I'm currently stable with residual disease on watch and wait. Trying to decide whether to take melatonin and Metformin. I don't want to minimize their efficacy when I need them during active treatment at a later date. Anyone have any insight into this? Grace and peace, Danny
If you want to be proactive, I suggest considering these options sooner than later. If these approaches are effective, they would have a greater chance of working on residual disease. As the tumors grow, they acquire mutations that can make the more aggressive. It is better to prevent that from happening.
A better approach to preventing recurrence would be maintenance therapy or a vaccine. The vaccines are only available in clinical trials or in Europe (at a high cost).
I've been off an on. I just didn't want anything I take while in maintanence mode to cause greater mutation. From my research, it doesn't appear these two would. Also, I know metformin can cause liver issues which would force me to stop it. If that happened then I wouldn't have it as a cocktail option later. No easy answers.
When I was undergoing treatment for GBM in 1999 and 2000 I was aware of a British study into melatonin and GBM. Subjects were given 20 mg of melatonin (or of a placebo) daily. Study results were dramatic enough the study was broken early. It was determined the patients receiving melatonin fared far better than those receiving the placebo. I promptly added 18 mg of melatonin daily to my diet (I could only find 3 mg tablets and preferred to stay under the study dose rather than go over the study dose – a decision supported by a pharmacologist and two pharmacists; all three had PhDs). Since our bodies naturally create melatonin at bedtime, I don’t think melatonin would provide a negative effect while you are in a watch and wait mode. Bear in mind I’m not a physician. I happened to continue taking melatonin whilst on a long watch and wait period, then stopped three or four years into said period.
Stephen, Are you aware of mechanisms of action of melatonin or metformin that might make them undesirable for a low grade oli with deletions to take during stable period (either them not being efficacious apart from cocktail or might exacerbate mutation)?
If you want to be proactive, I suggest considering these options sooner than later. If these approaches are effective, they would have a greater chance of working on residual disease. As the tumors grow, they acquire mutations that can make the more aggressive. It is better to prevent that from happening.
ReplyDeleteA better approach to preventing recurrence would be maintenance therapy or a vaccine. The vaccines are only available in clinical trials or in Europe (at a high cost).
I've been off an on. I just didn't want anything I take while in maintanence mode to cause greater mutation. From my research, it doesn't appear these two would. Also, I know metformin can cause liver issues which would force me to stop it. If that happened then I wouldn't have it as a cocktail option later. No easy answers.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was undergoing treatment for GBM in 1999 and 2000 I was aware of a British study into melatonin and GBM. Subjects were given 20 mg of melatonin (or of a placebo) daily. Study results were dramatic enough the study was broken early. It was determined the patients receiving melatonin fared far better than those receiving the placebo.
ReplyDeleteI promptly added 18 mg of melatonin daily to my diet (I could only find 3 mg tablets and preferred to stay under the study dose rather than go over the study dose – a decision supported by a pharmacologist and two pharmacists; all three had PhDs).
Since our bodies naturally create melatonin at bedtime, I don’t think melatonin would provide a negative effect while you are in a watch and wait mode.
Bear in mind I’m not a physician. I happened to continue taking melatonin whilst on a long watch and wait period, then stopped three or four years into said period.
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteAre you aware of mechanisms of action of melatonin or metformin that might make them undesirable for a low grade oli with deletions to take during stable period (either them not being efficacious apart from cocktail or might exacerbate mutation)?