supplements for stage 3 fibrosis

[1krieger]

5 years ago I was stage 0 grade 2 geno3..now stage 3 fibrosis grade 3...am in the Twelve week Phase 2 trial of sofosbuvir and gs5816 100 mg Treatment-naive’ UND since week 2. pt 4 labs on 9-25..not going to wait a month to find out..will get independent labs on 9-26  figure labcorp NGI QuantaSure test would be the best one? supplements im taking pt are Life Extensions super r-lipoic acid 300mg twice a day.. 200 mcg selenium twice day..750 mg milk thistle twice a day.. super bio curcumin 400mg one a day.. complete B-complex one a day.. Pure Encapsulations nutrient 950 without copper iron and iodine multi vit one a day.. was thinking about adding low dose naltrexone..looking for suggestions?

[Dee1956]

Hi there, welcome to the forum! I completely understand the desire to want to do something to improve your health.
At the same time, as Hector said, you want to be careful and not hurt your liver.
Hector is one of the most knowledgeable people here.  He is also in the fight of his life so it is really nice of him to try to help you.

If I were you I might add in a probiotic.  Also a member on here advised people to take PPC an antifibrotic.  I will include one of his posts on the subject.
Mainly, I hope that you get to SVR, I know what it feels like to be waiting and wanting to improve your health at the same time.  Good Luck :)

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/Research-supported-antifibrotics---do-they-exist/show/346752

[1krieger]

I can relate to having shelfs full of vitamins and supplements..over the past 5 years ive taken a lot of different stuff this is just what ive narrowed it down to..obviously it did nothing to slow my progression since I went from stage 0 to stage 3 in 5 years.. thanks for the positive response I wish you all the best too...

[HectorSF]

I am sorry you took it personally. You had asked "was thinking about adding low dose naltrexone..looking for suggestions?" and I replied. I indicated that the FDA warns that naltrexone can be toxic to the liver which folks with hepatitis C and liver disease should avoid. That is why we are told to avoid alcohol and other potential toxins that are processed in the liver if we have hepatitis C. When you replied stating that naltrexone had " "beneficial effects" for people with hepatitis C, I only pointed out the fact that the studies you mention had nothing to do with hepatitis C or liver disease and also these so-called "clinical trials" were not clinical trials (which include humans) and were studies involving rats and mice. Studies performed on animals are called pre-clinical trials.

Everyone else in this community was free to give you their suggestions. I am sorry that you did not like what I had to say but I was just telling you what many community members here would tell you, the only thing that improves hepatitis C and the liver disease it causes is current treatments and some of the clinical trials that are currently going on. All other vitamins, supplements, drugs, foods and drinks will not cure your hepatitis C or improve your liver function. Unfortunately I have seen too many people believe in "alternate treatments" and end up dying from liver disease. If you are familiar with Steve Jobs history of his illness with cancer you can see the same pattern. He tried alternative treatment delaying treating his illness properly early on and then it became too advanced manage. He then had recurrence of his cancer which spread to his liver and was fatal. A sad cautionary tale in my opinion.

You have already completed a hepatitis C clinical treatment recently. I just completed a clinical trial a month ago and am in the same boat as you are waiting to find out if I will remain undetectable and not relapse. Our success or failure with treatment will determine whether we will have to worry about hepatitis C ever again.

Good luck with your treatment! I wish you SRV.
Hector

[rivll]

5 years ago I was stage 0 grade 2 geno3..now stage 3 fibrosis grade 3...am in the Twelve week Phase 2 trial of sofosbuvir and gs5816 100 mg Treatment-naive’ UND since week 2. pt 4 labs on 9-25
_______________________________________________________
It looks like you are on the right track with your clinical study which is sounding very positive.

I took the same supplements pre and post tx with doc's okay but he told me not to take milk thistle while treating as it can interfere with the ribvirin I was taking.
It may be with the two drugs you are on it is not an issue, but I would run it by your Hepa. Placebo effect or not, I stand by my very carefully researched supplements.
Try not to take offense, we are generally sensitive about proposed natural cures because it has kept people from treating. I was one of those people. I was sure my diet and supps would be enough until I became cirrhotic and then, like you I was fortunate to get in a clinical trial and was cured.
I wish you all the best.

[1krieger]

Wow I said nothing about scientific fact or miracle cures that's why I put the caveat since im not a mouse it won't help at the end.. just copied a couple of threads same as you did to show show why I was thinking about LDN.. just here looking for friendly suggestions not condescending verbiage.

[BoceprevirGal]

   Just to make myself feel confident, as in a placebo affect, to boost my confidence, and to reduce stress (coming from the anxiety we all feel, as we wait for those all important lab results),  I did take a vitamin D3 (3000 mgs) daily, and a sublingual vitamin B12.
   Before myTx, I had two shelfs full of vitamins and supplements, which I took daily, for years, and they were so expensive, especially that s-AME (although that one made me feel calm...I think?  hah)  Well, long story short, I ended up getting quite sick, even though I never drank alcohol, exercised daily, did all the "alternative cures" I could find on The Net, concerning Hep C.
   My Platelets began to slip below normal range, and my liver enzymes elevated by ten-fold, and suddenly.  My Treatment Doc took me of ALL vitamins and supplements, and cured me with the Triple Treatment.
    The waiting can be agonizing, make sure to stay busy, and try not to worry, wishing you all the best~

[HectorSF]

1. There are no studies that "Low Dose Naltrexone" has any effect on HCV or liver disease in humans.

2. The FDA warns "Naltrexone hydrochloride has the capacity to cause hepatocellular injury when given in excessive doses. Naltrexone hydrochloride is contraindicated in acute hepatitis or liver failure, and its use in patients with active liver disease must be carefully considered in light of its hepatotoxic effects." All patients with HCV and liver disease should avoid taking anything toxic to the liver for obvious reasons.

If you read any of the old studies you posted you would know that they were animal studies (mice and rats) not humans except for one study was done in 1997 with methadone users measuring serum transaminases while being given methadone and naltrexone. This study had nothing to do with HCV or liver disease.

Please check your facts before posting misleading information as scientific fact about "so-called" treatments that are effective when a person has hepatitis C or liver disease. Many are newly diagnosed folks may believe such opinions are fact because one person says so and not treat their virus properly. Which can lead to a worsening of there liver disease.

There already is enough myths and false information about hepatitis C and its treatment which contributes to the stigma of this illness.
If you want to post about miracle cures for hepatitis C there are many forum that are all about such various "alternative treatments". This community is for those who are interested is busting myths about hepatitis C and sharing knowledge about the true nature of HCV and its treatment.

Best of luck achieving SVR!
Hector

[1krieger]

Naltrexone protects against lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine-induced hepatitis in mice.
Results demonstrated that post-treatment with naltrexone (20 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly attenuated the deleterious liver function in mice treated with LPS/D-gal. It was also found that naltrexone significantly inhibited the elevation of plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) caused by LPS/D-gal. The overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide anions induced by LPS/D-gal were also significantly reduced by naltrexone. Moreover, infiltration of neutrophils into the liver of mice 12 h after treatment with LPS/D-gal was also decreased by naltrexone. In conclusion, the beneficial effects of naltrexone on LPS/D-gal-induced hepatitis result from its inhibition of pro-inflammatory factors and antioxidant effects. Thus, naltrexone is of therapeutic potential for treating liver injury

Can Low Dose Naltrexone LDN be beneficial to those with
Hepatitis C or liver disease?

The U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Pub Med Website includes many clinical studies and articles about how opioids and the opioid antagonist, which is what Low Dose Naltrexone LDN is, impact liver conditions such as Hepatitis C and the immune system. These Clinical Studies (whose PUBMed ID number is included below) demonstrate the safety and very beneficial effects of Naltrexone to the liver for dosages below 300mg a day in a variety of ways, including:

1. Reducing Liver Enzymes Levels (ALT & AST), including Hepatitis
(PMID: 16839858 & PMID: 9411543)
2. Reducing Liver Damage in Hepatitis
(PMID: 19023176 & 15389866)
3. Reducing Liver Injury in Cholestasis
(PMID: 17295775)
4. Reducing Liver Enzymes in Cholestasis
(PMID: 12570015)
5. Reducing Liver Fibrosis
(PMID: 16543289)
6. Anti-inflammatory effects & improving hepatic dysfunction
(PMID: 19023176 & 15917999)
7. Benefits in Cholestatic Pruritus
(PMID: 9322521 & PMID: 15517116)
That's why I said LOW dose naltrexone..well mabey since im not a mouse it won't help.. ya I don't really  have the patience to wait a month and then they might not have results there kind of sporatic with that..

[HectorSF]

Vitamins or supplement will make no difference if you were successful or not with treatment. That is why we treat. The only thing that will cure your hepatitis C is the treatment you had. Relax and wait for the results of your viral load tests. While not all patients relapse in the first month after treatment most do. If you make it through one month post treatment you should have a good chance of not relapsing. Getting a viral load test sooner in my opinion it is a waste of time. Knowing that you have not relapsed or relapsed a week or two early is not going to change anything.

Gilead trials use the COBAS Taqman HCV test v 2.0 - High Pure System for testing viral load by the way.

"was thinking about adding low dose naltrexone."
Low dose naltrexone has no effect on hepatitis C or liver disease. It is used treat alcoholic and opiate users.
More importantly "Naltrexone hydrochloride is contraindicated in: Any individual with acute hepatitis or liver failure."
"Naltrexone hydrochloride has the capacity to cause hepatocellular injury when given in excessive doses. Naltrexone hydrochloride is contraindicated in acute hepatitis or liver failure, and its use in patients with active liver disease must be carefully considered in light of its hepatotoxic effects.
The margin of separation between the apparently safe dose of Naltrexone hydrochloride and the dose causing hepatic injury appears to be only five-fold or less. Naltrexone hydrochloride does not appear to be a hepatotoxin at the recommended doses. Patients should be warned of the risk of hepatic injury and advised to stop the use of Naltrexone hydrochloride and seek medical attention if they experience symptoms of acute hepatitis."

Hector