Lowering estrogen NATURALLY

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Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited March 2017 in Alternative Medicine

I'm sure there are threads, but I'd like to start this one (so I can find it in these discussion boards more easily)~ This is a simple question: are there ways to lower estrogen naturally other than massive amounts of exercise that I already do?

I am gathering information to help me understand if I should continue to take an AI, which 1) has horrible side effects for me that are cumulative and 2) apparently I'm going to have to take for 10 years, making it feel like I'm running a marathon with a finish line that keeps moving away from me.

My BMI is around 21, but slowly creeping up from the Arimidex.

I want to know specific foods and supplements that have serious research support that appear to be beneficial. Thank you!

Claire in AZ

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Comments

  • gypsyjo
    gypsyjo Member Posts: 304
    edited May 2015

    I already added to my favorites. I have taken anastrozole for about 6 weeks with the side effects worsening. I am not sure if it is the drugs or other leftover effects from treatment/existing conditions. I have committed to myself to try for at least 3 months. I would love to take less drugs if at all possible.

  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 1,594
    edited May 2015

    broccoli and culifkowers are supposed to be very helpful for Er Pr positive BC

    DIM I3C are also good for that.

    I've been taking Them since March and still don't have my period. I had to stop tamoxifen because of edema.

  • leggo
    leggo Member Posts: 3,293
    edited May 2015

    That's kind of a pickle. The side effects of lowering your estrogen are going to be the same whether you " get there" with hormonal drugs or natural alternatives. In any event, if you want to use natural methods, grape seed extract, white button mushrooms, have studies behind them from what I recall. 

    Edit: I originally had turmeric in there, but I've removed it because I remember there were a few conflicting studies.

  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 3,534
    edited May 2015

    Aromatase inhibitors do not just lower oestrogen, they actively block your body taking it up, a different process..............I am no fan of them but every naturopath I have spoken to ahs said there is nothing natural that does the job as well..............I really don´t know myself, the prospect of 10 years on Exemestane is not one I like.........

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2015

    Thanks for the info ladies, I'll look forward to more responses. In my own research I also found that tumeric seems to be contraindicated. I stopped taking it long ago.

    Claire in AZ

  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 1,594
    edited May 2015
  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 3,534
    edited May 2015

    I was recommended to take turmeric

  • leggo
    leggo Member Posts: 3,293
    edited May 2015

    So how do you guys decide who to trust? All info seems reliable. Kind of wishy-washy though. I'm really "stuck" with turmeric. I don't want to miss out, but more importantly, don't want to make things worse.

    One study went so far as to actually say "turmeric is an excellent way to fight breast cancer" and in the same paragraph "use with caution for any reproductive hormone cancers such as breast or ovarian". What??? Not joking!...hysterical but completely stupid. I assume they mean er/pr+ bc, but seriously.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2015

    Also, I read somewhere (that's all I do these days: research and establish credibility for the research or not) that caffeine affects estrogen in negative ways? I hope that is simply not true. I love my coffee in the a.m. and with caffeine, please. I feel like I've given up so much else since dx I just don't want to have to let go of this one pleasure.


  • Kathy044
    Kathy044 Member Posts: 433
    edited May 2015
    Claire, the most recent finding is positive for caffeine in coffee for both ER+ and ER- cancers. I remember reading this last month and feeling left out as I get my caffeine fix with tea each morning.

    http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/21/8/1877

    Also I believe BCO had a news banner about the study

    Kathy
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2015

    Kathy, thank you for the good news on caffeine. I've given up alcohol, fat, sugar and so many other things. Caffeine in coffee is all I'm left with!


  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2015

    More info on AIs from the NIBH: "Inhibition of the aromatase enzyme has been shown to reduce estrogen production throughout the body to nearly undetectable levels and is proving to have significant affect on the development and progression of hormone-responsive breast cancers." So it does lower estrogen as well.

    Lots of jargon, so I suggest reading the entire article when you are wide awake. Another excerpt: "When results were reported as μg/mL, the most active extracts in the microsomal assay included a water reflux extract of Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Sielbold ("gui-jun woo" in Korean folk medicine), a dichloromethane partition of Isodon excisus Kudo var. coreanus , a water reflux extract of Scutellaria barbata D. Don , and a polyphenol-enhanced extract of green tea (Camellia sinensis Kuntze) . Another study reported results in units/100 g wet weight (one unit was defined as the dose required for 50% inhibition) and found tea (C. sinensis), coffee (Coffea L. sp.), cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), collards (Brassica oleracea L.), and tomato leaves (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) to strongly inhibit aromatase using a microsomal assay".

    Green tea/cocoa/collards/tomato leaves/coffee/grapeseed? Hmmm!

    Here's the entire article, after I googled "natural aromatase inhibitor".

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC307448...


  • new2bc
    new2bc Member Posts: 559
    edited May 2015

    Regarding curcumin, I remember reading somewhere it is not good to take it while taking Tamoxifen because it interacts with it. I do not know about AI. I use it in my food combining it with black pepper. I am currently taking anastozole.

  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited May 2015

    Stuff like the "curcumin, yay or nay?" drives me nuts. I get the feeling that nobody really knows. Meanwhile we poor patients are scrounging around trying to make heads and tails of all the conflicting info.

  • MarciaM
    MarciaM Member Posts: 118
    edited June 2015

    Hello all ladies;

    The clinical evidence is-that Indol 3 carbinal, a powerful broccoli supplement is just as good as AL. However with measuring your estrogen levels this must be done to see it works for you. I must add Iam still taking armirmedex but split the does eavery other day and i use I 3C. also flax seed but not flax oil helps fight Bc when used in tandum with tamoxifen. use the research is there but again my estrogen levels did not prove this out.( falx seed oil raised my estrogen) I m still on arimdiex but use tumeric, and also boswellia ( frankincense) . Bot hare currently in special studies as they seem to fight all cancers. I found this out on the NIH websites and have volumes of research and small studies.

    hope this helps. I am stage 4 lost use of the right hand. but still here after a brain tumor 3.5 years going. So there is something to supplements. Hope this helps!

    MarciaM

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2015

    Thank you Marcia, for the info. Likewise,posts like yours give me hope and all I can think of is to send you a cyber hug!

  • Msguera5
    Msguera5 Member Posts: 9
    edited June 2015

    hello there, so did you do your journey naturally? I want to know

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2015

    I'm not sure who you are directing your question to, Msguera5, but if it's me (the OP) you can see my treatment journey in my signature line.


    ????

    Claire in AZ

  • new2bc
    new2bc Member Posts: 559
    edited June 2015

    MarciaM,

    What brand of frankincense are you using and how and where do you apply it? I have heard good things about it.

  • Marie3
    Marie3 Member Posts: 36
    edited June 2015

    Hello,

    I was glad to see this post. It is very confusing trying to figure out which foods and supplements are best and the quantities to best consume to be effective. I have been on Tamoxifin for 4 years and just stopped taking it after finding my uterine lining is 4x the average. I am in the process of deciding what to do about that. I also have had joint pain in my hands and feet for the past year. I decided to finally go to a Naturopathic Oncologist and am in the process of getting various blood tests along with an estrogen metabolism test. Based on the findings he will determine just which foods and supplements will benefit me. After 6 months I will be retested. I feel more comfortable with this approach rather than trying everything I hear about. I am not sure if I will go on Arimidex or whatever my other oncologist suggests but if so will insist on a low dosage.

  • MarciaM
    MarciaM Member Posts: 118
    edited July 2015

    Hello all dear Ladies;

    I used frankincense oil label Boswellia Seratta organic essential oil, New Directions Aromatics. You now have to order 100.00 shipment. But for us Mets woman its a lifetime supply and a lifeline both. Dr .Siu online is doing studies on rats with BC and find it works well. No I did nto do al lnatural, i am a vegan ndn juicer too. I went thru traditional treatment which was the only thing Ifelt might work for me. and it did not really work, as I ended up with a brain tumor. So after the tumor removal and small amount of rads I triend to all natural with the exception of arimidex. I believe whatever causes the least harm, and most benefit. Do your research and if you are too stressed out to then send a private message and I'll help you go thru the list the natural path gave me. Its long and complex, but your job is to stay alive and well. The biomat invented in Japan also shrinks tumors according to the inventor and Dr.Yoshimisu, MD. , author of

    the Fourth treatment for Medical Refugees, theromotherapy in the new centruy. I use my amythyst biomat each day. it is amazing.

    All I can say is get a good jucier and jiuce about a pound of carrots with mixed greens dialy. then gradually add supplements and always tell the doc what you are doing. My doctors are in complete disbelief that i am still here after almost 5 years. Not saying any one thing works. Just never give up.

    I also used reiki for my journey and it helps relive stress.

    bless you all,

    MarciaM

  • pipers_dream
    pipers_dream Member Posts: 618
    edited July 2015

    Marcia I'm glad to hear you like your biomat so well--I just got mine and have been using it and the thing that I've noticed the most is that my breathing becomes so deep when I'm on it and the stress just melts away. I have no idea whether it will cure my cancer but it helps a lot with stress and that's my biggest concern right now. Have tried Reiki a couple of times but I think I got a couple of charlatans so will do my homework next time and I have a friend who I just found out does Healing Hands, which I think I can relate to better anyway.

  • MarciaM
    MarciaM Member Posts: 118
    edited July 2015

    Hi Pipers Dream,

    Glad to hear from you. I am certified Reiki master and I do give free reiki to local cancer patients if needed. I also see clietns privately for reiki.

    Reiki is a good therapy has been widely used in many studies and in hospitals and cancer institutes so whatever you did before give it a try again. The biomat is awesome for stress and I do mien with rieki. very soothing. yes it worked on my brai n tumor last year and inst to supposed to work n those things.. It dissolved whatever questionable cells and I had a normal MRI of the brain ,after having an abnormal one so just trust your feeling adn read the book about it by the MD in Japan. wish the Medical system was more optn to using this as its a superb device and does not hurt you.

    Stay well dear!

    Marcia M

  • pipers_dream
    pipers_dream Member Posts: 618
    edited July 2015

    Yes Marcia, I did read that book and it was very timely as I was getting ready to begin a 21 day fast, and extended fasting was discussed in the book and it added some info I didn't already have and it backed me up in my plan. I did finish the fast successfully and it's a little soon to say b/c this thing has gone back and forth, but I can swear the tumor is smaller by quite a bit. The scary part was when I had lymph nodes in my neck and chest area swell up and get really sore and tender, and then a couple of days later they would be fine again and I think I was really detoxing and esp from my face and jaw, where I had extensive dental work done last year. After this happened a few times, I noticed that some areas of my jaw that were still sore from the dental work were sore no longer and the sinus infection I started out with was completely gone within the first 2 days.

    Anyway, don't worry about what I think of Reiki--I seem to be a whacko magnet and let's face it--holistic healing and anything to do with it tends to attract those whacko types and I have been fortunate so far, so I was bound to run into some less than honest people on this journey. I still believe that most people in the medical field--conventional or alternative--genuinely want to help and genuinely do believe in their particular modality and now I know what to look for and what questions to ask. Also I will be steering clear of any meetups that have anything to do with New Age woo woo lol--a little too far out for my tastes I'm afraid. But Reiki is still a possibility.

    Oh and in the interest of staying on topic with lowering estrogen--again a little too soon to tell, but it seems that the fasting helped with that too. I hadn't had a hot flash in months and now I've had several again. Am I the only woman in Christiandom who actually enjoys hot flashes lol? At 56 I am so done with periods.

  • gavinsgrandma
    gavinsgrandma Member Posts: 407
    edited July 2015

    Frankinscense is part of my everyday routine, I use it in all my natural lotions, I have one that is just Frankinscense and Grapeseed oil that I put over my scars and my whole field where they did radiation, I also put a daily blend on the bottom of my feet as well as many other blends..... I guess you could say I am an EO junkie

  • Waterfalls
    Waterfalls Member Posts: 2
    edited July 2015

    Hi Claire,

    I think it's the "acidic" properties of caffeine that is the problem. Have you tried Matcha (green powdered tea)? If you can develop a taste for it, it may be a better option but if not perhaps just try to alkaline your diet in other ways and drinl a little less coffee.

  • Farmlovergrl
    Farmlovergrl Member Posts: 46
    edited September 2015

    Hi, could someone tell me if they have had success taking DIM and/or Calcium D Gluterate? I would like to hear from someone who has taken it for years or who knows the latest information on the success and safety of these. I have left arm lymphedema and I`m afraid to take Tamoxifen. Thank you! Farmlovergrl.

  • katcar0001
    katcar0001 Member Posts: 621
    edited September 2015

    Farmlover - I am sorry about your arm lymphedema. I only took DIM for a month, but I got spooked. I made a post about it yesterday, here: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/79/topic/...


  • labelle
    labelle Member Posts: 721
    edited September 2015

    The University of AZ is currently conducting a study to see if the use of DIM increases the effectiveness of Tamoxifen when combined so I guess they've decided DIM is safe enough to test on people and see what they say about its known benefits.

    "valuation of Diindolylmethane Supplementation to Modulate Tamoxifen Efficacy in Breast Cancer: The Diindolylmethane (DIM) Efficacy Study

    Image:

    Principal Investigator:

    Cynthia Thomson, PhD, RD, CSO

    Co-Investigators:

    Alison Stopeck, MD (Medical Oncologist, Stony Brook University)

    Patricia Thompson, PhD (Professor COPH, Stony Brook University)

    Denise Roe, PhD (Biostatistician COPH, member UACC)

    Sherry Chow, PhD (Associate professor- Pharmacology, member UACC)

    Sponsor:

    National Cancer Institute

    Summary:

    To date, no prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials have been conducted to test the hypothesis that exposure to diindolylmethane (DIM), in combination with tamoxifen (TAM), can significantly modify breast cancer risk. The DIME Study tests the novel hypothesis that DIM will demonstrate an enhanced efficacy of TAM by modulating the breast parenchyma to a 'low' density, 'low risk' state and alternatively by favorably modulating steroid hormone metabolism.

    In fact, DIM has been shown to act on breast cancer risk through a variety of mechanisms, and as such, core breast biopsy tissue samples and blood for alternate hypotheses testing (e.g., COX-2, prolactin receptor, proliferation assays, AhR, inflammatory markers, oxidative stress, etc) are collected in the context of this trial. The recruitment portion of the study ended in September 2015. Study results will be available late 2015 to early 2016."

    from: rcphp.arizona.edu/research/initiatives/dime

    It will be interesting to see if they come up with anything and if DIM does increase the effectiveness of Tamoxifen, will anyone investigate whether DIM works well on its own? Probably not, since it can't be patented but any results will be interesting IMO.

    After lots of research I do use both DIM and Calcium D-Glucarate instead of tamoxifen. Sorry, I have not bookmarked all the research I've done and read tons of books, but both DIM and Calcium D glucarate came up again and again as recommended to modulate estrogen. My best advice is to do you own research, consult a naturopath if possible and make a choice you can live with.


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