Essential Oils and Chemotherapy

A Personal Opinion

Many people come to ask what oils to get their friend who is starting chemo. There’s a lot of opinions about this, everywhere and I guess I’ll throw in mine as well.

First, let’s just say that there are no studies about this—it’s not possible, as chemo is such a subjective experience. There are two aspects: 1. How the chemo works against the cancer, and 2, how you can cope.

I am pretty familiar with chemotherapy. I’ve had it. Lots of people I love had had it.

It’s totally understandable that you want to help someone you love. But maybe essential oils are not the way. Here’s my reasoning: It can throw your sense of small out of whack, seriously. And your sense of taste too. I had no desire for my essential oils during chemo. I craved the colognes my father used to wear, even if they smelled odd. It was about comfort and memory. Sometimes my own essential oils smelled weird and disgusting. This was real but temporary. Also, chemo can be pretty hellish. Even if it’s not the worst thing you’ve ever experienced, it’s probably not something you want to be reminded of every time you smell the oils you used during it. I was so thrilled, long after the chemo left my body, and once my body had repaired much of itself, to thrillingly and slowly recover my real sense of smell. And the delight I felt to smell rosemary again, and lavender; to smell our Dominican orange, vetiver, cedar and frankincense of course. I felt very lucky to not have a chemo association with them. It was a long awaited reunion, the kind I didn’t even realize I had been waiting for.

This might seem unimportant to some; I hear a lot about essential oils and their detoxifying effect. Assuming they do help “detoxify,”: Is chemotherapy the right time to try to speed up your liver, which is already stressed to the maximum? The chemo has dosed precisely and it’s the maximum possible. The last thing you want to do is try to artificially manipulate the metabolism. My dear friend had a partner who didn’t believe in chemo—he demanded to know why she couldn’t do micro-doses. Chemo doesn’t work like that. It breaks everything down, so it will also break down the cancer cells. It’s not subtle. A micro-dose seems quite pointless. I will never forget him demanding the oncologists at UCLA answer his superficial demands.

If you or someone you love is faced with chemotherapy, it often works and can buy time when other options don’t exist. And some people honestly don’t have a bad time, even from ACT. To undergo it is a personal decision the patient has to make for themselves. They (or you) need all the love and support possible. Maybe essential oils are something they crave, in which case, great, use them. Or maybe you just want to diffuse a little lemon in the room. Again, fine. But just remember that there are many things to consider if you want to support your loved one, and essential oils might be better to greet them on the other side. Suggestions? Sit with them, maybe play a game. Bring food, mild, bland, even; comfort food, stodgy is best. Or something sweet. Nothing smelly. Keep them company. Do the dishes, watch something funny on TV. Be kind and patient. It was hard for me to keep my shit together during Adriomycin/Cytoxin/Taxol but I did finish, eventually. And it took a long time to come back, but improvements started after the first cycle off it.

Many people would forward me “articles” on the latest holistic cancer cures. I wouldn’t recommend sending those. I felt bombarded. It just makes an obligation for the person who can’t concentrate and who is using all their energy to get through chemo, go through a ton of research, contact people they don’t know, and eventually possibly have to defend their choice for not following up and feeling worse because they can’t. My friend Andra even had to deal with some people telling her chemo doesn’t work and is a conspiracy. If you care about someone there is no reason to do that. If you’re doing chemo, you are feeling exhausted and vulnerable. You probably just want to lay down and watch TV.

In summery, if the patient wants essential oils, fine. But don’t push them on her. If you’re the patient, and you are trying to want your essential oils, but not feeling it, don’t worry, they will be waiting for you on the other side. Good luck.