Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
How to tell your oncologist about Ayurvedic medicine without being judged | CION Cancer Clinics
Tell your oncologist about every Ayurvedic, herbal and home remedy you take, and say it at the start of the visit. With a liver illness this matters more, because a strained liver copes poorly with extra products and they can change how cancer medicines work. This page explains what your team needs to know, how to bring it up and what usually happens next. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team supports patients and families through symptoms, follow-up and life during and after treatment.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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On this page
- Should I tell my oncologist I am taking Ayurvedic medicine?
- What does my oncologist actually need to know?
- How do I bring it up without an awkward conversation?
- What can I actually say?
- What patients fear will happen, and what usually does
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about telling your oncologist
The short answer
Should I tell my oncologist I am taking Ayurvedic medicine?
Yes. Tell your oncologist everything you take, including Ayurvedic, herbal, homeopathic and home remedies, and say it plainly at the start of the visit. A good cancer team asks this question because it keeps you safe, and the honest answer helps them far more than a polite silence.
Why it matters more with a liver illness
Your liver handles almost every medicine and herbal product you swallow. When it is scarred by cirrhosis or carrying a tumour, it has less room to cope with extra strain. A product that a healthy person tolerates can harm a liver that is already working hard. It can also change how your cancer medicines behave, which is explained on the herb and medicine interactions page.
Why so many people keep quiet
Many patients worry the doctor will be angry, will think less of them, or will refuse to treat them. Some are taking a remedy an elder in the family insisted on and do not want to seem disloyal. These are ordinary, understandable feelings. They are also the reason this page exists.
Telling your doctor is not a confession. It is information your team needs to plan safely.What the team is listening for
What does my oncologist actually need to know?
You do not need to defend your choice. Your team needs facts they can act on.
What it is
The name on the label, or a photo of the bottle or packet. If it was made by a local practitioner and has no label, say so. That is useful information in itself.
How you take it
Whether it is a powder, tablet, syrup, oil or decoction, and roughly how often. You do not need exact amounts. "Twice a day, a spoonful" is enough to start.
When you started
Your team compares this with your blood test dates. A rise in liver enzymes or bilirubin that began soon after a new product is an important clue.
Also mention
- Products you stopped recently
- Anything a relative sends from home
- Liver "detox" or cleansing courses
Why you take it
Appetite, sleep, pain, energy or hope. Knowing the reason lets the team offer a safer way to meet the same need, which often matters more to you than the product.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistBefore and during the visit
How do I bring it up without an awkward conversation?
Put it all in one bag
Collect every product the night before, including the ones you take only sometimes. Showing the bottles is easier than describing them, and it removes any guesswork.
Say it in the first few minutes
Raise it before the doctor starts explaining the plan, so it can be considered in that plan. A simple opening works: "Before we begin, I want to show you what I am taking."
Bring the family member who buys it
If a parent, spouse or in-law is supplying the remedy, ask them to come. They can answer questions directly and hear the advice first-hand.
Ask for the answer in writing
Write down which products can continue, which should pause and until when. Share it with everyone at home who might buy or prepare something for you.
Words that help
What can I actually say?
- To open the subject
- "I am also taking some Ayurvedic medicine. I would like you to check whether it is safe with my treatment."
- If you feel embarrassed
- "I was worried you might be upset, but I would rather you knew." Most doctors respond warmly to this.
- If an elder insists on it
- "My family feels strongly about this. Can you explain to them why it needs to stop, or whether it can continue?"
- If you want to keep taking it
- "This helps me feel better. Is there a way to keep it, or something safer that does the same job?"
- If you already stopped
- "I took this until recently. Could it explain my blood results?"
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Common worries
What patients fear will happen, and what usually does
"The doctor will refuse to treat me."
Taking a herbal product is not a reason to withhold cancer care. At most, your team may pause a product, adjust timing or order an extra blood test to check your liver.
"They will laugh at our family's traditions."
Ayurveda is part of daily life for many Indian families, and oncologists in Hyderabad see it every week. The conversation is about safety in a damaged liver, not about whether your traditions have value.
"If I stop now, everything I took was wasted."
You made the best choice you could with what you knew. Pausing a product during treatment is a new decision with new information. It does not undo or judge the earlier one.
"It is harmless, so there is no point mentioning it."
Even if it turns out to be harmless, your team can only rule it out once they know about it. If your liver tests change, they will not waste time looking for a cause they already know.
Did you know
When a liver blood test rises during treatment, one of the first things a cancer team checks is whether anything new has been taken. An undisclosed remedy can send them looking in the wrong place, and can lead to a useful medicine being stopped when it was never the problem.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether the product you take is safe. That depends on what is really in it, on how well your liver is working and on the treatment planned. Only your oncologist, with your blood results in front of them, can weigh all three.
Who this does not apply to
If you are not taking anything other than prescribed medicines, you have nothing extra to disclose. Ordinary spices and home cooking are also not what this page is about. If you are still deciding whether to try herbal treatment at all, an honest look at herbal treatment is the better place to start.
If the conversation did go badly
Occasionally a doctor responds sharply. That does not change the need for your team to know. You can raise it again with another member of the team, or ask for a second opinion. Your safety comes first, and so does feeling able to speak openly.
If you would rather raise a product before your next appointment, call the helpline. Someone will pass the details to your treating team.Questions we are asked
Common questions about telling your oncologist
Will my oncologist tell me to stop everything?
Not always. Some products can continue, some are best paused during treatment and some only around a procedure such as TACE or a biopsy. The advice depends on your liver function and the medicines planned. Ask for the answer product by product, so you know exactly what is allowed.
Do I need to mention home remedies and kashayam?
Yes, mention anything you take regularly for your health, including decoctions, powders and juices. Ordinary food is rarely a concern. When you are unsure, include it. Your doctor will tell you quickly which items are fine and which need a closer look.
What if my Ayurvedic doctor says the two are safe together?
Share that advice with your oncologist and, if you can, the name of the preparation. Neither doctor alone has the full picture. Your oncologist knows the cancer medicines and your liver results, and that combination is what decides safety.
I hid it at my last visit. Is it too late to say?
No. Tell your team at the next visit or call before then. Many people only feel ready to mention it later, and doctors are used to that. The information is still useful, especially if your blood tests have changed since.
Can a family member speak to the doctor for me?
Yes, with your permission. Adult children often handle this conversation for a parent. It helps if the person who buys or prepares the remedy is there, so the doctor can ask what is in it and how it is taken.
Will it be written in my medical record?
Usually, yes. It is recorded as part of your medicine list so that every doctor treating you can see it. That protects you if you need care elsewhere, for example in an emergency. It is a clinical note, not a judgement.
Does this apply to hepatitis B tablets too?
Yes. If you take an antiviral such as tenofovir or entecavir, tell the hepatologist or physician who prescribes it about any herbal product. Never stop an antiviral on your own in favour of a herbal remedy, because the virus can flare and damage the liver.
Can CION help with this conversation?
Yes. Your medical oncologist at CION will review everything you take as part of planning your treatment. If you want to raise a product before your appointment, call the CION helpline and describe it, and someone will make sure your treating team hears.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
- NCCIH — Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth
- American Cancer Society — Understanding Integrative (Holistic) Medicine
- NCCIH — Using Dietary Supplements Wisely
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Interactions between herbs and cancer medicinesWhy the products you take can change your treatmentCan I take Ayurveda alongside my treatment?What can sit safely beside cancer careWhat traditional medicine can reasonably offerAn honest view of where it may helpTelling every doctor you have liver diseaseKeeping every prescriber informed
Talk to us
Want your team to check a remedy before your next visit?
Tell us what you or your relative is taking and which treatment is planned. We will pass it to your treating team without any judgement. One helpline serves every CION centre.