Sho Saiko To

[wl71]

Has anyone here ever tried sho-saiko-to or know someone who has? I've been reading some research indicating it can be really helpful and a worthwhile alternative treatment option but I can't seem to find anyone talking about their experiences with it. Is it worth trying over milk thistle?

thanks for your help

[bigbkrill]

Hey wl71,

Like everyone says, make sure you research and consult before you try anything. I am gen1a and i started taking sst a few years back. Took it for while really helped me out, really lowered my vl and made me feel better and more energetic without any side effects. However i was s1 g2 at the time and had an opportunity to look into alternative options. I have been taking it ever since, and with a healthy lifestyle, havent seen my health deterioate yet from hep c.

[wl71]

thank you all for responding so fast

While i realize interferon/ribavirin is the conventional option, i feel that with the debilitating side effects and low response rate in genotype1, id rather find something that will at least help retain quality of life as long as possible. I realize that herbal supplements are no cure for hep c, but while they cannot directly battle the virus, ive read that the indirect effects of such supplements can delay viral progression indefinitely. i feel its best to keep options open and if it comes to that interferon is never needed, then so much the better. If there isn't any progress with sho saiko to, then like tonydnj indicated, as results can vary greatly from person to person, interferon is always there as a backup. But like you all indicated, im just trying to find out as much as i can before i begin any treatment option

By the way, TonydNJ, for how long were you using SST and were there any other effects from it?

And Viaduk, thanks so much for your link, it is definitely a thread i am going to pursue

[viaduk]

try the link below for some discussion regarding this...


http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/353479

[nygirl7]

Well said by the above two comments.

Unfortunately it really is the old adage - if something seems to good to be true.....

If there was possibly anything that worked as a viable alternative to this treatment........we all would have done it way before doing combo treatment (which does work and does kill the virus, unlike the very very many other claims that have been made by people trying to make a buck off sick and desperate people).

[TonydNJ]

I was seeing a naturopath before starting my treatment and i was taking it but with no help among other natural things. the only thing that seems to be helping me is my past 8 weeks of treatment on the interferon/ribavarin, just got my recent lab work last week and my VL is undetactable and my ast/alt are still slight out of range.

[Marcia2202]

It depends what you would like to achieve with any alternative treatment. Just to make it clear, I would like to state that there is no cure for hep c other than the conventional treatment of Interferon and Ribavirin.

Alternative treatment might be good for conditioning your liver and halting the progress of the disease, while waiting to treat.

Also most herbs should not be used while ON treatment, as most of them interfere with the drugs.

Unfortunately I cannot answer your question about Sho Saiko To...

All the best, Marcia