Alternative Medicine Treat Chemotherapy Side Effects With These Herbal Remedies
You think you’re unlucky? A close friend of mine has battled breast cancer three times. Lumpectomy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, mastectomy, reconstructive surgery: she has survived them all. Ask her, and she will tell you that the chemotherapy side effects– especially nausea and stomach pain– were especially putrid. Luckily, there are several herbal remedies available to ease the worst of these common side effects of chemotherapy.
Of course, your doctor can prescribe medications for some chemotherapy side effects, especially nausea and stomach pain. However, many women prefer to ease the nausea and stomach pain that results from chemotherapy with all natural, herbal remedies. Chemotherapy, by definition, pumps toxic chemicals into your body. Why add to the toxins flooding your body if you can use alternative herbal remedies to counteract common chemotherapy side effects?
Ginger root is the #1 herbal remedy for the chemotherapy side execute nausea.
Many chemotherapy patients have pains keeping their strength up. It is hard to eat when you are suffering from a combination of nausea and loss of appetite, two favorite side effects of chemotherapy. If you can manage it, try nibbling on ginger snaps and kill two birds with one stone.
Ginger root is an excellent herbal remedy for nausea caused by chemotherapy. If you like the spicy taste of ginger, try holding a thin slice of raw ginger root between your teeth either during chemotherapy or shortly afterwards. Ginger root is available powdered in capsule form, but a better blueprint to occupy this natural herbal remedy for nausea is in a tea or as a tincture.
Other natural herbal remedies for nausea caused as a side effect of chemotherapy.
I happen to love ginger, but many people do not. Other natural herbal remedies for nausea include aloe vera juice, caraway seeds, fennel and peppermint.
Caraway seeds and fennel seeds can be nibbled on during chemotherapy and afterwards. Try them together; you might be pleasantly surprised.
Fennel and peppermint are especially delectable in herbal tea form to soothe away chemotherapy side effects, especially to prevent nausea and to ease stomach upset. Licorice tea is a herbal remedy similar to fennel tea, and has the same calming effects on the stomach. It also has the same ability to prevent and ease nausea caused by chemotherapy.
You may also like to try sucking on peppermint hard candy as long as mouth sores are not one of your chemotherapy side effects.
Aloe vera juice is available in health food stores and some supermarkets. Aloe vera juice is a great scheme to treat and heal an upset stomach caused as a side effect of chemotherapy.
St. John’s wort is not recommended for treatment of chemotherapy side effects.
St. John’s wort is a well known herbal remedy for stress and depression, however St. John’s wort should not be taken to treat chemotherapy side effects because it increases the metabolism of the chemotherapy drugs, which makes them less effective at fighting cancerous cells and tumors.
Try chamomile tea instead. Chamomile tea is a traditional and effective herbal remedy for stress.
Siberian ginseng can strengthen your immune system and combat stress.
Stress and a compromised immune system are two well-liked chemotherapy side effects. Siberian ginseng, especially when taken in its liquid form, or as a tincture, is an excellent herbal remedy for chemotherapy side effects. Siberian ginseng will also encourage fight the fatigue common in chemotherapy patients.
Green tea can also help bolster an immune system that is affected by the negative side effects of chemotherapy. Green tea contains antioxidants that are well-known for repairing stress and injuries to your body and your immune system, and is an excellent herbal remedy to combat chemotherapy side effects.
Sources:
WebMD
Chemotherapy.com
altMD
American Cancer Society
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Filed under Radiation Therapy by on Dec 5th, 2011. 