Liver Problems

Liver Problems

Liver problems can appear in many different ways. A sign of liver disease that is of particular importance is jaundice which refers to the changes that cause the skin and whites of the eyes to yellow and the urine to become dark. It is not unusual for people to go years without any symptoms and without knowledge of the disease. It is believed that because of a lack of symptoms as many as 50 percent of people do not know of their diseased liver condition until a blood test reveals it. Other symptoms besides jaundice are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and fever. However, these symptoms could be from many other conditions and liver disease can be confirmed best from a blood test.

Some of the most common liver problems are Hepatitis - either A, B or C, fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease. When a person has fatty liver disease symptoms are rare but the diagnosis can be confirmed with a liver biopsy. If the person does not drink alcohol but is obese the disease will disappear with a healthy lifestyle of exercise, nutrition and weight control.

In many cases all that is needed to clear it up is a 10 percent loss in body weight. Alcoholic liver disease requires the person to quit alcohol, and, if done before the progression of the disease has caused cirrhosis, the liver can heal well. But if the person continues to drink it can be fatal.

Hepatitis A is transferred from one person to another usually because of poor hygiene. Most infections of Hepatitis A do not show any symptoms so the infected people do not know they are infected. The people who have symptoms can recover promptly with rest and a healthy lifestyle of nutrition and hygiene. Although many people may not know they have Hepatitis A, there is no cure and they can be carriers of the virus which may infect many people. Hepatitis B is not transmitted as freely as Hepatitis A, but can be transmitted by contaminated blood, by drug addicts using the same needles and by sexual partners. Most cases will clear up without any treatment but a few people will get a chronic infection which lasts for several months, and a few may die from the disease during the early stages of infection.

Hepatitis C is a disease of the liver that results from a virus that is transferred mainly from blood transfusions. Cases for Hepatitis C are primarily chronic or acute. Evidence suggests that more than 4 million people are infected with Hepatitis C. Many of the cases will develop into chronic hepatitis that may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. People with acute hepatitis may not require any treatment because after the first few days their appetite returns, bed rest is no longer necessary, and the patient may resume work after the jaundice disappears. People with severe acute hepatitis may have to be hospitalized, but most will recover without any treatment. The best prevention for Hepatitis C is strict hygiene.

Conservative treatments may be far more effective than the expensive and uncomfortable high-tech treatments with interferon and liver transplants.

Med Klin 1999 Oct 15;94 Suppl 3:84-9: A conservative triple antioxidant approach to the treatment of hepatitis C. Combination of alpha lipoic acid (thioctic acid), silymarin, and selenium: three case histories.

Berkson BM. Integrative Medical Center of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, USA.

"Background: There has been an increase in the number of adults seeking liver transplantation for hepatitis C in the last few years and the count is going up rapidly. There is no reliable and effective therapy for chronic hepatitis C since interferon and antivirals work no more than 30% of the time, and liver transplant surgery is uncertain and tentative over the long run. This is because, ultimately, residual hepatitis C viremia infects the new liver. Furthermore, liver transplantation can be painful, disabling and extremely costly.

Treatment program: The author describes a low cost and efficacious treatment program in 3 patients with cirrhosis, portal hypertension and esophageal varices secondary to chronic hepatitis C infection. This effective and conservative regimen combines 3 potent antioxidants (alpha-lipoic acid [thioctic acid], silymarin, and selenium) that possess antiviral, free radical quenching and immune boosting qualities.

Conclusion: There are no remarkably effective treatments for chronic hepatitis C in general use. Interferon and antivirals have less than a 30% response rate and because of the residual viremia, a newly transplanted liver usually becomes infected again. The triple antioxidant combination of alpha-lipoic acid, silymarin and selenium was chosen for a conservative treatment of hepatitis C because these substances protect the liver from free radical damage, increase the levels of other fundamental antioxidants, and interfere with viral proliferation. The 3 patients presented in this paper followed the triple antioxidant program and recovered quickly and their laboratory values remarkably improved. Furthermore, liver transplantation was avoided and the patients are back at work, carrying out their normal activities, and feeling healthy.

The author offers a more conservative approach to the treatment of hepatitis C that is exceedingly less expensive. One year of the triple antioxidant therapy described in this paper costs less than $2,000, as compared to more than $300,000 a year for liver transplant surgery. It appears reasonable, that prior to liver transplant surgery evaluation, or during the transplant evaluation process, the conservative triple antioxidant treatment approach should be considered. If there is a significant betterment in the patient's condition, liver transplant surgery may be avoided."

Dr. Berkson uses the following protocol in two or three divided doses, daily:
Lipoic acid - 600 mg
Silymarin - 900 mg (milk thistle extract)
Selenium - 400 mcg

Other nutrients that may be helpful include the following, daily:
Vitamin C - 2,500 mg
Vitamin E - 800 IU
Coenzyme Q10 - 300 mg

To contact Dr. Berkson's Las Cruces, NM clinic, call 505/524-3720. Protect your liver by avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and acetaminophen (Tylenol™). Eat organic fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of pure filtered water to help flush out liver toxins.

Protection from liver problems as well as help for prevention and cure for any condition or disease is a lifestyle of healthy nutrition and exercise. For more information click on the link below for my articles on “Keys to reaching the century mark” and “Alzheimer’s”.