On 10/30/2007 rolemommie3 wrote:
I wanted to know if anyone took complementary medicines when they were undergoing chemotherapy ( ex. chinese herbal meedicnes, acupuncture, diet changes etc). Does anyone recommend any during the chemotherapy??
I didn't know that much about it when I was going through my Hodgkins treatments (back in 1988 & 1995), but after that I got involved with supplements to help me deal with all the long term problems I had as a result of my treatments (both radiation and ABDV chemo).
I have found that megadoses of Vitamin C help with my immune system and GI issues (at least 2 grams per day). I take an iron supplement to help with my hemoglobin. I take selenium to help with my thyroid problems (I am on thyroid medication, the selenium just helps a little). I take vitamin D (at least 2 grams per day) to help with energy, etc. I also take Omega3 oil and red yeast rice for my cholesterol.
When I was undergoing chemo - Taxotere - for breast cancer in 2004 (secondary cancer result from the radiation), I continued taking all of my supplements. At one point I ran out of iron and didn't get to the store for a couple of weeks - my hemoglobin dropped and they wanted to put me on procrit, I declined, got my iron supplement going again, and at the next visit, my hemoglobin was back to normal. I also couldn't take neupogen, but I think the vitamin C helped keep my white counts up a little - they were very low, but not as bad as they would have been.
My doctors weren't very supportive about my supplements, but I insisted that I needed them and that was the end of the discussion.