you need need a Naturopath or MD who specializes in integrative. Your onc won't be aware of this info so it's futile to ask.

BTW, Thanks Janet for writing the iodine explanation out! Iodine is also an alkalizer.

Your explanation on how iodine works is completely consistent with information I've seen integrative docs present at medical conferences (I get to go free because of my sister's business). There is a big conference coming up in November where one of the most prestigious MDs is presenting on iodine and cancer--and how he changed his mind over the last five years from very skeptical to very enthusiastic.

jsh22-Janet, thanks for the Iodine explanation and also the breastcancerchoices.org link.  I just spent the last hour there, very informative.  Going to my last chemo Friday, armed with loads of questions.

I would love to  go to an integrative doctor to help me with all these alternative treatments, but it just is not in our budget. I am going to have to do the best I can researching and implementing some of these strategies on my own.  Thankfully, I do have health insurance.  Even though my "traditional" doctors aren't into these treatments, they will usually run certain lab tests if I ask them specifically.  As many of you have worked with integrative doctors, do you have any advice on which lab tests should be run?    Whether it is an integrative or traditional doctor, they all use the same laboratories.  Heck, I think most of us are better at research than some of our doctors! Hopefully I can come up with a good complementary treatment plan.  Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks Janet...that is one of the best explanations of the 3 estrogens and iodine I have read!  I am currently waiting for my Iodine,Bromide and Flouride loading test results.  I had no progesterone, no D3 and my guess is no Iodine.  I have been supplementing iodine and will see whether my dosage needs to be adjusted.

DesignerMom:  Since you are in NY, I am wondering if any of the university hospitals have an integrative oncology unit over there since it is a major city?  They have it here in West Los Angeles at UCLA.  They give advice on diet, supplements, etc plus they offer counselig.  All covered under insurance.

Thanks Deanna and janet for the info on where to read on iodine i read  a lot on it last night, very, very interresting, when i see my dr next time i will ask to be tested for iodine levels-

Heartandsoul- Congradulations on finishing your LAST chemo (yay) Hope you feel better soon

luna, MBJ, jsh22-  thanks for the tips.  Excellent idea about asking if any of the major teaching hospitals have an integrative program.  I will check into that.  Another question.  I asked my Onc if she would be testing my hormones (she wants me on Tamoxifen, still not sure about that).  She said one could not test accurately for hormone levels as they are constantly fluctuating.  I think some of you test your hormone levels.  How can one test accurately?  It's not like iron or something that is the same all the time.