Hep C Discussion Forum

There aren't any recommended herbal therapies around for any genotype, and genotype 1 is the most difficult genotype to treat anyway, so I wouldn't expect miracles from anything you get from your local health food store. After I first failed treatment, my hepatologist told me if I wanted to try anything he said Milk Thistle might be helpful, but those results vary widely. There are several products that have Milk Thistle as one of the components or by itself singularly. I took a singular product for years, twice a day. I can say that I probably contracted HCV in 1980, biopsy in 1996, no fibrosis, but failed Tx, so I put off treatment again until now. I did have another biopsy this spring and the disease had progressed A2-3/F1-2, non cirrhotic, but my liver enzymes have always been within normal limits after starting Milk Thistle. I have read that this is a frequent result of taking it but that doesn't mean it's positively helping control anything. It may mean simply that it's masking the true enzyme levels or it may be helpful. Who knows? Whatever your choice it should be done in concert with your physician. I was taking it when I started treatment this time and after a couple of weeks I chose to quit taking it because I didn't want to have anything making any potential changes to my lab results outside of the treatment medications. Good luck with your choices and future!