DON'Ts on tx, what to avoid

[Marcia2202]

First my utter respect to every one on tx! I can't even imagine what you guys are going through!
I'm still into my pre tx organizing. I was thinking of comprising a list of DON'Ts during tx and stating the reasons why. I would so much appreciate any input from what has been read or experienced. Once I have all the info, I'll make a list and post it back onto the forum, so everyone can profit from it. (I will do another post with DO's.)
I'll start with what I have read or 'heard'. Please correct, if wrong. Marcia

Milk Thistle - interfere with drugs, will 'flush out' the tx drugs from the liver

Tanning Beds - due to photosensitivity caused by tx drugs, serious blistering has been experienced

Sun exposure - (in moderation???) due to photosensitivity caused by tx drugs

Licorice root -

Grapefruit -

Iron supplements -

[calmblueocean]

Hi,
I heard grapefruit was good for you when you're on treatment.
Re sun exposure - I am not sure, I'm on interferon/ribavirin and I sat in the sun today and got mildy sunburnt. I have heard from one person that sun is bad (if you have had a liver transplant); haven't heard this anywhere else, howerver.
Cheers
CBO

[Bobby1952]

   I think you have it backwards. Grapefruit is good for you when NOT on tx. Do not take it while on tx. It interferes with it. Someone may have the link to back it up I have seen it here before.  

Bobby

[Marcia2202]

Thanks. That's exactly what I remembered having read. Grapefruit is great for the liver, but not to be consumed while on tx, as it interferes with the drugs. Just spent the last hour trying to find something on it, but cannot find it, and it's irritating me, as I want to know why.

The same with licorice root - Glycyrrhizin, am also looking for some literature on that..



Marcia

[Trinity4]

I'm Italian and my skin tans very easily but yesterday I was doing yard work and didn't put any sunscreen on.  When I came in I noticed my skin was pink but by last night it was pretty red.  I never burn but now I know I have to wear at least 45-50 UV sunscreen if I want to be in the sun.  
Trinity

[Marcia2202]

Thanks, that confirms the photosensitivity bit. It will stay on my list. Beware of the sun. I usually can stay for hours in it, but I will not do it when tx'ing.

Marcia

[mike716]

Here's the URL to a New York Times article from 2006 bad-mouthing grapefruit juice:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/health/21grap.html

However, the title of the article - "Experts Reveal the Secret Powers of Grapefruit Juice" - is suspect. I never believe anything from experts.

M.

[overcom31]

Is Milk Thistle really bad while on tx?..my doc. did research of it(after I asked her to) and she said it was good to take while on tx, that many docs. in Europe highly recomend it to their paitents while on tx...I have been taking a 2000mg a day, and my doc. seems to think it is a really good supplement while on tx?? ANy response would be greatly appreciated...

[albany]

hi marcia
both my Tx doc, family doc AND dermatologist say to STAY away from sun while on TX, and before i talked to them, i went to go for an electric beach tan, and then seen Tx meds on list, so that prompted me to NOT go and promted the talks with various docs.  for what i have experienced thus far, one while in april while NOT wearing sunscreen, i was only outside long enugh to have a smoke, like 3 times throughout the day, and i def got brnt, n it was rough / blothcy and uNLIKE any ohter sun exposure i have previously had.  great idea to do a list of DO and DONT\s, then share, cuz we all need a plce to reference back too, or at least i shuld say it is VEY helpful for ne at least.
Albany
Clarington, ON

[Marcia2202]

Thanks for sharing and for the encouragement. Definitely no prolonged sun exposure, unless wearing a super duper sunscreen. And tanning beds are a total NO NO.
Marcia

[Marcia2202]

I have googled 'grapefruit drug interaction'. There is a lot of literature on the net explaining various interactions of Grapefruit (naringin) with different drugs. Other citrus fruits like bitter orange have the same effect. Just a small example, truck drivers drink 1 cup of coffee and then drink a lot of grapefruit juice on the road, as it prolongs the effect of the caffeine. The problem is that it might interfere with the tx drugs and with all kinds of rescue drugs we might be taking while on tx. It might not interact with some of the drugs, but then again interact differently with the other drugs. It might enhance some and suppress others. How is one supposed to dose the medications then? So it could end up making a whole mess out of tx. And the naringin doesn't leave your body just like that, it stays in your body for hours, thus you could not have your grapefruit in the morning and take your meds much later, to avoid it from interacting. I guess it is much more complicated than we might want to make it. So I personally will STOP having grapefruit 2 WEEKS before starting treatment, to be sure that it has been eliminated from my system. At the moment I am having my fresh organic grapefruit every single morning. Loving it. Marcia

[Marcia2202]

From what I have understood, milk thistle is good for the liver, except if you are on certain drugs, which it might interact with or if you are allergic. I would definitely not take it when on tx. Marcia

If you google milk thistle drug interaction, you will get a lot of literature on the subject.

Here is what I found on a UK site.

Milk Thistle is a cheap, easily bought herb that contains a substance called sylimarin that is known to help the liver. It is routinely prescribed in other parts of Europe and is believed to help the liver cells regenerate themselves. Many people in the UK take milk thistle to help the liver; it is not believed to have any toxic effects. However it should never be taken while on treatment as it can speed up the liver metabolism meaning the medication doesn't last as long as it should in the bloodstream. It may also interfere with other medication such as painkillers. Always consult a qualified herbalist before starting to take herbal remedies and discuss your plans with your treatment specialist.

This is from a US site:

Milk thistle can produce allergic reactions, which tend to be more common among people who are allergic to plants in the same family (for example, ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold, and daisy)

[comeagain]

The biggest dont is in my opinion is to say yes, now is the time to learn to say no.
I´m talking about family members and others who has get used to that you do a lot. You got to save your strengt.

I wanna underline this thick.

Very good idea this thread.
ca

[comeagain]

BTW I wonder if their is any contraindications with using lactoferrin during tx

[Andiamo1]

Telaprevir instructions list grapefruit as something that can't be eaten while on treatment.  Grapefruit  changes the way the liver metabolizes Telaprevir resulting in raised blood levels of the drug.

[Marcia2202]

thanks for your input, my Swedish friend. I'm Swedish too, you know, born at Karolinska in Solna  :-)  Mom Swedish, Dad American. Never lived in Sweden nor the US, though.

Been reading up a tiny bit about lactoferrin. It's colostrum, isn't it? I used to take this awesome stuf called transfer factor years ago. Also ordered bovine colostrum from New Zealand. (much cheaper than transfer factor) I'm just wondering, if the lactoferrin could cause problems, if ones iron counts are high. Just read that there is something called apolactoferrin, lactoferrin with depleted iron, maybe better for the liver. Just a thought. You can actually google lactoferrin drug interaction and get a whole lot of info. I didn't get into it in depth. Marcia

[mremeet]

You want to take fat with your riba everytime and also jim stated fairly recently to avoid fiber well before and after taking the riba as well. Apparently the fiber can inhibit optimum absorption of the riba (which the fat facilitates). I don't have the study or source available for the fiber, but I would presume jim (or someone else?) has a reputable source of info for that one.

[Marcia2202]

Another proof that it elevates the levels of the drug. Thanks for the input.

I think that the grapefruit and milk thistle debates will go on into the next century. :-)

I have seen so many 'conversations' about the two.

In simple words .... Milk thistle flushes the drugs out of the liver
                             Grapefruit messes around with the levels of the drugs

Two things one definitely doesn't want to do while on tx....

Marcia

[Rockerforlife]

How bout lemons,they are excellent for the liver too,but while on TX arte they a no no too?

[gauf]

lactoferrin is a good addition at EOT per HR. Taper down the peg while introducing the lactoferrin. This will help your immune system to come back online.
--------------------------------
No anti inflammatories on tox is the safest bet. No MT, green tea, curcumin, or resveratrol.   Grapefruit juice? Well it has been shown to knock down VL, but is also hard on liver so late stagers need to keep that in mind. How does in interact with the tox drugs? Not sure so I lean to the side of caution.

[Marcia2202]

thanks, the fat bit is already on the other thread. The Do's thread.

I will check out the bit about fibers. I had planned taking the riba with ryebread and cheese, so I guess I'll have to leave the bread and take a big chunk of cheese instead :-)

Marcia

[nygirl7]

Believe me Marcia please know how smart you are......do NOT tan while on treatment.  Yowza it's not a pleasant experience whatsoeEVER, even for an Italian girl like me who rarely ever has burned!

Good list and hopefully this will help some of the myths out there.  Smart of you to think it up.

(just on a personal note I found fried foods KILLED my stomach BAD if I even tried to eat them...nothing to do wth meds or anything but I"d be very careful about it!)

[Marcia2202]

Naringin is the bitter taste in citrus fruit, thus present in larger amounts in grapefruit, bitter orange and pummelo.

Check out this link, it is a cross study of different citrus fruit, unfortunately lemon is not mentioned.

powernetdesign.com/grapefruit/general/mechanism.html

Of 15 fruits screened, white grapefruit (control), red pummelo  (pomelo), sweetie (oro blanco), melogold, banpeiyu pummelo, hassaku orange, sour (seville) orange, lime  and natsudaidai  showed significant immunoreactivity, indicating the presence of furanocoumarin derivatives. Navel orange, sweet orange and yuzu  showed slight immunoreactivity, while iyokan orange, satsuma mandarin, ponkan mandarin and dekopon mandarin showed minimal immunoreactivity.

This is another thing I found, mentioning lemons.

yafferuden.com/html/grapefruit_drug_interaction.html

While sweet oranges and their juice do not appear to cause the same reaction, sour orange juice such as that from Seville oranges, may have an effect similar to grapefruit juice. Preliminary research suggests lime juice might also have this effect.45 Tangelos are a hybrid of grapefruit and may also interfere with drugs. Most other citrus fruits, such as lemons, citrons, naturally sweet oranges and tangerines are considered safe.

Lets see if the links stayed

Marcia

[Marcia2202]

Thank you. It was you who got such damage from a tanning bed, isn't it? I remember reading the post a few days ago.

Fried foods??? I totally agree with you. I can't even look at fried food. :-) I think it's the liver refusing it. Heated butter is the worst ever. I only cook with virgin coconut oil. That's the only oil I can take when heated,  can't even take olive oil when heated. I use extra virgin olive oil and a little sesame sometimes in their raw organic cold pressed form.

Marcia

[jjhvc]

Marcia found these books to be quite helpful on all the above
"The First Year Hepatitis C "....By Cara Bruce & Lisa Montanarelli
"The Hepatitis C Help book "....Misha Ruth Cohen OMD ,Robert Gish , MD
"Hepatitis & Liver Disease "  revised Edition ...Melissa Palmer , MD

To Anyone: Why fat w/ Rib ? Had not heard why? I took mine this morn with olive oil anyway . No Queezy stomach this morn  Hummm Thanks for that DO
Jan