Cancer-Related Fatigue

[Stegosaurus37]

As we all know, the most common side-effect of cancer therapies - at least the ones I had, which is most - is fatigue.

Well, the Mayo Clinic and MD Anderson have done clinical studies and have found something that works. At least it has for me.

It's ginseng. 2000mg of pure ginseng a day (I use the same stuff they used in the trial); it's not 100% but it is one heck of a great improvement. One of the guys in my local support group says it cured his insomnia. ginsengherbco-op.com is where I buy it, but I see no reason why the stuff from other sources wouldn't work just as well.

Since the FDA classifies ginseng as an "herbal supplement" nobody can make health claims for it which is probably why you may not have heard of it.

Any rate, for what it's worth. It's certainly improved my life.

[erjlg3]

So great it is helping you Stegosaurus! Elgie tried this same brand and it didn't help him.... although..... not at that dosage. I'm going to have him try it at this dosage. Thank you so much for sharing. Enjoy something fun with the energy

🌼Jackie

[Shooter1]

Nnever tried it, but worth a try. Order in

[softwaremom00]

I think it is kind of cute that it is "Wisconsin Ginseng" used in the study.

[Stegosaurus37 in reply to softwaremom00]

Well, it was the Mayo clinic.

[Mkeman in reply to softwaremom00]

Wisconsin is the country’s largest producer of ginseng and it is the favored brand in China. Unfortunately, the current trade and tariff wars are having a major bad impact on the industry.

[ctarleton]

That 1970s reference reminds me of the time I was with a small group who had back-packed from the Pacific Ocean up a valley into the Big Sur in California in the early 1970s. It had taken us many hours the day before to get as far as we had. Early the next morning this skinny, tanned guy with a very small pack with a little pot swinging off of it came up the trail and asked if he could use our fire to heat up his ginseng tea. He chatted with us about his recent travel and hiking in the Himalayas. He had just done the same distance we had done the day before in about 1/4 the time!!

[j-o-h-n in reply to ctarleton]

You didn't notice he was wearing roller skates....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 04/26/2019 7:08 PM DST

[SeosamhM in reply to j-o-h-n]

Be honest...are you really Henny Youngman....or maybe Jack Benny?

[j-o-h-n in reply to SeosamhM]

Henny Benny.

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 04/26/2019 10:43 PM DST

[Mkeman in reply to j-o-h-n]

Could be Fibber Magee. Or, in this day and age, might be Molly.

[j-o-h-n in reply to Mkeman]

You could never believe Mr. Magee.... and Molly was always going "in the closet"...

(turn up the volume please).

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Saturday 04/27/2019 11:33 AM DST

[j-o-h-n in reply to Mkeman]

youtube.com/watch?v=h9FGC68...(Not working as expected?)

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Saturday 04/27/2019 11:51 AM DST

[Zxpl in reply to SeosamhM]

I wonder...is j-o-h-n related to Jerry Lewis? Maybe a son? Gee, he could have written a song about a certain diamond ring!

[Stegosaurus37]

That's where I found out about it. The moderator of our local support group brought in a copy.

[HOPEFULSPOUSE]

My husband's NYC MO just recommended Wisconsin ginseng (which was used in the clinical trials) for fatigue. The clinical trial that I read mentioned that most didn't notice results until about 4 weeks in with all feeling some kind of improvement 8 weeks in. My husband is just one week in and hasn't noticed improvement yet.

[Stegosaurus37 in reply to HOPEFULSPOUSE]

Every one is different. I noticed improvement in a few days, but there have also been days of regression also. All I can say is it has been an improvement. Not 100% by a long shot, but still an improvement. If it doesn't work for your husband, there are other possibilities which have been used by other members of this forum. Remember, we are all with you 100%.

[Stegosaurus37]

Yep. My oncologist is Chinese and her father is also an oncologist. So this is all staraya shlapka as they say in Moscow to them.

[j-o-h-n in reply to Stegosaurus37]

"My oncologist is Chinese and her father is also an oncologist" DOUBLE CHINS?

I guess that's old hat.

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 04/26/2019 11:06 PM DST

[monte1111 in reply to j-o-h-n]

For some reason I felt guilty about laughing so hard at that one. My MO is Chinese and her name stunned me. That she was female stunned me. I relaxed when I found out she went by a name out of a Stephen King horror book/movie.

[j-o-h-n in reply to monte1111]

My ex-wife is always the main character in his novels/films.

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Saturday 04/27/2019 6:15 PM DST

[Stevemarr]

I have been in this, does help.

[j-o-h-n]

This note was in a Chinese fortune cookie that I once ate "Ginseng Sucks, Try Cannabis".

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 04/26/2019 7:33 PM DST

[Stegosaurus37 in reply to j-o-h-n]

Damn. The only fortune cookies I get have excerpts from "Thoughts of Chairman Mao."

[j-o-h-n in reply to Stegosaurus37]

Hahahahaha 'You must admit the guy was some cookie"....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 04/26/2019 9:38 PM DST

[monte1111]

Sorry. To tired to reply. Cancer or birthday mexican dinner with alcohol?

[j-o-h-n]

Should have drank the water.....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 04/26/2019 10:00 PM DST

[JimVanHorn]

In Pharmacy school in 1971 I was told that Gensing root is used by women because the root is bulbous and is used to start the juice flowing in women before having sex. The root was said to be "helpful in sex". So then they ground it up and put it in tea to act as a sex vitamin. Then they decided to put it in capsules and sell it to anyone for anything. By thorough testing hey found no active ingredients in the root or it's extracts.

[Stegosaurus37 in reply to JimVanHorn]

Well, I can attest that it has had zero sexual effect, but then this damn lupron has made me an "it" so probably nothing would help there.

[Stegosaurus37 in reply to JimVanHorn]

Jim - I neglected to scotch another aphrodisiac rumor. That one is that raw oysters are an aphrodisiac.

That is definitely not true. Once in my pre-cancer days I ate a dozen one evening and only nine of them worked.

[JimVanHorn]

I was on Lupron (6 1/2 years) and radiation (#72) and now I am off of everything. I did not have RP and it has been one year since I stopped therapy. I no longer have cancer, and I can have erections and dry orgasms! It is not anything like before therapy, but it can happen when ever I want! So there is light a the end of the tunnel. Just keep truckin'.

[Ralph1966]

I think there was an article about NOT to use some of the different types of ginseng?

American ginseng and Eleuthero Root (Siberian Ginseng) are Ok to use, other types are not be used?

Anyone had any idea as it will increase Testosterone level so should not be used with ADT?