HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

agness · 09-04-2015, 09:45 AM

Getting enough B vitamins, plus having your gut work well, should help address a lot of this.

The pancreas relies on sifficient zinc intake to produce digestive enzymes and many BC patients are low in zinc (with elevated copper which inhibits zinc absorption). Getting your zinc and copper levels tested (zinc and copper serum levels, ceruloplasim level) will give you more information. I was able to improve my zinc status by taking 60 mg zinc daily, plus reducing copper containing foods, over many months and my digestion improved as well. Without adequate digestive enzymes your body goes into a downward spiral, the worse you get the worse you get -- you body absorbs less and less of what it needs to function.

You might try taking plant-based digestive enzymes and see if that helps some, plus taking probiotics to improve your gut microbiota -- chemo is way worse than antibiotics and we have taken those too.

Your liver might be unhappy as well. Have you done anything to help your liver heal from treatment? I worked with a naturopathic oncologist throughout treatment and once chemo stopped I started on coQ10, post-Herceptin he added even more. My thread about natural hormone balancing has more info about the liver. Working with someone trained in integrative medicine would be helpful too.

Chinese Medicine also has been helpful to me. I get targeted herbs, some nutrition advice, snd the acupuncture helps with drifting symptoms. My liver has ached some post chemo (nothing showed on the PET) and he was able to address it head on.

HTH

09-04-2015, 09:45 AM	#3
agness Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 285	Re: Reflux Getting enough B vitamins, plus having your gut work well, should help address a lot of this. The pancreas relies on sifficient zinc intake to produce digestive enzymes and many BC patients are low in zinc (with elevated copper which inhibits zinc absorption). Getting your zinc and copper levels tested (zinc and copper serum levels, ceruloplasim level) will give you more information. I was able to improve my zinc status by taking 60 mg zinc daily, plus reducing copper containing foods, over many months and my digestion improved as well. Without adequate digestive enzymes your body goes into a downward spiral, the worse you get the worse you get -- you body absorbs less and less of what it needs to function. You might try taking plant-based digestive enzymes and see if that helps some, plus taking probiotics to improve your gut microbiota -- chemo is way worse than antibiotics and we have taken those too. Your liver might be unhappy as well. Have you done anything to help your liver heal from treatment? I worked with a naturopathic oncologist throughout treatment and once chemo stopped I started on coQ10, post-Herceptin he added even more. My thread about natural hormone balancing has more info about the liver. Working with someone trained in integrative medicine would be helpful too. Chinese Medicine also has been helpful to me. I get targeted herbs, some nutrition advice, snd the acupuncture helps with drifting symptoms. My liver has ached some post chemo (nothing showed on the PET) and he was able to address it head on. HTH __________________ Dx 2/14 3b HER2+/HR- left breast, left axilla, internal mammary node (behind breast bone). Neoadjuvant TCHP 3/14-7/2. PCR 8/14 LX and SND. 10/21-12/9 Proton therapy to chest wall. Dx 7/20/15 cerebellar met 3.5x5cm HER2+/HR-/GATA3+ 7/23/15 Craniotomy. 7/29/15 bone scan clear. 8/3/15 PET clean scan. LINAC SRS (5 fractions) Sept 2015. 9/17/15 CSF NED, 9/24/15 CSF NED, 11/2/15 CSF NED. 10/27/15 atypical uptake in right cerebellum - inflammation? 12/1/15 Leptomeningeal dx. Starting IT Herceptin. 1/16 - 16 fractions of tomotherapy to cerebellum, break of IT Herceptin during rads, resume at 100 mg weekly 3/2016 - stable scan 5/2016 stable scan 7/2016 pseudoprogression? 9/2016 more LM, start new chemo protocol and IV therapy treatment with HBOT 11/2016 Cyberknife to temporal lobe, HBOT just prior 12/2016 - lesions starting to show shrinkage 8/2017 - Stable since Dec 2016. Temporal lobe lesion gone. Using TCM, naturopathic oncology, physical therapy, chiro, massage, medical qigong, and energetic healing modalities in tandem. Stops at nothing. Mother of 2 boys - ages 7 and 10 (8/2017) and a lovely partner with lots to live for.