treatment question

[copyman]

Has anyone tx'd (peg & riba) along with TCM or just TCM alone. what results did you have? after reading some info on TCM some of it makes sense such as relaxation, etc and the effects of HCV on other organs. i was thinking that maybe acupuncture only along with my peg and riba would be good? i would not want to do the herbs with the tx unless i see some proven positive results.

[desrt]

I didn't use acupuncture, but did use a couple of different Chinese herbal combinations while on treatment. I don't promote the idea because I don't know whether the herbs helped or hindered the tx. It was my choice and I took the risk knowing that if I messed something up, I had no one but myself to blame. The guy who formulates the stuff has been doing this for decades, doesn't make outrageous promises, and his other formulas do what they're supposed to and have never affected my ALT/AST. Unless someone has a similar relationship with their herbalist, I'd actually advise against it.
As far as acupuncture goes, I think it would probably be a great way to deal with sx. I would just make sure and use a practioner who was overly concientious about 'clean needle technique'. Celitis/skin infections suck when your WBC is low.

[desrt]

P.S. When I asked the herbalist what he thought about using his herbs in combo with IFN, he said he saw no problem with it, and in fact the herbs might help lessen the sx, which was something I wasn't even looking for. During tx, my gastro was always asking if I was taking all my meds because my CBC and CMP barely budged out of the normal range. This is why I say I don't know whether I cleared because of or in spite of the herbs.
By the way, I got my PCR qualitative back yesterday. Three and a half years post-tx, still undetected.

[copyman]

great news on you still being undetected :-) can you post what kind of herbs you took during tx? and if you got the herbs from the internet then that website address. thanks

[GrandmaA]

Dr. Zhang says you can take his Hepa F No. 2 and circulation P during tx. Herbzac for nerves and Herbsom for sleep. Also, copmine for raising RBC. He also recommends Rosavin for depression but he doesn't make it. I found it with the Ameriden company in Utah. On the bottle it says for fatigue and stress. Another lady highly recommends anxietol7 -Induces a calming relaxing state of min, inhibits the disabling effects of stress and anxiety. She took it all through tx and it helped her so much. Buy 3 bottles and get one free. I get no commission from anything. In fact I have some stock in Merck. LOL

[GrandOak]

I know that there are a few in my local support group who are using acupuncture  to help them, but if I'm not mistaken they are not on tx but waiting for a better more effective tx.

[desrt]

I don't feel comfortable giving out brand names on a support message board. I have access to the formularies for these combos and will give you the names of the actual herbs when I get a chance. My suggestion would be to find a local herbalist you can sit down with and who YOU can personally assess. I would suggest someone with long years of experience and who is also knowledgeable in Western medicine - not the clerk at the local health food store. Also stay away from practitioners who tell you TCM concepts don't translate into Western terms. If they are not comfortable in both disciplines and able to give you answers to your questions, keep looking.
I feel very strongly about people taking personal responsibility for their medical decisions, especially off-label stuff. Whether it be high dosing ribavirin or mixing herbs with IFN, you need to realize you're going into mostly uncharted waters and working without a net. I think people feel overwhelmed sometimes and want to give over the decision making to someone who will just tell them what to do, doctor, family member, message board, or whatever. Like the song says, "...if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice".

[suzieq2]

I am a nonresponder who found a tmc MD who specialized in hep c, along with chemo sx and several other diseases. The herbs and acupuncture was a great relief for me. All my blood work remained within normal limits and I felt great. I saw him once a week to begin and then he cut me back to every other week. I have stopped seeing him as requested by my hepatologist as I am going to start VX-950 clinical trial soon. He did not want the results of labs to have any interference. I am all for tmc if it is with a qualified M.D. I had wonderfull results, and wish I was still seeing him.I would strongly recommend this treatment to help with sides on conventional treatment.Chinese DRs. Have been treating this disease alot longer than western Drs.They just do not have a cure, but it sure helped me to keep it in check.