A little story about medications and essential oils...

This is a question I indirectly answered in a recent video on YouTube and then as it typically goes in my life, a question comes to mind, maybe a day or so later, about something completely unrelated which puts me on the path of research only to discover that there is definitely a connection between the two distinct topics.

For personal reasons, the question rolling around in my head was regarding essential oils for post-surgical breast cancer treatment and the prevention of lymphedema. The information that came up was mind-blowing and humbling at the same time.

The following is the question I originally answered on another forum. I’ve left it as it is and thought I would review it here and either make some adjustments or at the very least, add additional points based on the discoveries I made yesterday … which, by the way, altered my use of essential oils for as long as I’m on my medication.

Hello!! I just got two diffusers and Young Living essential oils. I had them running almost the entire weekend. I woke this morning and noticed a lot of whiteheads on my face. I’m acne prone but my skin has been under control for the past months thanks to a topical treatment from my dermatologist. I have to say that my skin is pretty sensitive too! Could this be caused by the essential oils? Has anyone ever experienced this before?

First of all, don't be alarmed ... just take a break from using any oil or diffuser for the next 7 - 10 days and allow your body to settle down

in my professional opinion, 2 full days of oils had a significant influence on your hormonal system, which is not necessarily a bad thing, they simply stimulated your body to detox. Because acne has been your body's way of clearing toxins, you experienced a breakout.

For this reason, I strongly recommend that you drink several glasses of water a day, preferably with electrolytes to support your kidneys, and once everything comes back into balance, it might be good for you to come back to using smaller amounts of essential oils that support digestion, the lymph and kidneys. My preferred delivery is in the bath 10 - 15 drops max or if you want to use the diffuser, limit the amount of time it's on

Although I don't like making generalized suggestions due to physiological differences, a good set of oils to start with include:

1. laurel leaf

2. goldenrod

3. cypress

4. turmeric

Again, don't let this ruin your hopes about essential oils .. they're just that effective. I had breast cancer surgery last year and from time to time, the lymph backs up under my arm where they removed some glands ... just a couple drops of oils to get things moving and the tightness and tenderness dissipate. After 30 years of studying them, I cannot imagine life without them yet it takes time for our bodies to acclimate. I hope this helps!

Quite frankly, I overlooked something VERY big ! This person is using a topical medication for acne!! Of course there was a reaction!

In my search for post-surgical treatment using essential oils, I discovered another plant constituent that happens to be a CYP3A4 inhibitor. The very same enzyme that is used to metabolize medications and regulate both their systemic levels and elimination. While I’ve always known it’s not wise to duplicate the mechanism of action, I had a moment where I wondered,

1. what enzyme chemotherapeutics and aromatase inhibitors influence?

2. what happens when you use multiple remedies that inhibit the same enzyme?

The answer to question one is … you guessed it … while there are a few exceptions, they primarily affect CYP3A4 enzyme activity. As for using multiple inhibitors, the discovery was .. absolutely not. I won’t say I was shocked as much as I was bummed. I wanted to think if they all inhibited the same enzyme, then everything would be copasetic. Nothing could be further from the truth as is pointed out in this Baylor University Medical Center academic document.

Yet, for as disappointed as I was, it made complete sense! Again, it’s something I’ve known for well over 15 years, however, now we’re talking about my recovery AND my desire to give people information that brings hope!! So, I took a step back and gave my situation some consideration.

For years, I’ve struggled with IBS and anxiety. Using oils to relieve this has been my go-to since 1989! BUT now I take medication for the treatment of breast cancer. I honestly didn’t think the oils I had been using along side the meds were causing any problems, and then this! Plus, there are the ongoing conversations I have about adverse reactions as well as my statement to this person regarding acne and oils!

Adverse reactions can:

1. be something out of the blue

2. produce an additive effect

3. remain silent … until …

They are also synergistic reactions …

Yet, if this person with the acne is prone to acne, it’s fair to say this is the body’s way of flushing toxins … via the skin. If one or more of the oils they were using interacted with the medication, it makes sense this would be the immediate reaction!

Now, turning that onto me. If anxiety and IBS are my body’s way of notifying me of stress, then it makes sense that the combination of oils with my current med exacerbated these issues (which they’ve been on HIGH for a few months now). So, they’re not out of the blue, yet it is possible they are additive if the meds provide a more excitatory reaction in the body.

This leads me to say that synergistic / adverse reactions can also be an amplification of familiar symptoms which is why SO many people run out in search of something else!

In my case, I stopped using the oils with the constituents I know interact on the CYP3A4 enzyme and switched over to oils that support digestion, bone health and indirectly the hormonal system, which includes:

1. vetiver

2. cypress

3. black spruce

4. galbanum

5. helichrysum

6. black pepper

7. douglas fir

8. myrrh

9. benzoin

because these particular oils are soothing to the body and support the circulatory system as well as hormonal and immune stability, digestion, inflammation, generation of healthy tissue, and bone strength.

As for making a different suggestion for the person in the forum?

My suggest is to avoid using laurel leaf and consider an oil like neroli. It not only has a beautiful aroma, it supports the immune, hormonal and central nervous systems without conflicting with any medications that I can see, thus far!

If you’d like to learn about the constituents of essential oils, join the movement in the private FB group Revolutionary Aromatherapy