› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Nutrition/Supplements for Stage IV (w/brain mets)
- This topic has 18 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 1 month ago by
DZnDef.
- Post
-
- February 27, 2015 at 2:06 am
Hi everyone,
A parent of mine was recently diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in Oct of 2014. BRAF positive & currently on Taf/Mek combo, doing very well on both. Tumors have decreased by 20-60% in the brain, liver, lung & adrenal glands over the course of 3.5 months. Super grateful!
As a family, besides finding a good team of doctors (which we were fortunate to get at Hopkins), we are trying to find other ways to help out. Determined to attack this monster from all possible angles! One thing we've heard many recommend is to change nutrition. We eat very healthy but are def interested in tailoring diet towards a strong, melanoma fighting super-body!
Along with the taf/mek drugs, and steroids for edema & keppra as preventative for seizures, been giving:
*daily multivitamin
*echinacea
*biotin (for hair growth, post WBR)
In terms of food, we've tried to fuel up on:
*salmon
*flax & chia seeds
*coconut oil & water
*almond milk (for calcium)
*dark greens (kale, spinach, brussel sprouts)
*turmeric
*berries & citrus fruits
Questions that I'm hoping you all can (please) help with:
(1) Of all the "cancer super foods" & supplements which have experience shown are *actually* important for adv. melanoma? Any validation for ones I listed above?
(2) We ran into some trouble with echinacea…high ALT liver # and echinacea may have been to blame…were originally giving this supplement to boost immune system & help prep it for immunotherapy… and now I'm reading mixed opinions on turmeric (some say this interferes with Mek/Taf combo?) and have also read some mixed opinions on calcium. Any seemingly smart choices that actually do more harm than good?
(3) What foods are taboo & should we absolutely refrain from (heard rumors of red meat, dairy, even carbs?…)
(4) Any other important lifestyle changes? exercise?
(5) Any specific foods/supplements/activities known to help with brain mets/brain recovery?
(6) What have you all taken to prepare for (and power through) immunotherapy? This is the next step for our family so we want to start preparing body now 🙂
Thanks a million! Any help would be appreciated! This forum is invaluable 🙂
- Replies
-
-
- February 27, 2015 at 1:54 pm
You will probably get a lot of different responses on this.
For diet i go against what many might recommend. I eat a high red meat and fat diet. I eat grass fed beef and lamb daily along with butter and a couple of eggs a day. I avoid all leafy greens and citrus. I eat a quite a lot of red and orange veggies and salads. I also do fresh carrot juice daily.
For supplements to boost immunity i do mistletoe injections and take beta glucans.
I also take Q10, Avamer, IP6, fish oil, flaxseed oil, quercitin, magnesium citrate, zinc, and high dose freeze dried porcine pancreatic enzymes.
I do detox like skin brushing, epsom salt baths, coffee enemas, liver /gall bladder flushes, kidney flushes, far infrared sauna therapy.
-
- February 27, 2015 at 1:54 pm
You will probably get a lot of different responses on this.
For diet i go against what many might recommend. I eat a high red meat and fat diet. I eat grass fed beef and lamb daily along with butter and a couple of eggs a day. I avoid all leafy greens and citrus. I eat a quite a lot of red and orange veggies and salads. I also do fresh carrot juice daily.
For supplements to boost immunity i do mistletoe injections and take beta glucans.
I also take Q10, Avamer, IP6, fish oil, flaxseed oil, quercitin, magnesium citrate, zinc, and high dose freeze dried porcine pancreatic enzymes.
I do detox like skin brushing, epsom salt baths, coffee enemas, liver /gall bladder flushes, kidney flushes, far infrared sauna therapy.
-
- February 27, 2015 at 2:49 pm
Try to get some kind of exercise for at least 30 minutes every day…take a walk, dance, whatever you like to do that will get you moving. Also, I've found that I need a really good night's sleep. I feel so much better when I do. Drink lots of water. Eat lots of veggies, fruits,whole grains and legumes. Limit processed foods, salt, and sugary foods and drinks (..like my favorite thing….a cold can of Coke..deeelicious!). I simply do my best to improve my health but I allow myself treats.
God Bless!
Terrie
-
- February 27, 2015 at 2:49 pm
Try to get some kind of exercise for at least 30 minutes every day…take a walk, dance, whatever you like to do that will get you moving. Also, I've found that I need a really good night's sleep. I feel so much better when I do. Drink lots of water. Eat lots of veggies, fruits,whole grains and legumes. Limit processed foods, salt, and sugary foods and drinks (..like my favorite thing….a cold can of Coke..deeelicious!). I simply do my best to improve my health but I allow myself treats.
God Bless!
Terrie
-
- February 27, 2015 at 2:49 pm
Try to get some kind of exercise for at least 30 minutes every day…take a walk, dance, whatever you like to do that will get you moving. Also, I've found that I need a really good night's sleep. I feel so much better when I do. Drink lots of water. Eat lots of veggies, fruits,whole grains and legumes. Limit processed foods, salt, and sugary foods and drinks (..like my favorite thing….a cold can of Coke..deeelicious!). I simply do my best to improve my health but I allow myself treats.
God Bless!
Terrie
-
- March 10, 2015 at 12:43 am
Good question. My doctor says they are too alkalizing and melanoma thrives in an alkaline environment (the opposite of other cancers like breast or pancreatic which thrive in an acidic environment). My doctor is an alternative doctor so take that advice with whatever level of faith you have in those.
-
- March 10, 2015 at 12:43 am
Good question. My doctor says they are too alkalizing and melanoma thrives in an alkaline environment (the opposite of other cancers like breast or pancreatic which thrive in an acidic environment). My doctor is an alternative doctor so take that advice with whatever level of faith you have in those.
-
- March 10, 2015 at 12:43 am
Good question. My doctor says they are too alkalizing and melanoma thrives in an alkaline environment (the opposite of other cancers like breast or pancreatic which thrive in an acidic environment). My doctor is an alternative doctor so take that advice with whatever level of faith you have in those.
-
- February 27, 2015 at 1:54 pm
You will probably get a lot of different responses on this.
For diet i go against what many might recommend. I eat a high red meat and fat diet. I eat grass fed beef and lamb daily along with butter and a couple of eggs a day. I avoid all leafy greens and citrus. I eat a quite a lot of red and orange veggies and salads. I also do fresh carrot juice daily.
For supplements to boost immunity i do mistletoe injections and take beta glucans.
I also take Q10, Avamer, IP6, fish oil, flaxseed oil, quercitin, magnesium citrate, zinc, and high dose freeze dried porcine pancreatic enzymes.
I do detox like skin brushing, epsom salt baths, coffee enemas, liver /gall bladder flushes, kidney flushes, far infrared sauna therapy.
-
- February 27, 2015 at 8:37 pm
Looks liks a pretty solid diet. Personally I am not sold on coconut oil. There is a lot of stuff on YouTube and so on about it, but in my opinion it doesn't have good scientific evidence behind it.
I also don't like multivitams, as they may contain substances that may be counterproductive. For example, vitamin A or beta carotene, vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), iron and copper. Unfortunately that means coming up with a long list of nutrients that are good for you, or at least you don't want to be deficient in, and taking them separately. Just in terms of minerals, that could mean magnesium, potassion, boron, vanadium, zinc, iodine and sodium selenite.
Green tea or green tea extract is one of the best things you can take. Also when cancer is this advanced, maybe you should go straight to curcumin instead of turmeric.
-
- February 27, 2015 at 8:37 pm
Looks liks a pretty solid diet. Personally I am not sold on coconut oil. There is a lot of stuff on YouTube and so on about it, but in my opinion it doesn't have good scientific evidence behind it.
I also don't like multivitams, as they may contain substances that may be counterproductive. For example, vitamin A or beta carotene, vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), iron and copper. Unfortunately that means coming up with a long list of nutrients that are good for you, or at least you don't want to be deficient in, and taking them separately. Just in terms of minerals, that could mean magnesium, potassion, boron, vanadium, zinc, iodine and sodium selenite.
Green tea or green tea extract is one of the best things you can take. Also when cancer is this advanced, maybe you should go straight to curcumin instead of turmeric.
-
- February 27, 2015 at 8:37 pm
Looks liks a pretty solid diet. Personally I am not sold on coconut oil. There is a lot of stuff on YouTube and so on about it, but in my opinion it doesn't have good scientific evidence behind it.
I also don't like multivitams, as they may contain substances that may be counterproductive. For example, vitamin A or beta carotene, vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), iron and copper. Unfortunately that means coming up with a long list of nutrients that are good for you, or at least you don't want to be deficient in, and taking them separately. Just in terms of minerals, that could mean magnesium, potassion, boron, vanadium, zinc, iodine and sodium selenite.
Green tea or green tea extract is one of the best things you can take. Also when cancer is this advanced, maybe you should go straight to curcumin instead of turmeric.
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.