Multivitamins & Cancer

Helen,

Thanks.  These studies are so confusing.  We see one study that says it's liked to cancer and then other studies that say there is no connection or it helps prevent cancer.  What are we to believe?

Donna

Maybe take them every other day!  LOL

thanks Helen for the article....it really is a struggle to figure out which articles and reasearch have the most validity. I  take B1 and B6 for for peripheral neuropathy  B12 and folate to help me with my anemia and falling iron counts plus  Vit D, calcium, and fish oil so might try dropping the multi pill at least on alt days as Donna suggests

Tracy in Toronto

Hi Helen

How much Black Cohash do you take for the hot flashes? I crashed  into 'chemo pause" after my last previous chemo (last one coming up mid Oct!) My reg. onc. was away and his colleage was not very  helpful - she said that they might put me on Effexcor (an ant-dep. that also treats hot flashes) when I go on hormone therapy after chemo. I understand the onc's rationale that she  is recluctant to start Effexcor while I am on chemo, steroids etc. and my periods may come and go again for a while but she didn't have any suggestions on how to manage in the interim. Meanwhile not getting much sleep with the hot flashes running day and night. I have some sleep pills from my general practioner I can take the night before if I need some good zz's if I have a big day at the hospital or whatever but don't want to get too hooked on them....any other tips you might have on the managing the hot flashes? If it gets unbearable I will call my regular onc. before my next appt. 

PS: I will be going on hormone therapy (e.g Tamoxafin or one if its sister drugs) to help prevent recurrence of my 2nd non-TN hormone positive tumor.  This will eventually put me in permanent early menopause.

Tracy in Toronto

I was on a big vitamin / supplement binge for months before I was diagnosed in 2007. Those prepackaged multi-pill packs with all sorts of stuff in them...To this day, a part of me believes that had something to do with my diagnosis. Who knows? 

It was multi formula, including all the regular stuff, and mineralized seaweed, echinacea, acidophilus, fruit and vegetable powder blend, enzymes, magnolia bark, ginseng, fish oil)...4 pills a day with all this stuff in them. I never took vitamins on a daily basis before this, and really got into these for a while. At the time I was diagnosed, I figured..well, I am generally very healthy, good numbers on my blood tests...so maybe these vitamins and herbs kept me from being 'sicker' at my diagnosis...who knows. All I know is ever since then, I have a little bit of worry with every swallow of a vitamin I take, and I don't take them every day any longer, and I don't take this brand, either.