Milk Thistle ... your thoughts and experiences are requested (update)

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jasminsaba
jasminsaba Member Posts: 157 Member
edited February 2012 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hello everyone - I am considering adding milk thistle to the list of mom's daily supplements ... she is currently taking:

- Curcumin
- Vitamin D3
- MultiVitamin
- Biotin (for hair and nails as chemo damaged both)
- Magnesium & Calcium to deal with the neuropathy

I've heard good thinks about the protective benefits of milk thistle for liver. Mom's latest scan indicated fatty liver which we were told was due to chemotherapy.

Mom's starting maintenance regimen (low dose Xeloda + Avastin) next week.

I'm writing to request your thoughts/experiences with this supplement and also see if there are any potential contraindications between milk thistle and Xeloda/Avastin.

Your feedback is always appreciated.
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Comments

  • Lovekitties
    Lovekitties Member Posts: 3,364 Member
    #2
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    Hi
    I have no experience with it, but it is always best to inform her onc of her supplements prior to getting treatments in case there is any contraindication.

    Marie who loves kitties
  • Carl_Renee
    Carl_Renee Member Posts: 84
    #3
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    Definitely check with someone
    Carl was prescribed it for after his liver surgery this next week by his naturopath. I would check around locally to be sure there isn't an interference with other things she is already doing just to be safe. From what his dr.told us it is to help with healthy cell formation. Also been studied for anti-cancer properties. She wants him to start this 2 days after surgery. Since he will still be in hospital not sure that will be an option but will be looking into it.

    FYI however please be sure that should surgery ever be a necessity that curcumin is mentioned. Carls dr. put him on it when she thought he was suppose to do chemo only the plans were changed by denver surgeons..curcumin can cause excessive bleeding during surgery.

    Renee
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #4
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    jasminsaba -
    jasminsaba

    Milk thistle is part of the prescription for our African Grey parrot.
    She's had some sort of an ailment that 's been knocking the hell
    out of her. The Vet prescribed a few things, and one was a
    combination of multi-vitamins with Milk Thistle.

    If it's good enough for a bird, with it's very delicate system,
    it certainly should be safe enough for a human.

    (Our baby of twenty-plus years is doing better, by the way)

    Cheep enough.

    Best of health to you,

    John
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #5
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    John23 said:

    jasminsaba -
    jasminsaba

    Milk thistle is part of the prescription for our African Grey parrot.
    She's had some sort of an ailment that 's been knocking the hell
    out of her. The Vet prescribed a few things, and one was a
    combination of multi-vitamins with Milk Thistle.

    If it's good enough for a bird, with it's very delicate system,
    it certainly should be safe enough for a human.

    (Our baby of twenty-plus years is doing better, by the way)

    Cheep enough.

    Best of health to you,

    John

    I did take it for two years
    I did take it for two years along with other supplements. Stopped for a few months, now the beast is back. Dummy me!
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #6
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    Milk Thistle
    My husband has taken Milk Thistle daily for the past couple of years or so, while he has pretty much damaged his liver from his own fault, I can't tell you if the milk thistle has helped in any way, shape or form but; I like to think that it's made his liver "less" damaged, but who knows.
    I'd ask her onc before taking it to be sure, as you know we're kind of in a "special" group, and you don't want to do anything that might hurt, so always best to make sure.
    Winter Marie
  • Kathleen808
    Kathleen808 Member Posts: 2,342 Member
    #7
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    Hi
    Hi **** has been on Milk thistle and a number of other supplements for at least two years now. Dr. Lenz at USC put him on the milk thistle. He has had over 80 rounds of chemo and just this past week his blood work is all normal and has been most of the time. However, he does still have cancer in his lungs.

    Best to your mom.

    Aloha,
    Kathleen
  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    #8
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    you have a good selection to start with
    er um, my list of supplements is a little bit longer.
    you got to start somewhere.

    just search our board for neuropathy discussions, been heaps.

    milk thistle is great, all i have read confirms its actions in many ways.

    now that said, if your focused on the liver i would research what your personalised liver detox pathways are doing using a genetic profile. i am doing a fitgenes genetic test.

    this month i am doing 4 weeks of glutathione and iv vit C therapy to boost glutathionation as i am an undermethylator. i suspect when my genetic tests come back this will be an indication of why i got cancer, as i also have chronic mercury and lead poisoning which is starting to be addressed.

    so start basic and just keep on improving , as much as you want.

    hugs,
    Pete
  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    #9
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    you have a good selection to start with
    er um, my list of supplements is a little bit longer.
    you got to start somewhere.

    just search our board for neuropathy discussions, been heaps.

    milk thistle is great, all i have read confirms its actions in many ways.

    now that said, if your focused on the liver i would research what your personalised liver detox pathways are doing using a genetic profile. i am doing a fitgenes genetic test.

    this month i am doing 4 weeks of glutathione and iv vit C therapy to boost glutathionation as i am an undermethylator. i suspect when my genetic tests come back this will be an indication of why i got cancer, as i also have chronic mercury and lead poisoning which is starting to be addressed.

    so start basic and just keep on improving , as much as you want.

    hugs,
    Pete
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #10
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    My Integrative MD at MSK put me on Milk Thistle
    for liver issues. She advised me to start at 150 - 200 mg twice/day and increase that to 300-400 twice a day after a week; not to start the full dose all at once. It has helped - my liver enzymes were very high, and now are slightly high. Next blood work in 2 weeks...

    That being said, as others have said, please check with the onc. prior to taking ANY supplements during chemo or radiation.
  • janderson1964
    janderson1964 Member Posts: 2,215 Member
    #11
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    John23 said:

    jasminsaba -
    jasminsaba

    Milk thistle is part of the prescription for our African Grey parrot.
    She's had some sort of an ailment that 's been knocking the hell
    out of her. The Vet prescribed a few things, and one was a
    combination of multi-vitamins with Milk Thistle.

    If it's good enough for a bird, with it's very delicate system,
    it certainly should be safe enough for a human.

    (Our baby of twenty-plus years is doing better, by the way)

    Cheep enough.

    Best of health to you,

    John

    What an odd conincidence
    What an odd conincidence that you mentioned your parrot. My wife and I just went to look at an African Gray but decided to start out slow and got a green cheek conure and eventually an african gray. BTW I have been taking milk thistle for about 3 months now. Before and after my most recent liver resection.

    Glad to hear your baby is doing better. We have only had our conure for a week and he is already a huge part of our lives.
  • westie66
    westie66 Member Posts: 642
    #12
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    abrub said:

    My Integrative MD at MSK put me on Milk Thistle
    for liver issues. She advised me to start at 150 - 200 mg twice/day and increase that to 300-400 twice a day after a week; not to start the full dose all at once. It has helped - my liver enzymes were very high, and now are slightly high. Next blood work in 2 weeks...

    That being said, as others have said, please check with the onc. prior to taking ANY supplements during chemo or radiation.

    Milk Thistle
    HI all: Yes, I would certainly check with your oncologist. I was taking milk thistle after my liver resection April 2010 and told the oncologist that before we started chemo. He took me right off it. He said he has had patients who took milk thistle and their liver enzymes went through the roof. So, I stopped taking it. I don't know one way or the other but you need to tell her oncologist.
    Cheryl
  • toddi1973
    toddi1973 Member Posts: 41 Member
    #13
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    westie66 said:

    Milk Thistle
    HI all: Yes, I would certainly check with your oncologist. I was taking milk thistle after my liver resection April 2010 and told the oncologist that before we started chemo. He took me right off it. He said he has had patients who took milk thistle and their liver enzymes went through the roof. So, I stopped taking it. I don't know one way or the other but you need to tell her oncologist.
    Cheryl

    Liver Enzymes
    It's funny you mention that your values went through the roof while on Milkthistle. It just proves again how different we all react to the same treatments and how important it is to let your Onc know. I am on 1g Milkthistle every day and it actually helped my lived values to get back into shape after the first rounds of Folfox blew them out of the ranges.
    So with Milkthistle my liver seems happier then before considering what our poor organs have to deal with from the chemo.

    Toddi
  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    #14
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    toddi1973 said:

    Liver Enzymes
    It's funny you mention that your values went through the roof while on Milkthistle. It just proves again how different we all react to the same treatments and how important it is to let your Onc know. I am on 1g Milkthistle every day and it actually helped my lived values to get back into shape after the first rounds of Folfox blew them out of the ranges.
    So with Milkthistle my liver seems happier then before considering what our poor organs have to deal with from the chemo.

    Toddi

    are you still diving ?
    i love the picture!
    only a few divers on this board.
    i am doing 1 gram breakfast, lunch, dinner. but alternate this with some other liver goodies.
    glad your enzymes behaved themselves.
    hugs,
    Pete
  • tanstaafl
    tanstaafl Member Posts: 1,313 Member
    #15
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    silymarin, milk thistle 80% extract
    We've been using 500-900 mg per day, planning to go higher. Partly as a COX2 inhibitor, too.
  • peterz54
    peterz54 Member Posts: 341
    #16
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    milk thistle
    my wife's oncologist recommended MT.
  • peterz54
    peterz54 Member Posts: 341
    #17
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    Milk Thistle
    you can also do research using Google Scholar on milk thistle and other angiogenesis inhibitors (e.g. green tea, resveratrol, grape seed)
  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    #18
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    peterz54 said:

    Milk Thistle
    you can also do research using Google Scholar on milk thistle and other angiogenesis inhibitors (e.g. green tea, resveratrol, grape seed)

    doctor google is free and is on call 24 hours 365 days a year
    hi peter,
    first welcome to the board,
    he has not let me down yet.
    hugs,
    pete
  • SisterSledge
    SisterSledge Member Posts: 332 Member
    #19
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    metastatic to liver
    My liver had lotsa tumors, chemo shrunk and killed them, resection removed them...through it all I took milk thistle and did very well...good blood test results every time and my liver did well with surgery and recovery. I haven't taken any vitamins since the resection in August, letting my liver rest and recuperate. Having a cancer recurrence now in other places...planning to start all vitamins up again to help keep me going during chemo.
  • smokeyjoe
    smokeyjoe Member Posts: 1,425 Member
    #20
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    SisterSledge said:

    metastatic to liver
    My liver had lotsa tumors, chemo shrunk and killed them, resection removed them...through it all I took milk thistle and did very well...good blood test results every time and my liver did well with surgery and recovery. I haven't taken any vitamins since the resection in August, letting my liver rest and recuperate. Having a cancer recurrence now in other places...planning to start all vitamins up again to help keep me going during chemo.

    Sistersledge, so sorry to
    Sistersledge, so sorry to hear you've had reoccurrences in other places?? where has it reared it's ugly head again?? What's the plan on dealing with them?
  • lesvanb
    lesvanb Member Posts: 905
    #21
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    I've taken milk thistle for 3 years
    Liver enzymes always within normal ranges with a few spikes here and there that would go back to normal with next blood test. Our vet recommends to keep some on hand for our horses in case of a random weed poisoning.

    All the best, Leslie

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