Vitamins During Tx for Sx and Liver Detox etc?

[NYgirl]

I want to go out tonight and get the RIGHT vitamins that could help me with the sx and also one's that could help with detoxing my liver and my immune system etc.  Anything that can help me with this disease! I start tx next week.

I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread where we could find all the relevant information in one place.  I know I've asked before...but some people in here are too weak to go reading every single thread to find the right info.

I was thinking tonight of getting at least C, E, Selenium, Garlic and Zinc.  I worry about the multi cause of the iron (which seems messed up cause of the worry of anemia but...)

Can anybody help list what would be beneficial and why?

Thanks so much to everyone.  The more knowledge I have the more I feel like I can beat this thing!

Debby

PS I am not talking about vitamins INSTEAD of treatment..just in conjunction WITH treatment.

[NYgirl]

Oh thank you thank you Fairy.  This is exactly the sort of stuff I need to know.  I dont know where I read otherwise but I was going to do garlic!

I am going to run it by him today. In fact I am going to keep calling until they get sick of me and call me back hahahaha!

I looked at St. John's Wort last night and thought that would be a good thing to get.  See that? How valuable your information is!

[1fairygirl]

You go girl and make him pay attention to your needs!!!!
Let us know what you find out.  Good luck and Smiles!

[NYgirl]

I am going to check that out and ask my doctor.  Anything that helps wash the toxins out is sort of what i am looking for.  It sounds absolutely gross...but I am willing to do it!  :)

[NYgirl]

Well I finally got the Doctor's nurse anyways.  ON my two most important questions she told me the doctor would have to tell me (a. 4 week he usually only does at 12 weeks because the results are too early to tell? (b/s) and if I was slow responder would they up the meds or let me continue (she said probably not up the meds as it's weight based and I am already so thin)

But she did say

a. take a good multi and NOT worry about the iron it's not that much?  huh?

b. If i fit the parameters they will give me Procrit for the red blood cells and if the white freak out Nupagin(sorry dont know how to spell).  Some people take both.

c. I am going to be taking PegIntro and Rebetol 200mgs x. 4

I wish I got the doctor...but at least I know something now.  Sounds like he does this very often as she had all the answers straight on hand for me pretty much.

PS they did try to call me yesterday it turns out but they called my home - where I am not when I'm at work. So I feel a bit better now.

[jmjm530]

Yes, substituting "healthy" fats like olive oil, avocado, full-fat yogurt, nuts, almond butter, etc,is a good idea.

The reason my diet is so "bad" right now is because I suffered significant weight loss (30 lbs) at the beginning of treatment and am trying to maintain my weight by any and all means.

Milk is fine. The antacids I was talking about is stuff like tums, maalox, mylanta, gaviscon and things with magnesium, aluminum. I stil take them on occasion but again space them away from the riba. I believe they can affect riba absorption by about 15% which again may have no clinical significance but more and more keeps pointing to ribavirin as being the key to SVR.


-- Jim

[jmjm530]

Well, you got a call back and some partial answers and that's better than nothing, and sometimes that's the best you can get -- so it's up to you how far you want to pursue. My original NP didn't usually do the 4-week PCR either, but when I brought it up, said I really want it, she said OK. Just tell them that you'll pay for it if your insurance won't cover it. Really don't know how they can refuse you.

I'd also want something more specific regarding what "parameters" they use for Procrit and Neupogen intervention.

Only other comment is your riba dose. Forgive my memory but you're geno 1 right and if I remember correctly you're around 125 lbs?

In any event, usual dosing for geno 1's is 1200 mg/day (6 pills) if you're over 165 pounds and 1000 mg/day (5 pills) if you're under 165 pounds.

If I were you I'd nicely insist on the 1000 mg/day (5 pills). More and more evidence is mounting that riba, especially in the first 12 weeks, is critical to SVR. Right now my weight is 150 pounds, down from 176 pre-tx, but I'm still taking 1200 riba day.
If you were like 100 pounds maybe I could understand the 800 mg.

-- Jim