What natural remedies such as milk thistle, celery seed , licorice etc are we permited to take with pbc ?

[Pils]

Maybe a light liver detox of some sort. Any ideas or just stick to the prescribed medicine . I have the crossover pbc -aih , diagnosed 2009 an taking ursosan and Zatotor (cholestarol) and calcium . In the first stage of pbc and finding after lunch the body seems to shut down the energy. Working in a physical outside enviroment which I love, But have to plan to do the majority of work in the morning periods where the energy levels are much better.

[Magnolia]

I think I've read that true licorice is dangerous for the liver. My GI said that milk thistle won't hurt you. Eating something every 2 hrs will keep your blood sugar level, and keep your energy at a better level. A big meal drains energy so the body can digest it, this is why people get sleepy after a big meal.

[Gra79]

I think it would be wise to chat to your doctor before starting any alternative / natural remedies! I have pbc AIH overlap too, prefer natural medicine but don't take any oral remedies as you never really know impact on liver. So I enjoy reflexology and acupuncture to give me great boosts

[Disy]

Hi there

I would suggest you ask your specialist as we are all different with different levels of this disease. My Gastroenterologist has insisted no liver detox or natural remedies for me in case there is something in the breakdown that doesn't agree with my liver. Hope you are doing okay and send you wishes.

cheers for now

[Hidden]

Hello.

Licorice can cause one to have raised blood pressure if taken in a more excessive amount. But licorice does contain iron so a bit wouldn't harm. I have bought but not for awhile (due to not a very good supply in my town, got out of town once), licorice (organic) teabags. Just the one cup sufficed me. Or buy a licorice root from old-fashioned sweet shops every now and then.

I started experimenting myself with milk thistle May last yr., got good LFT results following, stopped taking and then the next LFT had done a slight climb in 3 months so restarted month prior to the Dec 2012 LFT and I got a good result there. So I have continued. So far this yr I've had pretty good LFTs. Not sure what my next LFTs will be like as my recent milk thistle are now under licensing (England) and the mgs and strength has been dropped so I'm taking a reduced one.

I quit caffeine drinks after 6p.m. every day, I drink redbush tea with a splash of skimmed milk and I also buy Barley Cup or Organic No Caf by Whole Earth which is not much different from Barley Cup. To me it is like a sort of weak coffee and can be an acquired taste but if you try it a few times you soon get acquired.

Beetroot is supposed to be pretty good and that also contains iron. I'm more of one to eat certain foods as opposed to taking supplements myself. I try to juice/blend fruits and juices daily and have a glass as I think that can be pretty good. For some reason I also think that by taking this way, it can eradicate the potential toxins in the finished juice/smoothie and I believe it can be better digested as opposed to eating an whole apple for eg complete with skin. Also with this method of juicing/blending, you are taking in a concentrated form so I expect it will be a good energy booster.

I do think that drinks and foods that contain MSG., aspartame and other artificial sweetners are not very good at all with PBC. I also tend to eat more meals that I've made and are gluten-free these days but I know I've no allergy to wheat gluten in particular, I just think that if rice for eg which babies are normally started weaning on are considered easily digestible (plus gluten-free) then it can't be bad for us.