are herbs contraindicated in this patient?

[Guest guest]

Dear Group,

I am a novice practitioner and am seeing a

wide variety of cases, including this one.

 

Patient is 65 yo female with multiple myeloma

who underwent 2 stem cell transplants in 2004,

the second one being successful.

 

She is on maintaince dose of thalidomide,

prednisone and because of those, now insulin.

 

Her main reason for seeking acupuncture is for

her peripheral neuropathy of hands and feet.

 

She takes coumadin for history of pulmonary embolus,

has hypertension on medication, and high cholesterol

not taking meds.

 

Because of the pred, she has edema in all 4 limbs,

legs > arms. She notices the neuropathy improves

when her edema is less.

 

We've made great progress with acu and estim, tui-na

and diet, but I feel we can get to the next level with draining

the dampness.

 

She is quite uneasy about disrupting her current drug

regimine, which I can empathize.

 

With her list of heavy duty drugs, can I even think

of herbs for her?

 

I'd like to tonify kidneys to help with the edema.

 

Thank you for any and all opinions.

 

Jean Dombroski, L.Ac.