Hello this is my first post. I signed up yesterday and have been spending a lot of time reading, so much information. My history starts when I was in the hospital for 10 days due to a bad case of Pneumonia (05/2016). I never had an issue with high blood counts or anything. When I was discharged I was informed that my WBC was a little above normal. It took until October 2016 when I saw an Oncologist when I was diagnosed with CLL. My Dr. told me that I will be on the wait and see plan. In October 2016 my WBC was 17 and as of today I am at 83.3. My spleen was enlarged back in October and now it is larger. So my Dr wants to see me in 4 months to perform a third CT scan and complete blood workup. She said that it is time to start treatment. I do not know what that treatment is or entails.
I have read a lot of the postings on the use of Green Tea and Turmeric. I want to start on this as soon as possible. I read the cautions about to much Green Tea and plan to have it checked. I have read AussieNeil's comments on doses and the use of the Lipton green tea bags as additional source of EGCG. I do not know which one to get they do not state any specifications on EGCG.
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Riven8
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Remember if you drink green to you need around 20 cups a day of properly brewed tea...
EGCG is a form of mild chemo and because nobody knows what's in the commercial stuff or over the counter pills and capsules, Dr. Kay that ran the Mayo study, issued a caution on this approach in CLL.
Hi Riven8, I am sure you will find info on the dosage folks on the forum take and CLLCanada's wise words of caution. I take 2 x 1000mg twice a day for 3 days then two days off. This is based on available advice. To drink this amount would be a feat!
I collected this from a study I don't remember where......"Lipton Green Tea Bags, 40 Count .....If you’re sipping on a budget, this pick from Lipton should be your go-to. With 71 mg of EGCG per one-cup serving, this tea boasts one of the highest levels of the brewable varieties tested—and at about $3.50 (Walmart) for 40 tea bags, it’s also the best value.
Researchers also noted that there are more leaves packed into each individual bag, so you really are getting more of the good stuff for your cash. Serving size: 1 teabag; EGCG content: 71 mg; Cost: About $0.10; Calories: 0"
I mix brewed Lipton with Arizona Green Tea 50/50. I use the 1 gallon jug from the Arizona product and put the mix in the refrigerator. I don't drink the number of cups that chris describes, but have a few glasses here and there, mostly at meals.
My timeline was very similar to yours except that I read through all the Mayo material right after diagnosis. My doubling time went from 6 months to almost 18. I've been taking 800 to 1200 mg per day. Since I had been having an abnormal heart rythem with caffine, I have migrated to Bulk Suppliments powdered decaffinated extract. I feel however, that it doesn't work as well so I'm still taking 400mg of NOW extract which has about 40mg of caffine. For a total of 800 to 1200mg. According to the study asside from Chris's caution there is also the caution of over working your liver. I belive I'm taking as much as was recommended. (Of course as Dr Kay said, "you don't know exactly what's in the over-the-counter suppliments")
With that being said, I believe they will recommend you stop taking it when you start treatment. Also the study was biased toward early stage patients where from what you've said, you are at the end of early stage. Keep us posted.
I take EGCG in pill form. I order it online. Source Naturals is the brand name I use but look at the ingredients and find one you are most comfortable with. Should have only green tea in concentrated form. It works for me. It helps maintain or improve blood test results - for me. I also have enlarged spleen.
There are 2 very good consumer sources of info regarding green tea products, test results, EGCG content, safety. One is Labdoor.com which tests for metals and ranks products. Second is consumerlab.com which is similar but charges $42 annual fee. I use Life Extension decaf green tea capsules which contain 325 mg of EGCG per capsule. I only take one a day and believe it helps keep my SLL from progressing. This is a very low dose and I don’t need more at this time (on W & W 3 yrs). Whatever dose or source you use, I suggest you have your liver checked as part of your regular blood test. Good Luck to you.
It’s not true regarding the common statement that one doesn’t know what’s in supplements. But from a reputable brand that tests their raw ingredients and don’t source any of their raw materials from China. Secondly, you can purchase standardized herbs and supplements and then you can be more confident in the strength you are buying.
I second the comment on Lipton Tea. I would only buy organic tea to be sure the tea hasn’t been grown with pesticides.
I like the Rishi Brand ( Rishi Sushi match Green) or other high quality green tea. Steep at 175F. Bigelow Decaffeinated is good for Decaff. See my past posts on this subject.
I learned that we should take that type of tea in bags, look for real green tea leafes... look for a good one like the Azores green tea, one of the best in the world
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