II have osteoarthritis and someone said that they took turmeric supplement everyday and it has changed her life as all the pain has gone. She had breast cancer like me. Is it safe to take this supplement when taking Letrozole and also Methrotexate ( a low dose) for PMR .Thank you
Hi Coralmary
I’m on exemestane, having has my surgery in 2019. I’ve just started taking vegan Omega-3 capsules which have helped a lot with painful joints. Yesterday I was told I have osteoarthritis in my knee. The physio has given me exercises to do which she hopes will help.
Thanks for posting about turmeric. I use turmeric a lot in cooking and in Golden Mylk (the best!). Turmeric is well-known as a natural anti-inflammary. I think this is another one to Google as to what is a safe dose. Meanwhile, I cant see any problem with upping the use in cooking.
Please let me know how you get on. x
Hello Coralmary
Thank you for your post.
Many people ask about vitamin and herb supplements as they want to do as much as possible to help themselves. There is often the belief that vitamins and herbs are safe as they are considered natural.
Herbal therapies such as turmeric use plants to try to help with a range of health conditions.
There is 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 herbal products, can interfere with conventional medicines including cancer treatments.
For many herbal products and supplements it’s not possible to give a definite answer as to whether they are safe to take with drugs like letrozole and methotrexate.
There are no specific contraindications to taking turmeric with letrozole in the drug information and it’s generally safe to use turmeric in food. However, we’d always suggest that you check with your treatment team, GP or pharmacist before using any herbal supplements.
You can search this American website, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, for information about individual herbs and vitamins. Each 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 American website Medicine Plus
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