questions about diet change and DIM suppliments

Hi,

I am taking Tamoxifen but I also take both DIM and Calcium D Glucarate. I take the Bio-Response DIM. They are using this particular brand in the University of Arizona study. 150 in the morning and 150 in the evening.

Best,

Stacey

When I shared what DIM was  with my MO before she quit and brought up a website and she read it, her response was:  "maybe I should be taking this".

Since I have been taking it I get my period less often ( it was like 22 days) and now its a good 30 days with less pms side effects.

Calcium d glutarate has been recommended- I would like to know more.

thanks!

Does anyone know whether ER- should use DIM, please?  I feel I have a hormonal imbalance but I was ER- PR+ (only 5%).  I am so scared to use anything, so very scared.  I used to use progesterone cream as I was convinced when I read Dr. Lee's book " what doctors don't tell you about menopause", I trusted him, and used progesterone cream.  I think that's what caused my cancer.  But I really need to balance my hormones, I have so many problems.  I think I am on the borderline of getting a diagnosis such as fibromalaygia. I know it is coming from lack of balance of hormones as all this started when I started my menopause at around age 47. Is anyone out there ER- taking DIM, please?

Hmm too bad the bioresponses contains soy as it seems absorb-able. However, my Chinese guy has it compounded (at a compounding pharmacy) in an odorless cream (with Chrysin so I am taking them together). He believes it is best absorbed through the skin.

I too would like to know more about Calcium d glutarate. How is it different than plain old calcium?

Thanks.

I was on BioResponse DIM Breast Balance that had the thyroid supportive ingredients.  Found out it had soy, so switched immediately, don't need a push.

Now I take ActivaMune  which is patented by the U of CA.  Am happy with it, bioavailable so much moreso than 13C.  No SEs for me.  Cost  effective.  They also offer a program for referring friends and after so many, getting the product for life.  Have not done that yet, but good luck.

I chose not to do Tamox, had just got my memory back and felt health improving, did not want to bacck track in any way.  

truebff - I am wondering about fat grafting?  I would love to know more.  Is there any link you have for this type of procedure please?  My left, the one with the BC is smaller than the right, also there is a deep dimple due to an infection from lumpectomy.  Also, I am wondering whether it would be safe to even touch that area after BC.  The several cosmetic surgeons I saw, never mentioned anything like fat grafting.  I am wondering from where could one transfer fat from?  Any info. on this subject would be very appreciated.  Thanks.

I went on dim and my tsh levels went up drastically for the first time in many years. I have had low thyroid and have taken levothyriod for almost 40 years and basically have very little change until I started taking dim-plus. This scared me so I stopped taking it. Started taking iodione and hope this helps. I would like to take dim but not sure if I should do to the thyriod problem. I was told to take arimidex and I did not take it.

Maybe its the brand of DIM? I wonder if others have the same problem with DIM? Its all natural, why would it cause thyroid problems?  Are any of you under a naturopath for this med or are you on your own taking it? If so, how do you know how much to take?  Do you need to have ovaries removed or can you just stick with zoladex shots?

truebff,whats the Chinese med cream for? I had asked on another thread about taking Remifimen which is a German formulation with black cohosh to help with the hot flashes cause the Arimidex had left me floating in my own sweat at night. SpecialK seemed horrified. I gave up on the Arimidex after I was short of breath several times trying to make it from the curbside bldg to inside my office to work and also having my tongue and mouth swell up and be covered in kanker sores and ulcers for a week making it hard to talk,breathe,eat,sleep,and brush my teeth,also had all the other side effects listed on patient insert pkg. I was given a real bottle with patient insert from the MO's office to get me started and a prescrip. Dunno what to do? Fiance is worried but I just cant handle the Arimi. Went off everything for a week and took my Armour Thyroid this morn. Had wine last night about 5 ounces with dinner and I itched until 3 am this morn. Guess I am now allergic to wine...oh well,probably bad for me anyways. Anyone taking Remifimen? Do you take it with the hormone erasers like Arimi? Does your doc know? How is working out?

Layla,

The cream is a non-oily unscented base and DIM and chrysin are finely ground by a compounding pharmacy with the right tools to do this (can't be done fine enough at home) until they are cream in this base and I get it in my system by rubbing a measured amount in my skin. It is DIM and crysin (like others are taking here) but instead of taking it in a pill, my Chinese medicine practitioner believes it is better absorbed through the skin.

B123,

In Ann Arbor, there are a lot of alternative and natural practitioners and mine lectures frequently in the area. But you really need to interview them and meet with them and see how the fit is and tell them what you need.

I interviewed mine and said I don't want to take AIs. I need another way to address estrogens that might be processing wrongly in my body. He understood and offered me alternatives. I also brought my husband to meet him so that we were both asking questions and getting information. My husband has been my great partner in this whole thing and has been able to retell me information when my brain just can't process it all at times.

You could look for Chinese medicine practitioners or ask acupuncturists to refer you to a Chinese medicine doctor. It is also helpful to find out where they studied. Mine studied at a very reputable Chinese medicine college in NYC.

Hope this is helpful.

we are SISTERS working this healing together.

Answers to above -

Judy - the acupuncture is the last thing I would have chosen for myself, but it ends up I am actually doing this for cancer.  I went for help w thyroid bcz for yrs I have had pain in thumb/hand area so bad hubby could not even hold my hand the pressure hurt so.  One night on cable Veria Livingbe, an acupuncture segment, I realized that the pain was in my thyroid pressure point.  So I went for thyroid bcz it is severe for me.  Ended up taht they can work through the blockage my body has that is causing it to not work properly and develop to many symptoms.  

An acupuncturist and / or Chinese medicine person cannot tell you that they can help with cancer.  But think about the track record.  For centuries in China, the medicine people there have been curing cancer.  They recognize one vital importance - that cancer is multidimensional and each person, also so, therefore the 'recipe' and bodywork must be centered  for that person at that moment.  Each time I go back, it is different, they are reading me even moreso than a homeopath (something i am quite familiaar with, so understand that this is not a thing that is in us, it is a part of us and can be healed, in my opinion and experience..... except I could not find my way alone, as none of us can.)  This breast cancer is systemic, it is all through, no matter what the tests read, we are never done being sure our thyroid is working well, as naturally as possible, our estrogen and other hormones besides thyroid are gentle and balanced for us, immune system strong again. 

For me, the blockage was kidney, namely left almost completely shut down, did not know, but  I felt the  pain there, had complained to drs, to alternative mds too, was told it was my adrenal and given adrenal but that did not do it.  Yup, it was the adrenal but the kidney is ruling the adrenal, and since it had no energy to give, it was cutting out the thyroid, the adrenals and lymph first, major organs later.  Long story - the acupuncture works at a level to open the blockages and supports the sytem to regain strength and balance.

Answer to DIM - yes, I was told by my GP that Tamox was available for me, bs too.  But I found my integrative MD in time for me, was told about 13C.  After researching the 13C and reallizing it was not bioavailable enough for me (or anyone, I think) I chose the DIM which is moreso.  I told him about it, he checked the brand I first  chose, he does not see the problem w soy in it which I did not realize was in there on first one.  Friend Maud told me, so I chose the next brank w/o soy, which I ran by him too, and eh says good but you need more iodine now and selenium on the side since it is not in this one.  So added those.  BUT - the more I read about the thyroid issue and eating the cruciferous veggies causing the thyroid to work harder, the more I wonder what else I could chose.

I don't fault my integrative MD, he is actually a pathologist whose passion is complementary and going ever so lightly against cancer for the rest of one's life.  I love that man.  But I also know he does not know everything about everything.  That is why I am still developing my lifeforce team, acupuncture being one, Chinese medicine.  And know I am at the center and the strong one bcz it is my lifeforce at stake here, no one on my health team cares more than I do.  :  )   So I make most of the decisions.

The DIM I am taking now is from U of CA and called ActivaMune.  Patented.  I am doing well on it, taking 3 caps 2x day not, I tweak it each week using kinesiology testing w Hubby.  I tested to be able to take it with my Adrenal Force and Thyrotain and Borage Blend.  Which is interesting bcz these are supporting thyroid while my concern is the DIM  could be drawing strength from thyroid.  So these all together must be  complimenting. 

But if anyone knows of a choice besides the DIM or 13C that they have used and liked, let us know, okay.

AND on my list for today, when I go to acupuncturist, also goes the cream of DIM and chrysin, which may be my answer and I forgor all about asking her until just this second!

I am curious - for those of you that are using DIM are you also using progesterone cream?  My Wellness person I went to last week is recommending DIM, Progestrone cream and iodine.  I am skeptical about the progesterone.  Any thoughts? Thanks

I was on progesterone cream in the two-ish years before DX because of raging estrogen dominance. I stopped it shortly before diagnosis on my own, and once diagnosed, my integrative doc who had prescribed it told me to stay away from it. Met with him back in February and he said that if I still had estrogen issues one year post DX, he MIGHT consider using progesterone again. But, I was strongly ER/PR+ (88/81), so not sure what I think about that. Latest estrogen test showed I am still merrily manufacturing estrogen (I'm 49...). Test showed a normal ratio of good to bad estrogen, but also showed I poorly methylate (process) the bad out of my body. Hmmm.

I'm on DIM with I3C through the same doc. Also, iodine, selenium, C, D, E, fish oil, metformin, adrenal support,  green tea extract, curcumin. 

Truebff - I am curious as to why type of doctors warned you about tamoxifen and the A's.  Did they warn you due to the big side effects or because they did not think that you needed to take because your Oncotype was low?    The MO's always go to the extreme ( I think ) when recommending treatment.  One size does not fit all.