This thread is for forum participants to share their personal experiences of having their multiple myeloma treated according to the regimen / protocol advocated by Dr. Nicholas Gonzales.
Please use this thread only to report on your own direct experiences with the regimen, to ask questions of those who have posted their experiences, or to make us aware of other threads here in the Beacon forum that should be included in the list below of threads relevant to this topic. If people wish, we can create a separate thread to links to experiences posted elsewhere on the Internet, but that's not the purpose of this thread.
As many regular forum participants know, there have been discussions already about the Gonzalez therapy here in the forum. Here are some of the relevant threads (we'll add more based on suggestions that get posted in this thread):
Diet, dairy and multiple myeloma
Ketogenic diet and multiple myeloma
Why not stop chemo and seek alternative treatment?
Proteolytic (pancreatic) enzymes with multiple myeloma
Nutrition, enzymes, and multiple myeloma
Unconventional methods treating multiple myeloma
We are creating this thread because there is regular interest in the forum about the Gonzalez protocol, and we felt it would be useful if there were a central place for forum participants to post their experiences with it.
Our starting the thread, however, should not be viewed as an endorsement of the protocol. As always, we ask Beacon readers to weigh the evidence available for different treatment options based on what they feel are the most important considerations when choosing between different possible therapies for myeloma.
Forums
Re: Gonzalez therapy / protocol for myeloma - experiences
Hello Beacon staff,
This is a very good idea. I hear these alternative protocols mentioned a lot, but the information seems just to stop there.
This is a very good idea. I hear these alternative protocols mentioned a lot, but the information seems just to stop there.
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dnalex - Name: Alex N.
- Who do you know with myeloma?: mother
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2007
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: Gonzalez therapy / protocol for myeloma - experiences
My experience with Dr. Gonzalez and his enzyme therapy:
I was his patient from April 2013 to February of this year. When I first saw him my cancer was stable as per blood analysis in Sloan Kettering. I only had a small lesion inside the marrow in my sacrum. I was very excited to start his program and when he sent me to Atlanta to have my Atlas bone realigned by a chiropractor there – he insisted the guy was unique - I went without questioning. Even if I had no spinal pain at all.
I followed the program with military compliance, even if I did not understand it at times: he had me taking a copper supplement, but not only was I extremely high in copper – as per a prior blood analysis I gave him – but I had read that copper supplementation is not the best thing when you have cancer. When I asked him he said “that is the program”. So I took my copper pill and my multimineral pills, which also had copper in it, thinking he knew better that I did.
The other thing he had me do I found peculiar is to drink drops of phosphoric acid in water every day. He said myeloma cannot live in an acid environment and that I was too alkaline. But phosphoric acid attacks the bones and I had already osteoporosis besides the cancer. Still, I did it.
Early August 2013, I went to my three month appointment. His hair analysis showed my cancer had regressed a lot more than he expected, but the blood analysis done by my oncologist showed the opposite. He explained that as the tumor dissolves, markers go up and it is not unusual for people to get worse before they get better. And that hair analysis is much more accurate. I also had a MRI that showed cancer had increased since first diagnosed. Dr. Gonzalez said it could be growth from before I was in his program. He stopped the phosphoric acid then.
As per his instructions I also was drinking 14 ounces of bone marrow broth a day because I cannot take calcium supplements, but bone broth has a lot of hyaluronic acid, which I found doing research may not be the best thing for myeloma sufferers. He told me to stop the broth immediately because “I overdid it”. But I only did what he told me. Why was he blaming me? My oncologist wanted me to get chemo right away and Dr. Gonzalez said I could if I wanted to, but that he thought I did not need it.
I decide to give him more time. I loved his program. I thought his combination of nutrients was brilliant and I felt great on his diet. My comprehensive six month visit last November showed cancer regressing again as per hair analysis, but by then I had pain on my sacrum and I told him. He wrote it down. No comments. Hair sample saw only my thyroid was worse. That was all. He gave me more iodine.
Three months later, February of this year, I went to see him wearing a brace because I had significant pain on my back. Again he recorded it on his notes but never said anything. Nor offered any palliative measures. My cancer markers on the hair sample were down again and that was all that mattered. Since I did not have blood work since October, he ordered it, and he was very surprised, knowing how compliant I was, that my blood was “mixed” with my total protein up from 9 to 10. When I saw the report I was shocked to see my IgG had more than doubled since I started his program.
To his credit he did mentioned this time I had to think of chemo, even if I did not want it, but that I could continue with his program. I asked him to order an MRI of my back and he did. It showed, without the shadow of a doubt, that my cancer had progressed in the last six months. On the phone he asked me how long I was on his program (he did not know?). Ten months! And if “I follow it”. Like clockwork!! And he knew it.
When I asked him how he reconciled the fact that my hair sample analysis showed my cancer was regressing, yet the MRI showed the opposite, his answer was “well, you had more cancer than we thought”. It left me speechless. More cancer than they thought? I was stable and I had a single lesion when I first saw him! I found this very disingenuous! And almost putting the blame on me!
Yesterday I received the reminder for my next appointment with him. Now the six month visit is $950, $100 more than before. But I will not be going. Financially it has been a huge sacrifice and I am glad it is over. I see on his website his initial fees are now $4500 instead of $4000 like last year, and his three months visits are up to $300 from $250.
That it has not worked for me does not mean it will not work for others, but I do not buy anymore that I have to keep getting worse to get better after ten months of rigorously following his program. I do not think he is a quack, I think he lives and breathes his program and, when it does not work, he likes to think it is non-compliance that makes it so.
I was his patient from April 2013 to February of this year. When I first saw him my cancer was stable as per blood analysis in Sloan Kettering. I only had a small lesion inside the marrow in my sacrum. I was very excited to start his program and when he sent me to Atlanta to have my Atlas bone realigned by a chiropractor there – he insisted the guy was unique - I went without questioning. Even if I had no spinal pain at all.
I followed the program with military compliance, even if I did not understand it at times: he had me taking a copper supplement, but not only was I extremely high in copper – as per a prior blood analysis I gave him – but I had read that copper supplementation is not the best thing when you have cancer. When I asked him he said “that is the program”. So I took my copper pill and my multimineral pills, which also had copper in it, thinking he knew better that I did.
The other thing he had me do I found peculiar is to drink drops of phosphoric acid in water every day. He said myeloma cannot live in an acid environment and that I was too alkaline. But phosphoric acid attacks the bones and I had already osteoporosis besides the cancer. Still, I did it.
Early August 2013, I went to my three month appointment. His hair analysis showed my cancer had regressed a lot more than he expected, but the blood analysis done by my oncologist showed the opposite. He explained that as the tumor dissolves, markers go up and it is not unusual for people to get worse before they get better. And that hair analysis is much more accurate. I also had a MRI that showed cancer had increased since first diagnosed. Dr. Gonzalez said it could be growth from before I was in his program. He stopped the phosphoric acid then.
As per his instructions I also was drinking 14 ounces of bone marrow broth a day because I cannot take calcium supplements, but bone broth has a lot of hyaluronic acid, which I found doing research may not be the best thing for myeloma sufferers. He told me to stop the broth immediately because “I overdid it”. But I only did what he told me. Why was he blaming me? My oncologist wanted me to get chemo right away and Dr. Gonzalez said I could if I wanted to, but that he thought I did not need it.
I decide to give him more time. I loved his program. I thought his combination of nutrients was brilliant and I felt great on his diet. My comprehensive six month visit last November showed cancer regressing again as per hair analysis, but by then I had pain on my sacrum and I told him. He wrote it down. No comments. Hair sample saw only my thyroid was worse. That was all. He gave me more iodine.
Three months later, February of this year, I went to see him wearing a brace because I had significant pain on my back. Again he recorded it on his notes but never said anything. Nor offered any palliative measures. My cancer markers on the hair sample were down again and that was all that mattered. Since I did not have blood work since October, he ordered it, and he was very surprised, knowing how compliant I was, that my blood was “mixed” with my total protein up from 9 to 10. When I saw the report I was shocked to see my IgG had more than doubled since I started his program.
To his credit he did mentioned this time I had to think of chemo, even if I did not want it, but that I could continue with his program. I asked him to order an MRI of my back and he did. It showed, without the shadow of a doubt, that my cancer had progressed in the last six months. On the phone he asked me how long I was on his program (he did not know?). Ten months! And if “I follow it”. Like clockwork!! And he knew it.
When I asked him how he reconciled the fact that my hair sample analysis showed my cancer was regressing, yet the MRI showed the opposite, his answer was “well, you had more cancer than we thought”. It left me speechless. More cancer than they thought? I was stable and I had a single lesion when I first saw him! I found this very disingenuous! And almost putting the blame on me!
Yesterday I received the reminder for my next appointment with him. Now the six month visit is $950, $100 more than before. But I will not be going. Financially it has been a huge sacrifice and I am glad it is over. I see on his website his initial fees are now $4500 instead of $4000 like last year, and his three months visits are up to $300 from $250.
That it has not worked for me does not mean it will not work for others, but I do not buy anymore that I have to keep getting worse to get better after ten months of rigorously following his program. I do not think he is a quack, I think he lives and breathes his program and, when it does not work, he likes to think it is non-compliance that makes it so.
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Cassy66 - Who do you know with myeloma?: me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: August 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 55
Re: Gonzalez therapy / protocol for myeloma - experiences
Hi Cassy66, I have been reading this thread with interest and a bit of apprehension also. I am glad to know that, since you now know that your myeloma was worsening, you will be seeking 'conventional' treatments. Even 'conventional' treatments are all fairly new to us patients, and we are all pioneers in being treated for myeloma ... a brave new world that we find ourselves in. But at least we have scientific evidence of how the myeloma treatments are working for us.
I am just reminded of a friend of mine who more than ten years ago had very severe stomach pains. He was going to a naturopath for some treatments, but was also booked for an endoscopic exam of his stomach area. I think he almost was convinced enough by the naturopath that everything was going well, but fortunately did keep his appointment with the gastroenterologist.
What ensued was that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He had months and months of chemotherapy and surgeries, some of the treatments being quite new here. He is now a cancer 'survivor' and was able to see his daughters grow up too. He was our next door neighbour here and has since moved away, but I used to see him volunteering at our cancer centre, and he raised quite a lot of funds for that also.
So wishing all the best with your treatments, and your change of course.
I am just reminded of a friend of mine who more than ten years ago had very severe stomach pains. He was going to a naturopath for some treatments, but was also booked for an endoscopic exam of his stomach area. I think he almost was convinced enough by the naturopath that everything was going well, but fortunately did keep his appointment with the gastroenterologist.
What ensued was that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He had months and months of chemotherapy and surgeries, some of the treatments being quite new here. He is now a cancer 'survivor' and was able to see his daughters grow up too. He was our next door neighbour here and has since moved away, but I used to see him volunteering at our cancer centre, and he raised quite a lot of funds for that also.
So wishing all the best with your treatments, and your change of course.
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
Re: Gonzalez therapy / protocol for myeloma - experiences
Thank you Nancy.
I am not the only myeloma patient who did not improve with the Gonzalez therapy. A friend of mine told me the story of a lady who also had her myeloma going down in the hair analysis, but ended up in the hospital with broken bones. My friend has myeloma and she has done much better than I have with Dr. Gonzalez for the last two years, even if she had her ups and downs. We may have the same cancer but we all have individual “terrains” and we react differently to therapies, alternative or conventional. And myeloma is so complex!
Supposedly, enzymes exert an inmunomodulatory effect, but one of the ways they may do this is by production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin IL-6 . As most in the forum will know, this IL-6 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that makes myeloma grow. I found this worrisome tidbit in a wonderful book by John Boik titled "Natural Compounds in Cancer Healing" and at the Sloan Kettering Integrative medicine web site:
http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/proteolytic-enzymes
I am not the only myeloma patient who did not improve with the Gonzalez therapy. A friend of mine told me the story of a lady who also had her myeloma going down in the hair analysis, but ended up in the hospital with broken bones. My friend has myeloma and she has done much better than I have with Dr. Gonzalez for the last two years, even if she had her ups and downs. We may have the same cancer but we all have individual “terrains” and we react differently to therapies, alternative or conventional. And myeloma is so complex!
Supposedly, enzymes exert an inmunomodulatory effect, but one of the ways they may do this is by production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin IL-6 . As most in the forum will know, this IL-6 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that makes myeloma grow. I found this worrisome tidbit in a wonderful book by John Boik titled "Natural Compounds in Cancer Healing" and at the Sloan Kettering Integrative medicine web site:
http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/proteolytic-enzymes
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Cassy66 - Who do you know with myeloma?: me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: August 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 55
Re: Gonzalez therapy / protocol for myeloma - experiences
Hi Cassy66, that is an interesting link via Sloan Kettering to a paper about proteolytic enzymes having an effect against myeloma. I think the paper was published in 2001? This means it was published prior to us having the newer 'novel agents' available to us, such as the proteasome inhibitors, the immunomodulatory agents, and antibody treatments. Those newer agents, plus the stem cell transplants, and the allogeneic transplants, have led to greater survival rates for myeloma patients.
I feel fortunate that I have been under the care of my haematological oncologist, at our cancer centre, right from the start of my diagnosis. I have nothing against proteolytic enzymes, but do know that the treatments I had have helped me to survive thus far!
Wishing you all the best too!
I feel fortunate that I have been under the care of my haematological oncologist, at our cancer centre, right from the start of my diagnosis. I have nothing against proteolytic enzymes, but do know that the treatments I had have helped me to survive thus far!
Wishing you all the best too!
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
Re: Gonzalez therapy / protocol for myeloma - experiences
Dr. Isaacs, who works with Dr. Gonzalez, doesn't have me doing anything you mentioned. Why would you be on a different program?
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dean
Re: Gonzalez therapy / protocol for myeloma - experiences
Hi Cassy66, I read your posts with a bit of horror. It almost sounds like a medical journey to another place and time. What is next ... bloodletting? I am surprised there is not an investigation of these types of treatments by the NY State Office of Professional Medical Conduct.
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terryl1 - Name: Terry
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: August 10, 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 49
Re: Gonzalez therapy / protocol for myeloma - experiences
He has been practicing there for over 25 years. If he was killing patients, you are correct, he would have been shut down.
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dean
Re: Gonzalez therapy / protocol for myeloma - experiences
I believe in a legal sense there is a big difference between giving patients a therapy that kills them and giving a therapy that does nothing to treat their disease and the patient dies as the disease runs its course.
If the Gonzales therapy was killing people, he would have had his licensed revoked and he would possibly face criminal charges. Do not assume that just because Dr. Gonzales has not had his licensed to practice medicine revoked that this indicates his therapy works.
It can take a lot more to get a medical license to practice medicine revoked and be shut down than prescribing ineffective therapy. He does have a history of actions against him by the medical board and his fair share of civil malpractice suits over the last 25 years.
If the Gonzales therapy was killing people, he would have had his licensed revoked and he would possibly face criminal charges. Do not assume that just because Dr. Gonzales has not had his licensed to practice medicine revoked that this indicates his therapy works.
It can take a lot more to get a medical license to practice medicine revoked and be shut down than prescribing ineffective therapy. He does have a history of actions against him by the medical board and his fair share of civil malpractice suits over the last 25 years.
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Eric Hofacket - Name: Eric H
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 01 April 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 44
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