Maitake extract

mimiflower07 · 03-04-2008, 08:50 AM

how many of us are taking this extract? Finished reading on this and it does sound useful for balance. Perhaps there is a connection to this plant and decrease recur.
Just more thoughts
suzanne

Audrey · 03-04-2008, 11:07 AM

I took maitake mushroom pills for about a year after I finished treatment--my sister had sent me information about the potential benefits of these mushrooms so I thought it was worth a try. I'm happy to say that I'm still cancer-free after six years, so there might be something to them. I know my friend, Michele U. from Nebraska was taking them also, and she's doing fine after almost 5 years. Can't say it was the maitake mushrooms that did the trick, but it may have helped. I also took milk thistle and Co10 for a while, too.

Kat · 03-04-2008, 12:46 PM

Hello to all. I also have taken a maitake/shitake mushroom supplement, for about 3 mos. now. Last time at the oncologist, my blood counts were the best since treatment ended (2/28/06), tumor markers lowest yet. Like Audrey, I also take CoQ10 and milk thistle. I was diagnosed in July of 2005, ended Herceptin in 2006, and am NED!!!! Thanks to each and every one of you for all the support and info I read here.

goops · 03-04-2008, 06:10 PM

I take a shitake rich bran formula but after seeing this post, I did some reading on Maitake and decided to add them as well.

It would be interesting to have people that are at least 5 years out say what supplements (if any) they took and what their current status is.

Audrey - I feel encouraged When I see you still Ned after 6 years you had almost as many positive nodes as me. I get so sick of the oncologist telling me I am high risk. I plan to prove her wrong.

TSund · 03-05-2008, 08:21 AM

Ruth took maitake and reishi as well in a blended extract capsule formula. EIther that or the Astragalus or the combo seemed to have a marked affect on WBC counts. We've seen it happen twice as she went off during rads, WBC counts dropped, she went back on, and counts are UP again. Coincidence??

TRS

mimiflower07 · 03-05-2008, 10:23 AM

now can we take this supp while on herceptin?
thanks for all the responses
suzanne

Becky · 03-05-2008, 11:37 AM

Dear Mimi

You can take Maitake during Herceptin alone or Herceptin/Tamoxifen. This is the reason I began using maitake and I took larger quantities during Herceptin because.... maitake contains the active beta glucan. Beta glucan helps the inactive form of PTEN become active (and you can never know with today's technology which form you have). Herceptin only minimally works if you have the inactive form so I took maitake on the off chance I did have the inactive form and that it would help activate PTEN in me (per chance).

Kat · 03-05-2008, 12:53 PM

What is PTEN? I'm still learning all this....

penelope · 03-05-2008, 01:00 PM

I actually take reishi and turkey tails which my doctor prescribed for me. It also has milkthistle and grape seed in it. He sent it over to a special pharmacists who mixed it into geletin capsules.

TSund · 03-06-2008, 11:50 AM

Becky, wow, a win/win, helps WBC and possibly helps treatment, I hadn't read of this!

Penelope, did your onc give you this during chemo?

Many oncologists are against supplements during chemo because they just don't know if it will help or hinder. Our onc did the same. Ruth made the choice to take the mushroom extracts and astragalus despite this because we wanted to address the WBC problem that showed itself immediately after the 1st treatment. Her response to chemo continued to be very positive throughout treament, so either it helped or at least probably didn't get in the way. We 'fessed up to the onc. when we saw her on the 2nd treatment and she said "Go ahead and take what you are taking, you have had one of the most dramatic responses I've seen this early in treatment and it's obviously not hurting you"

Ruth avoided the supplements during a six day window around the actual treatment.

TRS

mimiflower07 · 03-10-2008, 07:18 AM

or anyone just wondering what dosage is best when you start on this supp? I bought the Shiitake & Maitake blend which has a 100mg of each in a cap.

thanks. suzanne

Becky · 03-10-2008, 07:27 AM

I would start with the dose the bottle says or even half that much just to see how it agrees with you and then go from there. My maitake supplement (from Viable Herbal Solutions (online)) is 545mg per cap and says to take 2-3 caps two or three times per day (with meals). The day before, the day of and the day after Herceptin I would take the full 9 caps then cut back to 4-6 per day. Now I just take 2 per day. But in ramping up and down, do so slowly. Even when I was taking 6-9 per day and then Herceptin was over, I took about 2 months to ramp down to 2 per day as I felt my body was "use to" so many and didn't want to shock the system. This is even more important with CoQ 10 - ramp up slowly and ramp down slowly.

mimiflower07 · 03-10-2008, 07:32 AM

wow Becky that some serious titrating going on. Think i'll take your advise and go slow. thanks for the help..what is the other supp that you mentioned for? I did not purchase that one..
suzanne