Talking with your doctor about dietary supplements
No matter what kind of treatment you are getting, it’s always safest to talk with your doctor about the type and amount of each supplement you want to try. Do this before you spend any money or start taking anything new. If you have been taking supplements and want to keep taking them, it’s important that your doctor knows this, too.
Many doctors are just starting to learn about the uses, risks, and potential benefits of dietary supplements. In some cases, it can cause problems between patient and doctor when it comes to using supplements along with standard cancer treatment. This is getting better as more studies are done and better information is becoming available.
Gather as much information as you can on the dietary supplement you are thinking about using. Then, approach your doctor with the information you have, and ask for an open conversation about it. Ask for his or her professional opinion as to whether the treatment is safe and medically sound. Also ask how it might be safely used along with your cancer treatment. Remember to make sure that your doctor knows about other medicines, vitamins, and supplements that you’re already taking.
Dietary Supplements: What Is Safe?
- What you need to know first about dietary supplements
- Risks and side effects of dietary supplements
- Dietary supplement advertising and promotion
- Talking with your doctor about dietary supplements
- Common misconceptions about dietary supplements
- FDA regulation of drugs versus dietary supplements
- Manufacturing guidelines for dietary supplements
- Understanding the claims on dietary supplement labels
- Choosing and using dietary supplements safely
- To learn more
- References
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and master's-prepared nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
Last Medical Review: March 31, 2015 Last Revised: March 31, 2015
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.