| | Joined: Jul 2010 Posts: 60 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2010 Posts: 60 | I will start treatment Fri 7/16/35 rad/7 cisplatin once a week. My oncologist has told me to discontinue any vitamins I am taking as they may interfere with the chemo working. I don't want to impede the treatment process, but am reluctant to give up my vitamins. Any experience here?
Susan/59/nonsmoker /tonsil cancer spread to tongue,stage III diagnosed 6/10, HPV+ T3,N1 Finished 35 radiation and 7 cisplatin 9/7/10.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 8 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 8 | Follow your doctors advice.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 126 "OCF Canuck" Senior Member (100+ posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 126 | We were told the same thing and believe me, you don't want anything to interfere with your treatment (Gordon was getting Cisplatin). Drop the supplements. Not taking them for a couple of months is the least of your problems, and you can always get back to them after your treatment is finished. Check with your Dr. before you start taking them again.
Anne
Anne - CG to Gordon (59), non-smoker/non-drinker. SCC, BOT, HPV 16+, stage 3. Jan./10 - radical neck dissection to remove 48 lymph nodes, 1 node pos. Apr. 23/10 - finished 35 rad. and 3 cisplatin. Jul. 22/10 - PET scan clear.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,918 Likes: 71 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,918 Likes: 71 | Your doctor is absolutely right - there is peer reviewed evidence that some common vitamins interfere with the mode of action of some treatments. If you can eat it as a vitamin rich food, that is a whole 'nuther thing. But not as a single or multiple supplement pill.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 507 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 507 | Same here, All vitamins and supplements were stopped until about a month after the end to RT.
Don
TXN2bM0 Stage IVa SCC-Occult Primary
FNA 6/6/08-SCC in node<2cm
PET/CT 6/19/08-SCC in 2nd node<1cm
HiRes CT 6/21/08
Exploratory,Tonsillectomy(benign),Right SND 6/23/08
PEG 7/3/08-11/6/08
35 TomoTherapy 7/16/08-9/04/08 No Chemo
Clear PET/CT 11/15/08, 5/15/09, 5/28/10, 7/8/11
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 476 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 476 | [quote=susand]I will start treatment Fri 7/16/35 rad/7 cisplatin once a week. My oncologist has told me to discontinue any vitamins I am taking as they may interfere with the chemo working. I don't want to impede the treatment process, but am reluctant to give up my vitamins. Any experience here? [/quote]
Hi. My husband has always been a big vitamin person. He takes Purity Products and was told the same thing by his Oncologist about stopping all vitamins and suplements. He also had once weekly Cisplatin and daily radiation (7 weeks). He stopped all vitamins except for his "Perfect Multi" and vitamin C. The vitamins he takes are capsules and not the compressed tab form. He usually takes 4 of the Perfect Multi a day and cut that down to 2 a day. Good luck.
Wanda (47) caregiver to husband John (56) age at diag.(2009)
1-13-09 diagnosed Stage IV BOT SCC (HPV+)
2-12-09 PEG placed, 7-6-09 removed
Cisplatin 7 weeks, 7 weeks (35) IMRT
4-15-09 - treatment completed
8-09,12-09-CT Scans clear, 4-10,6-11-PET Scans clear
4-2013 - HBO (30 dives) tooth extraction
10-2019 - tooth extraction, HBO (10 dives)
11-2019 - Left lateral tongue SCC - Stage 2
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 126 "OCF Canuck" Senior Member (100+ posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 126 | After a lot of sorting out (by asking the nutritionist, MO's, pharmacist etc. in the clinic), it was finally determined that Gordon could take his multivitamin pill
and calcium, but that was it. I would do exactly what your Dr. tells you to do -
if he/she says cut them *all* out, then do it.
Anne
Anne - CG to Gordon (59), non-smoker/non-drinker. SCC, BOT, HPV 16+, stage 3. Jan./10 - radical neck dissection to remove 48 lymph nodes, 1 node pos. Apr. 23/10 - finished 35 rad. and 3 cisplatin. Jul. 22/10 - PET scan clear.
| | |
| Forums23 Topics18,305 Posts197,297 Members13,504 | | Most Online7,516
Mar 21st, 2026 | | |
|
