Hepatitis C help with vitamins, herbs, and supplements
natural therapy
Chronic hepatitis B and C are similar kinds of liver infection that are caused by
viruses. These infections are named after the viruses that cause them. A virus called
hepatitis B causes chronic hepatitis B infection. A virus called hepatitis C causes
chronic hepatitis C infection. Chronic
hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C are long-term
infections of the liver that develop after a bout of acute hepatitis.
Alternative treatment for hepatitis
There's very little research available on the
natural or herbal therapy of viral hepatitis.
We list a few possibilities but much more research needs to be done
before making any firm recommendations.
Carnitine decreases the severity and type of fatigue induced by interferon-alpha in the
treatment of patients with hepatitis C.
Silymarin is a derivative from the
Milk-Thistle plant with few side
effects that has been used for centuries to treat liver ailments. Research results of some
small studies suggest silymarin has hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative
properties producing a beneficial effect for some types of hepatitis. It is unclear,
however, whether
silymarin might interfere with the effect of interferon, and there is
little research regarding the role of silymarin in the therapy of chronic viral hepatitis.
Treatment of chronic
hepatitis C virus infection via antioxidants
In viral
hepatitis C, damage to liver tissue from
oxidative stress leads to inflammation and death of hepatic cells. Fifty
patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) were treated orally for 20 weeks
with a combination of seven antioxidants given orally (glycyrrhizin (found
in licorice), schisandra (a Chinese herb), silymarin (from milk thistle),
ascorbic acid (vitamin C), lipoic acid, L-glutathione, and vitamin E),
along with four different intravenous preparations (glycyrrhizin, ascorbic
acid, L-glutathione, B-complex) twice weekly. Almost half of the patients
who received the antioxidants improved. Treatment was well tolerated by all
patients. No major bad reactions were noted. The researchers conclude:
"These data suggest that multi antioxidative treatment in chronic HCV
patients is well tolerated and may have a beneficial effect on necro-inflammatory
variables. A combination of antiviral and antioxidative therapies may
enhance the overall response rate of these patients."
Since there are countless herbs and
nutrients that have antioxidant properties, it is possible that many other
supplements with antioxidant potential - for instance curcumin,
acetylcysteine, grape seed extract, etc - could benefit those with
hepatitis C. The ideal dosage, combination, and frequency of use is
difficult to know, but starting with small amounts and monitoring liver
enzymes every couple of months is a good option. I found this study quite
exciting, and I hope future articles written in traditional medical
journals mention - even if briefly - that antioxidants should be
considered for this condition. Perhaps these supplements can be taken
together with standard medical regimens used for HCV, such as interferon.
Hepatitis C virus infection
The hepatitis C virus was first identified in 1989. It causes chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis
and liver cancer.
Contaminated blood products or body fluids, dirty needles and instruments, and injection
drug use are the main routes of transmission. Cultural practices, such as acupuncture,
tattoo, body piercing and scarring, also play a role. A person can get hepatitis B
and hepatitis C by having sex with an infected person. Recent research indicates that
hepatitis C may be transmitted by common household items such as
toothbrushes.
After a person has recovered from acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis can set in.
Chronic hepatitis occurs when the liver has been damaged from the acute illness and
doesn't recover from the damage. Chronic hepatitis develops in 10 to 20 percent of people
who have hepatitis B and in 30 to 50 percent of people who have hepatitis C. People with
chronic hepatitis B or chronic hepatitis C may not have any symptoms at all. But in some
people, chronic hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis occurs when the
liver cells die and are replaced by scar tissue and fat. The liver stops working and can't
cleanse the body of wastes. People in the early stages of cirrhosis may not have symptoms.
When cirrhosis gets worse, symptoms begin. They may include weight loss, fatigue,
jaundice, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite . Cirrhosis can lead to liver failure (the
liver stops working) and liver cancer.
Hepatitis C and
lymphoma
hepatitis C virus HCV infection leads to an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma.
Infection with hepatitis C virus nearly
doubles the risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer involving the
lymph nodes.
Hepatitis C and
thyroid gland
People chronically infected with hepatitis
C virus have a significantly increased rate of thyroid abnormalities.
Drug therapy for hepatitis C
In patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C infection who have not responded
to prior therapy with the standard combination drug treatment -- peginterferon
and ribavirin -- prolonged low-dose, or "maintenance" therapy does not reduce
the rate of disease progression. The New England Journal of Medicine,
December 4, 2008.
Hepatitis C Virus
remains after treatment
Hepatitis C virus can persist and replicate in the livers of patients who have
apparently cleared the virus from their blood after antiviral therapy.
Previous studies have identified hepatitis C virus in liver tissue of patients
with a sustained response to anti- hepatitis C virus treatment. However, it was
unclear if viable hepatitis C virus, capable of replication, was actually
present. In the present study, Dr. Vicente Carreno and colleagues, from the
Foundation for the Study of Viral Hepatitis in Madrid, Spain, tested hepatitis C
virus in hepatic tissue taken from 20 patients who had shown no evidence of the
virus in blood for 35.4 months on average. Nineteen of the 20 samples contained
"positive-strand" hepatitis C virus RNA, the report indicates. Moreover, of
these 19 samples, 15 also had "negative-strand" HCV RNA, which is capable of
replicating. Testing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells revealed
positive-strand hepatitis C virus RNA in 13 of 20 samples. Twelve of the 13
samples also contained the all-important negative-strand hepatitis C virus RNA.
The post-treatment liver biopsy specimens of 15 patients still displayed signs
of liver damage. However, hepatic damage improved in all but two of the
patients. The findings indicate that "these patients did not experience
hepatitis C virus infection clearance, despite apparent clinical disease
resolution," the researchers conclude. They say the possibility of hepatitis C
virus reactivation should be borne in mind if patients undergo chemotherapy of
become immunosuppressed, for example. The team cites a case in which hepatitis C
virus reemerged following prednisone therapy, after 8.5 years of negative test
results. Clinical Infectious Diseases, November 15, 2006.
Hepatitis C and ribavirin
treatment - help with vitamin C and Vitamin E
High-dose vitamins E and C supplementation prevents ribavirin-induced hemolytic
anemia in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Hepatol Res. 2007
May;37(5):317-24. Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Saga,
Japan.
In combination therapy using interferon (IFN) and ribavirin for chronic
hepatitis C, reduced doses should be used due to ribavirin -induced hemolytic
anemia. The present study aimed to elucidate whether high-dose vitamins E and C
supplementation attenuated ribavirin -induced hemolytic anemia. Methods:
Twenty-one consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C were enrolled in this
study between July 2003 and December 2004, and received high-dose
Vitamin-E (2000 mg) and C (2000 mg)
supplementation, daily, in addition to IFN alfa-2b and ribavirin combination
therapy (vitamins E/C group). Twenty-one sex- and age-matched patients who
received a standard regimen of IFN alfa-2b and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C
between January 2001 and June 2003 were evaluated as the control group. Results:
Decrease in hemoglobin level was significantly prevented in the vitamins E and C
group compared to that in the control group. Three (14.3%) patients in the
control group discontinued treatment because of anemia, while no treated patient
dropped out of the study due to anemia. Sustained virological response was not
significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: High-dose vitamins E
and C supplementation prevented ribavirin-induced hemolytic anemia during
combination therapy with ribavirin and IFN alfa-2b in patients with chronic
hepatitis C.
Antioxidants for hepatitis c
virus infection
Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection via antioxidants: results of a
phase I clinical trial.
J Clin Gastroenterol. 2005 Sep;39(8):737-42. Liver Unit, Department of
Medicine, Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
The pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C virus infection is associated with a
defective host antiviral immune response and intrahepatic oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation play major roles in the fatty liver
accumulation (steatosis) that leads to necro-inflammation and necrosis of
hepatic cells. Previous trials suggested that antioxidative therapy may have a
beneficial effect on patients with chronic HCV infection. Fifty chronic
hepatitis c virus infected patients were treated orally on a daily basis for 20
weeks with seven antioxidative oral preparations (glycyrrhizin, schisandra,
silymarin, ascorbic acid, lipoic acid, L-glutathione, and alpha-tocopherol),
along with four different intravenous preparations (glycyrrhizin, ascorbic acid,
L-glutathione, B-complex) twice weekly for the first 10 weeks, and followed up
for an additional 20 weeks. Patients were monitored for HCV-RNA levels, liver
enzymes, and liver histology. In one of the tested parameters (eg, liver
enzymes, HCV RNA levels, or liver biopsy score), a combination of antioxidants
induced a favorable response in 48% of the patients (24). Normalization of liver
enzymes occurred in 44% of patients who had elevated pretreatment ALT levels (15
of 34). ALT levels remained normal throughout follow-up period in 72% (8 of 11).
A decrease in viral load (one log or more) was observed in 25% of the patients
(12). Treatment was well tolerated by all patients. No major adverse reactions
were noted. These data suggest that multi antioxidative treatment in chronic
hepatitis c virus infected patients is well tolerated and may have a beneficial
effect on necro-inflammatory variables.
Hepatitis Research Update
People chronically infected with hepatitis
C virus have a significantly increased rate of thyroid abnormalities.
Hepatitis C natural
treatment questions
Q. I am on interferon and ribaviran (1200 daily) for chronic hepatitis C. My Dr.
says it is not allowable to take any herbal supplements while taking ribaviran.
After 12 weeks he also says that my body is breaking down the ribavirin too
quickly and is increasing the dose to 1400 daily with a possibility of
increasing the dose to 1600. He says that he believes this because i am not
becoming anemic. When we started this, he wanted me to take 53X the recommended
dose of iron to keep from becoming anemic. I refused and took Reliv to support
iron nutrition. I thought that was working but he says that a lack of anemia
means the medicine is not working well. It is type 2 hepatitis C, viral load 30
million at the beginning and 77 thousand after four weeks. Am now at week 12 and
he wants to extend treatment to a
year. I am uneasy about his opinion. How can I find out which helpful herbal
supplements will not interact unfavorably
with the treatment?
A. Unfortunately, research in the area of hepatitis C treatment and
natural herbs is very scarce and we don't have easy or simple answers. Even less
is known regarding the combination of herbs and anti viral medicines for
hepatitis C treatment. Your doctor may wish to review this page on hepatitis C.
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