Milk Thistle

[hotdog]

Is milk thistle beneficial for PBC sufferers?

[Hidden]

Hello hotdog.

I did read quite some time ago that milk thistle is used to contribute towards good liver health and that it has been used in emergency rooms to try to limit any damage if one has taken a certain poisonous mushroom. It is also used as a temporary liver detoxifyer in cases of over-indulgence (ie the festive season).

Up until 2yrs ago it was available in the UK where I am from herbal/heatlh food suppliers without any licensing but due to the new UK regulations it became a product that has to be licensed now. I did try experimenting myself with milk some time ago - from 2012 to 2013 it would have been - but I got mixed results blood-wise from my bit of experiementing.

I did buy the original strength that it was marked as from a UK company known as Nature's Best to try after being diagnosed with PBC Dec 2010. I decided to give it a go when I had a repeat blood early 2012 and it had showed a bit of a rise to previously. When I had a recheck of the bloods 3mths later I did think that the milk thistle was doing some good. I continued but my next set of bloods 3mths later showed a slight rise so I was not convinced. I had a break and did get a good result for the bloods at a later date without any milk thistle. I did have another go with the milk thistle by which time I had to buy the new strength which were a lot lot less than original ones I bought due to the licensing laws and for me I found it made no difference. I decided to give up as though it didn't seem to be doing me any harm, for me I didn't think it was helping much as regarding how it was with the PBC.

Since I haven't taken any milk thistle now for not long off 2yrs I've not had any significant changes regarding the bloods and if I was to draw on a graph my blood would dip a bit certain time in the year as they seem to do and then rise at another. Seems to have been the nrom for me since the year after diagnosis.

I came to the decision myself regarding milk thistle that it might not be really helping but at the same time though it didn't appear to be making anything worse, it was additional supplements that my digestive system had to deal with and I decided I didn't need it.

[susanburgess]

I have been taking milk thistle for some time as well as urso. I feel fine

[posh]

Hotdog, there is a paragraph within the PBC compendium that refers to alternative therapies such as Milk Thistle or (silymarin). It has been known to be used by people with liver conditions.

Studies shows that it is well tolerated by sufferers but no formal evidence has been provided.

Are you a member of the PBC Foundation? It is free to join and they are excellent at giving you facts.

Best wishes

Posh

[Hidden]

Sorry to say susanburgess and also posh that for me milk thistle when I did try it for several months and then had a break and then took it again for awhile didn't seem to make any difference at all to my bloods when I had them done.

As I have said already though it didn't actually cause me any problems whatsoever.

I seem to think myself that it might be beneficial for a temporary remedy for something like over-indulgence but I think regarding PBC I am not wholly convinced.

I think if there was more definitive proof that it was of great benefit then I would probably be game to take it again but I do think with new UK legislation regarding herbal products the mg amount of silymarin that is present doesn't appear to be in an adequate dose that it was when I originally started taking it to when I took it last.

[hotdog]

I do agree with you Peridot as I could find nowhere after searching a lot of sites that it had be proved for PBC sufferers to be beneficial. Only as you suggested more for over-indulgence.

[Shine1]

Hi Thanks for replying earlier, I had a look at past posts.

This one's interesting, it seems to be a jury's out with milk thistle and PBC.

I used to take it occasionally years ago before diagnosis, if had been out over the weekend, eaten a lot, etc.

Having read about how it may help with liver damage, I have been taking it recently. I aimed for a good quality well known brand. I asked my consultant, who is anti taking most supplements with PBC, but they did not mind me trying milk thistle. I have taken it around the same time as been on Urso. I havent found any side effects and it does seem to help liver ache/ digestion a little for me personally. But its always worth asking GP first isn't it.

[Kevin733]

Shine, I am AMA-positive and can tell you that my liver panels improved significantly when I started taking milk thistle