← Return to Is there anything to help stop or slow progression of MGUS?

Discussion
Comment receiving replies
@circawdm

Good morning, I have had the diagnosis for four years. I am a 75-year-old caucasian male. I have the Lamda variety of monoclonal antibodies, so I do have some peripheral neuropathy in my feet. My initial M-Spike was only .8. Free light chains and ratio were not too bad.

With no other symptoms or medical issues that could complicate things, and being in the low-risk category, my hematologist/oncologist put me in a wait-and-watch category, and I have blood labs every 4 months. He said I could go every 6 months, but I feel more comfortable with 4 months because my monocytes are a bit high.

I have studied medicine for 50 years as a serious hobby, and for the past 30 years, I have looked upon my health and treatments with a homeopathic or holistic approach, unless I needed an antibiotic or something was too severe for me to handle myself. So I read up on everything about MGUS. I saw common threads from those who had doctors or other medical advisors, looked at studies, etc.

I decided to go on a "Mediterranean Diet" immediately. No sugar, no processed foods, no fried foods, etc. No red meat. It was easy for me because I had been eating pretty healthy for years. My weight was very good. I also cut out other things that cause inflammation in the body and irritate the nerves (the peripheral neuropathy was pretty painful at first). So, I cut out caffeine and any added salt. I started doing exercises for my legs and feet to improve my circulation, I exercised daily as best I could, and meditated to keep my stress levels low.

Importantly, I researched the best most tested supplements for lowering inflammation, killing cancerous cells, and building the immune system. I take D3, **turmeric/curcumin, **Omega 3 Fish Oil gel caps, C, E, Alpha Lipoic Acid, PEA, garlic (natural form and gel pills), a good multi-vitamin-mineral pill, low dose iron, and 2-3 other things that are very powerful antioxidants. I get them on Amazon, so the monthly price is not bad.

While research is still ongoing, current evidence from many studies suggests that high sugar intake, particularly from added sugars in drinks like soda, can potentially increase the risk of developing MGUS (Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance) and other cancers by contributing to obesity, promoting inflammation, and potentially impacting insulin levels, which can fuel cancer cell growth. A balanced diet is crucial for overall health, including for those with MGUS or other cancers.

My peripheral neuropathy and my MGUS blood tests began to improve after 4 months. In the last four years, my peripheral neuropathy symptoms are 60-70% better, and my MGUS tests have consistently gotten lower or stayed stable. My recent tests showed only a .3 M-Spike and normal Free Light Chains ratio and my other bloodwork related to MGUS was either stable or lower.

I found for me, and others I have read about in several well-known studies, that MGUS has to be treated with a multi-disciplinary approach. Unless it is at the point where medical intervention is needed, diet, exercise, supplements, low stress, and daily exercise seem to help slow or even reverse progression. This has been studied with tens if not hundreds of thousands of people now for many years.

So that is my experience. My oncologist calls me "boring," and said if his patients with MGUS and other more serious cancers in their early stages in particular, would follow a diet and other things I am doing, they would be so much better off. It's simply healthy for everyone to ditch processed sugar and foods, fried/fast food, etc. But too many people simply want their sugar and their fast food, etc. They won't do what is needed to lose weight.
And that is certainly their choice. I decided I was not going to allow the MGUS to progress if I could avoid it. So far, all I have been doing has worked. I don't miss sugary food, fast food, red meat or any other of the highly inflammatory. foods. It's like when I quit smoking 40 years ago. After I quit I did not miss it at all and the smell of smoke bothered me.

So that's my story. Everyone is different, but one thing that cannot be denied and which is a proven fact is that inflammation is behind disease processes, and the less inflammation our bodies have in our cells and tissues and organs, the more likely we are to be healthy or healthier.

Jump to this post


Replies to "Good morning, I have had the diagnosis for four years. I am a 75-year-old caucasian male...."

Thank you @circawdm for your very informative post. So happy to hear from someone who has incorporated diet and holistic remedies with such positive results. Going from .8 down to .3 M-Spike is so encouraging to hear. My M-Spike was .14 at diagnosis in 2021 and is now .4 and my light chains and all other labs have been normal. I have IGM Lambda MGUS. Did your doctor recommend full body CT’s and bone biopsy? And if so, would you have done them? I called my hematologist’s office today and told them I want to hold off until after the first of the year to give me more time to think about this. I have had 6 CT scans in 5 years for other issues (all negative) and I am concerned about how that radiation can affect one’s body. Your story is inspiring so I value your opinion.

Good morning. I would like to ask you a couple of questions about your diet and supplements. What percentage on average is meat to plant based per day and do you limit meat to once per day? I have seen many variations of the Mediterranean diet. What about grass fed pork, wild venison and eggs? I could go completely vegan today but my digestive system does not handle beans and legumes well so I am going to have to transition slowly to make sure I get enough complete protein in my diet. Also can you tell us how much turmeric/curcumin you take per day? Lots of clinical trials on its efficacy for slowing progression of MGUS but I don’t remember reading about the dosages. Turmeric does wonders for me for back pain- less so with curcumin. My back pain predates MGUS- caused by scoliosis and now some degenerative disc disease. A combination of turmeric, curcumin and walking every day almost completely keeps my pain at bay unless I do too much heavy lifting or bending over with yardwork like raking, weedeating etc. And finally, do you take the R or S-Lipoic acid? I have read many reports that R is better assimilated and recently found out by contacting Doctors Best (the brand I have been taking) that it is 50/50 R and S although they told me they do make one with just R-Lipoic. With that being said, even with 50/50 it gives me a ton of energy. Thanks for taking the time to share your expertise because your results speak for themselves and I know there are so many on this forum who are desperate to do something other than watch and wait.

I like your overall plan and think I'll adopt it. I already take many of the same supplements as you and today started adding the Turmeric/Curcumin C3. Had to stop taking the Pradaxa. Also ordered the Alpha Lipoic Acid, and PEA. Should arrive tomorrow.
I've been fermenting garlic in honey and taking a clove or two each morning for about a year now.
Been using a Stelo CGM about a month. They are available without a prescription. It helps with managing blood sugar levels. My A1c is lower now than it has been in years. I'm going on the theory that a lower sugar will help.