supplements

[CLLpa]

Hi all i currently take supplements D3 &k2 ,vitamin C and B12.am considering taking Echinacea for immune system and turkesterone to help beef meback up .

I have cll and currently on watch and wait.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

When you have CLL, you should avoid anything that claims to boost the immune system. That's because where the evidence for them doing so, generally it's from observation of increased lymphocyte numbers and activity. For example, from the paper Enhancement of Innate and Adaptive Immune Functions by Multiple Echinacea Species

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articl...

"Alcohol extracts from three widely used Echinacea species, Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea pallida, and Echinacea purpurea, were investigated for immunomodulating properties.

:

The three herb extracts induced similar, but differential, changes in the percentage of immune cell populations and their biological functions, including increased percentages of CD49+ and CD19+ lymphocytes in spleen and natural killer cell cytotoxicity.

:

In blood cultures (Fig. 4B), there was a significant stimulation of baseline blood lymphocyte proliferation by the Echinacea treatment in comparison to both controls (P = .014). E. angustifolia and E. pallida were both significantly different than controls (both P < .043), while E. purpurea was only marginally different (P = .091)."

CD19 lymphocytes are B cell Lymphocytes, including CLL cells.

Neil

[AnneHill]

Hi, A few years ago a haematologist told me to avoid supplements. He said that if they are intended to build us up then we could build up areas that we dont want to grow.I went back to taking supplements. Vitamin D3, Cranberry to help avoid urine infections, biotin to stop my nails breaking low down when taking Ibrutinib.

I now have vitamin B12 injections and I will stop the multivitamins.

Once we start adding vitamins it keeps building up and we dont know if it will cause harm. Vitamin C can be got from a glass of orange juice and other fruit.

We need to keep things to a minimum and try to eat a varied diet, Anne uk

[CLLpa in reply to AnneHill]

Thanks Anne , i do try my best for a varied diet.

[AnneHill in reply to CLLpa]

Its hard choosing meals. It would help if I liked salad. My husband cooks but we still have to plan meals. Im sure you are doing fine, Anne uk

[Edalv]

I wouldn’t take Echinacea on an ongoing basis. I take it only when I have a persistent cold and my immune system can’t shake it and only during a limited time. I prefer high quality garlic extract or fresh ginger tea over Echinacea anytime…