using mushroom tinctures in addition to chemo

Hello Inll,

Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to our online community.

My name is Carole and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

I’m not sure from your post where your mum is having treatment. You’ve mentioned she’s abroad though, and as a UK based charity, we, unfortunately, cannot comment on treatment in other countries.

It sounds as though you have been looking at research on the use of mushrooms. Although Cancer Research UK have information about some types of mushrooms on their website, they state that most supplements have not been tested to find out if they interact with medicines, including chemotherapy.

I appreciate you’ve mentioned barriers to having a discussion with your mum’s treatment team, but they are best placed to advise on the safety of supplements.

We would recommend that your mum speaks to them if she is considering taking supplements or any type of complementary therapy.

I hope this is helpful.

Sending best wishes,

Carole

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.  

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Dear Carole,

Thank you so much for your prompt reply and apologies for my delayed response, as been travelling in the meantime to see Mum. The link you included was very helpful as well, thank you.

The treatment she is having seems standard for TNBC (which is reassuring), she finished 4 sessions with EC, and had 1st of 4 sessions with Carboplatin - Paclitaxel (after which I think she will have a mastectomy).

I appreciate it's difficult to comment. I guess, my question is whether there is awareness here of patients using these mushrooms alongside their treatment, and whether the medical teams are generally approving of this or overtly against it. I appreciate it also depends on individual treatment, but just trying to get a sense of what the general view is.

The tinctures that I got are, what I think, good quality products made in Bristol, where I live, made from organically grown mushrooms locally. Unfortunately, Mum won't ask her oncologist whether okay to take them and doesn't let me discuss anything with them either. In fact, she won't ask anything at all about her diagnosis and treatment, just does as told by the medics!

Thank you so much for your help and best wishes.

Kind regards,

I.

Dear Inll

My name is Gemma, I am one of Carole’s cancer information nurse specialist colleagues here at the Macmillan cancer support line service.

Thank you for your reply and specific question.

Many chemotherapy drugs used in cancer treatment are derived from plants. They are developed after rigorous clinical trials for safety and efficacy. While some medicinal mushrooms have been tested this way, the best and safest dosages are often not yet known. A common criticism of the current level of research is that even those that showed promising results in lab studies may not have the same effects in humans. It is widely accepted that more studies are needed before they can be recommended for general use.  Herbs and botanicals are often considered within the bracket of what is considered “alternative therapies”, as there is incomplete information about the benefit they offer, and indeed the level of risk they pose.

Herbs can interact with chemotherapy drugs in different ways Some herbs can affect the amount of chemotherapy taken up by the body, making the treatment less effective. Other herbs may increase the adverse effects, such as bleeding, or risk of infection associated with chemotherapy drugs.

Most herbs and dietary supplements, including mushrooms, have not been studied together with chemotherapy drugs and their interactions remain unknown and unpredictable. For this reason, many oncologists advise their patients to avoid these products during chemotherapy.

Cooking with herbs in small amounts for flavouring are generally safe. However, consuming large amounts for prolonged period of time may have adverse effects. For example, there are reports of post-operative haemorrhage associated with use of unusually large amounts of garlic.

If you are interested in reading more about the use of herbs and botanicals, the American website Memorial Sloan Kettering is a trustworthy source of general information, but should never be used in place of the advice of a member of your mum’s medical team.

There is however, evidence that complementary therapies can be very useful when given in line with cancer treatments. Numerous robust studies have shown that access to this type of support during chemotherapy treatment can often boost emotional and physical wellbeing.

Supporting a loved one with cancer can cause a wide range of fears and for all of you. Please do your best to look after your emotional and physical well-being; If there is anything we can do to support you too please do get back in touch.  You might like to join one of our forums to connect with others in a similar situation. Such As: our friendly Family and Friends forum online

With the kindest regards,

Gemma J, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist 

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email. 

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