Which Kind of Doctor to Use for Alternatives to Tamoxifen?

RE:  endocrine therapy replacement

Check out natural girls or alternative  med thread .

There are ppl taking DIM or IC3 instead of tamox or al.

People vary so much in their medical profile and their reaction to drugs that it is never a good idea to assume that any two people will have the same experience.

Experiences on Tamoxifen vary especially widely. Some people have no SEs at all - others do so badly that they have to stop. Only about 50 percent are able to complete the five years. I am an 18-month drop-out. I think BCO is full of drop-outs - just as it's full of people who are easily doing the five years either because there are no SEs or because they have been able to mitigate them.

ETA: Similarly, it is only effective for some women - not for others. And for a third set, it might help against breast cancer but cause another illness.

I've been on tamoxifen for two years with only hot flashes which I've been having anyway for around 10 years since peri-menopause, though they are more frequent and stronger now. I imagine I'll be on it for the full five years as it's not causing any obvious problems.  My main concern is the long term effects.  Blood clots and endometrial cancer.  Then when I stop apparently my bones will thin even more and I already have osteoporosis.  I found out too late that the bone strengthening effects of taking it are far outweighed by the thinning effects when stopping it.  Now I'm taking it I may as well see out the five years and do everything I can to build stronger bones. 

Endometrial cancer is easily dealt with if caught early, unlike BC  progression.  Blood clots are usually recoverable, not as bad as the possible SE's of chemo if I had a recurrence.

My odds of recurrence were so high that I decided the benefits outweighed the risks. I see stage IV women sometimes going into remission for years on Tamox and the equivalent and that's the only thing I can use as a guideline.

I don't see any alternatives that act in the same way but I await the results of the DIM trials and hope there will be better treatments and even a cure available if I ever get mets. 

Importantly there is research into various ways to stop cancer from becoming immune to Tamox so it could be a long term treatment that truly extends life indefinitely for Er+ metastatic patients.  Imagine that, no more chemo or other difficult treatments for those who could stay on Tamox indefinitely, women living out their natural life spans and seeing their children grow up.  It could happen!

mimikitty, I usually don't poo-poo a naturopath's recommendations, but this sounds like quackery at it's finest. When I did some googling, I found that Naturopaths are NOT required to be licensed in Texas. Maybe this website will be helpful in finding a reputable one.

http://txand.org/

Just for curiosity's sake, if you do go to the website I posted, and click on 'membership', there's a list of naturopathic practicioners. Is this guy you went to see on that list?

Mimi, that is completely ridiculous. I am glad you did not fall for it.

I went to an Integrative doctors office soon after I was diagnosed, and they had supplements on display all over the place. Don't know about laws in my state, but these doctors are MDs. Turned out they don't really treat cancer patients, so I didn't go back anyway.

I do have an appointment with an Integrative doctor with the University Cancer center here in September (rescheduled twice since May). I am hoping for the same thing you are, that I will get some guidance and monitoring of my hormones. They seem to be very, very busy.

My diagnosis is similar to yours, Mimikitty, but I had Mx and no rads.  Have you asked your MO to test your estradiole? At 41, it might be pretty high. Mine was pretty darn low at 59, and I have opted not to take the drugs. But not without a lot of second guessing.

It will be hard to find someone to guide you, unless you get lucky. So far I am doing my own research and supplement plan. I also got metformin from my PCP. You really have to do a lot of reading, for example, GSE is very promising but I can't take it. It lowers blood pressure, and mine is already low.

Dear Mimi-

I am sorry that your first ND happened to be a scammer-but do not give up hope! Keep looking! I did! But the 2nd time around, I did my research and I found an ND that was a medical doctor-now retired, but had been a Cardiologist that also studied natural supplements and wrote peer reviews on the subject matter spanning over 3 decades. Check the doctor or ND's name in medpedia.com or healthgrades.com; you sound discouraged but nothing ever comes easy to us when it comes to the alternatives-too many people out there ready to take advantage of someone that is uninformed-tell them you need more proof then superstition then walk away-don't be afraid to say NO when it sounds far fetched-my ND shares papers and peer reviewed articles with me as well as thoroughly explaining what nutrients effect this or that on my blood lab work-he explains why my Alk Phos is low or how to watch for liver or heart issues with the CBC panel. Don't let that one weirdo turn you off, if you look hard enough you can find someone who truly cares and knows what they are talking about. You could start by looking at some of these doctors listed on the ZRTLab website as they are doing testing of hormones so find out if they specialize in your needs, call their office and ask questions.

Thanks for letting me know Mimi. I was waiting to hear if he showed up on that list. Good to know that a license actually counts for something. Good luck in finding someone "real". They're out there...it's just a shame they're so hard to find. I hope you didn't spend a lot on a consult with the nut-job. I'd be pissed...ask for my money back and report him to the Association.

Mimi, I really think you should report this guy somewhere. You were smart enough to walk away, but he could cause real harm with his silly "methods" and ignorant "advice."

Mimi,

Re. Dr Alschuler, no I do not know how much she charges for follow-up appts.  She cannot be my actual doctor remotely, so I only use her for occasional consultation/questions purposes, since she is in AZ and I am in NY. If I recall correctly, she can arrange for labwork.  

Another thing you might look into, though, is an integrative oncologist (I see one here in NY.)  He is an MD with a background in integrative medicine and manages my supplementation.