Evening Primrose Oil

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MariannaLaFrance
MariannaLaFrance Member Posts: 777
edited June 2014 in Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment

How many of you take this? Is this a good supplement to take?  I have been having shooting pains in my right breast (not the one that had cancer), and was told that this reduces breast pain.  I just got a clear check on my mammogram, but wondering if this could help with the sometimes pain I feel?

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  • Kadia
    Kadia Member Posts: 314
    edited April 2012
    According to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, EPO should be approached with caution by ER+ women, due to its estrogenic properties. Link
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  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited April 2012

    I read that too.  I used to take it during peri menopause and also in my 20s when I had rosacea.  It was great for mood swings too.  But i did read not safe for women who have or have had cancer

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  • GmaFoley
    GmaFoley Member Posts: 7,091
    edited May 2012

    Kadia - I was told to stay away for Primrose oil because I am 99% ER/PR + and now another problem with my eyes came up and the eye doctor want me to take a supplement called HydroEye. I looked at the ingredients and it has Black Currant seed oil.. Not sure I can use it... Anyone hear about that one too?

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  • MariannaLaFrance
    MariannaLaFrance Member Posts: 777
    edited May 2012

    I have not heard about Black Currant seed oil. I'll do some research on this.

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  • Hipline
    Hipline Member Posts: 195
    edited May 2012

    I take a supplement called SAM-e for pain.  It is usually recommended for depression but has been found to have benefits for pain as well.  It took a few weeks to work but I was having joint pain and now I take the supplement daily and feel great.  And if it helps my mood, I won't complain!  It's not cheap but I found it at Costco and they often have a coupon for it too. 

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  • Nicole4
    Nicole4 Member Posts: 104
    edited February 2015

    I wanted to start this topic again, does anyone else take primrose oil with ER+ breast cancer.  I have been taking it for almost two years and I read conflicting information on whether it is good or bad.  I have recently learned about how I shouldn't have red wine and I am wondering if I am doing anything right.  I take primrose with cod liver oil for essential fatty acids, which is apparently good to prevent cancer.  I have also read that it helps with the effectiveness of tamoxifen.

    any thoughts?

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  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited January 2013

    My sister was told to go off of it - and I was taking it for menopausal symptoms with great success - but when off it when I was dx.  

    I just googled it and read conflicting info on it pro/con......  Maybe something to discuss with a ND or nutritionist 

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  • Rhiannon78
    Rhiannon78 Member Posts: 33
    edited February 2013

    Hi All:  I jsut posed this same question to my MO at Kaiser becasue I had stopped taking EPO when I was DX with DCIS in November.  SInce then, my cyclical breast tenderness has been off the charts, so now that I've had the DCIS sugically removed with wide margins, I was hoping to begin taking it again.  Her's her response to me:

    "I went to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (you should have access to this from the kp.org account) and there is no contrindication to using this with breast cancer diagnosis. Also Memorial Sloan Kettering Center has a app that you can down load from Apple called Herbs and it says EPO has no intrinsic estrogenic properties. However it did mention that some commercial products combine EPO with phytoestrogens."Therefore patients with hormone-sensitive cancer should use EPO products with caution".

    Lot of docs rely on the MSKC data so I guess it might be OK to use but be sure to look at the label to see if they use any soy oil or things like that.  The Trader Joes brand of EPO that I have been using does not appear to have anything otehr than the cold pressed EPO and some glycerin and gelatin in it, so I think I will go back to using it.  However, I am not sure if my decison would be the same if I had been diagnosed with an invasice BC-I'd probably err on the side of abundant caution.  Hope this is helpful!

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