Use of mistletoe preparations
Mistletoe preparations can be used for many tumour diseases. They are available as ampoules for injection. They are not suitable for administration as tablets or capsules, because these may lose their effect in the digestive tract.
There are different forms of injection:
- under the skin (subcutaneously)
- into the vein (intravenously, off label use)
- into the tumour (intratumoural, off label use)
- into body cavities (intrakavitär, off label use).
Subcutaneous application (injection under the skin) is the officially approved application form. In most cases, the treatment is carried out in this way.
The other possible types of application are sometimes additionally used – as so-called off-label applications.
For subcutaneous application, the dosage is usually started at a low concentration and gradually increased depending on the reaction (see below).
The first injection should be performed under the supervision of a doctor to observe the reaction to it. Later, you can administer the dose by yourself at home or have it be given to you by your partner or another helping person.
You can start mistletoe therapy as soon as you know you have cancer, even before surgery, as well as before or during chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy or antibody therapy. Usually these conventional therapies are better tolerated when mistletoe is applied.
The following links will render further information Information on the use of mistletoe therapy in children and the correct storage of the injection ampoules.
When and where should not be injected?
If mistletoe therapy is carried out in parallel with radiotherapy, the injection must not be carried out in the irradiated area as this would increase the risk of severe inflammatory reactions of the skin.
Before and after surgery, injections should not be carried out in or near operating field in order not to impair wound healing.
Injection should also not be performed on or into existing scars.
When suffering from a feverish infection, mistletoe should be discontinued until the infection has subsided and body temperature has normalised.
Good compatibility
Mistletoe therapy can be combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy as well as with hormone or antibody therapy.
It is precisely in combination with conventional treatments that mistletoe has proven itself because it can alleviate the often very unpleasant side effects of these therapies without impairing their effectiveness and may result in maintaining the dose of standard therapy and not discontinuing it prematurely.
The duration of mistletoe therapy is individual. In cases of long-term therapy, treatment pauses are possible which can be prolonged with increasing therapy duration.
Which dosage is the right one?
Every mistletoe therapy is an individual therapy – there is no general scheme that applies equally to all cancer patients. Some people may react strongly to very low dosages while others may need a higher dose or another preparation to show the desired reaction. The following reactions may indicate the individually optimal dosage:
- You feel significantly better and stronger, have appetite again, can better sleep in and through the night, feel warmed up and efficient.
- The physiological oscillation ability of body temperature returns: In the morning your temperature is about 0.5°C lower than in the evening while your overall body temperature is no longer decreased.
- The redness at the injection site doesn’t exceed a maximum of 5 cm in diameter.
In addition, knowledge and experience of the treating physician are important in choosing the right mistletoe preparation.
The course of the disease or the reaction to a mistletoe preparation may make it necessary to switch from one product to another during treatment, so that a general commitment to a single preparation is not advisable.
