In 2015, three years after I was dx with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer (two pelvic bone mets, PSA 19, G8), I discovered Dr. Shamsuddin's book "IP6 and Inositol" in my search for anticancer natural supplements. IP6 is a molecule found in every cell of our body. It occurs naturally in many sources, especially cereals, nuts, and legumes. I started taking IP6 powder available over-the-counter at health food stores or online. Within seven weeks it impacted my PSA level and the nodules once palpable on my prostate.
I have mentioned IP6 (aka "inositol hexaphosphate", "inositol hexakisphosphate", "phytate", "phytic acid") before in my posts. This past week I received two updates: first, one from a healthunlocked.com community member.
"Hey CalBear,
Just wanted to let you know I decided to give IP6 and the supplements you suggested another try. I had tried the IP6 prior to my June blood test and it didn't seem to slow the rise in my PSA.
I started in the second week of July...taking 12 scoops of IP6 plus supplementing with the milk thistle and some of the other supplements you suggested. I didn't take the large dosages that you are taking...rather I just took the normal recommended dosages of each...twice daily. I usually just eat two main meals a day.
My July blood test showed a surprising drop in my PSA. My PSA had been doubling each month..starting early this year. My MO dropped Zytiga for me as it seemed to be no longer effective.
I started Radium 223 treatments on June 29, but my MO informed me that it would not likely help with my PSA. I expected my PSA to have doubled once again, but instead it had dropped a bit which was a very nice surprise.
Thank you for the info about the IP6 and supplements!"
The next message also provides exciting news with different indicators:
"Good Morning CalBear74,
I hope you are feeling well and doing great! Just a quick update. Further great news last week I had my second Lupron shot and a DRE. The doc informed me that "the two nodules on my prostate were gone and the surface was smooth." PSA down to 0.40 from 55 PSA three months ago! IP6 & the Beta Glucan worked well and it should keep me alive in the coming years for sure. Thanks"
Note the reference to beta glucan. I recommend the natural immunomodulator beta glucan with resveratrol and vitamin C, per Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka's recommendation in the third edition of his "Beta Glucan: Nature's Secret". Only one dose permitted a day. Dr. Vetvicka does not recommend any brand of beta glucan but his research shows that Tranfer Point's Beta 1,3-D Glucan, #300 is by far the most potent compared to other glucans, including those from Asia derived from mushrooms and seaweed.
I felt the above information was very encouraging and should be shared. Why hasn't there been a large clinical trial with IP6? (Beta glucan is being tested as adjuvant therapy in a number of clinical trials nationally.)
Dr. Ivana Vucenik, a colleague of Shamuddin at the Univ. of MD. Medical School, addresses this issue in a chapter in a text for laymen on IP6 "Too Good to be True?" You will gain insight into the politics of cancer drug testing at NCI.
My last PSA test at the urologist in March was 0.06. My treatment still consists of only 6-month Lupron (the Casodex was dropped by my FL urologist when we moved here in 2016). I am not yet resistant. My current intake of IP6 has gone up from 12 scoops to 16 scoops a day in two divided doses. I take a large number of supplements, the most important being European milk thistle, curcumin-turmeric, berberine (Metformin equivalent), red yeast (Lovastatin equivalent), quercetin, capsaicin, alpha-lipoic acid, and green tea extract. I should add I became a strict vegan in late summer 2017.
If you want any additional detail on how to take IP6 successfully (a few simple requirements to prevent molecular binding), just message me.
The implication that Dr. Shamsuddin is no longer productive is possibly true, however his CV is online at the University of Maryland Medical School Faculty CVs. He lists international presentations on IP6 in 2016, the last year CVs his was uploaded.
Fortunately, the bibliography in his 2011 text reveals how international the interest has become in IP6. In his book he talks about the many young men and women who have trained under him and Ivana Vucenik at U of MD. Her publication list on IP6 is awesome; it shows many cancer studies with Dr. Shamsuddin in the first decade of this century.
Dr. Shamsuddin may well have slowed down because of retirement age factors.
Thanks for pointing out that post. It was before my time at healthunlocked.com.
I used to take when I first got up, just before my coffee. When I increased Metformin to 2,000 mg, I decided to take 1,000 mg with that coffee, but I needed to have food with it. So I fit IP6 in when I remember - mostly not, I'm afraid.
Dr. Shamsuddin in a personal correnspondence (email) assured me that the next generation of younger IP6 investigators/scientists are hard at work. (We have communicated previously.) He sent me this link:
You can also do searches on C. Agarwal and R. Agarwal. Rajesh Agarwal is a research pharmacologist at the Univ. of Colorado if my memory serves me well and had a substantial interest in IP6 and prostate cancer. Some of his work is listed above.
You can purchase Enzymatic Therapy Cell Forte IP6 powder (not capsules) at all star health.com. Take 6 scoops, which they provide in the canister, twice a day on an empty stomach. Mix thoroughly in an enclosed mug. Never mix with milk or any protein food or liquid. Empty means no food for 2 hours before; No food for at least a half hour after.I would encourage your husband to consider becoming a vegan. Consult nutrition facts.org for guidance from Dr. Michael Greger. He might want to read “how not to die” by Dr. Greger. Don't miss his videos on "phytates" (i.e., IP6).
Looks interesting but I think personally I will pass on this one until there is a little more out there.
Unfortunately, online anecdotal evidence seems as prevalent for valid treatments as it is for Quackwatch types of treatments (there are well-known reliability problems for random self-reported data... it is not statistically valid and because of placebo and non-placebo psychological effects, sometimes not even factually accurate).
That Patrick tried it for a while, to me is a good sign. That he has ceased bothering with it, is another type of sign.
With my pill load, inositol hexakisphosphate just doesn't look so interesting.
Mayo clinic now thinks it is worth a clinical trial in light of the recent news on the melanoma patient who achieved remission using only IP-6. He was their patient and declined traditional oncological treatment.
I've been taking IP6 in capsule form for a couple of years now but decided to order two canisters of the Enzymatic Therapy Cell Forte IP6 powder. The capsule I was taking only had IP6 and Inositol, whereas this powder also contains 760 mg of phosphorus per serving. 12 scoops of this would highly elevate phosphorus levels (9 grams daily) and some believe that this is not a good thing.
No I haven’t. My bloodwork is normal at my primary care physician’s office. I am not aware of the powder in the capsules or the canisters being any different.As far as I know, the formulations in the competing brands vary little.
I have been following your discussion on IP6 and other supplements.
While visiting Johns Hopkins, my husband was told that he is in the 27% of people who are in the SOD2 Ala/Ala genotype that has shown positive response to Muscadine Grape Extract and asked him to be a part of a clinical trial. Since he didn’t want to take the chance of being in the placebo group, we ordered the same Muscadine Grape Extract being used in the trial and he has been taking the same quantity as the trial participants for 2 months. When I read up on this genotype, it appears that it does not fight free radicals as well as other forms of the SOD2 classifications. The trial is to see if the Muscadine Grape Extract which is very high in antioxidants will help in battling free radicals and strengthen the cells.
I was wondering if the success you are seeing with the IP6 has something to do with your genotype and of course, if it would be helpful for my husband as well. Do you have any thoughts on this.
I am sorry I can not help you on this as I lack the information for such a judgment. Dr. Shamsuddin does not address such a possibility in his text on IP6.
Are you aware of the Mayo Clinic patient taking IP6 who was the subject of a case study recently? He declined traditional cancer care for his melanoma and, using only IP6, went into remission. He has been in remission 3 years.
What is the brand of the Muscadine Grape Extract that you are using?
Funny you mention Mayo Clinic. We were there last month and met with Dr. Eugene Kwon regarding the results of my husband’s Ga68 PSMA scan from UCLA as well as their C-11 choline scan which showed the same results. We mentioned the Grape skin trial and he said he had no faith in the Grape skin extract although he is on the committee that approved it to go to trial. Hmmmm.
He basically said he believes in conventional treatment: hormone therapy, possible pelvic radiation for oligometastatic disease.
The company that we are ordering the Muscadine Grape Extract is Muscadine Naturals, muscadinenaturals.com.
How do you know the IP-6+ supplementation is the key to the low PSA? Aren't you on Lupron too? If so, then how do you know the Lupron isn't the reason for the low PSA?
Very important question George. Causality can only be determined, as you know, only when you are in control of all the variables. I was taking Eligard and Casodex in 2015 and had been since November, 2012. I started with IP-6 in June 2015. I started with a massive dose and Dr. Shamsuddin says repeatedly in his text on IP-6 that it is both time-dependent and dose-dependent. The twelve scoops a day in divided doses (a "scoop" came with the IP-6 powder) was the only supplement I was taking in the summer of 2015. My schedule of visits called for me to see my urologist in August. Given the trend in my PSA increases the doctor and I were looking for 0.5 approximately. My PSA surprised my doctor in August: 0.1. He was taken aback to the point he insisted on a DRE, which he had not performed since my dx in 2012 ( still had my prostate because I was metatstatic). He palpated my prostate very thoroughly and said he could not find any nodules. (This was repeated by my new Florida urologist in Sept. 2016 who did not believe my medical chart. He confirmed that he could not detect any tumors in the prostate.) My AZ urologist had been very skeptical of all supplements, so I had not told him about the IP-6. I did six months later. I have since added so many supplements based on reading the cancer journals, that causality has become impossible. Now I must accept that I am firing a shotgun at the cancer cells.
Thanks cal, so your psa was rising before you started the ip6, and you were still taking the elligatd. What was your psa when they diagnosed you as metastatic in 2012? And what was your doubling time before starting adt?
Are there any documented studies from dr shamsudden showing ip6 effectiveness in patients?
My PSA was 19 at the time of diagnosis. I don’t have a clear estimation of my doubling time from that period. My Arizona urologist put me on an intermittent schedule. I would guesstimate that my doubling time when on my six month vacation from EligardWas about 30 to 40 days.Starting in 2016, September, my new Florida urologist put me on a continuous therapy program with Lupron.
Actually, Dr. Shamsuddin refers to Rajesh Agarwal as The best researcher in prostate cancer and the Inositol hexaphosphate. You will find his research articles at pub med.gov of course. He is with The university of Colorado health sciences school in Denver.
This is my biggest concern - the absorption through the GI tract. The difference btween Michael Milken and I. He probably gets injections etc and we swallow supplements orally:
"Since the pH can change drastically as the molecule travels through the gastro-intestinal tract, our findings have implications for in vivo use of IP6, which has largely been via oral routes thus far. In addition to the fact that mM concentrations of IP6 are required to elicit anti-cancer activity, this may argue for further evaluating the activity of basic-pH buffered IP6 formulations by intravenous injection. To this end, while the concentrations required for IP6-mediated anti-tumor activity are certainly high, it should be noted that glucose, which is of similar chemical composition, is typically present in the blood at concentrations of ∼5 mM (Lam et al., 2005). In addition, some clinically approved HDAC inhibitors, such as sodium butyrate and valproic acid for example, are also active in the mM range when used in vitro (Kuefer et al., 2004; Xia et al., 2006).
In conclusion, our work demonstrates that the pH of the IP6 solution must be taken in consideration when evaluating the anti-tumoral properties of this phytochemical. We demonstrate significant differences in the activity of IP6 depending on its pH on the metabolic activity, cell proliferation, and cell death of PC-3 cells."
Has anyone considered taking IP6 plus Inositol in suppository form? It would bypass the issue of going thru the GI track, and, would be closer to the prostate. Couldn't find any info on this with Google search. Curious to hear some feedback on this potential option.
My immediate concern about that approach involves the need to get a large dose to the bloodstream. I believe for serious cancer treatment at least 20 g is needed. I take more than 40 grams daily. I have taken 80 g. The only consequences Involve G.I. distress: excessive gas and possible diarrhea.I would encourage you to contact Dr. Shamsuddin at the University of Maryland medical school, pathology department. His email address is listed for the medical school along with other faculty members.
Thanks CalBear74. I just sent an email to Dr. Shamsuddin. The reason why I brought this up, is recent citations indicate that a much higher effective dose can be delivered directly into the bloodstream via suppository admin., which would "avoid" a considerably higher oral dose in order to achieve an equivalent bloodstream dose. Also, the prostate would likely be the first target of bloodstream uptake because of close proximity. Not sure if that corollary is necessarily true for all medications / supplements. I hope to get a response from the Dr. or one of his associates. I'll update you if / when I receive a response.
I am currently taking oral 48g of IP6 proper Cell Forte per day (exclusive of the other ingredients). I'm on my 3rd week. Won't know if any positive results until the next PSA in about a week.
Just wanted to update on my experience so far. I've been taking Cell Forte IP6 + Inositol for almost 5 weeks. 15 scoops per day ... (in 3 divided doses of 5 scoops) in water. I don't find the taste to be unpleasant (that helps). Just had my PSA test last week. My numbers have dropped almost 5 points from 22. So, I will continue taking this dose and retest in about 4-5 weeks. As of now, I'm still apprehensive about the validity. One test does not stand as proof. There is always the possibility a single test can be a fluke. If the next test also shows a drop, then I'll know this is going in a positive direction. I also take some of the same supplements as others on here ... resveratrol, ginger root, curcumin, quercetin, bitter melon. However, I have been taking those for quite some time before starting IP6, with no drop in PSA. I will continue taking those as well.
Wanted to update my situation. Just rec'd my latest PSA results. Unfortunately, my numbers have gone up from 17 to 24. Wasn't expecting that. I will up my dose of IP-6 plus Inositol to 21 scoops per day .. 3 divided doses. Will test again in mid Feb, and, assess the situation.
Very sorry to hear of your results. It may not be helpful but let’s review some of the standard precautions when taking IP 6: number one always have an empty stomach. Don’t eat anything for two hours prior to taking your dose. Number two: Don’t mix anything with the IP six such as milk. Always mix it in cold water. Number three: Don’t eat anything for 45 minutes after taking your dose. Good luck!
Thanks for your reply CalBear74. Pretty much, that's what I've been doing. Always on an empty stomach. Usually wait at least 30 - 45 mins before eating after a dose. I had a bad case of the flu for 2 weeks prior to this last test, so, maybe that affected the results. Still took all my doses, empty stomach b4, after etc, but, was using cold meds (DayQuil) throughout the 2 weeks. Possible the meds gave a false high PSA test result? There are no citations indicating any interaction. Will take 2 (10 scoops ea) divided doses instead of 3 (5 scoops ea). Will test again in about 4 - 5 weeks.
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