Guest guest Posted April 8, 2008 Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 I think the discussion of the use of yin tonics in women with hormone recepter-positive breast cancer needs to be considered again. Having read the posts from a couple years ago, including Bob Flaw's article I really don't think that DAng gui is the problem, or if it is, it isn't a problem in the way we've been looking at it. We've probably all the the experience of treating a healthy perimenopausal woman with irregualr periods and menopausal symptoms. My experience, using a formula such as Zhi Bai Di HUang Wan, or any other appropriate yin tonic is that the periods became regular until they stopped, and the menopausal symptoms such as sleep disturbance, hot flashes and emotional lability went away. This raises the question not of whether there are phytoestrogens in any of the herbs, because, as Flaws points out, the amount in Dang gui is infinitesimal compared to HRT; but rather if there is a synergistic action on the part of the formula or any of its constituents that increases the bio-availability of estrogen storeded in fat cells. One would have to do research which doesn't look at the process in vitro, but with healthy perimenopausal or menopausal women, testing levels of estrogen in the blood before and during treatment. Any thoughts on this. Having seen the results in healthy women, I feel very wary of prescribing these formula for breast cx patients. Pauline Vaughan M.A.(Psych.) D.Ac. Natural Medicine Clinic 54 Poyntz Street Penetanguishene, ON L9M 1N6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.