Chemotherapy saves countless lives, but it comes with a high cost of side effects, such as fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, mouth sores, nerve pain, increased susceptibility to infections, hair loss, mouth ulcers, brain fog, and muscle damage. The side effects can be so severe that about 30 percent of patients abandon the treatment prematurely.

Research links this type of incomplete treatment to significantly shorter survival times. In one study of more than 400 people with colon cancer, the patients who didn’t complete the prescribed three rounds of chemotherapy were more than twice as likely to die during a 10-year follow-up.

The good news is that there are protocols that can reduce toxicity and side effects, improve quality of life, and allow patients to complete their chemotherapy treatment. An integrative oncologist who is open to a cancer protocol that uses both conventional treatments and natural therapeutics makes an excellent resource in this pursuit.

Couplers

Clinical trials show that several natural therapies can mitigate the toxicity of specific chemotherapy drugs.

  • Cisplatin (Platin). Vitamin E appears to reduce the risk of nerve, kidney, and inner-ear damage that can come from taking this drug. One clinical trial found that taking 300 milligrams (mg) of vitamin E twice a day cut the risk of developing neurotoxic symptoms from 68 to 21 percent.
  • 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Glutamine can reduce intestinal toxicity and diarrhea from 5-FU. Common dosage: 10 to 20 grams (g) daily, sipping, swishing and swallowing throughout the day. Sucking on ice chips for five minutes before, during, and after drug infusion can reduce intestinal toxicity and inflammation of mucous membranes inside the mouth and/or gut.
  • Paclitaxel (Taxol). Alpha-lipoic acid (300 to 600 mg, once or twice daily) has been reported to minimize the neuropathy associated with paclitaxel. Glutamine (5 to 10 g) and vitamin B6 (50 mg twice daily) also may counter the weakness and numbness occurring from Taxol-induced peripheral neuropathy.
  • Doxorubicin (Adriamycin). Coenzyme Q10 may help protect the heart against damage from this medication. Common dosage: 200 to 600 mg per day. An extract of the herb hawthorn (300 mg to 600 mg, twice daily) may also help protect the heart.
  • Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin). Pre-treatment with intravenous calcium and magnesium may reduce the risk of neurotoxicity from oxaliplatin. Alpha-lipoic acid, glutamine, vitamin B6 and acetyl-L-carnitine may also help.
  • Silymarin. An extract from milk thistle, given at a dose of 250 to 500 mg, two to three times daily, may help prevent liver damage from a large number of chemotherapies.

Controlling side effects

Several nutritional and herbal protocols can help control and reverse specific chemotherapy side effects.

  • Fatigue. Try Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), 2 to 4 g per day or rhodiola rosea, 300 mg per day. Engaging in 10 to 15 minutes of gentle aerobic exercise (such as walking or stationary bicycling) right before a session of chemotherapy can cut acute toxicity by 50 percent, says Dr. Block.
  • Nausea. Try ginger as a tea or supplement (500 mg, every four hours). Caution: You should not take ginger when your platelet count falls below 50,000 low due to marrow suppression from chemotherapy, since it may have anticoagulant effects. Aromatherapy with peppermint oil also may tame nausea: Carry a small bottle of peppermint oil with you throughout the day and sniff it occasionally.
  • Urinary symptoms. Drink cranberry juice (blended with other natural juices instead of sugar to improve taste) or take concentrated cranberry tablets to prevent urinary tract infections.
  • Joint or muscle pain (myalgia). Tart cherry juice concentrate may relieve muscle pain and improve sleep. Glutamine (10 to 20 g per day) may help with muscle pain due to treatment with paclitaxel.
  • Upper respiratory tract infections. Chemotherapy patients may find that they are prone to colds because of a compromised immune system. Herbs that are commonly taken at the first sign of a cold include kan jang (Andrographis paniculata); echinacea or a combination of echinacea, wild indigo, and baptisia; Pelargonium graveolens (a South African herb called umcka); and Sambucus nigra (elderberry).
  • Congestion. Soups containing garlic and hot pepper can help relieve congestion, and gargling with salt water helps relieve a sore throat.

Supportive diet

To prepare your body for chemotherapy, base your diet on unrefined and minimally processed foods with plenty of plants (which are anti-inflammatory) and minimal amounts of meat and dairy products (which are pro-inflammatory). 

  • Eat a rainbow of vegetables, emphasizing brightly colored ones (pigments contain cancer-fighting phytochemicals), leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale), onions, and garlic.
  • Consume plenty of whole grains, the richest source of complex carbohydrates and fiber, which provide a slow, sustained supply of fuel for your daily activities while reducing fuel for cancer.
  • Avoid cancer-promoting foods, including excess dietary fat (particularly saturated fats in meat and dairy, and trans fats found in many processed foods), and refined carbohydrates.
  • Consume plenty of legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans), soy foods, fish, and occasional omega-3 eggs. These choices have cancer-fighting properties, contain many of the nutrients found in meat, and are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and digestion-regulating soluble fiber.
  • To satisfy meat cravings, try grilling, barbecuing, or baking salmon, halibut, tuna, or haddock steaks. Try tofu hot dogs, veggie burgers, vegetarian bacon, and vegetarian cold cuts.
  • To satisfy cravings for sweets, eat fruit (no more than two to three servings per day, because the high amount of natural sugar can make you gain weight and cause your blood sugar to fluctuate). You can also use small amounts of unrefined, healthful sweeteners, such as monk fruit, rice syrup, barley malt, agave, kiwi sweetener, stevia, or maple syrup.
  • Every day, drink eight cups of water, three to five cups of green tea, plus other fluids such as vegetable juices and herbal teas. Green tea is even better for rehydrating than water. It contains man.

    Reduce Stress

When dealing with cancer, you need a way to calm yourself to curb and counteract the stress hormones coursing through your body, which contribute to cancer’s ability to multiply and spread and are linked to poor outcomes. One excellent way to relax is to use relaxed abdominal breathing.

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