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Multiple Myeloma an incurable disease, but I have spent the last 25 years in remission using a blend of conventional oncology and evidence-based nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle therapies from peer-reviewed studies that your oncologist probably hasn't told you about.
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Myeloma Survivor Takes Potentially Hepatotoxic Botanicals
I am a survivor of a blood cancer called multiple myeloma. I am a myeloma survivor who takes potentially hepatotoxic botanicals.
I believe that the botanicals that I take are potentially hepatotoxic aka these nutritional supplements can potentially cause problems for my liver.
I also underwent potentially hepatotoxic chemotherapy regimens when I underwent FDA approved chemotherapy regimens for my blood cancer, multiple myeloma, in ’94,’95 and ’96.
Finally, I have a glass of wine with dinner most nights. My understanding is that wine is hepatotoxic as well.Though I have to say that the research is confusing.
My point is that all of the “therapies” discussed above come with pros and cons, risks and rewards. Ironically, it was the FDA approved, standard-of-care therapy plan prescribed to me by my a board-certified oncologist that provided the least benefit while causing the greatest short, long-term and late stage side effects.
Yes, anyone who takes nutritional supplementation is taking on risks. I believe that understanding these risks and rewards is necessary. In fact, I take many herbal and dietary supplements (HDSs) that are not listed below.
However, in my experience, there is also a real risk of serious side effects from FDA approved therapies as well.
I guess what I’m saying is that conventional medicine, chemotherapy regimens, heart medications, heck, even aspirin, all come with side effects. When I read a study like the one linked below, I feel as if the sponsor of the article is filled with bias against herbal and dietary supplements by not mentioning how toxic chemotherapy and heart meds are.
If you are a newly diagnosed cancer patient and would like to learn more about the pros and cons of conventional myeloma therapy email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com
Good luck,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Estimated Exposure to 6 Potentially Hepatotoxic Botanicals in US Adults
“In this survey study analyzing nationally representative data from 9685 adults, 4.7% of US adults reported exposure to 6 potentially hepatotoxic botanicals:
- turmeric was most frequently reported,
- followed in order by green tea,
- ashwagandha,
- Garcinia cambogia,
- red yeast rice, and
- black cohosh products.
Botanical product users were significantly older, more educated, and more likely to have arthritis compared with nonusers…
Herbal and dietary supplements (HDSs) include a multitude of products consumed by millions of people every day to improve their general health and to treat minor ailments. Over 80 000 HDS products can be purchased without a prescription at various unregulated retail outlets or via the internet.1
The largest group of HDS products used include:
- multivitamins,
- minerals,
- vitamin D,
- omega-3 fatty acid,
- and calcium with well-defined ingredients on the label.
However, an estimated 5% to 12% of HDS products are plant-derived, complex multi-ingredient botanicals.2,3 Chemical analyses of HDS products associated with confirmed liver toxic effects show frequent discrepancies between product labels and detected ingredients…3
Self-reported chronic medical conditions that were specifically captured were current or prior history of hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, thyroid disorder, cancer, and liver condition…
The prevalence of use of the 6 at risk botanicals was compared with the prevalence of widely prescribed potentially hepatotoxic medications with a LiverTox likelihood score of A or B, which included
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),
- sertraline (antidepressant drug),
- and simvastatin (hypolipidemic drug).22,23
The NSAID prescriptions included ibuprofen, naproxen, meloxicam, celecoxib, indomethacin, ketorolac, piroxicam, and sulindac…
Consistent with their increased age, HDS users were significantly more likely to have:
- hypertension,
- diabetes,
- coronary heart disease,
- stroke,
- arthritis,
- thyroid disorder,
- cancer,
- and liver conditions
compared with non–HDS users. The median (range) number of HDS products used within 30 days was 1 (1-22). HDS users were also significantly more likely than non–HDS users to be taking a concomitant prescription medication (70.1% [95% CI, 67.7%-72.4%] vs 42.2% [95% CI, 39.5%-44.9%]; P < .001)…
The most common reasons for using the botanical were to improve or maintain health or to prevent health problems or boost immunity (Figure 1).
In addition, 64 turmeric users (26.8%) consumed those products for joint health or arthritis, and 25 green tea users (27.2%) were trying to improve their energy level. In total, 14 Garcinia cambogia users (70.0%) were trying to lose weight and had the highest median body mass index and proportion with diabetes (34.2% [95% CI, 13.7%-63.1%]) (Table 2). Similarly, 84.2% of black cohosh users were taking these products to treat hot flashes, and the vast majority of these patients were women (87.5% [95% CI, 42.9%-98.5%]). The main stated reason to consume red yeast rice was for heart health (90.0%), and these individuals tended to be older and had the second highest incidence of diabetes…
The most common HDSs used are multivitamins or minerals, calcium, fish oil, botanical supplements, and vitamin C.28,29 In the US, a variety of adverse events related to HDS use have been described, with an estimated 23 000 annual emergency department visits and 2154 hospitalizations in 2014.30
The incidence of HDS-DILI is also increasing over time and accounts for over 20% of cases of liver injury recorded in the DILIN prospective registry.7The HDS-DILI can be not only severe, leading to hepatocellular injury with jaundice, but also fatal, leading to death or liver transplantation.31–37…
Conclusions
In light of the lack of regulatory oversight on the manufacturing and testing of botanical products, it is recommended that clinicians obtain a full medication and HDS use history when evaluating patients with unexplained symptoms or liver test abnormalities…
Considering widespread and growing popularity of botanical products, we urge government authorities to consider increasing the regulatory oversight on how botanicals are produced, marketed, tested, and monitored in the general population.”