A case for specialists
Mistletoe therapy –
like chemotherapy, which is administered by an oncologist – should always be in the hands of a physician who is specialised in this form of treatment, for it demands expert, specialist knowledge, a lot of experience, intuition and sensitivity.
Physician’s supervision
The first mistletoe injection should be administered under the supervision of a physician in case it elicits a strong bodily reaction. Later on it is also possible to administer the injections oneself.
Desired reddening
Reddening at the injection site is desirable. It shows that the immune system is reacting to the mistletoe extract.
Application
Mistletoe preparations are usually injected. They are not sold in the form of tablets or capsules. They come in drop form as well, but this application is usually only administered to children.
As a general rule, mistletoe preparations are injected underneath the skin (subcutaneously), starting with very small dosages at the beginning of the treatment. The dosage is increased very gradually until reddening appears around the injection site. This local reaction is not a negative side-effect, but rather a desired response, for it shows that the immune system is reacting to the mistletoe. The reddened area should usually not be larger than four to five centimetres in diameter, however. If it is larger than this, the physician should be consulted; the dosage might be too high and may need to be decreased for the next injection. If no reaction occurs at all, the physician should be consulted as well. Then it might be advisable to switch to another preparation with a different strength or to choose a different host tree.
In some cases, the reaction to the first dosage can be very strong – even if it is a homoeopathic dosage! – and for this reason, the first injection should always be administered under a physician’s supervision. Later on it is also possible for the patient, his or her partner, or another caretender to administer the injection.
Each mistletoe therapy is individualised – there is no optimal scheme which works equally well for all cancer patients. Some people even react strongly to homoeopathic dilutions while others need a high dosage or a preparation with a high lectin concentration in order to obtain the desired reaction. Another important factor which influences the selection of the preparation are the knowledge, experience and mindset of the physician. Some physicians have certain preferences because they have achieved good results with them in the past. Others put great store by the range of dosages which a preparation offers.
The course of the disease or the patient’s reaction to the mistletoe preparation can make it necessary to switch from one preparation to another during treatment; thus there is no use in committing oneself to one single preparation.
Application of anthroposophical preparations
(abnobaVISCUM®, HELIXOR®, Iscador®, Iscucin®, Isorel®)
Application of phytotherapeutic preparations
(Cefalektin®, Eurixor®, Lektinol®)
At a glance
Mistletoe extracts are usually injected, most frequently under the skin (subcutaneously). Therapy always consists of an introductory phase in order to test the patient’s tolerance, find the right dosage and choose the most suitable preparation. After this, cyclic maintenance therapy usually follows, which is carried on over a period of several years. Mistletoe therapy should only be administered by physicians who have gathered sufficient experience in this area of medicine.