The bottom line/question up front: Does anyone have recommended supplements, which might lower the AST level, or know of specific supplements that should be avoided (causing additional stress on the liver)?
Background:
-My test results yesterday revealed that my AST score is 46, which is in the high range. I've always had it below 33 before starting on Nubeqa/darolutimide on March 1, 2023.
-I also take Orgovyx, crestor 5mg and zetia 5mg, as well as 81mg aspirin
[A side note - This shows the complexity of the body, and how it reacts based on dosages. This link shows liver toxicity related to various dosage levels of aspirin researchgate.net/publicatio...
(Maybe it would be better to take 150mg every 2 or 3 days, instead of 81 mg daily, but this aspirin discussion is just one factor in the AST lowering equation.) ]
-Additionally, I take some supplements.
-Interestingly, I have not been taking my Milk Thistle supplements this past 6-8 weeks because I did not want them to potentionally reduce the effectiveness of the Nubeqa. However, If the AST is going to go into higher and more risky liver toxin levels, then it might be a smart tradeoff to use the milk thistle once every 1-2 days to see if that has a slight decreasing effect on the AST levels. I'll start drinking some decaf coffee as well (Lifeboost ground decaf).
Just an fyi: We had a consultation with the oncology pharmacist at Mayo when my husband was recently put on abiraterone. She wanted to know what supplements he was taking. One supplement was milk thistle. She said that he needed to stop the milk thistle because it can be hard on the liver. I was surprised by this. Some of the others were okay to continue.
i wish that doctor had cited a study result. Every study I’ve found in medical databases, say that it lowers AST and related liver health markers, so I don’t understand how that could equate to being hard on the liver. There is such a big disparity in recommendations between study results, and doctor’s observations or opinions. What I’ve noticed, is that talking to young or new doctors, is like talking to a high school or college student. They want to be smart but they haven’t had time to really learn much about anything other than what they are told in medical school, which sites not include food or supplement study education.
Thanks for your input. I’ll do some more research to see if i can corroborate what the mayo guy said.
It is my belief that most doctors, and too many people in the Advanced Prostate Cancer forum, absolutely scorn supplements. Yeah no clinical trials and nothing about supplements taught in Medical schools.
ya, it’s sad. I had a phone appointment today with a new doctor straight out of medical school. I felt like I was back to being professor teaching college students again. She didn’t know about anything I was discussing or explaining to her. It’s just like any college student. They don’t really know anything other than some of the old book doctrine.
I agree George. Dwight had been taking milk thistle for about 6 months for mildly elevated liver enzymes and it helped in bringing them down. I don't know if what we were told was correct or not. I'm so frustrated with doctors. I could go on and on. I read the doctor's clinical notes on the portal after our last visit and it was clear he was not happy with me because I had so many questions and dared to have questions about his recommended treatment.
they can’t answer any of the questions and when i bring up nih study results, they don’t know what to do because they don’t want to go out on a limb with treatment, so they end up doing the same mediocre m, sometimes damaging SOC. i could talk about this all day as well. The freakin normal range for ferretin is 27-300! How can you have these wide rangers? What is optimal? They don’t care about optimal. LDL is supposed to be between 0-150! Come on. If ldl is near zero the patient will die. Mine is 27.8 right now, and the urologist doesn’t care, the cardiologist doesn’t care, the oncologist says to talk to the pcm! lol. It’s insane. Fortunately, i know what’s causing some of these levels so i can fix them myself.
George, FWIW, I've taken Milk Thistle (for supposed enhanced uptake of the berberine I take as a natural alternative to metformin) for too many years to count. Like you, I have never found any definitive research indicating risk to liver function, only that it is beneficial. My liver labs have been fine throughout. Personal experience only & not a prescriptive endorsement for its use: i.e., always best to do your own research and come to your own conclusions.
Hi Kaptin, My nickname was Captain Caveman in ROTC. I had to give it up when I became a 2LT and joined the U.S. Army
I agree, I always do my own research, but my research comes from studies and other sources. I take Berberine before breakfast and dinner every day. I only read on an interaction page, maybe on the nubeqa interactions list, that milk thistle might interfere, but not necessarily.
Yes it did just a little as it didn’t get too high to begin with, they are at 19 n 22 respectively and that’s w drinking 2-3 glasses of red wine daily… 🍷🍷
can I ask you where you have found that milk thistle interacts with nubeqa? I am taking nubeqa daily and milk thistle between chemo sessions to help my liver (and by the way, it still works perfectly after 4 infusions)
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