HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - 3 questions for alternative/supplement user

donocco · 08-20-2019, 09:13 AM

When you are dealing with chemo like Adriamycin or Taxol or Cytoxan the use of antioxidant supplements with the chemo is up in the air as far as interference goes. Theoretically yes but in reality ie clinically who knows?

When it comes to oral drugs like Letrozole or Tamoxifen it is a question of drug metabolism. supplement contains multiple chemicals and most are metabolized. Which enzymes metabolize the drug ie Letrozole or Tamoxifen. Do the mushroom supplements interfere with this enzyme by inhibiting it or increasing it?St johns wort increases liver enzymes and can lower the serum level of drugs. Aids drugs are very susceptible to St johns Wort.

Tamoxifen is a prodrug ie inactive. It is metabolied by the enzyme Cyp2D6 in the liver. You have to watch out for drugs that inhibit Cyp2D6. Tamoxifen is often given with antidepressants to decrease hot flashes. You have to be careful. Prozac (Fluoxetine) Paxil (Paroxetine) Cymbalta (forgot generic name ) and Wellbutrin (Bupropion) all inhibit
Cyp2D6 and will prevent the inactive Tamoxifen from being CYP2D6 metabolized to the active Endoxifen. The best one to use is probasbly Venaflaxine or (brand name ) Effexor.
For those who might be interested, The nitrogen on Tamoxifen contasins two CH3 or methyl groups. The Cyp 2D6 enzyme removes one of these methyl groups and forms the active drug.

As far as Paroxitine goes (brand mame Paxil) in one long term Canadian study it seemed to raise breast cancer rates by 700%. Anybody whom is on kit might consider looking this up and showing to their doctor. I wouldnt let my wife, or sister take Paroxetine.

This makes me cynical about the FDA. The FDA made a big deal about a vitamin intake vs cancer incidence done it Finland way back when. People who ingested bets carotene which has anticancer effects as far as prevention goes (in animals) had a 25% increase in the incidence of lung cancer. Perhaps this is important. I think tis was called the Framingham study.

But the same FDA ignored that Canadian study. 700% increase is unlikely to be a fluke. Yet this didnt stop the FDA from approving Brisdelle to treat the ot flashes of breast cancer treatmet. Brisdelle is (I believe) 15mg Paxil or Paroxetine. This seems like a contradiction.

Paul

PS. the anti-smoking aid Zyban is another name for Bupropion (Wellbutrin)

08-20-2019, 09:13 AM	#4
donocco Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 474	Re: 3 questions for alternative/supplement user When you are dealing with chemo like Adriamycin or Taxol or Cytoxan the use of antioxidant supplements with the chemo is up in the air as far as interference goes. Theoretically yes but in reality ie clinically who knows? When it comes to oral drugs like Letrozole or Tamoxifen it is a question of drug metabolism. supplement contains multiple chemicals and most are metabolized. Which enzymes metabolize the drug ie Letrozole or Tamoxifen. Do the mushroom supplements interfere with this enzyme by inhibiting it or increasing it?St johns wort increases liver enzymes and can lower the serum level of drugs. Aids drugs are very susceptible to St johns Wort. Tamoxifen is a prodrug ie inactive. It is metabolied by the enzyme Cyp2D6 in the liver. You have to watch out for drugs that inhibit Cyp2D6. Tamoxifen is often given with antidepressants to decrease hot flashes. You have to be careful. Prozac (Fluoxetine) Paxil (Paroxetine) Cymbalta (forgot generic name ) and Wellbutrin (Bupropion) all inhibit Cyp2D6 and will prevent the inactive Tamoxifen from being CYP2D6 metabolized to the active Endoxifen. The best one to use is probasbly Venaflaxine or (brand name ) Effexor. For those who might be interested, The nitrogen on Tamoxifen contasins two CH3 or methyl groups. The Cyp 2D6 enzyme removes one of these methyl groups and forms the active drug. As far as Paroxitine goes (brand mame Paxil) in one long term Canadian study it seemed to raise breast cancer rates by 700%. Anybody whom is on kit might consider looking this up and showing to their doctor. I wouldnt let my wife, or sister take Paroxetine. This makes me cynical about the FDA. The FDA made a big deal about a vitamin intake vs cancer incidence done it Finland way back when. People who ingested bets carotene which has anticancer effects as far as prevention goes (in animals) had a 25% increase in the incidence of lung cancer. Perhaps this is important. I think tis was called the Framingham study. But the same FDA ignored that Canadian study. 700% increase is unlikely to be a fluke. Yet this didnt stop the FDA from approving Brisdelle to treat the ot flashes of breast cancer treatmet. Brisdelle is (I believe) 15mg Paxil or Paroxetine. This seems like a contradiction. Paul PS. the anti-smoking aid Zyban is another name for Bupropion (Wellbutrin)