ala selenium

[nor cal mom]

Hi all, new to the site and fairly new to treatment. Shot #8 last night. I have been reading for a few days and you all seem very supportive of each other so.. here I am. I have been taking ALA, selenium, multvits w/out iron and evening primrose. Along with the peg & copeg. Just wondered what you all thought of the combination?  Thanks Darcy

[fresnoborn]

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH BORON? IS IT SAFE TO TAKE WHILE YOU ARE ON TREATMENT?

[Forseegood]

Hi, another Californian in our ranks, yippeee! Going up to No Cal soon. Anyway, the supplement and herb question. Hmmmm. What I've found is that people will fall into more than one camp on this question and I am with Tallblonde on this. I take all you mentioned, except the ala (I have hypoglycemia which is a contra for ala) and a lot more. There are a few herbs that I will give up for treatment- but not many other things...they make me feel too good and I need the nutrients, "especially" with the tx. Most of what I take are just food extracts anyway, and we all eat food.

As far as trying something, what I have always done is titer up, meaning that I take a minuscule bit of it; to see if I have any allergic reactions, etc. Then I gauge how I'm feeling that day and I take it in the afternoon with nothing else but my usual food, to make sure I wasn't feeling unwell anyway and unfairly blame it on the vitamin or herb. I have read many books on this and have taken seminars, consulted with many experts, including MD.s. I've been taking many of the things I take now for over 15 years, that might have something to with the fact I have a low biopsy score even though I've had this close to 30 years, but of course I can't prove that. I also eat a good diet and exercise and stay at a good weight for my height.

They have really helped me with my hep symptoms, I know cause on a few occasions I've stopped them for months and I saw the difference, so did everyone else in my life. So my regimen works for me, I don't take anything that's particularly radical or considered snake oil like collodial silver, etc.

I also know they don't seem to work for everyone; neither does TX or most pharmy RX for that matter, we all have a different bio-chemistry. There are many knowledgeable, supportive people here but you have asked a question which will elicit both pro and con viewpoints - which is good in that you'll have more info to base your own conclusion on. Good luck!

[nor cal mom]

Thanks for the welcome I am 1A also vl 245,000 pre treatment. My hep doc doesnt want to do a vl again til 12wks I am anxious to see where I am but he said be patient. Liver enz. nl for the first time in 20+yrs. I had a blood transfusion in 1980 but no one ever said anything about the elevated lfts til I tried to get life ins in 1997. No life ins w/hep c.

[HCA]

Back in the days when I was soaking up information,I looked at supplements and cross checked the data.
Bottom line-while on treatment safe and probably effective are:
Vitamin E
Vitamin B12
Folic Acid
There is some evidence of these impacting positively on Ribavirin induced anemia,
I have discussed these with senior physicians and rec'd approval.
Vitamin E may also enable infected liver cells to survive longer before they turn into HVC factories and die.
Most supplements,particularly those with a hard hitting sales story are at best useless,at worst harmful (colloidal silver)and invariably aimed straight at your pocket.
That's just my view of course,but I've ploughed through a lot of material to reach my conclusions............

[friole]

Welcome,
I don't know much about the supplements other than the multivitamin (which is fine) but I will take #7 tomorrow so we are on about the same time plan.  I am a 1a, VL 1.52million, 57 yo f, and biopsy of grade 1, stage 1.  I have been infected for about 35 years.  

I have found this to be a wonderful forum full of a diversity of people with a common goal.  THe information I have received here since my dx in May is amazing.  The discussions turn hot and heavy sometimes, but in that, there is an incredible sharing of ideas and opinions.  

Hope you become a regular.
friole

[Forseegood]

Hi I mispoke, I don't take evening primrose, i take other oils for omega 3's and 6s, mainly, non-mercury fish oil, and black current oil. To me they are better oils.

[Tallblonde]

I take the Evening Primrose Oil to help with my peripheral neuropathy (one of the extrahepatic manifestations of HCV).  It's works great (along with ALA and Acetyl L-Carnitine).  I hardly have any numbness and tingling anymore.

Susan

[Forseegood]

Hmm. maybe i should give it a go again. Yup, love those L-amino guys, they have all those in whey protein, ever try that? but yeah, Califia was telling me the L-carnitine in doses by itself is good for the ole' brain fog. This probably sounds like voodoo talk to the uninitiated, ha ha!

[Tallblonde]

Hi Darcy,

Welcome to the board.  I take all of the supplements you listed, and more, and I've had significant improvement in a variety of HCV symptoms.  BTW, I'm not on treatment.

Good luck to you.

Susan