Whoelse took supplements during chemo?

Hi Yanyan. I saw an Integrative Medicine Specialist at UCLA and she told me to take the following supplements during chemo: Glutamine powder (for neuropathy and mouth sensitivity), ImmPower (mushroom extract), Fish Oil, CoQ10, Probiotics, and Vitamin D. 

After chemo, Ave (fermented wheat germ) is added to the list.

I remember reading that doses above the RDA for Vitamin C and other antioxidants could work against the chemo. Not sure about Reishi mushrooms specifically, but the ImmPower is a hybrid of different mushrooms to boost the immune system.

I find the whole business confusing. We need a healthy immune system to help fight cancer, but chemo tears down our immune system. It can drive you nuts!

Not sure where you're located but I would recommend seeing an Integrative Medicine M.D. who specializes in oncology. The research is always being updated, and these folks keep on it.   

yanyan-

 
the whole anti-oxidant theory has never been proven.  There have been no studies done, it is just a "theory".What my doctor told me is "we don't know - and we should know".  YES they SHOULD know because where are the billions of $ of pink ribbon $ going??  Anyway...

I took supplements on chemo.  I felt that I had to protect the rest of my organs.  I worked with a herbalist/nutritionist/chiropractor who uses muscle testing to test the body for what it needs at any particular time.  I was on Standard Process things, which work more at the glandular level and I feel that i did well through chemo. I had no neuropathy, etc.  I remember bringing up the anti-oxidant theory to him and he said "Good grief- there are more anti-oxidants absorbed in the body from an apple or a carrot than there are in most supplements!"    

 Chemo is hard stuff.  Vitamin C is important to help rebuild your body's cells - good cells are damaged by chemo.  My aunt's pancreas was so damaged by chemo that she developed diabetes.  We know it can whack out liver levels because of the damage it can do there.  I'm not disapproving chemo =- I went through it.  But in all honesty, they do not know.  And I would think if it were so clear cut, that they would know by now. Absolutely no lab tests, including animals, have ever proven the "anti-oxidant" theory.  In fact, if you read about BIG anti-oxidants such as beet juice - mice fed beet juice were found to have their adriamyacin work MORE effectively against their tumors!    believe me, I researched this to death because I had the same concerns as you do. 

Reishi - I was on that the entire time I was undergoing chemo.  My body muscle tested for it every time - now that I've been off of chemo, it has never tested for it again.  I don't recall anything that said it works against chemo.  In fact, Reishi has been shown to shrink tumors and in Japan they are using it as a first treatment before chemo is given to a patient!  

I took tons too...under the supervision of a naturopathic MD. I even did high dose vitamin c iv's. Who knows...it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. It definitely made me feel better!

I have just had my first AC chemo and it didn't seem too bad initially. I was on 3 tablets of spirulina and 4 vials of phycocyanin powder (which is an extract from spirulina and is the anti-oxidant of spirulina) daily. In addition to this dosage, I also take nutritional suppliments from my naturopath in IV form. These are mostly vitamins and minerals. I also take two scoops of Perfect Food supplements. My chemo seemed to be going well till I got a fever in the 3rd week. It was due to some infection I got because my blood counts dropped to 600 cells/ccmm which scared my onco. He admitted me for a day in the hospital and brought my counts to 2400 after which I was discharged. Would any of you be able to let me know your thoughts. Thanks in advance.