Itch and coffee

[Goldsworthyhelen]

I am sure someone has posted something about coffee on here. What does it do? How does it help? Anything to help itch is appreciated!

[badpiglet]

Hi,

There have been several postings about coffee if you do a search, but not related to itching as far as I know.

The article I came across was in a newsletter by the Canadian PBC society, written by Dr Angela Cheung, where she states that 'drinking two to three cups of caffeinated coffee a day has been shown to help decrease or stabilize liver fibrosis'.

pbc-society.ca/docs/newslet...

[Hidden]

Hello again Goldsworthyhelen.

I did post a short article on coffee some time ago (probably around 12 months ago).

I can't get on the site at the moment as it is under 'reconstruction' so won't be up and running until next week as I have just checked. The site is What Doctors Don't Tell You (or WDDTY). I once got a subscription for the postal magazine over a decade ago but didn't renew it as not very cheap. You can get some good information on the site for free if you sign-up for their emails as I did and receive.

Coffee is apparently said to be good for the liver but not in huge consumption of course due to high caffeine content.

I have never been a big coffee drinker preferring tea (I drink green tea blend mainly, that is standard black tea with green tea and you can add a splash of milk as I cannot drink black tea). I tend to have a couple cups of coffee a day, one at morning and one before the evening meal.

It doesn't have anything to do with the itch though.

[Brummi in reply to Hidden]

Hi peridot, Interesting reading your post. I got told by my consultant and dietician never to drink green tea or earl grey. Apparently it affects anti rejection tablets.

[Hidden in reply to Brummi]

Hello Brummi.

I like both Earl Grey tea and also green tea (that I have with black as a green tea blend (by Twinings).

I haven't had a transplant so don't have anti-rejection medications so probably doubtful it would affect me.

I know that grapefruit is said to be of some significance with certain medications (statins is one I think) but I have at times had grapefruit juiced with orange or lemon at home (not regularly might I had).

I know I did ask the consulant if there was anything I should avoid but he just said, "the liver likes calories" and said to just 'eat normally'. He had it from me and probably on record that I was not much of an alcohol drinker but that to me is common sense (I choose not to bother with alcohol as it never bothered me pre-2010).

[Brummi in reply to Hidden]

I'm sorry, the grey matter lead me astray into thinking you had a TX. The list of foods and drinks I am told to avoid is long. I also struggle deciding to either look after the liver or diabetes my glucose levels are usually around 15, also I am losing weight again having dropped to below 60 kg ( about 9 half stone ). But I will get it sorted in the end.. Take care.

[Debbweb01]

Do u no WHY u have itching! I have APS & PV! Polycythemia Vera! The PV makes my feet itch in hot water plus rest of my body! It's such a deep inner itch nothing helps! Weird, but if anyone can help with the itch parts id appreciate it too! Thx hope u become itch free! I tear myself apart and it sees so well seeded that I just can't get to it!

[Hidden in reply to Debbweb01]

hello Debbweb01.

Unfortunately the itch isn't something that seems a thing even the medics can deal with adequately with PBC. I started itching early 2010 and it was 24/7 and did drive me mad.

After diagnosis Dec 2010 and urso over time it seems to have gone to just being later evening until around 6a.m. these days.

I've tried allsorts over the last 5yrs but nothing seems to be of much help as the itch comes from inside. We have to eat to survive and that is to me where we get this itch from, used bile as it is said to be that we need bile for digestion especially breaking down of fats.

I tend to eat big for breakfast and then lunch a bit less but come the evening meal I find often that I don't feel very hungry so eat small.

I think if someone came up with a cure and said that eating something like cow dung would rid the itch then I'd definitely up for giving it a try!

I have found over the last 5 years of itching my skin has gone a bit tougher on my legs below my knees. I find these days I can itch but not overly-hard and though it seems constant some nights I don't tend to draw blood like I did in the early days of PBC diagnosis.

Sorry I can't be of more help. The first line of defence to try to dispose of the itch is Questran (or colestryamine as it is known in the UK) but it seems to be hit and miss as to if it works. Hence I've been unreluctant to ask to try it (I don't fancy putting up with the common side-effect that seems to be diarrhoea as I don't encounter that nor do I want to take a med with artificial sweetener). Then there are other meds that one can give a go if this doesn't work.

[Debbweb01]

Thanks so much for ur help! Greatly appreciated ur response!