Hi there, I'm asking a couple of questions on behalf of my wife who has just been re diagnosed with cancer, 4 years after a mastectomy.
She's been put on fulvestrant and paleociclib and wanted to know if a) she can still get her hair coloured and b) what's the groups advice on alcohol consumption. It's her birthday next week.
I'm thinking on both counts, it's about what makes you feel good but would appreciate any experiences that could be shared.
Thanks in advance
My wife has been 2 years since recurrence and her alcohol consumption tailed off naturally. She has never been told to avoid alcohol specifically. A lot of the reason my wife doesn’t drink so much now is it takes all her strength to get up and do the day to day and she would rather avoid any chances of hangover.
She also dyed her hair without real hesitation, the hair dresser should be quite knowledgeable about whether of not it’s a good idea. She had a patch test to make sure she didn’t react to the dye in combination with the drugs etc (palbociclib, letrozle, denosumab)
Ammonia is the key component and it is a toxin, some people would say you shouldn’t dye your hair. Personal choice really. Maybe there are more friendly dyes. I have a friend who is very conscious of environmental toxins but the foregos all those beliefs when it comes to dying their hair.
Like everything moderation is the key.
thank you
Hi. I am on combo ibrance Letrozole and I don’t drink any alcohol and no colored hair .
I was on that combo for about a year. I did what made me feel good. My alcohol consumption dropped off a bit, just didn't have the taste for it like I used. But if I felt well and I wanted a margarita or wine or beer, I went for it. And I've colored my hair throughout all my treatments (when I had hair, lol!!). I'm going to be on meds for the rest of my days and I plan to enjoy each day and do what makes me feel good. I wouldn't do something my onco advised against but the rest is all fair game.
Moderation is always key, hangovers on cancer meds don't sound like fun!! Tell our wife happy birthday and to enjoy her day
Im with you there .I’m on the same combination of drugs and I colour my own hair now I’ve got it back !
I also have a good glass of wine each night .
I was told the same everything in moderation ,we still have to live and feel normal so unless your oncologist says no to something just enjoy life .
My 89th last summer and I drank champagne ,so go ahead and I hope she had a wonderful birthday xx
Im on the same treatment as your wife. I color my hair & enjoy wine with a nice dinner. Enjoy every moment!!! 🙏❤️🙏
I do not drink at all as I believe it can interfere with the Palbo. I do dye my hair with brands that are less toxic.
I talked with my oncologist about this very issue on Monday. I like her and she’s up to date with all the research. She says moderation is fine. Her only caveat is one has liver Mets. In that case she provided very specific guidance.
I’m on Ibrance and Anastrozole. I like my glass of wine, a red wine sangria or margarita.
I have a sign in my kitchen my aunt gave me — Life is too short for cheap wine. 😀🍷
Dear Marthasvineyard----- Please elaborate on why not liver mets, if you can. I drink when I am with others and only one glass of whatever is going and, yes, I HAD liver mets. Thank you for your comment.
We did not delve into this very much since I have bone mets. It was a general conversation about moderate alcohol use.
My understanding is the liver processes alcohol. It is better to not tax the liver with alcohol when liver mets is present. My doctor said she would be more vigilant with me in that situation.
I’m sorry I didn’t follow up more
Thank you for answering. I have decided not to worry about it. I only have a drink now and then and it is usually when others are doing it. The exception, and I have noted this before, is when I cannot sleep and so I make cocoa with rum or with brandy and that works like a charm. This MBC is such a bitch!
I continue to live my life I color my hair I drink when I want to smoke pot, I laugh I cry and I live life the best I can without being judged. That’s my pet peeve don’t judge me until you’re in my shoes, and then still don’t judge me. Let her do what she wants to do and if the color comes out funky don’t do it again. If I drink and get a diarrhea hangover oh well, I’ll look at it that I’m going to be thinner now. Just let her be
You made my day with your post. Thanks for the smile and your terrific energy.
Great answer...my only change...if the color is funky tell the hairdresser to figure it out! They are the specialists!
I drink some wine, with dinner now and then. Smoking pot actually helps one to feel better, when going thru this. I don't smoke pot but I consume it other ways now and then. I say moderation is the key.
It's not what you are going to want to hear but if you want the best possible chance, stop alcohol consumption and use natural hair dye. There are lots of natural, vegan, non toxic colours out there. It depends what kind of journey you are ready for? My wife is TNBC, stage 4. We've removed all possible toxins from the house, washing, bathing, water filters, soaps, washing liquids, fragrances, everything we can. We both stopped drinking. Cut out meat, dairy, wheat, sugar, carbs. All of the above feed cancer. There are lots of books on beating cancer, I strongly suggest you start having a read and you can then make an informed decision. I assume from the tag you are UK, Liverpool? The NHS don't know and won't tell you want to eat and cut out. They told my wife "do what makes you happy" during her first treatment when they actually caused her Metastatic reoccurrence! Please please please, read up and help yourself. XX ❤️
I totally agree with you and I appreciate you saying what you said when all the other comments are to the contrary. I too am TNBC, stage 4 and the statistics for us are not good. What you do, even in moderation, does make a difference. And doctors know nothing about how environmental factors affect our bodies. Hence just because they don’t say make any changes doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Do everything you can to give yourself the best chance. Your wife is lucky to have such a supportive husband. Best wishes to you both.
I agree with your post and also agree it is about balance. Educate yourself and make smart choices but at end end of the day, you have to enjoy what you are doing and how you choose to live.
My hair is currently purple lol I bleach it then put a funky colour in it and I have a Mohican lol ... life is for living ... I don't drink because of my liver mets ... my oncologist said its ok to have one drink but in reality who opens a bottle of wine and just wants one glass .. I want the bottle 🤣🤣 so I now drink a non alcohol wine and still feel sociable then ... life is too short enjoy it ... I don't smoke pot the only reason being I've researched and it can make certain hormonal tumours grow .... my advise enjoy life 🥰🥰
Haha. Good for you!
If you ever want more traditional wine but don’t want to open a whole bottle, there is a great device, called Coravin. The link od below.
My husband bought it as a gift. Hr doesn’t enjoy wine. If i don’t have anyone else to have wine, I use this to preserve the wine.
It has a non coring needle that does not allow the air to escape the cork. It works!
I use it for a glass and can save the rest for another day.
Enjoy!
Hi I’m on Palbociclib and Letrozole and dye my hair with Daniel Field which is a natural dye. I broadly follow a vegan keto diet and my nutritionalist says a hard no to wine. I adore wine and going out so a total ban would be a struggle at the minute 😂 I have cut down big time though and did so during lockdown before diagnosis and alway tend to drink organic/natural/biodynamic. Also after drinking I’m advised to eat stewed apple with cinnamon as this releases pectin which assists the body’s detoxification process. And it’s also yummy!
Your wife sounds like a lucky 🍀 lady with you in her support camp helping her
I am on letrozole and palbociclib and still have my hair coloured and it’s fine although I have now found a salon that offers natural hair colour Oway
I try and avoid alcohol due to the sugar but if you check keto web sites it will give you options of the best to drink and I think the answer was very dry champagne as that doesn’t spike your blood sugar in the same way.
At the same time whilst we have a cancer diagnosis we don’t want cancer to ‘have us’ so you need to do things that make you happy 😃
I get my hair colored every 2-3 months with no problem and I also drink occasionally when out -I am stable. There is so much out there to make you feel guilty -let her live her life -I know friends who are completely vegan and have since died -I know people who do what they want and are still alive 10 years after diagnosis - I know marathon runners who got cancer -truly doesn’t seem to matter. Would she want to stop eating meat -dairy -wheat sugar snd carbs ? What is left to enjoy ?
Welcome here. You will find this site a great source of support and information. Very comforting. We are all different so what works for one doesn't for the other. The best places to research information are, John Hopkins, Mayo Clinic and your national Cancer site. If it is happening you will read it there. Also, and you may know this already, don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion if your gut tells you something isn't right.
More advice than you asked for.
Happy Birthday wishes to your wife. Hope she has a lovely day.
Cheers, June S.
Just wanted to wish your wife a happy birthday and to wish her well as she starts on an Ibrance /Palbociclib combination . I’m sure she will be allowed to enjoy a glass of wine on her birthday and to visit the hairdressers. I have continued to have blonde foil highlights put in every few months over the past three and a half years, whilst on Ibrance (Palbociclib), and I have been fortunate to have remained stable over most of that time . My Mets are in the bones...where are your wife’s ? She is lucky to have your support but she would be very welcome on here .
You celebrate every birthday and if she wants a birthday cocktail snd the doctors have not told her it is strictly forbidden the she needs to go for it! Like several other have said, there are less toxic hair dyes out there and if that also makes her feel good then go for it. I am on fulvestrant and IBRANCE and drink some wine and get my hair colored and I do whatever I can to enjoy life! Blessings to your wife and help her have a super birthday to remember!
I was told to have things I enjoy, like an occasional glass of wine. Personally I stopped having my hair coloured as I was concerned it would weaken it, but I know some people continue without problems. Good luck to your wife. I'm on letrozole and palbociclib since just over a year ago. My MBC returned 26 years after original tumour.
Hi thereOn same combo since Dec 2020. I colour my own hair using Holland and Barrett dye every 8 weeks, no probs. Have lost no hair at all.I have had one glass of wine since diagnosis Dec 2020 and it gave me the runs and I’ve had no side effects before the wine so decided to abstain altogether and no side effects since.
Good luck to your wife.
Debra xx
Whatever your wife decides, I hope that the two of you will enjoy her birthday to the max! I am a long timer with metastatic cancer, 17 plus years with bone mets from the beginning of this wild cancer journey. I have not been told not to consume alcohol or dye my hair. The woman who cuts my hair has a close family member with cancer and she's not thought I needed to stop dying my hair. Losing my hair was one of the first thoughts I had when I was told that I have bc and within a couple of days I went to a wig shop, had my head measured and ordered a wig very like my own hair. Then it turns out that I have estrogen receptor positive bc and have not been on any meds that made my hair fall out. I did cancel my order of that wig LOL. About alcohol, I have never been a big drinker but I enjoy a nice glass of Merlot with pasta or a beer with chili. But at first, the idea of drinking was not appealing as I got used to living in this cancer infused way so I didn't drink at all for the first couple of years. Then I thought, what the heck, I really enjoy wine and some beers so why deprive myself. I probably average about one drink a month, but I don't really keep track. Something I did do early on, I was concerned I might take some OTC med without thinking so I made a list of every OTC med including vitamins and asked my onc if there was anything on the list that I needed to avoid. The only thing she told me not to take was Vit E and she added that nobody should consume it. I only had it t o pop the capsules and put the oil in them on healing incisions to help them heal and lessen scars.
There are alot of websites with all kinds of recommendations and many of them have no reliable clinical trials to support their suggestions. I have not cut anything out of my diet and here I am all these years later, in constant treatment and only on third line treatment. People tell me I don't look my age, 75, and that has been the case since I was 11 or 12. It was annoying in my 20's but great now! LOL
I hope you and your wife will celebrate many more birthdays and anniversaries together.
Sending cyberhugs and healing thoughts your way........
Oh! How I love your answer!XXXX OOO
I am on Ibrance and Letrozole. I was told by my oncologist and nutritionist that a glass of wine or two a week would be okay, but I usually only have a glass or two on my week off of Ibrance unless I am celebrating something. I have found that I enjoy non-alcoholic beer now and then with a lime or lemon wedge in it. As for dying hair, I cut back on how often I have it dyed and go to an Aveda salon which has more natural dyes. I let it go really gray for awhile during Covid and felt I looked old so I decided to get it dyed once it was safer to go to a salon. I hope your wife enjoys her birthday. I agree that she is lucky to have such a supportive husband. I have a wonderful husband, too, who is an active participant in my journey. Sending you and your wife some prayers.
Hi there, not sure if we are supposed to color our hair or drink, but I have never stopped coloring mine and my girlfriend has been fighting MBC for 17 year’s now and she drinks wine socializing weekly , my Oncologist never told me anything not to stop doing , but I do research myself on subjects and discuss with him on a regular basis, but these two subjects, I never asked , good luck !
I color my hair, religiously. I am an occasional drinker, but I do not hesitate to enjoy! Happy early birthday to her!
I am on the same meds as your wife. I lost a lot of hair so shaved it and wear a wig. I am trying to let it grow. I have coloured it. I usually have a drink when I an off ibrance. My oncologist said everything in moderation.Theresa
I have been on Ibrance and Fulvestrant for over a year. I don't have the desire for alcohol that I used to but I still will imbibe if I feel like it. The wine I used to love does not taste as good and I get heartburn from it so it does not seem worth it. Beer works though. As for hair, I get my hair highlighted and my oncologist has said that is not a big deal. I sometimes feel like you also have to do what makes you feel best. This disease takes so much from everyone that the little things make a big difference.
I'm on both of those meds, and I still enjoy my wine with dinner. I'm hesitant on the hair color, because I've noticed my hair thinning some.
Hello Spouse or should I say scouse?
Cannot say much about your wife dying her hair. I don’t because it’s too much maintenance. Regarding the alcohol, if in moderation why not? Like others here I’ve lost my taste for it. If I do imbibe it’s the good stuff. Another reason I don’t drink as much is concern for compromising my immune system and the damage it does on the liver.
Hi scousehusband,
I'm so sorry for what your wife and you are dealing with...
I'll not weigh in on the hair coloring...I have a few gray hairs that no one else can see and I'm thinking I'll just let it happen...
...But, I've dived deeply into the debate about wine, so I'll comment.
My takeaway, after really reading numerous studies (I summarized in a response here a while back, don't have capacity to revisit...), that alcohol consumption *might* be related to getting breast cancer, but seems not to be related to survival once you have breast cancer, specifically metastatic breast cancer.
So I think that the warnings are kind of vague...because there's a link to BC...but I *choose* to believe that a bit (or more...) of wine is OK, especially on a special occasion...
If you'd like me to dust off my research, just let me know...I'd be happy to do it!
My best to you both...
Lynn
Hi, judging by your name is your wife under Clatterbridge. They are so helpful if she is.
A wash in and wash out gentle hair colouring is probably best as our hair is weakened. Some ladies may suggest otherwise. We are all different with hair.
As for alcohol my Oncologist said the odd glass of wine or beer is fine but remember it can affect your wife’s treatment if drunk to excess. I’m also on Pablociclib, Letrozole and Denosumab.
Hope this helps. Everyone on here will help to answer you if they can.
Welcome also.
Hair weirdness on Ibrance/letrozole
The halo hair extensions.
Ibrance and your hair
