Bashirm

[bashirm]

How efficient is homoeopathic treatment for hep c. and how long normally it takes to cure. Thanks,
bashirm

[campqueen]

Thanks rivil for the heads up...I am chomping on the bit to see my specialist....it's been almost 4 months since I've started this journey and not much closer to any information for my care except what I find here and else where...I read, read, and read from many different sources...these provide me a base from which to draw my questions from as well when I see my specialist....and some hope is better than no hope, we just need to proceed with caution and education...

[rivll]

Before I reply about the link, I want to let you know that as a new person here you may be unaware of some pretty fierce controversies about HCV and natural approaches. I have in the past year, after learning from the folks here and doing some light research come to the conclusion that there is a danger in giving what turns out to be false hope at best and sometime a more toxic liver at worst when  advertising alternative treatments.
Additionally, I will say that while a strict adherence to a superb diet and various supplements and treatments did not stop me from becoming cirrhotic. The virus continued to destroy my liver. It was only the pharma drugs that finally stopped it dead.
Now I can talk about the alpha lipoic acid in the link you gave.
I took a product with that ingredient and other ingredients known to support the liver a few months before Tx. It was the first time that I started to feel a little better. My liver enzymes went down as did my viral load. No it did not cure or come close to curing me. I believe it supported my liver enough to show some mild results, however,it is a fact it never would have killed the virus.
So in my very humble opinion as a person who has no medical background and who is far from an expert, I do believe that there are *some* products that can help maintain one's health while they are waiting to be treated..but never as a substitute for treatment.

[campqueen]

I 'm not sure about anything since I'm new to all of this as well....but I do know that a healthy diet is crucial esp eating foods known to be anti-inflammatory in nature    see this link about alpha lipoic acid as a universal anti-oxident and dr. berkson's work with Hep C patients

http://www.getpurevitality.com/articles/nutrition/the-benefits-of-alpha-lipoic-acid/

[rivll]

"I think it's possible that in the future, some of the therapies may actually have some benefit," Martin says."

I agree he is probably not talking about a cure---though saying "not to waste your money" might be a stretch.
How about the benefit being something like liver support like they have found coffee to be? Not a cure but a little help from a friend...

[can-do-man]

"I think it's possible that in the future, some of the therapies may actually have some benefit," Martin says."

I don't believe he is talking about a cure, and it seems clear he is saying for the time being, don't waste your money.

[rivll]

That  was the most fair-minded and rational response I have ever read regarding alternative/complementary medicine in dealing with HCV.

Very true that the only cure is through Pharma for most people, but I am happy that other avenues too are being considered and tested.

Thanks Idyllic.

[orphanedhawk]

Determined not to do interferon tx, I searched for alternatives. I saw an herbalist who is also an MD. She suggested herbs and supplements for my symptoms and told me that no known alternative to interferon could kill the virus. This was in 2006.
Now, there are oral meds in trial doing very well.

( BTW: I landed up having a transplant because hep C destroyed my liver.
Your liver's health is what is important. )

Homeopathic may help with symptoms or side effects but they will not kill this insidious virus.

[Frank J. Perrotta]

I knew a little about homoeopathy but had a read on wikipedia:

"...originated in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann, based on his doctrine of similia similibus curentur ("like cures like"), according to which a substance that causes the symptoms of a disease in healthy people will cure similar symptoms in sick people."

"Homeopathic remedies are prepared by repeatedly diluting a chosen substance in alcohol or distilled water, followed by forceful striking on an elastic body, called succussion. Each dilution followed by succussion is said to increase the remedy's potency. Dilution usually continues well past the point where none of the original substance remains."

Does make one wonder what substance is being used to replicate the symptoms of HepC!?!?!?

[copyman]

"How efficient is homoeopathic treatment for hep c"

It is not efficient at all in curing Hep C. It may relieve symptoms but that is about it.

To cure Hep C you need to do Western medicine using very harsh drugs. Fortunately the odds of cure are around 80%.

[Idyllic]

This is from the WebMD site:

When you're living with a disease like hepatitis C, it's natural to want to try any treatment possible to relieve your symptoms and improve your quality of life. Standard hepatitis C treatment has come a long way towards curing the disease. However, the drugs don't always work and they can have side effects.

For some patients with the disease, hepatitis C complementary and alternative treatment offers another option. "One of the things I always say is that, obviously, Western medicine does not have all the answers," says Paul Martin, MD, FACP, chief of the division of hepatology and professor of medicine at the University of Miami. "Patients who have been treated in the past and failed to respond are interested in exploring various therapeutic options."

Yet the research on hepatitis C complementary and alternative medicine has been limited, and no study so far has proven any alternative remedy safe and effective for treating the condition. It's difficult to draw any conclusions from the research because studies on alternative remedies are typically not as rigorous as those used to test medications.

"A lot of what the FDA does is not only prove drugs are effective but also that they're safe," according to Martin. "There isn't the same sort of scrutiny of the production of these compounds as there is for prescription and over-the-counter medications."

Determining whether herbal remedies are safe and effective for hepatitis C will become easier as investigators begin to take a more traditional approach to their research, says Victor Navarro, MD, professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. "We're [testing them] like pharmaceuticals so we can really know if there is any benefit."

"I think it's possible that in the future, some of the therapies may actually have some benefit," Martin says.

In the meantime, if you are going to try such therapies for hepatitis C treatment or any other condition, talk to your doctor first. Even though herbal remedies are "all natural," they can still have side effects, and many can interact with medicines you're already taking. "The appropriate thing is to explore all the options for your particular liver disease with a specialist," Martin says.