BLOOD TESTS to follow the cocktail

BLOOD TESTS to follow the cocktail:

 

Generally, those of us who are on regular scans often are given blood tests every three months or so by our oncologists. These tests would be certain tumor markers, if they exist for our cancer, and would also probably include a:

Full blood count   including red and white cell counts

Liver function tests including liver enzyme blood levels

Kidney function tests  … BUN and creatinine Metabolic panel, which would show Calcium levels.

 

For copper lowering regimens, those who are on TM and/or Zinc in copper lowering levels….  Baseline tests would be some of the above, as well as Copper, Zinc and ceruloplasmin levels.  Those who are taking TM will have lowered their copper levels more quickly than those who are taking zinc alone.

 

So at one month, it might be wise to repeat the ceruloplasmin, copper, and zinc. You are aiming at ceruloplasmin levels that are either just below normal… like 15 instead of 20… if you are NED or much below normal…  about 8 to 12… if you have active disease   Do not let levels of ceruloplasmin drop below 8 because of the danger of lowered red, white and platelet counts.  It is why the TM requires a prescription, and why a doctor should supervise your use of TM.

 

Copper is followed some times just to make sure that the ceruloplasmin is correlating with copper levels.   Zinc levels should be higher than normal, but there is a specific window for that as well.

 

Ceruloplasmin is used to follow the copper levels because it usually has a turnaround time of 3 days or so with the lab, so you can get results fairly quickly.

 

Once you are taking TM, do not stop taking it abruptly.   You can decrease your dose so that the ceruloplasmin is in the low normal range if you are having an operation in the next four days, and keep it there for one to four weeks depending upon the operation breadth, but going back to lowered levels is important.  Remember, that stopping anti angiogenic substances can result in accelerated growth from blockaded and stockpiled vascular growth factors that are now released.  So there could be accelerated catch up growth!!!!  Taper TM over months; if possible, when you are going off it….   keep the ceruloplasmin level mostly stable.

 

TM doesn’t absorb or chelate anything other than copper.

Zinc can interfere with copper absorption AND calcium absorption.

NAC [N acetyl cysteine] can also interfere with calcium and iron AND copper absorption.

Turmeric also chelates iron: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18422331?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

 

The following tests are recommended:

 

1. Baseline… sometime before the cocktail is started

liver functions

full blood count

copper

zinc

ceruloplasm

calcium

 

2. After a month on the full cocktail, repeat the above.

 

3. Weekly ceruloplasmin, blood count…. until diet stabilization and ceruloplasm stabilization….

 

4.regular checks of ceruloplasmin, blood count.

 

Interval checks of copper, zinc, possibly liver functions, and calcium [people who had difficulties with calcium had been on the cocktail for about a year].   Depending upon your symptoms, discuss with your doctor.