Xrays & cancer: Ways to counter risk?

[Devaskyla]

I'm very scared & desperately hope someone can help. Dh has been in hospital for nearly 6 weeks in the last month & I've lost track of how many procedures he's had which involve massive amounts of radiation. Both ICU units he was in do a standard chest xray on every patient, every day. At least once the picture wasn't good enough, so they did another. That's aminimum of 14 chest xrays, and he had a few others, so probably around 20. He's also had multiple abdominal CT scans. Again, I've lost track, but a bare minimum of 6 & I think it's more like 8, with at least more planned for in around 3 weeks. He's also had 2 cholangiograms, with another scheduled for tomorrow.

That is a HUGE amount of radiation in a very short time. I'm terrified they've saved his life for now, only to kill him in a few years from the cancer all this radiation is likely to cause. There's a site that lets you calculate your risk, which I'm going to as soon as I get the courage.

Anyway, is there anything he can do/take that will mitigate the cancer risk, even just a little bit? Ok, ideally it would've something that would reduce it dramatically, but at this point, I'll take anything that would help him avoid the dangers from all this, mostly unnecessary, radiation he's been subjected to

[mbravebird]

I am worried for the same thing for my son. He has had 12 head CT scans, most of them related to life-saving procedures.

The rule of thumb is that every CT scan is equivalent to about 100 xrays.

We recently discovered Modifilan, and I am considering giving it to him. I was actually planning on coming on here to ask about folks' experience with giving it to children.

We have also used Yarrow Flower essence from FES.

He takes epsom salts baths regularly, which is supposed to be helpful.

What I also do, which I consider most powerful, is think of him as healthy and with a long, long life of happiness ahead of him. This is true. Risk is only risk; it does not determine anything.

Sending love and compassion to you...

[Ethelpea]

Dr. Blaylock has some protocols in place as to what to do if there is :
a - nuclear attack (radiation exposure)
b - bio-attack
c - chemical attack.

They are referenced in this book: "Health and Nutrition Secrets that could Save Your Life". I would think the section on the radiation exposure would be pertinent. Try the library - that is where I obtained my copy.

I'm pretty sure I saw something by Blaylock (I think it was Blaylock) who had information specific to x-rays. It may have been in the same book, but I can't remember. Try googling. I'll try looking around later this evening.

edited to add - if you are interested, I can type them out and email them to you or just post on this site. I probably wouldn't be able to get to it 'til this evening or tomorrow during my baby's nap.

[dbsam]

I have no answers for you but appreciate this thread.
I've been worrying about the same thing for my son. He's had way too much radiation exposure; most of which when he was one week old and only 3.5 pounds.

mbravebird, I never knew CT scans were the equivalent of 100 x-rays...very frightening. My daughter, who has had less exposure than my son, has had several CT scans of her head.

mbravebird...Are epsom salt baths effective if taken years after the exposure or do they need to be immediately after exposure? The few articles I found online suggest the baths need to be right after exposure. TIA

[Otto]

Originally Posted by dbsam

My daughter, who has had less exposure than my son, has had several CT scans of her head.

Head CTs involve a factor of 10 less ionizing radiation than abdominal, FWIW (see here). It's not something that should be undertaken lightly, but it's also worth keeping in mind that doing nothing may be even more risky, not to mention older, invasive diagnostic techniques.

[ETA.--For comparison with those numbers, a chest X-ray is about 0.1 mSv. Yearly background exposure, excluding radon, at sea level is ~2.4 mSv; add ~1.5 mSv at the altitude of Denver.]

[Devaskyla]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I've put that book on hold, though there's not much to be done until he's able to come home.

What is Modifilan?

[Ethelpea]

Originally Posted by Devaskyla

Thanks for the suggestions!

I've put that book on hold, though there's not much to be done until he's able to come home.

What is Modifilan?

I think Modifilan is prescribed for narcolepsy.

I'll try to type out that Blaylock list today.

[mbravebird]

I'd be interested in the Blaylock list, too.

Modifilan is not used for narcolepsy, and does not need a prescription. Here's a description of it:
http://www.naturodoc.com/library/det...ilan-about.htm
There are some detoxing moms on MDC who've used it and had very good experiences with it.

dbsam, I'm so sorry to hear about your son's exposure. And your daughter's! I had never read anything about time period for use of Epsom Salt baths. We've used them pretty regularly through the years just for magnesium absorption, so I never looked into it, just kept doing it. I think the Yarrow Flower Essence is best used around the time of exposure. We would bring it with us when we went in for a scan, and do it for a while afterwards.

The head CT being equivalent to 100 xrays I read in a Radiology Today article. I think they no longer have the article archived on their site. I do remember, however, that abdominal scans have higher radiation.

dbsam, have you seen the Image Gently campaign? It's backed by pediatric radiologists, so docs won't think you're weird for asking them to consider your children's previous radiation doses when deciding if another scan is needed. I have been dismissed in the past and had to fight to be heard, so I find this really helpful. Also, I made sure I asked, *every time*, if they were using the child settings on the machine. Even I had a repeat radiologist tech. I figured a reminder couldn't hurt. The child settings deliver a much lower dose of radiation. Some places have old machines that don't have child-level doses available; you can always ask to be transferred to a place that does.

I've had doctors scoff at me for even asking about child-level settings on a CT scan machine, claiming that they didn't exist! And then other docs act like it was a matter of course, and that there was no need to ask for it because it was automatically done. So I always ask, because there's such a wide range of practice out there.

Devaskyla, perhaps the Gentle Imaging site can help you, too. They have a wallet-sized "Medical Imaging Card" on there that you can record all imaging on, then carry with you to show physicians.

[Ethelpea]

Originally Posted by mbravebird

Modifilan is not used for narcolepsy, and does not need a prescription..

Sorry, I was thinking Modafinil which is the drug prescribed for narcolepsy.

[dbsam]

OP...sorry to hijack the thread...

mbravebird,
Thank you for the link. I am very vocal now about limiting the use of x-rays and so far, once told my son’s history, the doctors have been very understanding of my concerns. My son had repeated upper and lower GI series with fluoroscopy when he was one week old. It turns out everything was fine and I now wonder if there was another way for them to discover that. He's had other exposures for other reasons over the years, head CT's, the dentist once did an x-ray even though I asked her not to, he's had several pelvic and leg x-rays, and honestly I do not remember all they did in the NICU.

Like you, I've also had technicians act as if I was crazy asking about child settings, they said it was a children's hospital so that is all they have - I do not believe that is correct. Wasn't there a story on the news last year about hospitals using the wrong settings for children?

Radiation exposure is one more thing to worry about as a parent. Until I saw this thread I didn’t know there was anything that could be done to reduce the risks.

[Ethelpea]

Here is Dr. Blaylock's nutritional and supplemental protocol in the event of a nuclear attack. From his book Health and Nutrition Secrets that can Save Your Life. In the interest of time (mine), I am only listing his dosing for adults. Generally speaking, children ages 13-17 take one less dose per day (usually two, as adult dosing is usually 3x day) and under 12 years is one dose per day. That is generally speaking. I urge you to get his book for the specifics.

An asterisk (*) will precede all supplements to be started just before the incident or as it is happening.

*GARLIC EXTRACT 600 MG one capsule 3x day starting at time of imminent danger

GINKO BILOBA 120 MG - one capsule 2x day (take 20 mg day as maintenace dose)

VITAMIN C 500 MG - 2 tablets 3x day on empty stomach

*VITAMIN E SUCCINATE 400 IU - two 2x day

EXTEND CORE MUTIVITAMIN/MINERAL- two capsules 2x day

MELATONIN 20 mg - 2X-3X/day if exposure is high

*CURCUMIN 500 MG - two capsules 3x day until danger is over

*QUERCETIN 500 MG - two capsules 3x day. Begin a maintenace dose of 500 mg/day

*BETA 1,3/1,6 D-GLUCAN (MACROFORCE) 7.5 MG WITH IP-6 - 2 capsules 2x day on empty stomach. Only taken following attack or imminent attack

METHLCOBALAMIN 1,000ug - dissolve 2 tablets under tongue 3x day

*NIACINAMIDE 500 MG - one 3x day. Continue for 3 weeks then reduce to 500 mg/day

*N-ACETYL L-CYSTEINE (NAC) 500 MG - one 3x day. You can start NOW with 500-700 mg/ day

*ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID 200 MG - two 3x day. Start now taking one capsule/day

*CHLORELLA 450 MG - two capsules 3x day

SELEOMETHIONINE 200ug - one/day starting now

*POTASSIUM IODIDE - 130 mgtaken at least 30 minutes before exposure (this includes children as young as one, babies below one should taken 1/2 dose)

[JaneS]

Yikes 130 mg of iodine?! That certainly will saturate your thyroid (thyroid cancer is a chief concern for chest xray exposure). I wonder where he's getting that dose.

OP, see 'THE Iodine Thread' for more info on iodine. The thyroid takes up radiation in the place of iodine and thyroid hormones require iodine to make them, so radiation exposure leave the thyroid gland very vulnerable.

[JaneS]

One more thing, he might have digestive distress b/c radiation also kills off your good gut flora. Cancer radiation patients see this a lot.

[mbravebird]

Originally Posted by JaneS

OP, see 'THE Iodine Thread' for more info on iodine. The thyroid takes up radiation in the place of iodine and thyroid hormones require iodine to make them, so radiation exposure leave the thyroid gland very vulnerable.

Wow, I never thought about the thyroid. Perhaps that's why the Modifilan is supposed to help -- it's got a good dose of iodine in it. Hmmmmm....

[Devaskyla]