Advice

[Miles7]

Hi guys I've not been on for a while.ive got chirrosis to liver,I've been told by my liver consultant to try probiotics,I've tried vsl3 it just made me bloated. Does anyone know a good 1?I'm looking for 1 with no nasty added stuff in I? Does any recommend milk thistle too?thanks in advance

[AyrshireK]

Hi Miles, maybe try and push to see a liver specialist dietician as they will be the best placed to advise on whether a probiotic is wise and which one in particular. As regards Milk Thistle, i'd stay well clear, we have many patients on here who have been told not to touch it by their hepatologists. Any evidence of milk thistle providing any benefit is purely anecdotal there is no medical evidence of it being any good and indeed there are potential dangers associated with it.

Do NOT take any over the counter remedies, alternative therapies or herbal supplements without discussing them with your medical team.

Katie

[Miles7 in reply to AyrshireK]

Thank you,yes I was told no with milk thistle before, you read so many good things about it though, what about the company erbolegy no?it's all organic no fillers, it's hard work getting advice from my liver doctor lol ,so what about apple cider viniger turmeric no?thanks

[AyrshireK in reply to Miles7]

Every single thing you ingest has to be processed by your liver, many of these so called alternative therapies have NO proven medical evidence linked to them nor safety testing (such as you would get with conventional medications). Some - like green tea extract - have actually been linked to causing liver disease.

Stay clear, neither your liver nor your wallet needs these sorts of things - you don't want to risk taking ANYTHING that might further harm your damaged liver. A good healthy diet appropriate to your stage of disease is what's needed hence my suggest for you to ask to see a liver specialist dietician.

The BLT has a page about the use of alternative, complementary and herbal remedies at:- britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

Katie

[Miles7 in reply to AyrshireK]

Thanks for your help much appreciated.yes I read about the great tea extract, my liver consultant is hard work lol

[Ubwa in reply to AyrshireK]

Agree with the above. There is a name for alternative remedies that are backed by evidence of their efficacy- they are generally called 'medicines'

A lot of "good" experiences are often down to misunderstandings around correlation does not imply causation type arguments when put under scrutiny,

[Hidden]

Hi Miles,

Katie has kindly shared our links to complementary and alternative medicines on this thread.

If your consultant is advising you take a probiotic we would suggest that they clearly clarify which one you should take. Hopefully you are under the care of a liver specialist?

Best wishes.

[Miles7 in reply to Hidden]

Hi thank you,yes I've got a liver consultant but it's hard work ,I've had chirrosis for nearly 17 years now .the 1st consultant I had who saved my life left about 10 years ago and since then it's been abit of a shambles

[Miles7 in reply to Hidden]

As for probiotics I asked what 1 he said I got to try find one that's right for me lol

[Hidden in reply to Miles7]

Do you see a hospital registered dietitian at your hospital? Maybe they could help advise and liaise with your liver consultant?