Woman who tried to cure her cancer with holistic diet drink almost died after she refused chemotherapy

• Irena Stoynova searches online for alternatives to chemotherapy when diagnosed

A woman who almost died trying to cure her cancer with a juice diet has warned others against “discarding” traditional medical advice and trying to find alternative information online.

Doctors tried to get Irena Stoynova to use conventional cancer treatments after she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in June 2021, but she “ruled them out.”

The former model said that instead of chemotherapy, she searched for alternatives online and followed the advice of a man who has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media and claims the human body can ” heal on your own” with the help of a radical lifestyle and diet changes. .

Ms Stoynova, from Crondall in Hampshire, underwent various diets and holistic therapies for two and a half years, which left her emaciated with fluid in her lungs.

Doctors said she was near death when she was taken by ambulance to Frimley Park Hospital in May last year.

Dr Clare Rees told her she would probably die without treatment for her cancer – which was at stage three – but Ms Stoynova continued to refuse for several days before finally agreeing to receive chemotherapy.

Ms Stoynova spent 50 days in the hospital’s acute dependency unit.

She said that when she was first diagnosed, she decided to forgo traditional treatments after “reading and watching many doctors and professors talk online about the success rate of alternative therapies.”

The 39-year-old, who now works in sales, said she had been on a juice diet for two and a half years, but had also tried a raw diet, intermittent fasting, boiling herbs and special teas.

Speaking about her diagnosis, she said: “I was devastated, the whole world closed in around me and I felt really alone.”

She explained that she was advised to start chemotherapy, but turned to the internet to find alternative advice and “it all took off from there”.

“I found an American who has millions of followers and who promotes holistic treatment,” she said.

“He had a podcast where he interviewed very knowledgeable doctors and professors who talked about holistic treatment and they called standard treatment ‘outrageous.’

“They said people who have had chemotherapy are ‘lazy’ and don’t want to invest in holistic treatment.”

Ms Stoynova continued: “The guy has three or four books on how to cure cancer holistically – how to make salads, use different herbs, juice, intermittent fasting – there were so many testimonials, so many of people who have done it.

“I spent £2,000 on a juicer – one for smoothies, one for carrots, one for citrus and one for everything else. I spent two to three hours a day preparing juice for the next day.

“I was fanatic. It was like tunnel vision.

She added: “I didn’t stop (when I should have), I was so weak, I had lack of sleep and hallucinations. I didn’t even have the strength to open the door for the delivery man.

“I couldn’t breathe because there was fluid in my lungs. I lost about 20 kilos because of the diet.”

She was admitted to the hospital in May 2023, but even an emergency hospital admission wasn’t enough to stop trying to treat her cancer holistically.

Doctors described “frustrating” conversations with her, but ultimately, after 10 days in the hospital, she agreed to begin chemotherapy.

Dr Rees, consultant haematologist at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It took around 10 days from Irena’s admission until she started chemotherapy and there were some very conversations, this which I found, very frustrating during this time.

“About five days after Iran’s admission, I honestly thought that, despite what we were saying, she was going to say ‘no’ and therefore die in the very near future, which I actually found quite devastating .”

Ms Stoynova, who is now in remission, added: “I now tell people that the side effects of chemotherapy are child’s play compared to the side effects I experienced when trying the holistic treatment.

“When you have Instagram, Facebook or even Google, millions of people will say they cured cancer holistically with organic carrots, parsley and celery.

“What I would say is it’s great to have beliefs, it’s great if they’re backed by science, and please don’t interrupt your consultants.

“I cut out consultants and everything about standard medicine and almost lost my life.”

She added: “If you have cancer you need something a lot tougher than organic carrot juice and celery. »

Dr Rees continued: “This is an extreme scenario and, truly, in the first 24 hours after Irena was admitted, I didn’t know whether she would survive this or not.

“But the problem is that misinformation often spreads faster than the truth and obviously, if someone has the choice between juices rather than tablets or chemotherapy and injecting drugs into their body, you can understand why he would prefer to do it if it gives him the same result – but the problem is that it is not an evidence-based practice.

“We always encourage people to go to Lymphoma Action or Macmillan Cancer Support for authentic information.”