Immunotherapy and Bifidobacteria

[SCWI]

Good morning ladies. I am reading Chris Woollam’s book ‘Heal your gut heal your body ‘ and he says how important it is to create a good gut microbiome when healing cancer. He says that immunotherapy and many chemo drugs work more effectively if Bifidobacteria are taken at the same time. This is maybe something the oncologists don’t tell you. I always take a good probiotic, so helpful too if you are dealing with any stomach problems or constipation. He has developed a good one covering many strains of beneficial bacteria. Just thought it was worth a mention. Sophia x

[Spes]

The diet information I was given in my chemo unit tells you not to take probiotics if you are neutropenic (ie neutrophils <2). Does he discuss that?

[SCWI in reply to Spes]

That is a very good point, I shall read on and report back to you. He is quite alternative. I would agree that if you have neutropenia it is better not to take them though.

[Caleda4]

Hi,Sophia,

That is interesting.Can I ask which probiotic you take please just out of interest as I just feel it may be useful. Thanks.xxx

[SCWI in reply to Caleda4]

Hi Caleda

I was taking a good one called Symprove in liquid form for several months as it was half price when Wholefoods store near us closed down. It was really good but expensive, you can get a package online where you buy four and get one free (or something like that, but you need a large fridge. google them and they have a person to talk to. You keep the bottles in the fridge and take 60 ml in the morning before any food to start for a month and then a maintenance dose. I have just changed to the one developed by Chis Woollams on his Natural Selection Website, as they seem to contain a good range of the bacteria and work out cheaper. They are in capsule form, but I don’t yet know how effective they are.

Optibac,, Kult and Biocare also do good ones. I would avoid the supermarket ones like Yakult as they usually contain lots of sugar. They have to be able to survive the acid in the stomach to get to the gut and do their job. Sophia x

[Welshandproud in reply to SCWI]

Hi Sophia

Our Wholefoods has recently closed down too. Do you live in Cheltenham by any chance?

Sian x

[SCWI in reply to Welshandproud]

Hi Sian,

Yes I live not far from Cheltenham. I twigged that another lovely lady from this site called Linda also does and we met up in Maggies last week. While we were there the Maggies choir was practising and she mentioned you. She looked for you when they had finished but I don’t think you were there that day. It would be lovely to meet sometime. I notice you are on a trial. I am also on one called Trioc TroVax running in Bristol. All best wishes to you. Sophia x

[Welshandproud in reply to SCWI]

Hi Sophia

Was that Linda Pullen by any chance? I was not there last week as I was away in Vienna but I would love to meet up with you (and Linda if she is free). Just let me know when is good for you.

Yours

Sian x

[SCWI in reply to Welshandproud]

Thanks Sian,

Yes I think it was Linda Pullen, her site name is Seasun I think. It would be great to meet. I am a bit full on next week and away the one after that, but will contact you when I get back if that’s ok. Best wishes

Sophia

[Welshandproud in reply to SCWI]

Sounds great. Have a good break and I look forward to meeting you when you get back. Take care.

Sian

[Yoshbosh]

How’s the trial going, Sophia?

[SCWI]

Hi Vicki

Thanks for asking. Well there is no great change in my CA125 level, but I am going for a scan tomorrow. They told me that it is supposed to keep you stable, and things can get worse before they improve, but it will be interesting to see. It has been a lot of traveling, over an hour each way to Bristol, and on the vaccine weeks I have to go twice, assessment with the trial doctor and blood test one day and more blood taken and vaccine a couple of days later. It is quite tiring, but worthwhile. Luckily my daughter is a medical student and often at the BRI, so we meet up which is a bonus. I have had 5 out of the eight vaccines and it will finish in April as they get more spread out.

I was so happy that you seem to have had good results from your chemo.

Sophia xx

[Yoshbosh in reply to SCWI]

Thanks Sophia! Yes, I’m pleased with the good result I’ve had, but I do still feel that Trovax was the ‘one that got away!’

I hope your scan shows continued stability. How long will it have been since you finished chemo and since your recurrence was confirmed?

Vx

[SCWI in reply to Yoshbosh]

Hi Vicki

Thanks. It’s a funny one, I finished chemo in November 2015 and then had Avastin for a year and was the worried well person. Despite rising CA125, my scans have been NED, except the last one which showed slight thickening of the peritoneum and soft tissues of bowel loops which could indicate early nodularity . No one has actually called it recurrence yet. So I seem to live in this state of teetering. I feel well apart from some pain which may or may not be surgical adhesions. Anyway will have to await the scan results. 🤭. I hope you have permanent remission after everything you’ve been through, it is such a tough disease but the trial doctor said they just have to find a way for our immune system to recognise the cancer cells and kill them, but they are so clever at hiding. Love Sophia xx