If you are using PSA to monitor your cancer, you may want to avoid curcumin (and some other supplements)

[Tall_Allen]

Curcumin is labeled as a Pan-Assay Interference Compound (PAINS) that interferes with the validity of PSA tests. Patients should be wary of taking it and other supplements including genistein (a soy isoflavone), EGCG (green tea), resveratrol (grapes), capsaicin (chili peppers), saw palmetto, pygeum, and beta-sitosterol that may artificially change PSA readings. Fortunately, it is cleared out pretty quickly, so avoiding it for a few days before your next PSA test should be sufficient.

pcnrv.blogspot.com/2019/04/...

[Longterm101]

Seems like that contradicts the snuffy Myers recipe!! Thx for sharing

[Hidden]

Hmm I’ve been drinking a 6 oz. concoction totaling 1/2 tsp of turmeric, 1/2 tsp of ginger, sprinkle of black pepper, squeezed lemon and mandarin. My PSA over the past 3 years lives at about a 4. I’ll remember this before my next PSA.

[EricE]

Good to know. Thanks!

[6357axbz]

Thanks TA. I’ll take your advice and stop my green tea extract and curcumin 3 days before next PSA test.

[Hindemith]

Thank you, Allen. This is very interesting and thought-provoking, especially for someone who's been taking a teaspoon of turmeric+black pepper every day for a year or two!

[Hidden]

Thanks Tall Allen - what do you think of adding black cohosh to help with the hot flashes from the Lupron????

Thanks

[Tall_Allen in reply to Hidden]

Black cohosh for hot flashes has had mixed results, but if it works for you, that's great.

[Hidden in reply to Tall_Allen]

I haven't tried it yet. After reading your post I didn't want to screw up any of the positive effects of the Lupron on the cancer.

You are so helpful for us neophytes.

[Tall_Allen in reply to Hidden]

I know several men who found relief using acupuncture if you don't want more drugs. Estrogen or progesterone patches can be used. Some people like venlafaxine (which doubles as an antidepressant). Estrogen was the first prostate cancer medicine, but it was stopped because of the high rate of blood clots from taking the pills. Patches do not seem to have the same side effect. There are some big ongoing clinical trials in the UK for its use in metastatic prostate cancer. It also preserves bone mineral density and lean body mass. If you go that route, consider taking 10 mg tamoxifen with it to prevent breast enlargement.

[Hidden]

Thanks so much.

What are the trials that are going on in the UK that you described?? I do have eight bone Mets

[Tall_Allen]

STAMPEDE and PATCHES

[oldluddite]

A side note: biotin can also interfere with a lot of different blood assays, including PSAs. It is often included in multivitamins, sometimes in megadoses. Avoiding this effect is simple: don't take the MVI (or biotin supplement) for at least twelve hours before the blood draw. Or just skip it for one day and have the test the next day.