Does eveening primrose oil tablets produce oestrogen?

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Hi,

I have been taking eveening primrose oil for months, but read somewhere on this forum that this can produce oestrigen? Not sure if this is correct as i have been told by my BC nurse to take it, but I have stopped now as I dont want to take anything that produces Oestrogen!!

Thanks

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Dear Mairead, don’t believe everything you read on these threads!!All the evidence I’ve read on evening primrose is that it’s widely used by alternative health centres and practioners and the Bristol cancer centre.
You will find a lot of negative stuff on this site about anything and everything the moment you step out of the ‘conventional medicine box’!
So do your own research and make an informed choice
Best wishes
Leadie

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My oncologist said it was fine for me to take high dose epo along with the Tamoxifen and my tumour was hormone positive. I’m sure if there were the slightest risk, she would have told me not to take it. Also, my daughter was seen in breast clinic with painful breasts and recommended to take epo or starflower, too. Apparently starflower is as good with high level of gla so may take that. It can become very confusing when there are differing opinions about the same thing, even doctors don’t always agree, do they? Yet another c**p side of bc…
Pat x

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Hi Mairead,

I thought you may like to know that evening primrose oil does not produce oestrogen. However there are some manufacturers who combine evening primrose oil with phytoestrogens (plant based oestrogens) and it is not known whether phytoestrogens are appropriate for women who have had breast cancer. This is due to concerns that they could potentially stimulate oestrogen sensitive breast cancer cells. Evening primrose oil (EPO) alone does not contain phytoestrogens but it is worth checking the ingredients on the label if you choose to buy EPO.

The latest studies suggest that there is little or no evidence to support that evening primrose oil reduces menopausal symptoms (if this is what it is taken for). However as many women do say that they find it beneficial, some doctors and nurses will still recommend its use.

If you would like to read more about evening primrose oil, phytoestrogens and herbal remedies, you may wish to read a booklet that Breast Cancer Care has written called Menopausal symptoms and breast cancer. This can be read online by clicking on the following link:

breastcancercare.org.uk/upload/pdf/Menopausal_symptoms_factsheet_BCC18.pdf

Kind regards

Information Nurse