Kev's Daily Regimen for Hepatitis C The following is offered for
informational purposes only and in no way represents a
It works for me! The most important part of my regimen is a good
healthy dose of prayer; prayers offered by others, and prayers of my own. In addition, I periodically drink a cup of green tea which is believed to be a good anti-cancer supplement. (Drinking multiple cups and doing so regularly is even better, but not always easy to do) Some believe that one or two cups of yogurt each day is good for immune stimulation and I like it because it makes me feel better. Oh yeah, and I don't drink tap water..........I used to buy the purified stuff from the local store and now drink water we run through a purification filter. The more I drink the better I feel - remember that detoxification is vital and water works wonders!
Those with liver disease that eat a lot
of red meat might want to consider cutting back on it because it makes the liver
work harder to process it and
can often be high in iron. Those with cirrhosis or high iron levels
might also want to consider avoiding as much additional iron as possible
because it's believed that the hep C virus thrives in an iron-rich
environment (even cooking in an iron skillet can add iron
to food because of the leeching that occurs). I avoid red meat, eat low fat
and feel better because of it. Here's a good link that discusses diet
and hep C, it's not mine but I believe this page is a good start. Remember: NO
alcohol, and moderation is the key with most things. Oh yeah, here's the link: In addition to all of the above, I also take the following: Milk Thistle (Siliphos) - In my opinion this herb is one of the best available in America for those with liver disease. Although no herbs carry the FDA stamp of approval (because it's not considered economically feasible for a company to spend the required massive amounts of money to gain FDA approval for a non-patentable product) Milk Thistle is used extensively in Europe as a liver protectant and asset to liver healing, and gaining reputation here in the United States as one of the better "liver herbs". There are a few different types of Milk Thistle available on the market, and the main differences seem to be in the bioavailability of the product (ability to be absorbed and used by the body). Herbs vary in potency from one plant to the next and because of this, proper dosing of some herbs used to be a problem. In recent years the herbal companies have developed methods to standardize the active ingredients of the plant and market them as "standardized extracts". Not all herbs are so critical on dosages so they may not require the standardization process to be as effective, but this one does. This was the best type of Milk Thistle available on the market when I was first diagnosed in 1994, and helped me when I was at my worst. I was taking the dosage as listed on the bottle of 300 mg. 3 times per day. ( 80% standardized silymarin active ingredient). Now, we have "new and Improved" types of Milk Thistle available to us that have been developed in recent years that are far superior and which studies indicate are much more beneficial to the liver. This is largely because of the fact that they're designed to be more bioavailable to the body than the more familiar "standardized extracts" (in other words, the very best of the active ingredients from Milk Thistle is used by the body rather than eliminated as waste). Scientists have been able to isolate the most effective parts of the Milk Thistle seed called "silybin" and have created a patented compound called "Silybin Phytosome", also known as "Siliphos" (depending on the manufacturer). After being extracted from the Milk Thistle seeds, the silybin then goes through another process ("phytosome") which basically binds it with a carrier substance (phosphatidylcholine) that helps more of this natural substance to be absorbed into the system and used by the body. There's a really good article on hep C and alternatives that originally appeared in GNC's "Let's Live" magazine a few years back which discusses the phytosome process and more. We've received permission to reprint the article and you can read it at the following address: http://nationalhepatitis-c.org/lets1.htm I truly believe that Milk Thistle is one of the very best "liver herbs" on the planet and I know that this newer process greatly improves its effectiveness (after seeing concrete improvement in my own health because of using this far superior type of Milk Thistle, I certainly won't be going back to the regular standardized extracts any time soon!) The newer stuff can be purchased in two different potencies: 240mg. per cap, and 360mg. per cap (the stronger dose is recommended for those with considerable liver damage like I have). DOSAGE: As recommended on the bottle, I take 1 360mg. capsule 3X daily. Cat's Claw - The need to boost immunity seems to be an area that a lot of folks with Hep C forget about. Let me assure you from personal experience that with this disease especially, it is VERY IMPORTANT to do everything you can to strengthen and boost your immunity. There are lots of herbs on the market that can help with this, but I prefer an extract of the herb "Cat's Claw", because of the positive impact it's had on my liver function numbers since I started using it in 1996. This rain forest herb has not only helped keep the hep C manageable, but I've had very few cases of the cold or flu since I started taking it. DOSAGE: I prefer one 5000 mg standardized extract capsule daily (as recommended). CAUTION: Cat's Claw is NOT recommended for anyone taking immunosuppressant drugs (as with transplant patients). It is also NOT recommended if pregnant or nursing. Liverite Liveraid - A really good liver detoxification product that helps tremendously with the "brain fog" and overall feeling of well-being. When I first started taking this product in 1999 I noticed it helping me to feel more like my old self again. I now spend much less time in bed, and it's definitely had a positive effect on my motivation to want to get out and do things. I believe the amino acids etc. in this product help to heal my liver while the vitamin B12 helps with my energy. I really can't say enough good things about this stuff and most people I know who try it, love it. DOSAGE: I take two tabs, 3 times daily. Dandelion Root (made into a "tea") - Those who've progressed to cirrhosis often find fluid retention in the lower abdomen and ankles to be a problem. This is basically liquid waste that's prone to infection and usually controlled by the use of prescription diuretics such as "Lasix" and "Aldactone". In my own case, my fluid retention was in the area of the abdomen (called "ascites") and my doctor prescribed both of the above mentioned diuretics to control it. These drugs can damage the kidneys and have other undesirable side effects on the body when used for extended periods of time and it wasn't long before I started experiencing them myself. This is when I decided to search for an alternative to these medications and learned about dandelion root. This herb has been reported to be a natural alternative to the diuretic prescriptions I was taking, and after being on the meds for close to a year, my doctor agreed to go along with my desire to wean myself from both and switch to dandelion root. I did this by gradually decreasing my dosage of the pills while increasing my intake of the herb (which I make into a tea). Over a period of a few months I was successful at completely stopping the prescriptions and by drinking the tea I was able to keep my ascites under control. For a number of years I'd make up a pot in the morning, and drink between one to two quarts per day. I'm happy to say that since late in the year 2000, my condition has improved to where I've been able to reduce my daily intake of dandelion root to about 16 oz. per day and as long as I remain on my low-sodium diet I no longer have a problem with ascites. Dandelion root can be purchased in pill form or as raw herb which can be made into a "tea". I prefer the latter and here's how to make it: Using one teaspoon of raw dandelion root per cup of water (or 3 tablespoons per 2 quart pot), bring your water to a boil, turn down to a slow roll, and add the dandelion root. Leave covered at this temperature for about 20 minutes, then let it cool and enjoy. It tastes a little different, but herbs usually do, and I think it's really enjoyable once you get accustomed to it. (Now you can't tell me that some of you haven't consumed some "different" tasting things before!) You can even buy it roasted which changes the flavor a bit, and it's fine to sweeten or flavor it with lemon, or whatever. I order my dandelion in bulk which is the cheapest, and I believe the most potent (Teabags are much more expensive). Dandelion root is healthy for the entire digestive system and is a really good herb even for those who don't have cirrhosis. Many health food stores don't carry bulk dandelion root though and if you have a problem finding it, ask them to order it for you. It is important to remember that the effectiveness of herbs is directly related to personal sleep habits, nutrition, and exercise. Many herbs take a while to get into the system before they start to work. The way I see it, it took a long time for my body to get in the shape it was in when I was diagnosed, and it's certainly worth a bit of patience on my part, knowing that this time I am being healed, and in the way my body was designed - with God's own medicine. A final word of caution: As with any other suggestion offered to you by anyone (yes even a licensed physician!): DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK! I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing what goes on with and into our bodies. Don't just take someone else's word for anything, (including mine). Do your OWN research!!! Do NOT assume that because a person claims to be an herbal specialist that they know about liver disease or hepatitis C. MANY DO NOT!!!! Herbs were put here by God for us to use as food and medicine, but when used incorrectly they can be just as harmful as anything else on the planet. This is the regimen of which I credit for helping me avoid the liver transplant that my doctor at Vanderbilt Medical Center believed I'd need within a year- back in 1994. Since then, by the grace of God and a whole lot of determination, my condition has improved to where I am no longer considered in need of liver transplantation and I live each day thankful to be alive, living with my own liver intact. In spite of the fact that I remain disabled from the damage caused by hepatitis C prior to my diagnosis, by being dedicated to the daily regimen discussed above, my liver function numbers have consistently remained in the normal ranges or very close since 1996. Although my continuing survival (and the multitude of others who use this or similar alternative therapies) verifies that the virus CAN be controlled without the toxicity and potential harm of chemical treatments like interferon, we know that anyone who chooses this approach to controlling hep C will probably need to continue with some sort of herbal therapy for the rest of their lives (unless a cure is found, along with an accurate test to measure it). Just because you start to feel better, don't make the mistake of thinking that you no longer need to take whatever was helping you. As long as the virus exists, we have to continue fighting back. Period. One last word for
anyone who might get the wrong impression here: since 1995 when I first started
using my regimen it's helped to
improve my condition, helped me keep my hepatitis C under control, and helped me
to avoid the liver transplant that my doctors believed I'd need back then. However, I AM STILL NOT CURED OF HEPATITIS C and this
potentially deadly disease continues to reside within me. KEV'S UPDATE Although the majority of plant medicines used today are probably those taken in some sort of oral pill form, herbs are still used in other forms from liquid concentrates to those that are most often smoked. The main problem here though is the risk to our lungs, so smoking anything isn't really a good idea. Fortunately though, modern science has learned how to heat plant material at a lower temperature to where it becomes vaporized instead of burned, saving the lungs from the dangers of smoke while offering the same benefits. Units are now on the market that can vaporize any plant material that would normally have been smoked, with all the benefits of smoking the herb but without the dangers. I'm now a solid believer in this method and I hope you'll read on while I explain why. . . . For those who might wonder why anyone would smoke an herb when a simple pill can be taken, it has to do with getting the material into the system quicker, like for those who may need help with sleep and would prefer not to have to wait for a pill to kick in. A shortlist of herbs that might be used in this way would include eucalyptus, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, and sage just to name a few. All have their own medicinal properties but are especially known for their ability to promote sleep. Those with significant liver disease often have appetite problems and may find the need to smoke a specific herb like cannabis. There is nothing else on the market that is "liver-friendly" for this problem other than a drug called "Marinol" which rarely works and I'll discuss it more in a minute. Cannabis, though not legal in all 50 states of the U.S. yet, is tremendous for stimulating appetite in hep C patients with appetite problems as well for alleviating many of the discomforts related to those who are symptomatic just from the disease (a recent study indicates that cannabis use has helped patients stick to their chemotherapy regimens better than those without it too, thus showing better response rates as a result of using this wonderful plant). Before I go on I should mention that I have NOT changed anything with my own original herbal regimen for hepatitis C listed above and everything I take continues to help me as always. I still take everything in pill form as before and I doubt that this will ever change. However, I have suffered from a severe appetite problem for many years because of my severe liver damage and didn't find it necessary to mention it on this site until now. As mentioned above, thanks to a very real shortage of available products that can safely help this all-too-common symptom for those with liver disease, the medicine I use is most commonly smoked or vaporized. For obvious reasons, it should probably remain unnamed here. But, since our mission is to help patients learn from what we've experienced in one way or another, I'm not going to shy away from this subject. My private and discreet use of medicinal cannabis helps me tremendously. We learned a long time ago that cirrhosis can be caused or exacerbated by malnutrition, and that's one thing I cannot afford to risk and I most certainly won't. Ingesting cannabis though, however expensive, is the safest way I know that will genuinely stimulate my appetite. And it does work! After the prescription drug "Marinol" failed me in the late nineties while I continued to lose weight, my doctor felt as desperate as I did and he finally suggested that perhaps I should consider buying cannabis from the street to use to stimulate my appetite. Since we were living in TN at the time which has no compassionate use laws, I had no choice but to resort to the black market for my medicine. After my getting robbed twice there just trying to buy medicine, I am SO glad to be legal to use it in the State of California and I no longer have to worry about dealing with unsavory situations just having to procur my badly needed medicine. For a long time I ingested my medicine primarily by smoking. Until now. I read about other methods of consuming the herb and found that there are many things we can try that many folks may not be familiar with, and some methods work better for some people than others might. Anyway, I'd heard about vaporizing herbs before but because the very best units are not inexpensive, I never gave this method much more thought until this year when my doctor strongly recommended that I consider vaporizing instead of smoking any of my medicine. He reminded me that smoking can lead to bronchitis and that I had liver disease with a LOT of damage. He also reminded me that if I was to develop bronchitis, I'd most likely need to take strong liver damaging antibiotics which could significantly worsen my condition. This is something that a person with extensive liver damage should definitely avoid, although I had just never done anything about it. The good doc recommended that I do some research into herbal vaporization and suggested not to waste my money on a cheap brand of unit. Apparently there's a big difference in quality from one vaporizer to the next and he recommended for me to buy what he feels is the very best unit on the market and suggested I read up on it and find a way to get one ASAP. Needless to say, as soon as I got home I got online and started learning about herbal vaporization and particularly this "doctor recommended" machine. Long story short: I did follow my doctors advice and I now vaporize my herbal medicine that for so many years I used to smoke. I'm thrilled that I'm using what many consider to be the very best machine of its kind on the market too, and I'll tell ya, I am NOT exaggerating when I say this machine is literally amazing! Anyway, I think it's rather obvious by now that I'm crazy about using this unit. Actually I've lost all desire to "waste" any more of my medicine by smoking it when I can vaporize and get more use from it instead (vaporization has shown to be more economical on the smoked material as well). No more damaging tars or nicotines from any kind of smoke, just pure vaporized mist that works every bit as good or perhaps even better than smoking! Even though the vaporizing unit itself is not officially sold as a medical device, I sure wouldn't be surprised if it will be sometime in the future because it can definitely help to prevent health problems in my opinion! I apologize for sounding like an advertisement here, but I'm enthusiastic about saving my lungs and I'd hope you'd feel the same way about YOURS by at least trying out one of these machines. It's really wonderful to feel like I've just eliminated one more unnecessary risk to my health! This particular unit comes with a free 4-week trial period in which it can be returned for a full refund if desired, so you just cannot lose by checking out one of these baby's! After all. . . . isn't maintaining our health worth any price? When you order
one of these machines:
Here's
some links you may want to check out: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7046
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