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Beware Antioxidants???

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User
Posted 07 Oct 2022 at 14:55

I'm 15 fractions through 20. A couple of weeks before treatment, I had a dose of Covid that laid me out cold for two weeks, despite jabs. I thought thsr I needed to get well before treatment started, so started taking 'Immunace Original' supplements in order to recover faster.

I've taken 15 of the 30, and missed the last week.

I then read on a forum that Antioxidants should be avoided during Radiotherapy treatment as they can encase and protect cancer cells, as well as healthy cells!

Now I'm worried!

Have I unknowingly prevented my treatment working?

I can't believe that such 'over the counter' vitamins could be a threat can they? Surely we would all be warned before treatment wouldn't we?

Anyone got any views?

Thanks.

User
Posted 07 Oct 2022 at 17:08

I don't believe over the counter supplements can ever give you anymore than a well balanced diet would. So my opinion is they won't do you any good or harm.

I carried on eating chocolate and drinking red wine through RT 

Dave

User
Posted 07 Oct 2022 at 20:56

Now you have me worried! 😀

Seriously, I had 20 fractions two years ago.  They gave me plenty of advice but said nothing about avoiding antioxidants.  If there was that serious a risk the NHS would be on top of it, and would build it in to EBRT treatment fo PCa.  My best advice is draw a line between the professional health advice/treatment you are receiving that has the primary objective of keeping you alive, and unsubstantiated "armchair scientist" waffle on forums.

User
Posted 08 Oct 2022 at 14:42

We were told not to take anything which hadn't been approved by the radiographers, be it supplements, or ointments.

I did hear afterwards that breast cancer patients are told not to take Vitamin D3 during radiotherapy because it's an anti-oxidant, but I've never heard of prostate cancer patients being told not to take it, and it's included in things like AdCal-D3 which many patients take while on hormone therapy.

I did mention this just recently to a radiotherapist, and she's gone off to ask more about it as she didn't know.

The theoretical issue is that anti-oxidants mop up free radicals which can cause DNA corruption. Well, the whole point of radiotherapy is to generate free radicals that corrupt DNA. I don't know if the anti-oxidants have any noticeable effect against the radiotherapy. There is doubt that anti-oxidants do any good even when you're not having radiotherapy - some research into foods high in them came to the conclusion it was the fibre content which was beneficial rather than the much touted anti-oxidants.

User
Posted 08 Oct 2022 at 19:11
It really is advisable not to take any dietary supplements without consulting the radiotherapy team first. You do need to be very careful with your diet when undergoing RT.

Best wishes,

Chris

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User
Posted 07 Oct 2022 at 17:08

I don't believe over the counter supplements can ever give you anymore than a well balanced diet would. So my opinion is they won't do you any good or harm.

I carried on eating chocolate and drinking red wine through RT 

Dave

User
Posted 07 Oct 2022 at 20:56

Now you have me worried! 😀

Seriously, I had 20 fractions two years ago.  They gave me plenty of advice but said nothing about avoiding antioxidants.  If there was that serious a risk the NHS would be on top of it, and would build it in to EBRT treatment fo PCa.  My best advice is draw a line between the professional health advice/treatment you are receiving that has the primary objective of keeping you alive, and unsubstantiated "armchair scientist" waffle on forums.

User
Posted 08 Oct 2022 at 14:42

We were told not to take anything which hadn't been approved by the radiographers, be it supplements, or ointments.

I did hear afterwards that breast cancer patients are told not to take Vitamin D3 during radiotherapy because it's an anti-oxidant, but I've never heard of prostate cancer patients being told not to take it, and it's included in things like AdCal-D3 which many patients take while on hormone therapy.

I did mention this just recently to a radiotherapist, and she's gone off to ask more about it as she didn't know.

The theoretical issue is that anti-oxidants mop up free radicals which can cause DNA corruption. Well, the whole point of radiotherapy is to generate free radicals that corrupt DNA. I don't know if the anti-oxidants have any noticeable effect against the radiotherapy. There is doubt that anti-oxidants do any good even when you're not having radiotherapy - some research into foods high in them came to the conclusion it was the fibre content which was beneficial rather than the much touted anti-oxidants.

User
Posted 08 Oct 2022 at 19:11
It really is advisable not to take any dietary supplements without consulting the radiotherapy team first. You do need to be very careful with your diet when undergoing RT.

Best wishes,

Chris

 
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