AdrianB1971

[Jason]

Hey dude, i sent you a PM but you must of not realised it, so i thought illl ask you here. I asked you a different question in that message but dont worry about that.

I just want to ask you, when you took the vitamins. When during the day did you take the dose of vitamins? Was it before or after the daily chemo intake?

Jason

[dadmo]

Jason:
Make sure you discus your plans with the oncologist who is treating you. Many oncologists would prefer that you don’t take any supplements during chemo. If your doctor gives the ok by all means take them but if he says not to please don’t. Unless of course you are will to tell him that your going to take them regardless of what he wants.

[indiana9]

Food for thought regarding a vitamin regimen during chemo:

ACS :: Selecting Which Drugs to Use for Chemotherapy Treatments

Drug Interactions

In addition to considering how to best combine 2 or more chemotherapy drugs, doctors must also consider potential interactions between chemotherapy drugs and other medications, including vitamins and nonprescription medicines. In some cases, these interactions may make side effects worse. In others they may interfere with the effectiveness of the chemotherapy. Therefore, it is important that you tell your doctor about all medicines, including vitamins, dietary supplements, and nonprescription medicines that you are taking.

For example, many chemotherapy drugs temporarily slow down the bone marrow’s production of blood platelets (clotting cells). Aspirin or related drugs can weaken blood platelets. This is not a problem for healthy people with normal platelet counts. But, for people with low platelet counts due to chemotherapy, this interaction may increase the risk of a serious bleeding problem.

Vitamins: Many people want to take an active role in improving their general health in order to help their body's natural defenses fight the cancer and to speed up their recovery from the side effects of chemotherapy.

Because most people think of vitamins as a safe way to improve health, it is not surprising that many people with cancer take high doses of one or more vitamins. But few realize that some vitamins might make their chemotherapy less effective.

Certain vitamins, such as A, E, and C act as antioxidants. This means that they can prevent formation of ions that damage DNA. This damage is thought to have an important role in causing cancer. There is some evidence that getting enough of these vitamins (through a balanced diet and, perhaps, by taking vitamin supplements) may help reduce the risk of developing some types of cancer.

On the other hand, some chemotherapy drugs (and radiation) work by producing these same types of ions to severely damage the DNA of cancer cells, so the cells are unable to grow and reproduce. Some scientists believe that taking high doses of antioxidant vitamins during treatment may make chemotherapy or radiation less effective. Few studies have been done to thoroughly test this theory. Until we know more about the effects of vitamins on chemotherapy drugs, many oncologists recommend the following during chemotherapy:

If your doctor has not prescribed vitamins for a specific reason, it is best not to take any on your own.
A simple multivitamin is probably acceptable for people who want to take a vitamin supplement, but check with your doctor first.
It is safest to avoid taking high doses of antioxidant vitamins during chemotherapy treatment. Ask your doctors when it might be safe to start such vitamins after treatment is finished.
If you are concerned about nutrition, you can usually get plenty of vitamins by eating a well-balanced diet.

[AdrianB1971]

Me again

My regimen was : from 1 week before chemo to 3 months after chemo
400 IU Vit E
200 mcg Selenium

...daily

Cisplatin and Etoposide are mentioned to have a sinergical effect with high doses of vit E (not C).
Vit E acts like a very poweful protector against ototoxicity and neurotoxicity from cisplatin.
Selenium works against kidney toxicity from cisplatin.


This was my personal option. Please dont take a decision based on my experience.

Also please check this link

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12610195&dopt=Abstract

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb334/is_200304/ai_n5713915

...and is one of Thousands

[Jason]

Adrian i meant like during the day when did you take the vitamins. Like before of after the chemo drip. Sorry i worded it wrong.

Dadmo i will definitly ask my doctor. Ill see him before i start next Monday, so ill be asking him then.

Also adrian, it seems like the vitamins help neuropathy but what do you think about what indiana said about some doctors saying it can make the chemo less effective. Is it proven?

[dadmo]

Please don't misunderstand me. I'm big on supplements myself and I questioned the doctors several times when they wouldn't allow any. I wanted my son take Myoplex Protein Powder and the oncology nurse and oncologist shot me down instantly. As a result we didn’t take anything that wasn’t prescribed.

[indiana9]

I'm with Dadmo with regards to supplements post chemo.... I daily take Fish Oil, Vit C, E, CoQ10, Selenium, Magnesium, Boron, Zinc, Cayenne Pepper, Lecithin, Centrum Silver, & Glucosamine/Condroitin & was taking the same regimen for about three years prior to the TC diagnosis. My oncologist at IU insisted that I stop all the supplements except for the daily Centrum Silver during my chemotherapy. I wish you all the best during your journey and know that you will be cured once it is all said and done.
Brian

[AdrianB1971]

well, its essential to take AO before daily chemo session (one or two hours ). Until recent years, all doctors where trained on this manner : AO interfere in negative sense with chemo. The recent studies reveals that some chemo agents work weel with High doses of AO. The mechanism of chemo is NOT COMPLETLY UNDERSTANDED even by doctors or scientists. Particulary, cisplatin works weel with 400-500 UI Vit E. I'm not speaking about another AO substances...only VIT E. also, its essential to take vit E at least 3 months after BEP [cisplatin has delayed toxicity].

For me was very very important to get thru chemo without debilitating side effects and therefore I done alot of researches on this way.

Once again [I experimented on me and I'm not advising anyone to do that]