Milk Thistle

Is this supplement worth a try? I’ve got a fatty liver and fibrosis - does it help prevent further damage?

[AyrshireK]

No, you would be best not to bother. Some members have been strongly advised against it by their hepatologists as it can sometimes cause more problems. There are no proofs that it improves matters. On your screen just now you should see a post under Related Posts from BLT (Logo with liver) entitled Milk Thistle and Complementary & Alternative Medicines in which it states:-

Dear all,

We hope you are all enjoying this rare sunny weather in the UK?

We have noticed that some followers are advocating the use of milk thistle and other complementary therapies again, we thought that we would like to remind you of The British Liver Trust's position on this.

The British Liver Trust does not recommend the use of any homeopathic or herbal remedies for those with any liver problems as these have to be processed by the liver and can actually damage the liver and lead to severe illness.

More research needs to be done on the use and safety of such remedies and therapies.

Homeopathic remedies are unregulated in the UK and concentrations of active ingredients vary by brand purchased. If you are considering using complementary or alternative remedies &/or therapies please always discuss this with your GP and liver doctor first.

Plerase see the link here to our website page on Complementary & Alternative Medicines;

britishlivertrust.org.uk/li...

Thanks for reading and wishing you all a great bank holiday,

Warm wishes,

Rebecca

There are no miracle cures for fatty liver and fibrosis, you need to make lifestyle changes and hopefully see improvement that way. British Liver Trust has a good page on Non Alcohol Related Fatty Liver Disease which might provide good advice for you. britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

Katie

[Hidden in reply to AyrshireK]

Thanks Katie, that’s really useful to know... I’ll just sort my diet out then.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

And exercise!

[Laura009 in reply to Hidden]

Fresh air, daily exercise and a healthy diet will do your liver far more good than any faddy suppliments. All they do is make an already struggling liver have to work harder to process it. Eliminating the toxins from your lifestyle is the key to helping your liver regenerate, not replacing them with another.

Good luck

[Hidden in reply to AyrshireK]

Thank you for sharing!

[exy21]

I have taken milk thistle for years with the approval of my gastroenterologist. I have Aih/pbc.

[fondrees]

So the British liver trust says no to all supplements. Yet they say yes to many drugs that do nothing but relieve symptoms. Those also need to be processed by the liver and may cause more damage than good. There are plenty of forums and posts regarding milk thistle here so keep exploring website. And realise the atrocious lak of progress they have made regarding liver disease over the last 30 years. I am willing to bet my last dollar that British liver trust was saying the exact same thing 30 years ago. They have no interest in and cant get funds for studies that dont involve a new patented drug. My understanding is milk thistle is much more effective protecting, not reparing the liver. But their are other supplements proven to reduce fibrosis. Keep researching.

[Hidden in reply to fondrees]

Will do fondrees, thanks for responding

[tracyliz]

HI |Novas

I spent years taking Milk Thistle, the best and most expensive in the deluded mind set that it would protect my liver whilst I carried on drinking. Seven years ago I had massive varices bleed and ascites which I was lucky enough to survive so please don't be under any illusion that these things will protect you. The only protection is to stop drinking, difficult but basically it's a choice of live or die. I choose to live and haven't touched alcohol since my 6 weeks of touch and go in hospital. Good luck

@total_trace on Twitter where you will find a huge amount of help and support.

[Hidden in reply to tracyliz]

Thanks for sharing your story tracyliz, it’s inspirational for folk like me. I was sober 8 months but just had a minor relapse, back on the straight now though, x

[Tommy62 in reply to tracyliz]

Nothing will help you if you keep on drinking absolutely nothing if you have liver disease I have cirrhosis and take milk thistle I have stopped all alcohol

[toma123]

The best way to protect your liver is to maintain a healthy weight, mild exercise like walking a couple of miles a day, no alcohol, avoid eating lots of sugar and fats. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit and avoid junk food like burgers and chips. Milk thistle has been tested in clinical trials and hasn't shown a clear benefit.

[Hank007]

Been diagnosed with cirrhosis in 2017, took milk thistle capsules for the last 4 years. Much improvement in liver appearance since I been taking it. It probably help me to avoid a liver transplant so I have nothing to say negative in taking milk thistle. Always consult your hepatologist before taking supplements. Now I basically only have to get a ultrasound once a year and blood test 3 times a year, always stable or improved. I was at stage 3/4 with liver cirrhosis, given 4-6 months to live without a Transplant that's been just 7 years ago ,evaluated in 2018 twice at the Miami Transplant Institute. No need for a transplant , the doctors always tell me I'm 1 in a million and miracle.I was recommended to take milk thistle and drink at least 1 cup of coffee daily by my local internist, turns out he was on to all the updated treatment for liver cirrhosis even more than the hepatologist I had consulted with!