milk thistle and Interferon treatment

[mirceani]

Does anybody take mikk thistle during the same time with the Peg/Riba treatment?
Or did anybody do that?

Any pros or cons?

My dr said "it cannot hurt" so I am taking milk thistle also

[gauf]

No. Do not take it while toxing. Others with more knowledge of "why" will hopefully weigh in soon.

[mremeet]

Historically milk thistle has been demonstrated to be at least partially "hepatoprotective", by preventing certain toxins (like death cap mushroom and carbon tetrachloride) from harming liver cells (possibly by preventing their absorption into the liver cells). Similarly, milk thistle has been shown to interfere with the absorption and assimilation of certain pharmaceutical drugs into your body. And although it has not been proven that milk thistle will interfere with the absorption or efficacy of IFN or riba (because there have been no studies on that subject), it just might. And considering that milk thistle has absolutely no antiviral effect on HCV at all, what good would it do during treatment? None. Therefore it's appropriate to leave it out during your treatment, and if you want to start taking it again when you're done, then do so then - but NOT during.

[shaddamom]

I had my training class this morning and they gave us a list of herbals that are OK or avoid completely.... Milk thistle was one of the OK's... along with ginger and SAMe.  One of my classmates is in Stage 3 with chirrosis and she was told that milk thistle was OK to continue....

[susan400]

In my treatment last May-July at Mayo, my study nurse/PA/Dr. told me "no milk thistle", along with several other herbs listed, during the course of my trial on the Prove 3.  I was not allowed grapefruit juice either.  Certain antibiotics such as Cipro weren't even allowed.  No nasal steroids were allowed.  I don't remember about Sam-A and ginger, but I imagine that they were not allowed either.   These guidelines were set up by both the trial managers and the drug company, so I think that there must be a good reason for it.   I doesn't really matter a whole lot to me personally, because I can't tolerate milk thistle, it aggravates a mild asthma/hay fever condition that I have.  In fact, some of the bottles even list that as a potential side effect.

Susan