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Posted 2/19/2015 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
Anyone heard about using berberine for intestinal problems during radiation? Anyone know of a trustworthy producer? My common iliac and para-aortic lymph nodes are being radiated following a nano-iron (Combidex) scan, and when I mentioned that three years of bowel problems following salvage radiation were cleared up entirely by a colonoscopy (Tall Allen: "Never trust a fart"), my radiologist suggested that if problems were to occur during this treatment I might try berberine. In the following Wikipedia excerpt it is said to also help with cancer and, like Metformin, with blood sugar. There are many manufacturers, but none that I know much about.
"Cancer[edit]
Berberine has drawn extensive attention towards its antineoplastic effects.[63][64] It seems to suppress the growth of a wide variety of tumor cells, including breast cancer,[65] leukemia, melanoma,[66] epidermoid carcinoma, hepatoma, pancreatic cancer,[67] oral carcinoma, tongue carcinoma,[68] glioblastoma, prostate carcinoma and gastric carcinoma.[69][70] Animal studies have shown that berberine can suppress chemical-induced carcinogenesis, clastogenesis,[71] tumor promotion, tumor invasion,[72][73][74][75][76] prostate cancer,[77][78][79][80] neuroblastoma,[81][82] and leukemia.[48][83]
It is a radiosensitizer of tumor cells, but not of normal cells. How berberine mediates these effects is not fully understood, but its ability to inhibit angiogenesis and to modulate Mcl-1, Bcl-xL, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, MDR, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- and IL-6, iNOS, IL-12, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and ELAM-1 expression, MCP-1 and CINC-1, cyclin D1,[84] activator protein (AP-1), HIF-1, PPAR-, and topoisomerase II has been shown. By using yeast mutants, berberine was found to bind and inhibit stress-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase activation. Because apoptotic, carcinogenic, and inflammatory effects and various gene products (such as TNF-a, IL-6, COX-2, adhesion molecules, cyclin D1, and MDR) modulated by berberine are regulated by the transcription factor nuclear factor- B (NF- B), it is postulated this pathway plays a major role in the action of berberine.[85] Berberine suppressed NF-?B activation induced by various inflammatory agents and carcinogens. This alkaloid also suppressed constitutive NF-?B activation found in certain tumor cells. It seems to protect against side effects of radiation therapy in lung cancer.[86] However, new studies suggest that while berberine decreases cell growth, it increases the side population (stem cell) fraction of H460 lung cancer cells.[87] In lung cancer it can also act through suppression of TGF-ß1-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.[88] Berberine enhances chemosensitivity to some chemotherapeutic agents like irinotecan .[89]
Berberine, 300 mg three times a day orally, also seems to inhibit complication of abdominal or pelvic radiation, called radiation-induced acute intestinal symptoms.[90] The studies suggest its use in clinical development may be more as a cytostatic agent than a cytotoxic compound.
Intestinal disorders[edit]
Berberine can ameliorate proinflammatory cytokines-induced intestinal epithelial tight junction damage in vitro, and berberine may be one of the targeted therapeutic agents that can restore barrier function in intestinal disease states.[101][102]"
Posted 2/19/2015 3:15 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Cigafred,
If you have not already been welcomed, then welcome to the forum, sorry you have to be here, but looks like you have been dealing with this for a while.

I'm curious: you say "three years of bowel problems following salvage radiation were cleared up entirely by a colonoscopy". How did that work? I supplied anesthesia/sedation for colonoscopies for many years. All I ever observed was mainly the finding and removal of mostly(always?) asymptomatic polyps, and sometimes the diagnosis of cancer. It looked to me to be mainly diagnostic or preventative, I did not realize that anything curative was ever going on. So, do you know how that scope fixed your problems?

As far as Berberine, I have certainly taken it in the past and likely will be getting some more in the near future, but all I can tell you is it caused e no apparent problems. Full disclosure: when I think there are a reasonable amount of studies out there that support a natural approach, compared to studies against it, I tend to go with it. There is one MD's newsletter that I have taken for maybe 15 years, and I tend to always at least consider his recommendations of natural products. But even with him, I don't take his word as gospel, I always research it first, and if I see what looks like reasonable evidence I may go for it. Because, doing this has saved me from- for 14+ years now, a major shoulder surgery I was scheduled for(though my ortho surgeon told me it would not help), has gotten my daughter off of the several times a year antibiotics for urinary tract infections, etc. So, due to a few successes like that I always consider what he says. So that's how I roll, but there are several smart folks here that would consider all of that quackery, and have exactly the opposite outlook on this than I do. So caveat emptor! I suggest you become your own researcher!

So why did I mention "my guy"? He has been high on Berberine, for various likely benefits with few problems- and not so much a very big fan of Metformin, for quite a while. I suspect he would recommend it for what you are asking about. However, in this case you have another thing going for you: your traditional MD radiologist is recommending it for you! That is unusual to get a recommendation for anything that does not require a prescription! But it indicates to me that, not only has he seen some studies that he he considers worthy, but he may have observed some worthwhile benefits in his practice. This should help reduce your quackery concerns regarding Berberine.

Here is one study out of China that might relate to your OP:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18789680
"Protective effects of berberine on radiation-induced lung injury via intercellular adhesion molecular-1 and transforming growth factor-beta-1 in patients with lung cancer.
Liu Y1, Yu H, Zhang C, Cheng Y, Hu L, Meng X, Zhao Y.
Author information
1The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Shandong University, Qilu Hospital, Jinan, Shandong Province, China. [email protected]
Abstract
PURPOSE: To investigate the protective effects of berberine on radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with radiotherapy.......................
CONCLUSION: Berberine significantly reduced the incidence of RILI, improved PF and decreased the levels of sICAM-1 and TGF-beta1. The exact mechanisms remain to be further explored."

There are a ton of other studies out there on Berberine, many positive and you can probably find some saying it is worthless or even harmful also. So maybe start your research at the above link? But again, you do have the advantage that your traditionally approved source of knowledge and treatment- i.e. your radiologist- has recommended it, so you may well want to listen to him. But I can almost assure you that you will never find proof by FDA standards.

As for sources, that is always a gamble. As you might know, the NY AG recently tested a bunch of herbals by a bunch of big companies and found that they either did not contain what was advertized, or contained some sort of contaminate, or both. This included WM's Spring Valley, GNC, and several other big names. However, this directly conflicts with Consumer Labs(CL) results(you have to pay for a subscription) over the years, where they always find some in the above bad category but plenty of others that test to have exactly what is advertized with safe or zero levels of contaminates. Including Spring Valley, Swanson and others. But, how do we know that- even though they trash some products- that CL is not in the pocket of WM or GNC? We really don't. All I can say is that Spring Valley Vit D certainly elevated my blood levels of Vit D, so it for sure had Vit D in it, but I have nothing but CL's word for it that the batch they tested had no contaminates. But, I seriously doubt Consumer Reports is in WM's pocket, and they have occasionally tested such products over the years, with similar results as CL. I really think you can trust them. So you might consider a subscription to one or both. Or, maybe your radiologist has a recommendation?

Post Edited (BillyBob@388) : 2/19/2015 8:18:13 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/20/2015 5:15 AM (GMT 0)
Billybob,
Many thanks for all that information. As for the colonoscopy, it was done for the usual reasons, no curative value expected, when the cure came (immediately) it was a total surprise, maybe just coincidence, I sent a note to the proctologist but no reply,.
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