Kimchi- Your questions about mushroom

Kimchi- in an earlier post you asked about anyone using Reishi mushrooms during chemo.  I am taking Garden of Life RM-10 (look it up for ingredients under www.gardenoflife.com).  It is a mushroom extract developed by the founder and CEO of the company to help his grandmother overcome ovarian cancer. It is a very reputable company according to all the health food stores I have asked.  I have not used it during chemo but now that I have a recurrance and will begin chemo again, I plan to ask my doctor if I can continue it.  MD Anderson is very conservative when it comes to taking any other herbs/ supplements etc. during chemo so I beleive they will frown upon it.  What has been your experience?  Are you taking mushrooms during chemo?  What was your OC history/ stage and what chemo drugs are you taking?  Regarding your questions about stages, just Google "stages of ovarian cancer" and you'll get complete list of the definition of each stage.  If anyone else is taking any type of mushroom extract, I'd be interested in your experience as well.  Regards,  Rachael

[Kimchi]

Hi, I started to take Reishi mushroom a few months before I was diagnosed with stage 4 OC as I was not feeling well for a while and was worried about my health.  After the dx, with the permission of my ONC, I have been taking it in larger dosage along with 3000-4000mg of Vitamin C.  I am on PACLITAXEL and CARBOPLATIN and have had 3 cycles so far, 3 more to go.  I feel really great, good appetite, only side effect was the hairlose. Will check the herb you mentioned too.

[Kimchi]

Check out http://www.reishi.com/index.htm dont know if this is consider tonic mushroom.

[freshair]

My nutritionist at the hospital (Long Island, NY) is Chinese. She recommended Reishi to make chemo easier. I take it. I also take AHCC. It's a Japanese patented Shitake mushroom cultured in a special way (rice bran). There's a lot of good research with it. Google ovarian and AHCC. Good luck. I have never liked to eat mushrooms but love all other vegetables! I don't consume dairy but very once in a while. I feel it makes the cancer grow faster. Anyway the mushrooms can be expensive but I'm sure the more the better for us!

[Kimchi]

Sorry my response regarding what may cause cancer was not meant for this topic...

[Kimchi]

The article on foods that may cause cancer was sent to me, don't know the source...I agree with the others that alot of what is said is possibly not true.  I do stay away from processed foods, eat more natural range free meats and pesticide free veggies and stay away from GMO products. And still eat my chocolates and drink my cafe latte but in moderation. But I do believe that alot of the hygine products (deodorants, sanitarypads/tampoons/toilet papers) are made of mostly chemicals which seeps into our bodies and causes cancer. Believe that cancer is partly genes and the rest is man-made.  Today we are surrounded by chemicals unlike those 90 grandmothers who smoked and ate whatever they wanted (most of what they consumed was more natural).
Are you on same regimen is me? what side effects have you had? good appetite? My ONC has now shown in interest in using Reishi along with chemo and wants to know about other OC patients using it.
Thanks for information on AHCC.

[RAS50]

Just read some good results about AHCC and would like to try it.  What product do you take (Immpower?) Did your doctor/ onc approve of this during chemo?  THANKS!  Rachael

[freshair]

RAS 50 and Kimchi and everyone,
Yes, it's the ImmuPower. My hospital nutritionist recommended Reishi and then I've taken the ImmuPower also cause it was recommended by a Naturopath and there's a lot of Japanese documentation on it. It is used extensively in other countries with chemo. I don't want to overload my oncologist on this stuff. She is doing her job well and I'm doing mine by eating right and exercising with some B and C supplements, mushrooms. Sublingual B12 is the best! My nutritionist at the hospital also said to consume green tea while doing chemo.  I am not a believer that these things will harm the action of chemo. In 2003 I came thru carbo/taxol very well, then 2005 carbo/taxol again, then doxil 2006 which didn't seem to work and now I am on low-dose taxol. I go once a week for 3 weeks with a week off.  Unfortunately my cancer went to the brain. When I was diagnosed with IIIc it was really stage IV in the brain (you're never given a whole body scan). A year later it was found in the brain. I had brain symptoms way before I was diagnosed with ovarian but my oncologist said "it never goes to the brain". That's because it's a one percent rarity. There's such a high reocurrence rate in the brain. Thank God that in two years there's nothing new. There's another woman on this site where it also happened to her.

Anyway, you have to do what you feel will help you. And in helping yourself you're helping your spirit. If you're eating donuts or cookies everyday and feeling guilty about it, that's not good for your well being. And if you're eating in moderation with everything and feel that is the best for you, then it is. Cancer is a time when we get to know ourselves a little more. I love my carrot- ginger-lime with avocado juice. It's a healthy sweet that energizes.

I think if an oncologist does not recommend green tea while doing chemo, that oncologist should be telling you what not to eat also, such as too many refined high sugary carbohydrate foods.

You also have to eat so as to have energy levels. Refined carbs make me tired.  When I dropped dairy, my energy levels went up also. But if you do that you have to eat your high calcium greens.

Yes Kimchee everything is different in this world today. I just read that to produce a cotton T shirt--they use  1/3 lb. of pesticides! We could go on and on.....Best wishes for everyone,
Helen