Garlic/IM and IM holidays/CML VAX peptide fusion vaccine trial

[Guest guest]

Hi Group!

I'm terribly behind in posting, but I do follow this site as well as

Jerry's site regularly. As always, I wish all of you well in your

chosen treatments.

My personal situation is that I am a PCR " wobbler. " I have been on

Gleevec 400mg since 4-01, reaching CCR in 12-01. My first PCRU report

occured in 2-03, and I've been going in and out of PCRU status for the

last two years. I have never been PCRU at MDACC, only at COH. My last

RT-PCR at MDACC was my best in a while, .08. I am seriously

considering the CML VAX trials. I qualify for both arms, as I am both

a2 and a3.

I'm happy to hear the experiences of any of you who are in that trial.

I've just read C.'s posts on mixing natural medicines and cancer

therapy based on a series on lectures given by Dr. Bubalo, the

oncology pharmacist at OHSU. This note about garlic was interesting:

Dr. Bubalo, #2

Drug Interactions

* cause reduction of chemotherapeutic effects........

St. 's Wort, garlic, gingko, grape seed, Kava, nutmeg, quercitin

(partial list)

*chemotherapy drugs affected............

includes Gleevec, Taxol, Tamoxifen

, is Dr. B. talking about large quantities of garlic taken as a

supplement? Or quantities of garlic used as natural ingredients in

food? I love garlic, but now I'm wondering whether I should cut back

on it.

Also, not long ago I was so sick from edema and other side effects,

just feeling so " toxic " , that I took a week-long break from Gleevec.

It was my longest break from the drug in the nearly five years that I

have been taking it. After several days, I felt great. Of course, my

oncologist was horrified about it. But the next PCR I had after the

break found no disease detectable. So who knows? Personally, I don't

think my disease is stable enough at lower levels to justify playing

around with my dose. I do believe that the longer I have been on drug,

the better my overall health has been. So, despite the sometimes

uncomfortable side-effects, I'm okay with Gleevec, although I hope

that someday I will not need any drugs. I continue to hope that we

will all have access to more perfectly tailored, non-toxic treatments

for our disease.

Wishing you all peace, love and light.

L.