My father has just recently been diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. It's in the second or third phase (the test results will show on Friday the progression of the cancer). So I was wondering if anyone could recommend any (good) websites about herbal, diet supplements that can help him deal with the cancer as well as the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation?
Cancer - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Well, some people may disagree with me but thc is the best med against side effects. There is a legal insurance paid for thc synthetic pill called marinol that he can get. If he uses real mj, he MUST tell his doc because precautions will need to be taken. It is also better to use real mj either by eating or chewing rather than smoking. www.marinol.com Also, while not herbal or really natural, diet meal replacements shakes or bars like Boost or Slimfast or any of them will be good for him to use in addition to whatever he can keep down. Chances are his diet will be poor during treatment and these things will given him the extra calories and protien he needs. Ginger can help with nausea. As can accupressure and controlled breathing. He will need lots of sleep. He will be exhausted from th treatment for one, but the body heals itself while asleep. Also not natural, but carbonated drinks will also help with nausea, ironically sometimes they work better when flat. Bland carbs are the best thing to try to eat because they dont have strong smells or tastes. Although, being that it is gastrointestinal I wonder if there will be additional diet restrictions? (He will already be on a neutropenic diet during treatment... neutropenia is when the white blood cell counts drop below a certain level.. specifically the absolute neutrophil count below 1.0.. This will entail NO fresh fruits or veggies, NO unprocessed or unpasturized foods, and EVERYTHING especially meats MUST be cooked thoroughly) Aloe is great for the skin. The chemo and the radiation both may cause skin side effects like burns. In my case the chemo basically burned me from the inside out. I used things like aloe and eucerin creme. And some of the Chicken Soup books. Most of the stories will make anyone cry their eyes out. While that may not really be his genre, it helps to know you are not alone in the situation. Along the same lines, a support group is good, as well as a psychologist and he may want to think about anti depressants.
2 :
You will want to clear in advance any supplement that your father might take while (or just before and after) doing his actual treatments as many of them will interfere with radiation, chemo or healing from surgery. His oncologist will already know about excellent the anti-nausea meds now available. Besides the meds the Dr will prescribe the main option is potentially using marijuana but if he did not use it when he was younger he might find it very unpleasant to start now. The new anti-nausea meds now available have done wonders to help make cases of chemo nausea either mild or transitory for most people. My suggestion is to not get the cart ahead of the horse. Wait and see what suggestions the Dr will make when you get to the point where he actually has problems because speculating in advance is pretty much wasted energy. Most oncologists are pretty good at suggesting various options for dealing with problems when the timing is right. Also some chemo regimens used now have very little nausea and also some people tolerate them very well. Until the time comes all you are doing is speculating. Instead spend some extra time with your dad and take him out to eat or fix him his favorite meal. good luck to your father
3 :
some people get really bad side effects and some people see none, everyone is different. i had the worst side effects on the first drug ( called A/C ) but after talking to my ONC i was given Zofran. On top of Zofran I ate in little amounts. Ginger also helped For the aftertaste that some get ( metal like taste ) i would suck on peppermint or ginger. The A/C was horrible for me, but now im on a new med and i rarelly have any big side effects. Nothing under the counter worked for me. The legal substance given of Mj relaxed me but I was still sick just high. No one knows how each person wil re-act to the drug till it happens. Before treatment he will prolly get drugs like steriods, bendryl, and anti-nasua meds. He'll have to see what works for him. Good luck to him and your family. Support is what he will need the most right now God bless
Read more discussions :
- What are the detection, treatment, surgery and pos...
- My daughtor has just been diagnosed with multiple ...
- Has any ever had Stereo tactic Radiation as a canc...
- how long can someone survive with primary bone can...
- Does the treatment for cervical cancer always incl...
- Could any one share their experiences with Prostat...
- Do you have any experience with immunotherapy for ...
- One of my story characters has cancer. Can someone...
