Caution!
During radiation therapy, mistletoe preparations may not be injected directly into the radiation field. Inflamed areas of skin should also be avoided because otherwise severe inflammations or tissue destruction (necrosis) could occur. If the patient has an infection with fever, he or she should wait until it subsides and the body temperature has normalized again before the first mistletoe injection is given.
Begin anytime
You can begin with mistletoe therapy anytime – even before or during an operation or in addition to chemotherapy. This often even helps to improve the patient’s tolerance for other treatments.
Application of anthroposophical mistletoe preparations
All anthroposophical mistletoe preparations are usually injected under the skin (subcutaneously). During the familiarization phase, the injection should always be administered under a physician’s supervision. If it becomes clear that the preparation is well tolerated in the recommended dosage, the patient can administer the injection him- or herself at home or have a caretender do it.
It is possible to begin with mistletoe therapy anytime, even before an operation or during chemo- or radiation treatment. If an operation is planned, it is even advisable to begin with mistletoe therapy several days or weeks beforehand. This often helps the patient to better withstand the operation and enables the body to recuperate more quickly.
It is advisable to avoid injecting the mistletoe on the day of the infusion when chemotherapeuticals are being administered and on days of radiation treatment. It is better to administer the injection on a day preceding or following such treatments. In this case, the side effects of chemo- or radiation therapy are often less severe and/or they subside more quickly than they otherwise would. The preparation should not be injected into the radiation field.
If there are plans to begin with mistletoe therapy during a series of chemotherapy treatments, it is advisable to wait until the body has more or less recovered from the infusion and the fever has subsided (if fever occurred).
It is important to note that no injections should be administered when the patient has an infection with fever. The infection should have subsided and the body temperature should have normalized (at 37 °C or less) before the first injection is given.
Under a physician’s supervision, mistletoe preparations are sometimes infused into a vein (intravenously] or injected directly into the tumour or into a body cavity.
At a glance
All anthroposophic mistletoe preparations can be administered in various ways. They are usually injected under the skin (subcutanenously); sometimes they are injected into the tumour, into body cavities (bladder, abdominal cavity) or intravenously using an infusion.