To Boost The Immune System ?

Please can anyone advise us as to what my partner could take to boost his immune system. He has been diagnosed with smouldering myeloma and i understand he should not take echinacea.

Many thanks for any help

Gillian.

Hi Gilly

When you have cancer Echincea ,would'nt do the job anyway . The most powerful immun support I know of is Beta Glucan1,3D. You can read about it at Bill Henderson's site

http://www.beating-cancer-gently.com/nl104.htm

http://www.AboutBetaGlucan.com/bspecial.asp

Also you can look into a product called Cancema. They have cancer bundle's for many different types of cancer. They have one for bone cancer as well. I giving they product for my 10 yo son and he is doing , well on it.

http://www.bloodrootproducts.com/cansupp2.htm

Sutherlandia OPC Extract is another thing has positive effect on bone cancer.

http:www.sutherlandiaopc.com/

Anvirzel was the original formula they run clinical tryals on OPC is a new improved formula. 

http://www.fda.gov/cder/warn/mar2000/dd03500.pdf 

http://www.bodyandmind.co.za/merchant_nc.php?pid=901&ste

Hope you will find some of this helpful.

Best regards to you and your husband

Liz 

Hello Gillian Here are some immune boosters which are recommended for a variety of cancers. High doses of ascorbic acid are also highly recommended by my healthcare givers. I have used all of these natural substances with good results. ____________ CURCUMIN http://www.goodhealth.nu/News_Articles/050111-curcumin-anti- AHCC http://www.ahccpublishedresearch.com/wwwroot-ahcc/studies/AH VITAMIN C http://www.anelloclinic.com/healthinfo/vitamin%20c.html ___________________ Copyright (C) 2007 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved In clinical cancer trials, Avemar was shown to reduce the progression of disease in patients with head and neck cancers, colorectal cancer, and malignant melanoma of the skin. The quality of life of patients with breast cancer or lung cancer improved significantly (P < 0.05) after supportive treatment with Avemar: improvements in the global state of health and fatigue were observed in lung cancer patients, and improvements in physical and emotional function, the global state of health, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and constipation were observed in breast cancer patients. Clinical studies of the efficacy of Avemar in the treatment of other cancers are ongoing. However, observational data indicate that this wheat germ extract has favorable effects on ovarian cancer, gastric cancer, thyroid cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. "The therapeutic spectrum of Avemar is much wider than it had been thought some years ago." ___________________ Avemar (Wheat Germ Extract) Avemar is the new wonder-alternative cancer treatment / adjuvant therapy for boosting the immune system and fighting cancer. "Research at UCLA has demonstrated that Avemar reduces glucose flow into the cancer cells.  Cancer cells can evade NK [natural killer] cells by masking their outer membrane with a special substance that the NK cells recognize as 'normal.'  Avemar suppresses the release of this masking substance -- allowing NK cells to better target and kill the cancer cells."  Avemar's immune-stimulating ability appears to be so powerful that it can be useful in helping to restore even the most severely compromised immune systems.

On 2/9/2008 GillyB wrote:

Please can anyone advise us as to what my partner could take to boost his immune system. He has been diagnosed with smouldering myeloma and i understand he should not take echinacea.

Many thanks for any help

Gillian.

If a person has smoldering myeloma you want to use supplements that not only boost the immune system, but also target myeloma specifically. The most studied products for MM are:

Curcumin, Resvertrol, Fish Oil, AHCC, Proteolytic Enzymes (WobenzymN) and Zyflamend. Those are the big six for myeloma.

I would also include an alkaline based diet and plenty of exercise. Both of these help create an environment that is more difficult for the cancer to develop.

Best regards.

Craig 

 And lots of CoQ10. Vegetable juice made daily: Carrot/Apple/elery

carrot/spinach/apple.  2 Beets/1 apple help cleanse the liver. Liver is important in the fight on immunity. MMS

On 2/10/2008 photog wrote:

If a person has smoldering myeloma you want to use supplements that not only boost the immune system, but also target myeloma specifically. The most studied products for MM are:

Curcumin, Resvertrol, Fish Oil, AHCC, Proteolytic Enzymes (WobenzymN) and Zyflamend. Those are the big six for myeloma.

I would also include an alkaline based diet and plenty of exercise. Both of these help create an environment that is more difficult for the cancer to develop.

Best regards.

Craig 

 

 

On 2/10/2008 mmsurvivor wrote:

 And lots of CoQ10. Vegetable juice made daily: Carrot/Apple/elery

carrot/spinach/apple.  2 Beets/1 apple help cleanse the liver. Liver is important in the fight on immunity. MMS

On 2/10/2008 photog wrote:

If a person has smoldering myeloma you want to use supplements that not only boost the immune system, but also target myeloma specifically. The most studied products for MM are:

Curcumin, Resvertrol, Fish Oil, AHCC, Proteolytic Enzymes (WobenzymN) and Zyflamend. Those are the big six for myeloma.

I would also include an alkaline based diet and plenty of exercise. Both of these help create an environment that is more difficult for the cancer to develop.

Best regards.

Craig 

 

Absolutely. Both the liver and kidney function are very important while treating myeloma. My wife (I forgot) also takes liquid Milk Thistle for her liver and several homeopathic remedies for both the liver and kidney. Very important. As a result, both her liver and kidney function have stayed very strong for the 1+ years since diagnosis and chemo.

Regards,

Craig 

 

Hi Gilly ~~  I'd just like to add one more to your list, namely Odourless Garlic Tablets.  Garlic has long been known as natures antibiotic, and I have found that with all the treatment I have had for Myeloma I have ended up very suseptable to catching any and everything thats going around!  By taking the Garlic tablets I have boosted my immunity which protects me from getting sick.  Without it I know that I would have been very sick a long time ago.  My oncologist told me at the very beginning that I would NOT DIE of Myeloma, it would be pneumonia or an infection which medicine would not be able to stop. I have now seen this with several Myeloma patients so I am very religious about taking my Odourless Garlic Tablets!!  And of course, because they are odourless you don't taste them and you don't smell of garlic -- what could be better!! 

Gilly you are doing the right thing in gathering all this information before starting treatment -- I am so impressed and wish that I had done the same before it all started for me almost 5 years ago.  Well done - he is very blessed to have you on his 'team'!!  Take good care, Cath

 

On 2/9/2008 GillyB wrote:

Please can anyone advise us as to what my partner could take to boost his immune system. He has been diagnosed with smouldering myeloma and i understand he should not take echinacea.

Many thanks for any help

Gillian.

Gillian,

I did not take the time to read all the replys but I did notice Beta Glucan was mentioned.

I personally was diagnosed with MM last summer and then a second opinion (which I trust) put me in the smouldering/MGUS catagory.  My initial abnormal plasma cell count last summer from the bone marrow biopsy, put me at 28%. 

The last six months of my life I have: lowered my stress significantly, gotten lots more sleep each night, and started taking Beta Glucan every day (3 months ago) and B12 shots (2 months ago). The B12 helps tremendously with my stamina and energy level and I truly believe the Beta Glucan has helped with boosting my immune system.  I feel a world different then I did a year ago.  One year ago I was so incredibly tired and I was sick for 1 1/2 months last winter with virus/bacterial (?) infection.  I also take lots of natural antifungals supplements.

In addition to the above I eat: hardly any grains (only on occasion), hardly any dairy, no sugars (except in fruits).  I eat lots of vegetables, fruits, raw fresh nuts (without mould), lots of home cooked beans and smaller proportion of meat (fish, chicken and some grass-fed beef).  I believe eggs are good too, but I don't eat them because they cause skin reactions on me.

Even though I only got diagnosed this last summer the last three years of my life I was feeling worse and worse, getting sicker and sicker (despite not being over-weight and only being in my early 40s).  I have cut grains and sugars out of my diet little by little over the last three years.  My non-stop yeast infections have finally stopped (six months now) and my latest bone marrow biopsy showed the abnormal plasma cells at about 10% instead of the 28% from last summer. 

I feel so much better (despite still being a busy 43 year old mother of two young girls ages 5 and 9).  I don't know what the answer will be for your loved one but I highly recommend: Beta Glucan, anti-fungals, adjusting diet to include less sugars and man made carbs in general and talking to the doctor about B12 shots.  Sometimes our bodies can't absorb the B12 on it's one.  Getting enough sleep, lowering stress and walking have been helpful for me.  Hope this helps.

 Karen

 Good Evening Cath;

"My oncologist told me at the very beginning that I would NOT DIE of Myeloma, it would be pneumonia or an infection which medicine would not be able to stop. I have now seen this with several Myeloma patients."

I recall you mentioning this before and have forgotten to question you on this. Are you saying that MM is similiar to AIDS in that the immune system is compremised and therefore susceptable to any exposed virus? I can understand this while taking chemo as that lowers our white cells. But my Dr. told me my demise would probably be from renal failure as the kidneys just can't keep up with the protein levels produced. Now believe me Cath, I don't want to start such a macabre topic as our deaths, but you have sparked my interest. Besides, I have plans on being on the cover of the Medical Journal.

Comments please;

Kevin

Hi Kevin -- I agree with what both doctors have said -- I think that mine was focusing on 'infection' in a very general way and meaning kidney failure as well as the kind of bugs which attack someone with a compromised immune system.  From the way my own situation is being managed, in that I have monthly medical appointments, I haven't even begun to contemplate a time when I won't have some sort of treatment happening.  Maybe thats fatalistic, I don't know, but I'm still in the realm of thinking that I will always have some level of myeloma in my system.  Treatment, in my case, has been  aimed at slowing down the progression but not at completely ridding me of the disease.  Treatment, whether Revlimid, Velcade, Thalidomide,VAD, Cyclo, Radiation, Aridia -- you name it, has worked in the sence that my paraprotein has been 'stable' for a very long (relatively speaking!) time down from 90 to 8.  But during that entire time my immune system has been compromised and I have been neutropenic and suseptable to any and all bugs around.  Fortunately I have only succumbed once, but it took 3 very high powered antibiotics over 7 days to kick in to rid me of pneumonia -- something which would have previously happened within 24 hours!  In your case, facing a transplant, perhaps the outlook is different.  Perhaps ALL of the Myeloma will eventually be gone and you will one day be 'normal' again, with no hint of MM -- wouldn't that be wonderful?!  I don't know if that is a real possibility or not for you, but I do know that it is not possible for me. At this point in time medicine won't totally rid me of myeloma, which does mean a compromised immune system for the rest of my life.  I hope that you do make the front cover of the Medical Journal -- wouldn't that be the day!!  What celebrations by the whole Myeloma world!! From what you have said about your transplant it certainly sounds like you have the best chance of all and I do so pray that it works the way you want it to!  My thoughts and prayers are with you!! Best wishes always, Cath