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Avatar universal

Anyone using niacin or lactalose?

My husband has had hep c since 1980 and recently his good cholesterol numbers were so low they put him on crestor which greatly worries me because it is so toxic to the liver. I have been doing some studying up and have learned that niacin/vitamin b3 can raise your good numbers by up to 35%. Im going to buy some supplements for him to see if we cant get him off the crestor, right now he is also taking omega 3 fish oil, but that hasnt helped the numbers much. He also takes milkthisel and dandelion which are both great liver cleansers, which I believe have kept his liver in fairly good shape since hes had the disease for so long and hasnt had much trouble. He did the pegatron treatment for a year but it didnt work. I also came across a mild safe laxative called lactalose that drains amonia build up which happens in the last stages of liver failure; something to look into maybe? Is anyone using Niacin or lactalose?
18 Responses
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766573 tn?1365166466
Hi this post is two years old so that might be why no one is responding
There are so important things you can ask your doctor to do. As far as Hepatitis C is concerned your Alt & Ast are not overly indicative of the state your liver is in so I fear you may have been a tad mislead.

I strongly encourage you to cut and re-post your question in the form of a new thread.

Or you could rewrite it again if you want. You post a question like this:
http://www.medhelp.org/user_photos/show/292342?personal_page_id=1282072

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315996 tn?1429054229
It takes me years to use up a bottle.
An my speling was off, I meant to say "No one likes riding in the elevator with me"
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315996 tn?1429054229
I've always been able to get my GP to give me a perscription of lactolose.
My idea is to use it on those days where I eat a ton of red meat, like barbque potlucks, binges, etc. Red meat really creates a lot of ammonia.

Heck it's just a sugar.
No one like riding in the elevator with me however. . . .
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was reading your post and was curious I was diagnose of hep c and I don't know how or what to do to go about it I only been to my doctor once which was last year and now I'm ready for another yearly.He told me bout my numbers Alt. & Ast were good. That was it and to come in a year to check again but as the year went by I been experience alot of upper pain around my rib on the right side. I don't know what that is I and gained weight cause I don't have a clue what is safe to do.And I was wondering what kind of questions I need to ask my doctor I also learned bout a viral load which the doctor didn't do.please if you or any one help me to understand what to do or ask  my doctor and what to be beware of .I want to live and I'm scared how do I start
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475300 tn?1312423126
"""""The questioners post is saying that - his cholesterol is high but his "good" (read HDL) number is low... """"

There are natural whole food that will help with that problem, here is just one link
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2002470/top_five_uncomplicated_foods_to_raise.html?cat=5

Although it probably woun't help with the loose stool problem
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Avatar universal
The questioners post is saying that - his cholesterol is high but his "good" (read HDL) number is low...
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446474 tn?1446347682
Why are you trying to change his lab results? Abnormal lab results are usually an indication of an underlying condition. As pain is an indication that you need to pay attention too so are medical test results. You should be looking at an underlying cause, not trying to mask indicators that show that something may be wrong.

Your husband should go see a gatroenterologist or hepatologist. Low cholesterol is not uncommon when someone has advanced liver disease. The liver makes cholesterol and some is also obtained through food.

It may appear that your husband is "doing fine" because most people have no symptoms until they have extensive liver damage.

Good luck.
Hectorsf
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87972 tn?1322661239
I noticed if I *drank* too many screwdrivers I’d fall of my stool, too Deb.

-Bill
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179856 tn?1333547362
A good screwdriver works as well as probiotics any day.
Although the doctor will not prescribe one if you have liver disease and have not treated it...but someday after you are SVR you may have one or two a year for sure.

Although if you have too many yes loose stools can be a big problem. Or you can fall off your stool. Either way not much fun!
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Avatar universal
Just for those with loose stools.....I find if I just give the screws a quarter turn in my legs it seems to tighten things right up.
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179856 tn?1333547362
Dont you want your cholesterol numbers to be low? Mine were great until after treatment then they went up vastly which wasn't good but is very common.

I agree that one should never start taking any supplements until the doctor has thoroughly thought it over in your particular case and then advises it.  Unfortunately, PCP doctors often don't have any clue about hepatitis AT ALL so they miss things that a hep doc would see right away.

I would speak not to your PCP doc but to your husbands hep doc.  This is very important - although general practioners like to think they understand the liver and liver disease most often they completely do NOT (my PCP doc said I had no fibrosis but I was already at stage 3 when I finally had my biopsy reviewed by a hep doc).  In addition to many other screw ups.  It's much more complicated then with the average bear.
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Avatar universal
Loose stools make my bunghole burn.  I don't like em either.
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Avatar universal
For the record  - I hate loose stools.
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Avatar universal
The Dr. will not likely give your husband a prescription for Lactulose if he has no need of it but HR saw it as valuable for intestinal health also because it is a prebiotic.  I can not begin to explain why he said that was important to those who have hep C.  You would have to read it in his posts.  He offered another idea for an inexpensive prebiotic which is called inulin which we get from Trader Joe's.  The idea is to take a probiotics and a prebiotic together.
I don't no where your husband is with his liver but since you were mentioning supplements that you were already giving him, I thought it would be helpful to point you to HR's posts.  
I hope your husband never gets to the point of needing lactulose for encephelapathy. It is not overly fun to take unless you enjoy loose stools:>)
Ev
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Avatar universal
My husband has been taking niacin for his elevated cholesterol for many years now.  We looked into this after reading about the potential se's of statins.  We based the dosages - with his PCP's - approval on the book "The 8 Week Cholesterol Cure" by Robert Kowalski.  We also supplement with Konjac root (glucomannan) and he takes a phytosterol if he's going to eat steak or eggs or other cholesterol rich foods.

As Trinity mentioned, make sure his docs approve any change in plan to lower his cholesterol.  I can tell you that our doc checks my husbands liver enzymes every 6 months, which he'd do whether he was taking statins or niacin.  My husband has no other health issues and so far his liver #'s have been fine.  His HDL has risen (something statins can't do), his LDL and triglycerides are both lowered.  Exercise is also very beneficial.  And, the niacin is very inexpensive.
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Avatar universal
I agree with Trinity. You don't start using lactulose unless there are signs of encephalopathy.

Mike
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Avatar universal
Has your husband had a biopsy and what was the diagnosis?  Before starting your husband on any supplements please discuss this with your husband's hepatologist.   Internet advice does not apply to everyone and only a specialist who is familiar with your husbands case is qualified to make decisions that are medically sound for your husband.  You state his liver is in good shape which I interpret as he is not experiencing symptoms of end stage liver disease.  In that case, lactulose is not necessary.  

Trinity
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Avatar universal
Lactulose is a good thing to use and is also a good probiotic which was well explained by the Hepatitis Researcher (known as HR) who use to post here.  You'd have to try and search the archives for it or you can go to HR's profile and read all his old posts.  They are of great value to non-responders to current meds.  They were like finding a bucket of cool water in a blistering hot desert for us and they made an enormous difference  in  my husband's condition.
There is a company called hepatitis Technologies that sells a protocol matching what HR recommends.  They are quite expensive but in my humble opinion, worth it, for those that have not been cured by available meds or for anyone with extensive liver damage even if they did SVR.   I don't know your situation, but they do have a compassionate relief program which lowers the price for those with a qualifying income.  That is what we did.
There is someone over at Hepatitis c Nomads that has written extensively about niacin and it's potential as an antifibrotic and I guess it raises HDL too but I'm not well versed.  If you are interested in finding it, he posts under the name George D. and it is in the file for either nutrition or herbs ,but I can't remember which.  He writes a lot of interesting posts.  
Hopefully one of the protease inhibitor drugs which should be available next summer, will get your husband cured.  In the meantime, doing all you can to get him healthy , is a good idea.
I wish you well,
Ev
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