Can I take Milk thistle while on ocaliva

[Gilz1702]

I have just recently been started on ocaliva due to poor response from URSO.

I wondered if there were any contraindications against taking milk thistle while on ocaliva. I forgot to ask my consultant if it was ok.

[butterflyEi]

Hi Gilz1702

Personally I would not. If you want to see how well the ocaliva impacts your numbers it seems to me that it would be better to have just the ocaliva to judge.

there is a thread of conversation about milk thistle which can be found at the following link but personally I do not believe there are any research studies which prove the efficacy of silymarin in PBC.

healthunlocked.com/pbc-foun...

[Gilz1702 in reply to butterflyEi]

I’ve only been taking milk thistle for a couple of months and now AST ALT and GGT were all lower than previously and my bloods have been stagnant for years. Was just a thought it must be doing some good.

Thanks though.

[butterflyEi in reply to Gilz1702]

HI again @Gilz1702

Are you blood results better because of the milk thistle or because of the ocaliva?

Can you telephone the specialist's secretary and leave a message for the specialist. This may be a quicker way of getting a definitive answer.

best wishes

[Gilz1702 in reply to butterflyEi]

I have just started the ocaliva yesterday.

[donna01]

Hi Gilz1702,

How long were you taking Milk thistle and were you taking it with Urso? Maybe it didn't mix well with the Urso? Just curious...

[Gilz1702 in reply to donna01]

Just been the last 2 months I’ve taken milk thistle. Been on URSO for 11 years.

[donna01 in reply to Gilz1702]

Oh, okay... thought you said you were getting poor response for Urso. Was that why you tried milk thistle? I do know people swear by it. Are you in the states?

[Gilz1702 in reply to donna01]

Yes they have classed me a poor responder now for URSO as my bloods have never made any dramatic improvement on it after all these years. Milk thistle was just something I thought I would try.

I live in Scotland.

[donna01 in reply to Gilz1702]

Glad the milk thistle is working for you. It is more of a holistic approach, that is for sure. Have you had a fibroscan or biopsy since you are a poor responder to urso?

[Gilz1702 in reply to donna01]

Yes biopsy last year. Stage 2-3 pbc. I believe I’ve had pbc for 17 years at least but missed during my 1st pregnancy and deranged LFTs thought to be pregnancy related at that time.

Just like to try do the right thing now.

[Hidden in reply to Gilz1702]

Gilz1702: It would be interesting to know if your enzymes are improved, after a period of time, with taking the Milk thistle supplement. How many mg. do you take a day?

[Gilz1702 in reply to Hidden]

It’s only the Solgar milk thistle from Holland and Barrett. Just keen to keep going with it and looking to see if anyone had been advised against its use.

[Hidden]

If you start Milk Thistle now, you won't know if it was the Ocaliva or Milk Thistle (Silymarin) that lowered your liver enzymes. Milk thistle seed extract is of most benefit early on the disease as it detoxes and rejuvenates the liver. Some physicians still don't believe in it, even with new conclusive research. Last year I started back on my milk thistle around the time I started juicing, so I don't know for sure what gave me my great lab results. Although milk thistle is 'natural', some people may have diarrhea or digestive problems, simply because what works for one person does not necessarily work for another. Shortly after diagnosis in 1991, I began taking a (doctor prescribed) cocktail of various vitamins and milk thistle. The incessant itching actually stopped about three years later and I quit taking anything. Other than some occasional itching, I had no symptoms and normal labs for years. Lately my brain fog and fatigue have vanished and the insane itching has returned. It's probably my fault as I've become lazy and not sticking to my juicing, supplements and diet, like I was. Everyday is a new day with a misguided autoimmune system and it's a never-ending battle.

[gwillistexas]

Be careful of what you take. I know it’s not advised to even take multivitamins because some of the vitamins can be harmful to our liver. I take individual vitamin supplements.

[Hidden in reply to gwillistexas]

I take a multi vitamin with my hepatologist’s approval.

I think it is good practice to have my hepatologist approve of any meds or supplements that I take. I run everything by him before I take it. I even asked him if I can drink Kombucha, given the way it is brewed...there is slight alcohol in it.

[Hidden in reply to gwillistexas]

My physician prescribes and monitors my vitamins and supplements. I believe the problem with multivitamins is they are somewhat like generic drugs, "no one knows exactly what's in them". That's what a doctor at the FDA told me when I asked him what's in generic drugs that I'm allergic to. Many vitamins and supplements have magnesium stearate in them which is really bad for our liver.

[Hidden]

I take 350 mg Milk Thistle made with Organic Milk Thistle Seed (Silybum marianum) by Genceutic Naturals. I try to take two a day, but sometimes forget. They have no Magnesium Stearates which is important to me. They are also a smaller capsule, which I like because some days I have a problem swallowing due to the dryness from Sjogrens.

[Dodo8]

I took Milk thistle for three months and my blood test became worse. I stopped takng it and my last test was better. I think it shows that each case is different. I have been taking Urso forint 22 years and Imuran for 10 years.

I was diagnosed at an early stage of pbc and autoimmun hepatitis overlap syndrom . Since that I've tried several alternative method, but nothing had helped. Inspite of this I am still open to any new idea!