Supplements after Mastectomy

Hi, I had a mastectomy for DCIS in November 24, radiotherapy end of January, I used to take collagen and magnesium aswell as black cohsh, can I take these again along with any other vitamins?

If you aren’t on any hormone blockers then ’ as you were’ probably applies. There might be a conflict with black cosh and tamoxifen, however - not sure on other AI’s. Your other stuff is probably ok.

Ah, sorry, should add, I’m not a BCN, they will probably reply more comprehensively on Monday. ( just realise you are on the ask nurses thread)

Hi Carrie. Well done for getting through it all - it’s not an easy journey. I would like to know about collagen too. I was taking hydrolised Marine collagen 2 years before my diagnosis and I convinced myself that it might have caused it. I have no real basis for this, other than the fact that it was the only thing I introduced into my life at that time. I am now too scared to take any supplements other than D3. :two_hearts:

1 Like

Hello carrie2402

Thank you for posting.

Many people ask about vitamin and herb supplements as they want to do as much as possible to be healthy. It is understandable that you would want to go back to taking magnesium, collagen and black cohosh.

There is often the belief that vitamins and herbs are safe as they are considered natural, but there is still much we don’t know about supplements and herbal remedies. Herbal treatments don’t have to comply with the same regulations or rigorous testing that conventional medicines do. For many products there is a lack of research to support their use, and some can interfere with conventional medicines including cancer treatments.

As @entroppy says black cohosh isn’t recommended for women who have had breast cancer and more evidence is needed to learn if it is safe for them to take. You do not say why you were taking it, but NICE guidance recommends that black cohosh should not be used to treat menopausal symptoms in women who have had a diagnosis of breast cancer.

It isn’t possible for us to say if it is safe to take collagen supplements. There is research looking at collagen levels and breast cancer, but it is not clear yet if this means that collagen supplements should be avoided.

You might find it helpful to search this American website, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, for information about individual herbs and vitamins. Each entry has sections on existing evidence and what known interaction there is with other medications. You may find that that some herbs have different names in America. You can also search herbal products and supplements on the European website Complementary and Alternative Medicine for cancer and on the American website Medicine Plus

It’s important that you speak with your breast care nurse, treatment team, GP, or a pharmacist before starting to take any previous or new supplements.

We offer a range of free supportive services for anyone who has had a diagnosis of breast cancer which you may be interested in. They include face to face and online courses and events including our Moving Forward courses.

For more details about all of these services, please see the information on the link, or if you would like to discuss them or talk through any of the above do call us on our free helpline. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks.

The number is 0808 800 6000. If you have hearing or speech difficulties prefix our number with 18001 and the call will go through Relay UK. Our helpline has access to telephone interpreters if language translation is required.

If you would prefer one of our nurses to call you. Please complete this form ticking the box agreeing to a call back.

Our usual opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm and 9am -1pm on Saturday.

We will be closed on Monday 5 May and Monday 26 May for the bank holidays.

We will also be closed on Wednesday 18 June for our staff conference.

Out of hours you can leave a message and we will call you back when we next open.

We’re currently evaluating this service. If you’d like to provide feedback, please click the link to complete the survey . It should take approximately 10 minutes.

Best wishes

Angela

Breast Care Nurse

Please read the disclaimer Full details on how we collect and use your data can be found in our Privacy Policy

As we are unable to monitor for further replies, this thread will now be closed. If you have any additional questions or would like to provide feedback, please start a new thread, call our helpline, email us or request a call back.