HCV and Vitamins

Hi all,this is my first time to this site and 1st post.Everything I have read here  is very helpful to me.I've decided not to start any treatment yet for my HCV,I'm sure I had it well over 25 years (49 years young now).Just a few weeks back I found out my VL was 4.3 ml,3 years back it was like 800k.Anyways after hearing the news on this I still refuse tx at this time .Instead I've decided on a life change 1st.
Number 1 is to stop drinking( 2 drinks aday),which I have been doing for about 5 years now.
I have been taken omega3/omega6,,Centrum multivitamin and Glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM.
Not because of my HCV,this is something I've been doing for years (healthnut).
Do taken these supplements put undue stress on the liver or make my condition bad??

[copyman]

the supplements you said you are taking will not hurt you but the 2 drinks a day will hurt you for sure. like they say drinking with hepatitis is like throwing gas on a fire and will destroy your liver fast! have you had a biopsy to make sure you are a canidate to wait on treatment? what does your blookwork look like? best of luck

PS, a "healthnut" does not drink 2 drinks with alcohol a day

[nygirl7]

Iron is very very VERY bad if you have hepC because it assists the virus in replicating which is the last thing we want. Do NOT take a vitamin with iron in it.

The two drinks a day IS pouring gasoline on an open fire....so that is great that you're going to stop.  It's not good for anyones liver but especially for someone with HepC that already has (most likely) liver damage.

[JackABCD]

I am with HCV for almost 30 years.

During last 2 years I started with vitamin C and it make me feel much better.

Recently I started with Milk Thistle and it also looks very helpfull, I have noticed my ALT came down from 300 onto 190 after 1 month with Milk Thistle, VL came down drom 2050000 onto 1900000 which is not a real change so far.

Why don't u take Milk Thistle ?

[ImLucky]

Thanks for all the GOOD sound comments.I had my biop 08/04 (geno type 1b)(inflam)(grade 0 fibrosis) was the reading I've gotten.My latest blood work aweek ago was alt 63, ggt 108 these are the only flags and no liver mass.
I know having HCV is bad but I don't know how bad it is by these reading.

thanks for the good words..

[ImLucky]

Oh, and I'm going to research the milk thistle.




thanks

[mmaclean]

Hi all, first time on this forum.  Same story, found out I had HCV about one year ago. geno type 1b and stage 3 fibrosis.
I am 51 and have had it about 32 years.  About 10 years ago I started to make some life style changes that both my GP and naturalpathic doctor agree have probably been saving me from a more advanced HCV.
I changed to a whole food, organic vegetarian diet.  My downfall has been appreciating fine wine and a couple of beers now and then. I have now quit drinking totally.
I was starting to get some symptoms, like joint pains, sleepless nights, being tired, etc, but I assumed it was an age thing.
I am refusing to take the drug therapy, but instead I am taking vitamins and herbs, such as Vitamins C, B, E,  Maximum Milk Thistle, deep immune, COQ10, ALA, Selenium, Sho-saiko-to, NAC, etc.
All my levels have dropped to a just a bit above normal, and all of my symptoms have gone.  I feel better and sleep better than I have for years.  This method involves the whole package. What I mean is that you don't take the supplements then go eat at Mcdonnalds then go for a couple of beers.  It all works together.
There is another way besides the debilitating drug therapy that may or may not work.  Using vitamins and herbs, increases your white blood count to fight the virus and rejuvenates your liver cells so that you are winning the fight.  It won't cure , but you can keep from moving forward.

[HappyDeb]

Sorry my whole thread got knoked out. It stopped at VitaminC. I will put in my thoughts later, have to go back to work for now

DEbbie

[HappyDeb]

I read what you are taking for your HCV and I am taking almost the same except the milk thistle and the Sho-saiko-to ,I never heard of that one ,but I am going to check it out on the web. I take vitamins C<B12<E , CoQ10, Sam-e,complete minerals without Iron, Omega-3, NAC.But I am on the combo treatment of peg. shot and the riba. I am having very minimal side effects.I also eat pretty organic and no red meat or fried foods, and of coarse, no drinking for 3 years and no shell fish. I just started my tx. 31/2 weeks ago. Geno type 1A. Biopsey showed no inflamation (inflammation), minimal scarring, still pretty healthy. I , like everyone here is constantly looking for more information . I need to know and understand this virus and what else anyone else knows.It helps all of us to make our own game plan. Do you agree? I was so happy to see you put up on board about the vitamins. I think it is so important to put good into our bodies as we are fighting this dragon and it is deleting us of the good, so we have to repenish ourselves.  




                                               Hope to hear from you,
                                                 Debbie

[mmaclean]

I am in Canada and order the milk thistle and the Sho-saiko-to from Natural Wellness in the USA.  I can get milk thistle here, but I believe the products from Natural Wellness are  better.  I found that I really started to feel better after I started the Sho-saiko-to.  I never really felt bad considering what stage I am at, but now I feel great.  The verdict is still out but I believe in what I am doing (my GS thinks I'm nuts).
I am interested in what you are taking, and if this is the route you want to try, definitely add Milk Thistle.