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Comments

  • Jainey
    Jainey Member Posts: 36
    edited January 2011

    Meandmymom2 .. Hi there .. nice that you are here for your mom ... sounds like your mom has had surgery? I know I was prescribed Tamoxifen after my surgery ... what type of cancer, stage and grade (as said earlier) are very important factors ... sounds like hormone positive? I have a ND Oncologist who has me on natural supplements/vitamins and diet/lifestyle program to replace Tamoxifen. If you would like more info, please PM me ... I would love to share and help you find your way ...  lots of good help here, all the best.

  • crazy4carrots
    crazy4carrots Member Posts: 624
    edited January 2011

    Victoria -- I don't know of any studies into hereditary menopausal symptoms, but I can tell you that mine were the same as my mother and sisters -- virtually none other than the occasional "warm" flash.  And I can point to my older sister-in-law and her three girls (on DH's side),  They all went through menopause in their early forties and all had symptoms -- hot flashes, moodiness etc.  So I conclude that the symptoms are probably hereditary!

  • Estepp
    Estepp Member Posts: 2,966
    edited January 2011

    thank you for your suggestions on my nausea with taking my supplements. I have been testing it... it seems to only be the fish oil.

  • vivre
    vivre Member Posts: 881
    edited January 2011

    Here are some things  I have learned from going through menopause. First of all, every woman must read The Wisdom Of Menopause, by Dr. Christiane Northrup. It is the bible on menopause, and will explain so much. I credit this book with changing my whole mindset about cancer. It was the first book I read, and put me onto the path of holistic health.

    One of the things that I seem to notice is that many of us with bc, did not seem to have a lot of hot flashes. In looking back, in my case, I think this is because I was storing so much estrogen in my midsection(which I have since lost). Low estrogen causes hot flashes, hence the side effects from the hormonal drugs. But  I did have very heavy periods, which I have since learned indicates low progesterone. So while I was not producing hormones of my own, my body was taking up the excess estrogen in my midsection fat tissue so I was not feeling the effects. I was warm but never flashed, but my hands and feet were always cold, which indicates that all along my whole underlying problem was hypothyroid. It really makes me mad that when I presented these symptoms to my doctor, she did not take it seriously because my tests were all "normal". Why do they continue to just rely so much on tests and not symptoms. She did not even do a thyroid test on me!

    There seems to be a lot of us who had breast cancer, but no hot flashes. Could it be because we were still estrogenic? It is the progesterone that protects us from bc, as well as a working thyroid. That it why I believe hormone balance, which includes everything from thyroid, to estrogens, to vit d, to insulin, cortisol, etc. is what we need to try to attain, rather than just block our hormones with drugs. It is a lot more work this way, but it sure gives me the peace of mind that I am protecting myself better than a drug would. Of course, the key is to find a doctor who can support you in this. That is the dilemna.

  • fairy49
    fairy49 Member Posts: 536
    edited February 2011

    ha!! good points Vivre, I had no hot flashes and very heavy periods, makes sense....... oh and I forgot to let you know from an earlier post that I drink a ton of water! and take a lot of omegas, so I guess I just have dry skin!! actually its not so much dry as beginning to sag Yell and I run 25-30 miles a week and do weights, I don;t know.......Cry

  • toni30
    toni30 Member Posts: 68
    edited February 2011
    asschercut - Thanks for info on ONJ - I had no idea. Do you know what digestive enzymes are and how you buy them?  Should everyone take them?
  • EastCoastGrl
    EastCoastGrl Member Posts: 206
    edited February 2011

    fairy49- your stats are very close to mine.....And vivre, I am 44 (in a week) and have not entered into menopause, I do have heavy periods (well for 2-3 days then nothing). So not sure how it correlates with the BC for me. I totally agree that doctors should focus on getting the WHOLE body in balance also. But that is up to us I suppose. I have been doing research and doing all that I can to do that. It is frustrating because I think I'm doing all these "healthful" things...and I ended up anemic 3 months after diagnosis. Was fine at first bloodwork but after that I cut most meat out of my diet and upped the green tea that I already drank. Have since found out that tea should not be consumed within 2 hours, on either side, of an iron containing meal. It is so hard for our bodies to absorb iron as it is and the tea inhibits it further. I could tell something was wrong. Just had no clue it was anemia. I began to feel no energy, extremely depressed, just couldn't shake it, etc. I thought it was just everything I had been through (I'm sure it contributed). But as soon as I started focusing on eating iron containing foods and watching the tea, along with the iron pills prescribed, I started feeling MUCH better. So, it's all a balance for sure.

  • luv_gardening
    luv_gardening Member Posts: 362
    edited February 2011

    I had lots of hot flashes and extremely heavy periods for years. My mother and sister had the same.  I'm so used to hot flashes and sweats that I didn't notice any change on arimidex or tamoxifen.  Mind you, on hot Australian days like today, 42C / 108F and still rising, I need a wet cloth to mop up the sweat.

    Sheila, 12:38pm Sydney time.

  • ninap7
    ninap7 Member Posts: 11
    edited February 2011

    the doctors name is dr. gonzalez - i am reading knockout so his name is fresh in m mind and everyone must do the coffee enema

  • ninap7
    ninap7 Member Posts: 11
    edited February 2011

    sorry ladies, i did not scroll up and see that dr. gonzalez was mentioned already - what is a coffee enema?

  • asschercut
    asschercut Member Posts: 73
    edited February 2011

    Lindasa : that's very interesting...and good news at my end!

    Vivre, and fairy...thank you so much for your info. My sister and I were keen to read other thoughts.

    My mum also had light periods like myself...but sis always has dreadful pain accompanied my migraines with her periods. I wonder if only one of us ends up with menopausal symptoms?

    Victoria

  • asschercut
    asschercut Member Posts: 73
    edited February 2011

    Hi toni30 : Here's a little info on digestive enzymes...

    http://www.yourbodycanheal.com/enzymes.html

    I eat a lot of raw food...and I also take shots of a living food drink, daily, providing me with living probiotics, enzymes, making sure my inner eco system is constantly provided with beneficial microflora.

    Victoria

  • Estepp
    Estepp Member Posts: 2,966
    edited February 2011

    Lordy.... I had 50-60 hot flashes a day and no periods.........

  • Luna5
    Luna5 Member Posts: 532
    edited February 2011

    Victoria, both my Mom and I didn't really notice going through menopause.  My cheeks flushed occasionally at parties when adult beverages were involved which was the only symptom I could attribute to menopause.  I'm not exactly sure of when I went through it but I know it was over before I was 45.  I am 56 now.

  • Luna5
    Luna5 Member Posts: 532
    edited February 2011

    Fairy, I wish I could run 25 or 30 miles a week.  Once again today I re-started my exercise program and of course  something went wrong.  I was on my rebounder, not even doing anything vigorous and there was a very loud pop somewhere in my knee.  I'm icing it now.  It didn't hurt when the pop happened and doesn't really hurt now...just seems weak and stiff.  I've had it wrapped all day and did all my chores in case I can't walk tomorrow :)  I think I'm jinxed.  Everytime I start back exercising, the treadmill blows up or I hurt something or my husband wants to eat out at all the most fattening places.  This is really starting to tick me off !!!  I would really like to re-join the gym because I like the stairmaster and sauna and steam room and the leg press machine.

    I was avoiding calcium supps, but am thinking I'm probably not getting any in my diet so maybe I should add it back.  My 2:16 with calcium test came back that I am losing bone and my doc wants me to do strontium and calcium.  Anyonehave any advice for me on this!

  • asschercut
    asschercut Member Posts: 73
    edited February 2011

    Buona Giorno Bella Luna5,

    So you didn't notice going through menopause either. This is great to hear!

    Here are some natural sources of calcium that might help.

     http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/diet_nutrition/calcium.htm

    I occasionally use ocean milk coral calcium...and go for walks in the evening. I don't like strenuous exercise, at all. Perhaps you should start back up at the gym...sounds like you enjoy it there. We should always do what makes us feel good.

    Have a fab day...xxx

    Victoria

  • asschercut
    asschercut Member Posts: 73
    edited February 2011

    Hi barry:

    I'm pretty sure I posted these links here some time ago...thought you might be interested...

    I'm ER+...so I bookmarked them.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1813930/?tool=pmcentrez

    "Overall, these data indicate that resveratrol can act as a breast cancer metastasis-preventive agent but should be used with caution with regard to concentration. Even though such high concentrations may not be achieved by consumption of foods containing resveratrol, pharmacological concentrations of resveratrol may have breast cancer-preventive/therapeutic potential. Therefore, this disparate unique mechanism of action of a common dietary compound at low and high concentrations directly impacts the use of resveratrol in breast cancer prevention and therapy."

    http://aacrmeetingabstracts.org/cgi/content/abstract/2005/1/647-c

    "Resveratrol induces methylation changes in a variety of CpG islands, including those known to be altered in human cancer. This suggests that alterations in methylation may be an important mechanism by which resveratrol provides protective effects in human disease, including ER+ breast cancer."

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16393696

    "Regulation of CD by RSV represents a novel mechanism by which RSV may protect against breast cancer."

    Victoria

  • MBJ
    MBJ Member Posts: 3,671
    edited February 2011

    Estepp:  I agree with Deanna:  you have to get your supplements from reputable sources or they can reek havoc on your tummy.  I have a group that I take before/between meals and those that I can only take with food and those I can only take in the a.m. and some only at night.  I don't have any stomach problems since I started buying better quality vitamins.  I find that if you go to a place that carries lots of natural stuff and that also carries a variety, the staff are usually knowledgeable and will tell you which products are better then others.  Good luck and feel free to PM myself or other women here who are more knowledgeablde then I about recommendations.

  • RachelKa
    RachelKa Member Posts: 68
    edited February 2011

    I know, I agree Sheila. They should look at both sick and healthy people. It's so complicated though; so many factors in each individual situation both in sickness and in health. All I know is I definitely believe in western and eastern med working together. Too bad almost no MD's will come on board. We need more people on both sides - who understand both sides - to work together.

  • Hindsfeet
    Hindsfeet Member Posts: 675
    edited February 2011

    Victoria...I looked up the links. I appreciate it in layman terms :) Thanks

    I've ordered a product that claims drinking two ounces of their juicee a day equals to 73 small glasses of wine/resveratrol. It could be a sales pitch. I am hoping it will prevent tumor growth and more! Anyone of the natural girls using resveratrol? Any bad side effects? I'm waiting to take it until Wednesday when I go into to get blood drawn to check my antibodies (for yeast and thyroid)..I want to see where my numbers are and when I take the same test in three months from now I will see if the resveratrol makes a difference.

    Menapause...

    I went through menapause between 55-59. At 55 my periods began to be very heavy. My doctor put me on premarian. At that time I had no idea it was horse urine. He thought it would help my periods. It did. I had my last period around 58+ . The premarian made my menapause smooth sailing. I had very few hot flashes. My moods weren't that bad. The only reason, I quit was because I heard it could cause breast cancer and I had successfully hit menapause. Two years later, I was dx with breast cancer. The oncologist I saw the other day asked me if I was having hot flashes. I smiled, wondering why she would ask me now that I am six years past menapause. Perhaps because my biopsy Estrogen and Progesterone was 3+ and full, lumpy breast. She said women my age don't usually have lumpy breast. Anyway, I said, I have mild hot flashes everyonce in a while. I heard that you can have them several years after menapause....cause you are continuing to lose estrogen.

  • RachelKa
    RachelKa Member Posts: 68
    edited February 2011

    About getting your supplements from reputable sources. Don't know if this is true, but I'd read something like 80 percent of the supplements and or herbs are not so great - whether not effective or actually toxic cause of the metals or what have you. I talked to the researcher of a medical doctor of integrative  cancer care who's big time into herbs and supplements and she suggested going to consumerlab.com (I think I'm remember the name right; have to go back and check.

    I talked to a nurse who'se an herbologist who recommended the t following:

    A web site / company called Oregons Wild Harvest at http://www.oregonswildharvest.com/

     Some products they carry are:

    Astragalus / Reishi caps

    Ashwagandha caps

    American Ginseng caps

    Turmeric caps

    The other web site is http://www.iherb.com/

    Rachel

  • RachelKa
    RachelKa Member Posts: 68
    edited February 2011

    Barry,

    I know the latest is that red wine/ resveratol is bad for estrogen positive cancers. They say now, no more than 2 or 3 glasses a week. Well, at least I have one reason to be glad I'm Triple Negative! Though I still drink too much (8-10 glasses a week). I do everything else right but just can't seem to part with my vino. 

    Here's the latest on red wine and  cancer

    http://www.resveratrol.info/resveratrol-anti-aging-benefits/resveratrol-side-effects/

    Breast cancer and alcohol
    So what's the verdict, does drinking alcohol increase the chance for breast cancer or for recurrence?  The answer to this question has been flip flopping. Let's look at the research in recent years, on up to today ...For years, to my ears' delight all we heard was, "Drink vino! It's good for your heart!" A large-scale study in 1995 confirmed this advice to be good - at least among healthy participants. The moderate drinkers actually tended to live longest. (The American Society of Clinical Oncology). In case you were wondering, you slid in as a "moderate drinker" if you stayed with half to two drinks a day.I raised a celebratory glass when another study in 2008 showed that resveratrol, a natural substance in wine, suppresses abnormal cells found in most breast cancers. Wow, between jogs through the woods and my cork popping in between, I was doing myself good.But the story on wine's  benefits changed in 2009. Perfect timing for me - the year I got my diagnosis, and was living for the weekend when I could forget about chemo and scans. I could forget about plummeting while blood cells and just nurse my liter and a half of cab. The study reported that seven drinks boosts risk for recurrence by 90 percent.  The numbers climb higher for women who are obese and or who smoke - 50 percent and 120 percent higher, respectively. All the participants' breast cancer was estrogen positive. (American Journal of Clinical Oncology). I'd been holding out that since my cancer does not feed off of estrogen, I don't have to worry. But my new oncologist shook his head disapprovingly when I tried to negotiate my liter and a half a week. No, he said; he wants me to cut way back.Check out this video. http://www.ecancermedicalscience.com/tv/video-by-category.asp?play=364&cid=5&scid=0&q= Professor Michelle Holmes, Harvard Medical School, elaborates on what all the latest research means ... In a nutshell, we don't know if quitting drinking altogether will bring the best outcomes. We know of red wine's heart health benefits, and the jury is still out on whether the breast cancer risk outweighs these benefits.Maybe for now we should keep with the old saying ... "Everything in moderation." But if you're like me, and thought eight glasses of wine a week measures out as "moderate," you might want to downsize your scale. This last article is actually from my website. I hope you'll visit by if you get a  chance. It's www.1UpOnCancer.com Well, gnite for now. Rachel

  • Hindsfeet
    Hindsfeet Member Posts: 675
    edited February 2011

    Thanks Rachel. I watched the video. It seems to be referring to those who drink wine or alcohol. There are juices and supplements that give you the resveratol without the alcohol or brewers yeast. You only drink 2 ounces a day...doesn't seem like much to me. I is just highly consentrated.  

  • RachelKa
    RachelKa Member Posts: 68
    edited February 2011

    Oh, yeah, I was wondering if it had anything to do with the alcohol and resveratol together. Thanks Barry, Makes me feel much better when you put it that way - just barely more than an ounce a day. The thing is, I do it all over the weekend and then don't drink  during the week. So it's kinda concentrated. But I excercise and put cinammon in my green tea. Did you know that cinammon lowers blood sugar? That was new to me until a couple of months ago.

  • asschercut
    asschercut Member Posts: 73
    edited February 2011

    I don't drink alcohol...at all. I get my reseveratrol supplements from a company called "Pharmafoods"...have done so for a couple of years now - But I also try to get my resveratrol as much as I can from natural sources. Like you barry I buy a drink called Kakadu juice, which has resveratrol, and muscadine grapes which my father grows. Also mulberries, blueberries and cranberries are a good source...but make sure they're organic as the resveratrol content is higher when the fruit hasn't been exposed to pesticides. Resveratrol is definitely one of the most important things I take in my protocol.

    No side effects for me, if anything it does give you a little bounce!

    Hope you find a good product at your end barry...x

    RachelKa : thanks for the info...I like iherb.com. And I'll be checking out your website. Everything helps...x

    Victoria

  • RachelKa
    RachelKa Member Posts: 68
    edited February 2011

    HI Estepp,

    Licorice caps are good for nausea. I think ginger is too.

    Rachel

  • RachelKa
    RachelKa Member Posts: 68
    edited February 2011

    You're welcome. Hey, why are we all still awake?  All the BC sites I'm on have women talking back and forth till practically dawn. Wonder if we all have low melatonin? Oh, and yeah, that reminds me - I'd seen a study - just one study - didn't look further - that showed melatonoin makes tamoxifin more effective. Did you read that?

  • geewhiz
    geewhiz Member Posts: 671
    edited February 2011

    Did you guys see the study on progesterone? I'd love to hear some input..especially since I have been slathering emerita progesterone cream on myself all year.

    Its over on the clinical trials thread.

  • Jainey
    Jainey Member Posts: 36
    edited February 2011

    geewhiz ... how do I get to the clinical trials thread? cant seem to find it ... I need some navigational help ... thanks.

  • geewhiz
    geewhiz Member Posts: 671
    edited February 2011

    Hi Jainey,

    Its under forum index...then select clinical trials...then see the post dated January 20th. Its a research study that raises the issue that progesterone may drive breast cancer.

    Hope that helps!

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