Pat, I too was looking for something to maximize my response to gleevec. I was diagnosed December 2003 and have been taking 400 mg steady since June of 2004. I cant really claim to have any side effects & my PCR tests have been stable and low, but not optimal (ie: less than a 3 log reduction).
I ended up working with a private blood specialist who is truly an amazing woman -- knows more than anyone ive talked to about blood chemistry and balance (even more than my hematologists for sure). She is also a pro on natural supplements to balance your blood chemistries. I was willing to do anything to get a better response (i too am looking for a cure, not just a positive reaction). At the peak, i was taking almost 100 supplemental pills a day on top of gleevec -- this program lasted about 9 months. The results -- during my entire period of taking supplements, i did feel great, but my PCR tests stayed stable. No reduction at all. I am certainly not upset with what i did, and perhaps i will do it again, it definitely did not hurt my gleevec prescription, and my blood chemistry was improved, however i saw no reduction in leukemic cells -- to me that is the bottom line since i was not experiencing any real side effects to speak of. I have since discontinued the supplements & now i have just increased my dosage to 600mg/day -- from what i've learned, i expect a reduction in PH+ cells. By the way, i still feel great without the supplements (i eat healthy and exercise 5 days per week and i think that helps as well). My point -- dont underestimate gleevec & dont overestimate herbal remedies. Even though my experience was less than optimal, i still believe they can possibly work -- but i know gleevec works. As a side note, my experience with CML has changed my life dramatically. I am now a life coach working with clients primarily in health, wellness and recovery. Just thought i would let you know that if you ever wanted to talk, i'd be happy to listen--just send me an email if you would like to. Best wishes Doug --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
