Looking for others with CML who are fasting

This topic contains 5 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by ShipwreckScott 4 years, 4 months ago.

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

pidgeroo

3:49 pm
21 Apr 15
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I’m considering starting a fast to improve my health generally but am concerned about the effects of fasting as it seems to work by increasing your white blood cells to fight and repair the body. The only problem is that people with Chronic Myleoid Leukemia already have too many white blood cells, so I’m wondering if it would be counterproductive to try fasting. Does anyone with a similar diagnosis have any experience with this?

Also, are there problems with taking your oral medication on an empty stomach? My Sprycel medicine does not specify that the stomach has to be full, but I wonder about problems with it being empty for so long.

Any advice/suggestions welcomed. Thanks

cbeeman

9:32 pm
12 Mar 18
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Hello, I am a CML patient as well and am researching Fasting with CML and your comment popped up. Did you ever receive any feedback or get any advice?

I realize this post is a few years old so if you tried it yourself I’d love to hear how it went!

Thanks,

Connor

Scuba

1:05 pm
24 Aug 18
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I just saw this and felt I should pass on my experience … I fast regularly now.

I have CML and currently take 20 mg Sprycel and am PCRU (undetected).
I always take my Sprycel at night on an empty stomach

I fast regularly (3 days at a time twice a year and one day a week) and have noticed remarkable improvements in my health overall. I am becoming increasingly convinced that fasting + TKI (Sprycel) could cure my CML. As it is, my CML is undetected and I take a very low dose TKI. I will be stopping Sprycel altogether in the next six months to test treatment free remission.

In response to the first post above – fasting DOES NOT increase white blood cells – in fact – quite the opposite. During a prolonged fast (at least 2 days), once glycogen is depleted (after 24 hours), the body enters ketosis and starts to scavenge blood cells. The bone marrow’s rapid production of blood cells slows down dramatically (lack of glucose) and older circulating cells are ‘broken down’ and used for ‘parts’ (proteins). Your white blood cell count, in particular, will drop significantly. This is good. The cells that are going away are older, less functioning as well as leukemic cells.

https://www.maxlugavere.com/podcast/8-how-fasting-can-rebuild-your-immune-system-valter-longo-phdmp3

Upon re-feeding – dramatic activity in the bone marrow takes place. Stem cells are stimulated to divide to replace the lost blood cells. This replenshiment, studies are showing replaces your immune system with a new younger one. This rapid stem cell action it is believed is where TKI’s come in to kill CML. As leukemic stem cells are induced to divide (following the fast), TKI’s (sprycel in my case) are present to kill them. Only dividing leukemic stem cells are vulnerable to TKI attack. Inducing stem cells to divide enables our TKI’s to kill them en masse. Repeated cycles of 3 day fasts and re-feeding could (my theory) greatly deplete leukemic stem cell population that they become completely destroyed. That is why I am excited by fasting in combination with TKI to “cure” my CML.

Besides fighting CML – fasting is excellent for overall health in any event. I am back to my grad school weight (almost) and feel terrific. I no longer eat carbs except for fun (i.e. birthday cake) and then I fast following. Once your body is fast adapted (Ketone adapted) – fasting is easy with no hunger.

Hope this helps.

Sarah63

10:55 am
31 Dec 18
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I also have CML, just now 36 hours into my first fast. At the moment I’m not on a TKI. Gleevec quit working, I’ve been off that for 25 days and my Sprycel is on the way. I hope I can hold out till the Sprycel gets here. I don’t know how New Year’s will impact our mail. Glad to be following this thread.

ShipwreckScott

2:19 am
7 Jul 20
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How are you doing now?

ShipwreckScott

2:21 am
7 Jul 20
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Are you still experimenting with fasting and CML