Radiation and wine

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tarry
tarry Member Posts: 156
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

My RO gave me a folder today that says no alcohol during rads. Dr. Google is silent on this.



The ro's folder is also not keen on spicy foods. Does anyone know why they would say this? Do other RO's say the same thing?

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  • reesie
    reesie Member Posts: 2,078
    edited September 2011

    I don't know about spicy foods (unless rads can cause indigestion) but alcohol works as a blood thinner and I do know rads can lower blood counts. They're probably trying to avoid any cumulative effects.

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  • Racy
    Racy Member Posts: 2,651
    edited September 2011

    I had rads and was not given that advice, fortunately :-). I only had mild pinking during rads. I finished in July and subsequently my breast is slightly swollen, which I have heard is not unusual.

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  • raincitygirl
    raincitygirl Member Posts: 3,143
    edited September 2011

    I was told a one drink per day limit, but it was also because alcohol increases estrogen production and I am ER+.  There may be an issue with spicy foods and antioxidants.  I take turmeric now but they didn't want me taking it during rads....

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  • tarry
    tarry Member Posts: 156
    edited October 2011

    I hate to say it, but after 40 years of some wine before and during dinner, i really am not sure I can do think. It's not exactly old dog and new trick; more ancient can't cat with attitude. :). Except it isn't really attitude.



    Raincity, maybe I could do that. Thanks.



    Racy, I'd be very happy with your results.

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  • somanywomen
    somanywomen Member Posts: 872
    edited October 2011

    Tarry, I think you are so lucky to have a RO that seems to be up on foods/drinks that may interfere with radiation treatment, I think you should dig deep and ask "why"....because if you google "wine radiation breast" most articles say it has a positive effect....My RO was completely clueless to all of my such questions during my rads.....

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  • bedo
    bedo Member Posts: 1,866
    edited October 2011

    Uh oh.  Well I guess I'll stop for the last two weeks. Thanks for the info.

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited October 2011

    Not sure of the rads piece because I didn't require rads but I just attended a conference put on by Moffitt Cancer Center.  One of the speakers indicated that 2-5 drinks (1 beer, i mixed drink or 1 glass of wine) per week were beneficial and better than no drinks per week, but that more than 5 per week raises your recurrence risk by 34%.  I thought I would just throw that out there for informational purposes!

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  • tarry
    tarry Member Posts: 156
    edited October 2011

    SpecialK, I realize those are not your figures, but I have to say I'm a bit shocked at what people will say. Please don't think I'm criticizing you for repeating it! We have to share what we hear from official sources.



    i'm pretty sure that there is no scientific backing for that figure. The World Health Organization has said that breastcancer in the US could be lowered by 34% (i think that was their figured; it might have been 36) by women not being overweight PLUS exerxising more PLUS drinking less, where the official recommendation for "safe" dring is about 1.5 hours of liquor (or equivalent wine or beer) a day.



    British women are in worse shape, the WHO seems to think, since they could reduce it by 42%.



    I worry that such statements are highly political and lead us away from thinking about the hormones abundantly polluting our environment, not to speak of other noxious stuff.

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited October 2011

    Tarry - this came from a medical professional at a conference for Breast/Ovarian cancer.  I should have properly stated that if your risk of BC returning is 10%, what they meant by the percentage increase with too much alcohol consumption is that your recurrence risk would now be approximately 13%. The 34% risk was not a recurrence risk but an increase in the risk you already have as a breast cancer patient/survivor.

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  • tarry
    tarry Member Posts: 156
    edited October 2011

    SpecialK, thanks so much for the explanation. It does make sense!

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