kmgeiger
![]()
Posts:2
Is it okay to take a statin drug with Nivolumab? Also, are probiotics still considered potentially problematic for people undergoing immunotherapy? My husband (has heart failure) started his Nivo for poorly differentiated LSLC one week after recovering from a severe C-diff infection, and one of his doctors prescribed probiotics. If not probiotics, are prebiotics (fiber) okay? This website has been so helpful to us. Thank you so very much for any input you may have.
Forums
Reply # - November 4, 2015, 07:40 AM
Hi kmgeiger,
Hi kmgeiger,
Welcome to GRACE. You have asked some interesting questions, but I've been unable to find any definitive answers for you. It is not unusual that an anti-cancer therapy, especially a relatively new one, has not been fully tested in combination with other drugs or supplements.
There is some indication that statins have an effect on the immune system, but how that relates to the use of an immunotherapy such as Nivolumab to my knowledge has not been established. The Opdivo prescribing information does not list any specific drug interactions. My thought would be to discuss this with your doctor and proceed with caution.
The benefits and risks of both probiotics and prebiotics is much debated, but advocacy of them is not well-supported with clinical evidence. As Dr. Bufi has stated:
"Here is my naturopathic medicine perspective of probiotics. In some ways, the overuse of probiotics has replaced the overuse of antibiotics. We certainly are a country of more when less may actually be beneficial. Not all probiotics are created equal from a purity, concentration, and species standpoint. The effect of one species/strain may not hold true for other types and different companies may have different preparations for the exact same species/strain. Also, they are not as harmless as we think. They actually can come with their own list of worrisome side effects. From a truly scientific standpoint probiotics safety has not been thoroughly studied. True, some live microorganisms have a long history of use as probiotics without causing problems but we need more information on safety for young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immunity. If side effects occur they tend to be gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, even heartburn...how ironic.
[continued in the next post]
Reply # - November 4, 2015, 07:42 AM
[continued]
[continued]
"Also, the possibility exists that probiotics may cause infections that need to be treated with antibiotics primarily in those with underlying health problems, more irony! Probiotics could even over-stimulate the immune system leading to some unhealthy metabolic action. Probiotics do have their place when used properly and with limitation. I discourage their use during any type of cancer treatments. This not only takes the guess work out of interaction potential but also decreases the potential to contribute to side effects in general." - http://cancergrace.org/forums/index.php?topic=90.msg416#msg416
JimC
Forum moderator