do I need to stop my vit and supplements on chemo?

Options
melmcbee
melmcbee Member Posts: 1,119
edited June 2014 in Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment

When I was first dx in late June, my friend started making me drink these green smoothies. I started feeling better and researching different supplements and I started taking a lot of vitamins. I am ER+ so I cut out the flax seed oil and any soy products. But is there any way that I could be messing up my chemo just by taking supplements anad vitamins. Is there any that you would suggest that I dont take or any that you would suggest that I do take. I appreciate any info. thanks. Oh btw today was my first day of chemo and I am on A/C/T.

I take womens silver centrum, flinstone ( I know its lame but my daughter takes them lol and they were in the cabinet) vit c, calcium with vit d, omega3 fish oil, b-complex, l-glutamine, biotin, I stopped the melatonin temporarily to see if it was causing my headaches.

in my green smoothies I use kale spinach lemon banana bluberries papaya rasberries l-glutamine

I was wanting to get some spiralina at the health food store to add in but now that my nurse said to maybe just stick with the multi vitamin, I wanted to know if any of these types of supplements would interfere. My mo didnt seem to care. 

Thanks for any suggestions on whats good and whats not. 

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • HLB
    HLB Member Posts: 1,760
    edited August 2012

    I took a lot of supplements and my doc said the only one he would suggest not taking was vit e because its an antioxidant and chemo is a pro-oxidant and theoretically might make it not work as well. I thought that was silly because you may as well say don't eat broccoli or anything healthy during chemo. I got most of my supplement info from the book Beating Cancer With Nutrition by Patrick Quillen. He was the director of the nutrition dept at CTCA so I trusted what he said. He explains a lot about what supplement do and the rationale for and against certain supplements. I noticed that if its a supplement that the docs don't know anything about they automatically say don't take it. I just do what I want. Like Cartman lol! I DO WHAT I WANT! Good luck to you. :-)

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • melmcbee
    melmcbee Member Posts: 1,119
    edited August 2012

    Thanks for responding. I appreciate the info. I think since I am still feeling ok I will take at least my multivitamins. Hugs to you

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BikerLee
    BikerLee Member Posts: 355
    edited August 2012

    I recommend taking a list to your health care team and asking them.  That is what I did, and they rejected a few (including vitamin e) ... and approved others (including glutamine)....

    That way, you can feel confident of what you are taking.  

    The green smoothies?  Keep those going!  

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • evergreen9
    evergreen9 Member Posts: 131
    edited September 2012

    At my cancer care centre a pharmacist meets with you to get a list of all medicines and supplements you are taking. They will warn you if any are suspected of interfering with chemo. For example, green tea was shown to interfere with the effectiveness of one chemo (it wasn't mine, so I forget the name). I think it's important to let your care team know what you are taking.

    Most of what I've read suggests that there is much not yet known about how supplements work in your body, as compared with the natural element they are replacing, nor how various supplements may interact. At the end of the day, we make our own decisions. But open dialogue with the health care team is important, I think....

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mary625
    mary625 Member Posts: 1,056
    edited September 2012

    one thing to add--not related to supplements but possibly important to chemo: I read in the Anti-Cancer book by Servan-Schreiber that it is important to avoid BPAs found in can linings and other places during chemo. He said that it interferes with chemo. I don't think there's any possible downside to avoiding them--just that it is somewhat less convenient to find cans without BPA or not use them. I was so glad to have read this right after my first A/C treatment.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cp418
    cp418 Member Posts: 7,079
    edited September 2012

    http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Vitamins/vitamin_c_e_breast_cancer_recurrence_death_0924120851.html

    Antioxidant use during breast cancer treatment cuts recurrence, death risk

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • blainejennifer
    blainejennifer Member Posts: 1,848
    edited September 2012

    I found the Cancer Journal, but not the research this article cites. The Journal looks fascinating (subscription $265, so I'll see if I can borrow some from my Onc).

    As this article overturns what is recommended by my Onc, I'll keep trying to find the original research to see if the study looks good.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • blainejennifer
    blainejennifer Member Posts: 1,848
    edited September 2012

    Found it: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.26526/abstract

    I will be talking to the Onc! The study looks good.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories