Valerian

Axolotl
Axolotl Member Posts: 56
edited March 2019 in Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment

Does anyone here know anything about using valerian with estrogen-positive breast cancer? I'm on aromasin and have trouble sleeping along with hot flashes and night sweats. Valerian seems to help with those symptoms.However, my oncologist advised me against continuing to take valerian. She wasn't actually familiar with it, but thought it might be a phyoestrogen if it has an effect on menopausal symptoms.

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  • Palesa2018
    Palesa2018 Member Posts: 140
    edited October 2018

    Hi Axolotl I have not heard of Valerian before. What does your research tell you? Better to err on the side of what your MO says I reckon. Hope the side effects ease soon for you! I'm taking the usual supplements: vit D, Magnesium, Curcumin, Omega 3, Calcium. So far so good. Have started ovarian suppression.

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  • LoveFromPhilly
    LoveFromPhilly Member Posts: 1,308
    edited October 2018

    I can't speak to the phytoestrogenic properties of Valerian. However, melatonin, at 20mg dose taken about 1 hour before bedtime has helped me immensely with falling asleep.

    Melatonin is well-researched and evidence shows that it suppresses tumor growth (if taken before bed) and has great anti-cancer properties.

    I am an herbalist and love herbs - I prescribe them all the time to my patients. I do not typically prescribe Valerian for sleep issues - it is more of an anti-anxiety/muscle relaxant. Valium is made from Valerian (fun fact!).

    I think that typically MOs do not know or have any training in herbs and supplements. They operate on the err of caution of what they know and do not want anything to interfere with your treatments.

    My best advice would be to find a naturopathic doctor (medically licensed and nationally certified) who is also certified as FABNO (which is a very intensive oncology training) and who knows how to best prescribe supplements that will support you and your needs, before, during and after treatments. An ND with these qualifications will know how to communicate about your prescriptions with your MO team and give you a break from being concerned and anxious about if what you are taking is okay or not, and allow you to focus on healing.

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  • Palesa2018
    Palesa2018 Member Posts: 140
    edited October 2018

    Sound advice.

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  • dtad
    dtad Member Posts: 2,323
    edited October 2018

    Hi everyone. Not sure about Valerian, but a supplement called Relizen has been approved. It definitely has helped my hot flashes and night sweats

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  • Axolotl
    Axolotl Member Posts: 56
    edited October 2018

    Thanks to everyone responded here! When I did a search on this site, I noticed that quite a few women are taking valerian. However, I haven't been able to find any scientific studies about it's properties as a phytoestrogen or impact on cancer. My MO is so cautious she urged me to stop juicing my vegetables. She is OK with melatonin and I'm taking that currently to help with sleep.

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  • MelissaDallas
    MelissaDallas Member Posts: 7,268
    edited October 2018

    Memorial Sloan Kettering has a nice reference for herbs and supplements

    https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medi...


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  • Palesa2018
    Palesa2018 Member Posts: 140
    edited October 2018

    Hi Axolotl, what does your MO say about juicing vegetables? I love juicing and noted you mentioned that your MO has concerns about that? Thanks

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  • Axolotl
    Axolotl Member Posts: 56
    edited October 2018

    Thank MelissaDallas! I saw that site but I still wasn't clear on whether valerian is a phytoestrogen or whether has an influence on ER+ cancer.

    Hi Palesa2018, my MO told me that a varied diet of foods eaten in normal quantities is safe. At the time I was juicing daily and she encouraged me to go down to making juice twice per week. She said that she thinks juice contains too much sugar, that whole fruits and vegetables are better because they contain fiber, and she is concerned about me consuming anything in a more concentrated form than one would eat naturally. My juice is mostly vegetable based and I get plenty of fiber from other sources, but it's hard for me to ignore her advice.

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  • MelissaDallas
    MelissaDallas Member Posts: 7,268
    edited October 2018

    Axolotl, their write-ups on other things clearly say that people with breast cancer may want to avoid and this one does not. The deal about:

    Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) substrates: Valerian inhibits CYP2D6 (48) and CYP3A4 (41) (49), and can affect the serum concentration of drugs metabolized by these enzymes could mean that taking it may make taking other drugs less effective - don't know if that includes Tamoxifen or AIs or not.

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  • MCBaker
    MCBaker Member Posts: 1,555
    edited October 2018

    If you are taking gabapentin for anything, do NOT take valerian. I reported it to my PCP, and she about had a heart attack. I resolved much of my sleep problems by cutting off caffeine intake after ten AM.

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  • gailmary
    gailmary Member Posts: 332
    edited March 2019

    I talked to MO today. Says Valerian is ok for my ER + cancer. As long as the supplement doesnt also have soy lecithin in it. Cause No Soy!

    Boy was i mad. Asked her why I was never told this before. I even talked to the nutritionist there. No excuse.

    Really! Couldnt they have a print out for us wth all the do's and don'ts Or point us to a website. My first MO had a list of websites to visit. That was 10 yrs ago. I was warned not to go to any other websites. This one was kinda young and not allowed. Yet It's the best.

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  • Axolotl
    Axolotl Member Posts: 56
    edited March 2019

    Hi Gailmary, I live in Asia where soy is very common. According to my MO, studies about soy are mixed. She said it was OK for me to have soy as part of a meal in a varied diet, such as tofu in fried rice. She cautioned me not to consume products with processed soy (like soy protein), especially in a concentrated form. She's never mentioned soy lecithin to me.

    Recently I read a study that soy might have a protective effect in women who grew up eating it, but a negative effect on women who did not consume soy until after their breast cancer diagnosis. https://gumc.georgetown.edu/news-release/understan...


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