No green tea at time of Herceptin infusion

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Denny123
Denny123 Member Posts: 1,886
edited October 2018 in HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
I have known this for years, but wonder if anyone else knows this.
We should not drink green tea the day before, the day of, or the day after Herceptin. For some reason, it might slightly negate the effects of Herceptin.
I had read this on bcmets and asked my onc. about it a couple of years ago, but he hadn't heard anything about it.
A few months later, it was publsihed in a medical journal, so he then agreed with the theory.
So, of course, being me, I avoid green tea for 5 days just to be sure....
That would also include white and red teas, I am sure. It seems to have something to do with the antioxidant properties.
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  • WendyV
    WendyV Member Posts: 596
    edited March 2007
    Holy cow Denny - I wasn't aware of this. I had heard that it could effect the overall effectiveness of the chemotherapy but I hadn't heard about a negative correlation with the use of Hercpetin. Do you have a link or have access to the article. I would love to read it!
    Wendy
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  • Denny123
    Denny123 Member Posts: 1,886
    edited March 2007
    Wendy,
    Sorry, but it was 2 years ago. I will search the archives at bcmets and see what I can find.
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  • WendyV
    WendyV Member Posts: 596
    edited March 2007
    Thanks - your a sweetheart - don't knock yourself out trying to find it. After I thought about it, it made sense as I beleive the reason for avoiding green tea is because of the antioxidant properties. I think I read that since antioxidants prevent normal cell destruction that the fear is the healing properties of the antioxidants would protect the cancer cells as well. I had read about this in relation to chemotheraputics but it makes sense that it would have the same effect with Herceptin, since even though Herceptin isn't a chemotheraputic it is killing cancer cells. Thanks for the info Denise and have a great weekend!
    Wendy
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  • jjb1984
    jjb1984 Member Posts: 86
    edited March 2007
    what?? I constantly drink green tea..esp at work, after the infusion. Nuts. Is it a certain amount that you'd have to drink to do any damage? I always thought you needed at least 6 cups a day for anything postive, so I'd think it's the same for anything negative. Figures.
    Julie
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  • Kasey
    Kasey Member Posts: 695
    edited March 2007
    Wow, interesting Denise. Thanks for the info.
    Kasey
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  • Denny123
    Denny123 Member Posts: 1,886
    edited March 2007
    Wendy,
    I haven't found anything yet, but you did give a good explanation.
    So now, what about dark chocolate? I force (yeah right) myself to eat a little every day. And since it is a great antioxidant, perhaps I should abstain from it around my treatment.
    It would help with my attempts at weight-loss.
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  • Denny123
    Denny123 Member Posts: 1,886
    edited March 2007
    I'm not sure Julie, still looking for the medical journal info.

    I just drink Chai tea around my treatment time.

    Of course, I have also read that black tea isn't that good if one has BC.
    Drat.
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  • WendyV
    WendyV Member Posts: 596
    edited March 2007
    Oh sure, take my tea, take my carbs, take my sugar and now my chocolate too!!! :-) I guess the key with most of this is just moderation. When I first started looking into dietary changes to support my treatments for stage IV BC, I had myself in such a panic that I felt paralized. I had a book that basically said, don't use the microwave, don't use teflon coated pans, eat only orgainic unprocessed foods, and make sure you only have purified water, don't use plastic containers, etc, etc. I have decided to just go for moderation, cut back on the foods that I know aren't good for me and try to concentrate on keeping my body healthy without losing my mind at the same time. - I also found that some of the flavored green teas actually have less antioxidants than straight green tea so since I really like the taste, I've decided that this makes a nice compromise to my sanity level!
    Wendy
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  • Lynn2007
    Lynn2007 Member Posts: 1
    edited June 2007

    The posts about the effects of green tea while taking Herceptin were really disturbing! I hope that we can confirm that this is NOT the case! I am new to this site and have been so encouraged to read all the posts from women who are also her2neu+ because sometimes I just feel so LONELY. Thank you, gals, for all sticking together!

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  • threadbear
    threadbear Member Posts: 50
    edited June 2007
    Hmmmm, interesting. I am a tea drinker, and for 30 years or so always drank it with a little milk. Then a few months ago, I read a report saying that milk in tea destroys all the anti-oxidants, so I started drinking it black. What should I do- go back to milk until I'm done with Herceptin? I only drink 1 cup in the morning, and ice tea only when I eat out, not very often.

    Laura
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  • Patye51
    Patye51 Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2007
    www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm
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  • LillyDuff
    LillyDuff Member Posts: 73
    edited September 2018

    Just started drinking one cup of green tea a day thinking it was safe now to add antioxidants into my diet. I finished Herceptin and all treatments four months ago. I read somewhere that Herceptin lingers in the body six to eight months, so should I avoid green tea until after the eight month mark?

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  • ColleenS80
    ColleenS80 Member Posts: 271
    edited September 2018

    This article seems to indicate the opposite...

    https://www.oncologynurseadvisor.com/headlines/green-tea-trastuzumab-cancer-benefits/article/375542/

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  • RobynS4
    RobynS4 Member Posts: 25
    edited October 2018

    Has anyone refused chemo but chose herceptin and perjeta therapy only? If so, what were your results?

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  • WC3
    WC3 Member Posts: 1,540
    edited October 2018

    RobynS4:

    I haven't but there are some studies on it. The survival rates are worse.

    HER2 is a receptor that when "switched on", ultimately causes cell proliferation. Receptors typically have triggers called ligands. For example, estrogen is a ligand for estrogen receptors. HER2 does not have a known ligand. It's triggered when other receptors...HER3 and HER4 and to some extent, HER1, are triggered by their ligands and then heterodimerize ( attach to) HER2.

    Herceptin is composed of antibodies that ultimately interfere with the function of the HER2 receptors, and Perjeta prevents heterodimerization with HER1, HER3, and HER4, but these processes aren't perfect and cells also have other types of receptors that can facilitate proliferation, or HER2 receptors that the antibodies can't interfere with. The chemotherapy gets around this by attacking the cells in other ways. For example, taxanes interfere with cell division by interefering with the function of the microtubules of the cytoskeketon of the cell.

    So if a cell were a building, herceptin damages the doors, perjeta jams the opening mechanism, and taxanes attack the frame.


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