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You are here: Home > Articles on Cancer Herbal Treatment > Chemotherapy Patient Herbal Medicine
Chemotherapy Patient Herbal Medicine
Chemotherapy agents are poisons, which kill cancer cells. They also severely stress the systems in our body, which get involved in processing and eliminating these toxic substances. Our hair falling out is really a reflection of the toxic shock effects of these poisons on our metabolism.
Every cancer patient on chemotherapy should be acutely conscious of their alternative options and of the progressive degradation of their immune systems caused by chemotherapy treatments. It is true that Chemotherapy can give cancer cells a "hell of a fright" and I don't say to my patients that they should reject this therapy out of hand. It is however important to keep firmly in mind the physical effects of the treatments and what one can do to minimize the long term damage of these.
Cancer after all, can be seen as the end result of a prolonged period of low vitality and/or the result of long term neglect of the physical or the emotional body and/or the result of the severe depletion of the immune system.
Chemotherapy even in small doses saps the vitality, damages the metabolism and depletes the immunity.
In order to stay ahead therefore, we must consciously work to minimize the effects of whatever chemotherapy we are taking on all these factors. If we don't we will quickly find ourselves without the resources to fight even if we do manage to push our cancer into remission through the use of these agents.
The Chemotherapy Herbal Support combination, which I routinely prescribe for all my cancer patients, contains the following herbs in 1:1 extract form. These herbs are chosen to support all the metabolic systems within the body damaged by chemotherapy treatments.
- Chamomile: Is used for chemotherapy patients to support the balance of the digestive system and the parasympathetic nervous system. Chamomile allows balances within the metabolism to more quickly recover after shock and allows appetite and vitality to return more readily after exposure to chemotherapy agents.
- St Mary's Thistle: Is a major liver tonic and it is the liver, which suffers most directly from the poisons introduced into the blood. All chemotherapy treatment programs recommend regular liver function tests to track the extent of the damage and all patients benefit hugely by supporting their livers during and for three months after any exposure to such treatments. I usually recommend that my patients take up drinking Dandelion Tea two or three times per day in further support of their liver.
- Alfalfa: Offers further support to the digestive system in general and supports the other herbs above in this regard.
- Rosehips: Offers support to the Kidney, Liver and Adrenals in particular while being an antioxidant and a high source of Iron and Vitamin C besides. Rosehips supports what I call the 'top end' of the immune system where we defend ourselves from external threats. Under any physical stress whatsoever Rosehips will support our ability to continue to perform. Under toxic and emotional stresses we face when dealing with Cancer and with orthodox cancer treatments Rosehips is indispensable.
- Thuja: I use the herb Thuja in dealing with the detrimental side effects of chemotherapy also nowadays. In healthy people the herb Thuja taken internally can bring out all sorts of buried issues which many people would rather not face up to. In those patients under stress of major illness or in this case facing Chemotherapy and also the risk of hospital infections contracted through their use of catheters and needles to administer these agents Thuja is indispensable.
- Parsley: Is a particularly interesting herb in that it offers a dramatic support for those whose vitality has been severely compromised. Parsley chopped and mixed into a white sauce or eaten with a bit of fish or salad is a simple vegetable and a useful source of iron, minerals and vitamin C. Parsley given to a severely ill person, even one close to deaths door can bring them back to fight another day.
- Fennel: Is included in my Chemotherapy support treatments because it is another metabolic tonic, in this case especially directed to the health and function of the Pancreas.
- Blue Flag: Is another metabolic support treatment and in this case it helps the Thyroid in its task of regulating the metabolism in generally through the Thyroid. The thyroid is directly affected by toxic (and emotional) shock and it needs to be assisted in finding its way back to normal functioning or the whole metabolism may be compromised.
- Ginger: Is another metabolic tonic, which enlivens the digestion and the metabolism in general and is helpful therefore in speeding the return to normal functioning after toxic shock.
- Liquorice: Makes the mixture taste a little more bearable as it masks the taste of some of the other herbs. Liquorice also assists in the recovery from severe adrenal shock and the adrenal glands are depleted catastrophically when a toxic shock is administered to our systems without warning as in the case of all treatments administered directly into the blood stream.
Included in each bottle of my Chemotherapy Herbal Support treatment I include Bach Flower remedies to deal with the energetic repercussions surrounding the disease of cancer itself and the effects of being in the hands of the Oncologists.
Further support for the cancer patient is found in the use of Colloidal Silver, especially to defend oneself against drug resistant infections which are so easily contracted in medical rooms and hospitals especially where injections, operations, catheters, shunts and the like are part of a chemtherapy treatment program.
The primary natural anti-oxidant which I recommend to every single cancer patient immediately and which works to support what I call the 'lower end' of the immunity where we fight battles originating inside ourselves, is an extract of Maritime Pine Bark.
Robert McDowell
Herbalist
July 2001
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