Information sought on supplement Methyl Protect

I'm new to this site and new to the possibility of a bc diagnosis; however, I have had my hormones tested and they used the saliva testing method.  I've never had it done before and the doctor found that I was low in a number of hormones and has succeeded in balancing them over the course of about nine months.  I feel much better and have more energy, so if it is all in my mind as my conventional doctor stated, so be it!  Also discovered that I was low in vitamin D which had never been picked up by my conventional doctors.

As for the effect Tamoxifen has on the tests, you should ask your ND about that.  I know I was told that I should be infection and antibiotic free for a minimum of two weeks before undergoing the saliva tests.  The fact that I had a bad upper respiratory infection had an impact on my CRP blood test, so they are sensitive.

I think you are doing the right thing to get additional support while going through chemo as it can wreck your body.  All the best to you. 

LtotheK ~ My primary doctor has been monitoring my estrogen levels with bloodwork for a couple of years.  However, when I recently started going to a naturopathic doctor, she explained that our estrogen levels vary significantly throughout the day, so a blood test (and I would assume a saliva test, too) are only snapshots of what's happening at a specific moment.  What she ordered was a 24-hour urine test, and those results, based on the very complex and lengthy print out we got back from the specialized lab, are far more accurate and telling of what's really going on. That test is very expensive, but my insurance covered most of it.  (PM me for more info, if you're interested.)  

Homocysteine levels are checked with a simple blood test.  If yours are off (as mine were after chemo), normally a combination of Folic Acid, B6 & B12 are RX'd.  My PCP initially RX'd Metanx, but I quickly figured out I could get a natural version I felt better about using at a natural foods market.   Carlson Tri-B, NOW Homocysteine Regulators, and SOLGAR Homocysteine Modulators (my favorite) all work great.    Deanna

Wow, Deanna, I'm surprised your insurance covered the hormone test. I just got a cheaper morning urine test considering I paid for it myself. It would be out-of-network and on that deductible anyway. Thanks for the info on the homocysteine products - didn't know about them!

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I'm not clear on folic acid any more. My gp recommended Thorne Methyl-Guard this spring to reduce my homocysteine level. I had some Solgar folic acid so I took that instead. I had to step up to 800 mcg in addition to the 400 in my multi to get my homocysteine level well into the good range. My gp recommended I change over to Solgar's folate (L-methylfolate-Metafolin) instead; I did so. But the natureopath I saw recently recommended I stop taking folic acid or folate because of the possibility of increasing my risk of recurrence. He even mentioned multivitamins without folic acid. Study results about folic acid and breast cancer are mixed. I stopped taking the folate and plan to talk to my gp. I might start taking it again.