Re: questions and more questions

[Guest guest]

Yes, being here does help, along with the surfing the net for the info we can

find. The info can be so overwhelming though and that is why like coming in

here to see what everyone else thinks also. My kids all know what is up and

some days they are OK with it and other days they act like there isn't

anything wrong. That is due to the strangeness of this disease too. Because

most days Bill looks OK and acts OK. I am trying to keep up a good front for

Him and the kids but some days it is so hard. I really had hoped Bill could

have gotten the treatments but not an option. With all I read I felt it was a

good chance to have some Hope. I am not saying there isn't any hope just

seems to be less that's all. Take care, Irish

[Guest guest]

thanks for the tip in organizing the paper work. I have some folders

but the accordion one sounds more like the answer. What is the rdc you

mention your sis has in the left arm and shoulder?

[Guest guest]

the14th_moon@... wrote:

>

> Hi everyone,

>

> Why do so many take Milk Thistle?

Milk thistle (silymarin) seems to be taken by a lot of those with HCV.

For an easy to understand article on milk thistle from the American

Liver Foundation:

http://gi.ucsf.edu/ALF/info/thistle.html

" What is NCA? "

From Health World Online:

NAC (N-Acetylcysteine) is a " natural sulfu-containing amino acid

derivative found naturally in foods and is a powerful antioxidant.

These dual properties help repair oxidative damage in the body. "

http://www.healthy.net/library/articles/passwater/noninterview/nac02.htm

" Methyl Donor? "

It is my understanding the Methyl Donor works along with Vitamin B6,

folic acid and Vitamin B12 to augment

the formation of SAMe, an amino acid in the brain. Amino acids are

proteins.

" Methyl Donor effectively lower the levels of HOMOCYSTEINE and increases

the beneficial

S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) levels. There are claims that TMG is the

solution as a preventive for practically all health problems related to

the heart. "

http://www.oralchelation.com/technical/tmg1.htm

> , you said your sis noticed a difference after taking SAMe. What

> kind of difference?

Her energy level kicked in after two days of taking SAMe, NAC and

Methyl Donor. I think it might have been the Methyl Donor that gave her

a screaming headache that lasted for a couple of days, and she

discontinued that for a few weeks, then added it back in. (Due to a

worsening of her liver, the energy level did come down, but it didn't

have anything whatsoever to do with the SAMe. The fact that she became

extremely jaundiced with extreme pain in her side was the tip-off.)

In addition to HCV, the Sis also has RSD (primarily in her left

arm/shoulder area). She thinks the SAMe helped bring the pain level

down in her arm.

A fairly good article on SAMe can be found at:

http://www.lef.org/shop/june-report972.html

Also, here is the website for the Newsweek article on SAMe:

http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/issue/01_99b/printed/us/so/he0101_1.htm

> Is she taking it for depression?

No. My Big Sis takes Zoloft for depression. When she tries to cut the

dosage of Zoloft, she notices a difference right away. (She also takes

the prescribed medications of acupril, lasix and atenolol.)

I spent a lot of time reading messages and searching for information

before we got to a point of adding SAMe, NAC and Methyl Donor (the milk

thistle is so commonly recommended, it was almost a given). Take your

time reading and studying, and come to your own conclusions. What works

for some may not work for others.

I should also mention that my Sis tells all of her doctors about the

vitamins and supplements she is taking. Of course they always say that

cannot recommend that she take any of them . . . or not. Because my

Sister is fairly well educated on HCV, however, the doctors tend to

listen carefully to her.

Also, as a helpful suggestion, I cruised over to Office Depot and

purchased one of those huge A-to-Z accordian files because I had such an

enormous stack of paper from all the stuff I was printing out. I

discovered a long time ago that it is important to organize the paper.

Every month I go through the accordian file and either discard stuff

that is no longer of interest or 3-hole punch it and put it in my

notebooks (which is also organized A-to-Z by subject). Printing stuff

out is not helpful if you can't find it when you need it.

Good luck.

[Guest guest]

My husband decided against it because the statistics just weren't encouraging

enough. He felt sick most of the time, and just couldn't see inviting the

side effects with very little promise of a remission, let alone a cure. He

got very close, but during his research, as he was quizzing his specialist he

asked " how many people have you cured?'' .. " Cured? " .. " Yes, cured. " .. " Two. "

We were at the same time following the progress of the husband of a couple

we know. He was tolerating the treatment with very few side effects, and

then came down with lyme disease that almost wiped him out so they ceased the

treatments. Good luck Let us know what you do.

Tree

[Guest guest]

,

Thanks for all the informative links. I have not read

them all, but I promise I will. I appreciate all of

your research.

Jeanie

--- Swanson <msnblk@...> wrote:

> the14th_moon@... wrote:

> >

> > Hi everyone,

> >

> > Why do so many take Milk Thistle?

>

> Milk thistle (silymarin) seems to be taken by a lot

> of those with HCV.

> For an easy to understand article on milk thistle

> from the American

> Liver Foundation:

>

> http://gi.ucsf.edu/ALF/info/thistle.html

>

> " What is NCA? "

>

> From Health World Online:

>

> NAC (N-Acetylcysteine) is a " natural

> sulfu-containing amino acid

> derivative found naturally in foods and is a

> powerful antioxidant.

> These dual properties help repair oxidative damage

> in the body. "

>

>

http://www.healthy.net/library/articles/passwater/noninterview/nac02.htm

>

> " Methyl Donor? "

>

> It is my understanding the Methyl Donor works along

> with Vitamin B6,

> folic acid and Vitamin B12 to augment

> the formation of SAMe, an amino acid in the brain.

> Amino acids are

> proteins.

>

> " Methyl Donor effectively lower the levels of

> HOMOCYSTEINE and increases

> the beneficial

> S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) levels. There are claims

> that TMG is the

> solution as a preventive for practically all health

> problems related to

> the heart. "

>

> http://www.oralchelation.com/technical/tmg1.htm

>

> > , you said your sis noticed a difference

> after taking SAMe. What

> > kind of difference?

>

> Her energy level kicked in after two days of taking

> SAMe, NAC and

> Methyl Donor. I think it might have been the Methyl

> Donor that gave her

> a screaming headache that lasted for a couple of

> days, and she

> discontinued that for a few weeks, then added it

> back in. (Due to a

> worsening of her liver, the energy level did come

> down, but it didn't

> have anything whatsoever to do with the SAMe. The

> fact that she became

> extremely jaundiced with extreme pain in her side

> was the tip-off.)

>

> In addition to HCV, the Sis also has RSD (primarily

> in her left

> arm/shoulder area). She thinks the SAMe helped

> bring the pain level

> down in her arm.

>

> A fairly good article on SAMe can be found at:

>

> http://www.lef.org/shop/june-report972.html

>

> Also, here is the website for the Newsweek article

> on SAMe:

>

>

http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/issue/01_99b/printed/us/so/he0101_1.htm

>

> > Is she taking it for depression?

>

> No. My Big Sis takes Zoloft for depression. When

> she tries to cut the

> dosage of Zoloft, she notices a difference right

> away. (She also takes

> the prescribed medications of acupril, lasix and

> atenolol.)

>

> I spent a lot of time reading messages and

> searching for information

> before we got to a point of adding SAMe, NAC and

> Methyl Donor (the milk

> thistle is so commonly recommended, it was almost a

> given). Take your

> time reading and studying, and come to your own

> conclusions. What works

> for some may not work for others.

>

> I should also mention that my Sis tells all of her

> doctors about the

> vitamins and supplements she is taking. Of course

> they always say that

> cannot recommend that she take any of them . . . or

> not. Because my

> Sister is fairly well educated on HCV, however, the

> doctors tend to

> listen carefully to her.

>

> Also, as a helpful suggestion, I cruised over to

> Office Depot and

> purchased one of those huge A-to-Z accordian files

> because I had such an

> enormous stack of paper from all the stuff I was

> printing out. I

> discovered a long time ago that it is important to

> organize the paper.

> Every month I go through the accordian file and

> either discard stuff

> that is no longer of interest or 3-hole punch it and

> put it in my

> notebooks (which is also organized A-to-Z by

> subject). Printing stuff

> out is not helpful if you can't find it when you

> need it.

>

> Good luck.

>

>

>

>

------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Get a NextCard Visa, in 30 seconds!

> 1. Fill in the brief application

> 2. Receive approval decision within 30 seconds

> 3. Get rates as low as 2.9% Intro or 9.9% Fixed APR

> Apply NOW!

>

1/2646/6/_/96144/_/955385084/

>

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>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

--- the14th_moon@... wrote:

> Hi everyone,

>

> Jeanie so sorry your husband is a non responder.

> What is the outlook

> for getting a transplant? How scary....prayers for

> you both.

>

Thanks so much for your prayers. They are greatly

appreciated. From what wwe are told there is about a

70% chance that Pat will actually receive a new liver

and a 60-70% chance that he will survive the surgery.

The odds aren't as great as we would like, but they

are better than the alternatives....

Jeanie

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi and all,

I was wondering if you have read anything that said that sam e should

not be taken with antidepressants? I thought I read that at the lef

site. I tried it, but went back on zoloft and am not sure if I should

take them both.

Thanks,

Swanson wrote:

>

> the14th_moon@... wrote:

> >

> > Hi everyone,

> >

> > Why do so many take Milk Thistle?

>

> Milk thistle (silymarin) seems to be taken by a lot of those with HCV.

> For an easy to understand article on milk thistle from the American

> Liver Foundation:

>

> http://gi.ucsf.edu/ALF/info/thistle.html

>

> " What is NCA? "

>

> >From Health World Online:

>

> NAC (N-Acetylcysteine) is a " natural sulfu-containing amino acid

> derivative found naturally in foods and is a powerful antioxidant.

> These dual properties help repair oxidative damage in the body. "

>

> http://www.healthy.net/library/articles/passwater/noninterview/nac02.htm

>

> " Methyl Donor? "

>

> It is my understanding the Methyl Donor works along with Vitamin B6,

> folic acid and Vitamin B12 to augment

> the formation of SAMe, an amino acid in the brain. Amino acids are

> proteins.

>

> " Methyl Donor effectively lower the levels of HOMOCYSTEINE and increases

> the beneficial

> S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) levels. There are claims that TMG is the

> solution as a preventive for practically all health problems related to

> the heart. "

>

> http://www.oralchelation.com/technical/tmg1.htm

>

> > , you said your sis noticed a difference after taking SAMe. What

> > kind of difference?

>

> Her energy level kicked in after two days of taking SAMe, NAC and

> Methyl Donor. I think it might have been the Methyl Donor that gave her

> a screaming headache that lasted for a couple of days, and she

> discontinued that for a few weeks, then added it back in. (Due to a

> worsening of her liver, the energy level did come down, but it didn't

> have anything whatsoever to do with the SAMe. The fact that she became

> extremely jaundiced with extreme pain in her side was the tip-off.)

>

> In addition to HCV, the Sis also has RSD (primarily in her left

> arm/shoulder area). She thinks the SAMe helped bring the pain level

> down in her arm.

>

> A fairly good article on SAMe can be found at:

>

> http://www.lef.org/shop/june-report972.html

>

> Also, here is the website for the Newsweek article on SAMe:

>

> http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/issue/01_99b/printed/us/so/he0101_1.htm

>

> > Is she taking it for depression?

>

> No. My Big Sis takes Zoloft for depression. When she tries to cut

the

> dosage of Zoloft, she notices a difference right away. (She also takes

> the prescribed medications of acupril, lasix and atenolol.)

>

> I spent a lot of time reading messages and searching for information

> before we got to a point of adding SAMe, NAC and Methyl Donor (the milk

> thistle is so commonly recommended, it was almost a given). Take your

> time reading and studying, and come to your own conclusions. What works

> for some may not work for others.

>

> I should also mention that my Sis tells all of her doctors about the

> vitamins and supplements she is taking. Of course they always say that

> cannot recommend that she take any of them . . . or not. Because my

> Sister is fairly well educated on HCV, however, the doctors tend to

> listen carefully to her.

>

> Also, as a helpful suggestion, I cruised over to Office Depot and

> purchased one of those huge A-to-Z accordian files because I had such an

> enormous stack of paper from all the stuff I was printing out. I

> discovered a long time ago that it is important to organize the paper.

> Every month I go through the accordian file and either discard stuff

> that is no longer of interest or 3-hole punch it and put it in my

> notebooks (which is also organized A-to-Z by subject). Printing stuff

> out is not helpful if you can't find it when you need it.

>

> Good luck.

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Get a NextCard Visa, in 30 seconds!

> 1. Fill in the brief application

> 2. Receive approval decision within 30 seconds

> 3. Get rates as low as 2.9% Intro or 9.9% Fixed APR

> Apply NOW!

> 1/2646/6/_/96144/_/955385084/

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Jerry,

explain to me about the red palms, please. As you know, I'm a real newbie with this AIH. I also have systemic lupus. With two different autoimmune system disorders, there is some cross over as I think there are some things that can be symptoms of both. I have noticed in the last few days (and sometimes over the last few months) that my palms are pretty red at times. Other times they they are red and have small white spots -it's rather interesting to look at. At the moment, they don't seem to be very red at all, so it seems to come and go.

Also, I've had problems with my WBC, HCT, HGB, RBC, platelets, total protein, and calcium being low for the last few months. I think most of that can go along with lupus or simply my depleted nutritional status. I guess if it was/is caused by problems with my liver, the blood counts will probably get better as my liver responds to the prednisone. Am I correct?

At least now it seems you have given me a reason as to why over the last few months I have developed a pretty good amount of the pretty little spider veins, especially around my ankles. It makes for quite an interesting design. Do they go away eventually?

thanks for the info,

W

[Guest guest]

....you are talking about a CBC which is different than the more

specific liver panel.....It could reflect a lot of things (including the

addition of meds.)

[Guest guest]

Jerry,

Right. Typically they do both a liver panel and CBC on me almost any time they do labs. I was just curious as to whether the low WBC, platelets, etc. could actually be caused by the AIH, rather than the lupus and/or my nutritional status. Guess there's probably no way to know for sure and I'm not so sure it even matters which is the culprit. Well, with the exception of my nutritional status, which is now very much improved over what it was when the pancreatitis attacks were more frequent.

W

Re: [ ] questions and more questions

....you are talking about a CBC which is different than the morespecific liver panel.....It could reflect a lot of things (including theaddition of meds.)

[Guest guest]

- For maximum fat loss you would want to train on an empty stomach for both

cardio and weights and wait an hour afterward to eat. If you're not training

first thing in the morning then wait 2 hours after your previous meal, do your

workout, and eat again an hour after you finish. Post-workout is the best time

to have higher glycemic, more calorie-dense carbs with your protein portion

(pasta, wheat bread, potatoes). That's when your body most needs quality carbs

for muscle recovery and growth.

- One of the best meals right before bed is cottage cheese and an apple. It's a

low glycemic, slow-burning kind of meal that will keep your blood sugar stable

and get your muscles through the night with some quality fuel. You can eat it

just before closing your eyes if you want.

- Here's a list of low lactose protein powders

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/lactose.htm . I read that Optimum Nutrition

100% Whey actually includes digestive enzymes to make it more friendly for

people with lactose intolerance.

- I would only take 1 tbsp of flax a day regardless of your weight. I've tried

the higher dosing schemes (1 tbsp per 45 pound of body weight) and found that it

was just expensive and gross. I didn't see any added benefit from 3 tbsp versus

1. Stay away from the pills. It takes about 14 of them to equal 1 tbsp of oil so

they're not very practical or economical. Barlean's has a store locator if you

want to see where to pick it up nearby: http://barleans.com/locator/default.asp

..

- The BFL recommendation for water is 10 glasses a day. What kind is just a

matter of personal preference. I like tap. :-)

Questions and more Questions

Hi everyone, I haven't been able to log on that much, but I'm

following the program very closely. My energy level is through the

roof and I feel stronger in all areas. I only have 15 minutes on this

computer so I have a few quick questions. If I can't read the answers

today I'll check back during the week.

On cardio and weight days how soon can I eat before and after

training and what is best to eat at those times?

What is best to eat for the last meal and how late can I eat before

bed?

What is whey protein? Is that ok for someone who is lactose

intolerant?

How much flaxseed oil should I take and how often per day? I'm well

over 200 lbs. Is this oil really necessary. Where can i order it for

a reasonable price(hope it's not expensive)? which is best pills or

liquid?

How much water should I drink and what kind? Distilled? Spring? Tap?

ect?

[Guest guest]

I read that it's better to have a protein shake after weight training

days, and whole food after cardio. Is this true?

> - For maximum fat loss you would want to train on an empty stomach

for both cardio and weights and wait an hour afterward to eat. If

you're not training first thing in the morning then wait 2 hours

after your previous meal, do your workout, and eat again an hour

after you finish. Post-workout is the best time to have higher

glycemic, more calorie-dense carbs with your protein portion (pasta,

wheat bread, potatoes). That's when your body most needs quality

carbs for muscle recovery and growth.

>

> - One of the best meals right before bed is cottage cheese and an

apple. It's a low glycemic, slow-burning kind of meal that will keep

your blood sugar stable and get your muscles through the night with

some quality fuel. You can eat it just before closing your eyes if

you want.

>

> - Here's a list of low lactose protein powders

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/lactose.htm . I read that Optimum

Nutrition 100% Whey actually includes digestive enzymes to make it

more friendly for people with lactose intolerance.

>

> - I would only take 1 tbsp of flax a day regardless of your weight.

I've tried the higher dosing schemes (1 tbsp per 45 pound of body

weight) and found that it was just expensive and gross. I didn't see

any added benefit from 3 tbsp versus 1. Stay away from the pills. It

takes about 14 of them to equal 1 tbsp of oil so they're not very

practical or economical. Barlean's has a store locator if you want to

see where to pick it up nearby:

http://barleans.com/locator/default.asp .

>

> - The BFL recommendation for water is 10 glasses a day. What kind

is just a matter of personal preference. I like tap. :-)

>

>

>

>

> Questions and more Questions

>

>

>

> Hi everyone, I haven't been able to log on that much, but I'm

> following the program very closely. My energy level is through

the

> roof and I feel stronger in all areas. I only have 15 minutes on

this

> computer so I have a few quick questions. If I can't read the

answers

> today I'll check back during the week.

>

> On cardio and weight days how soon can I eat before and after

> training and what is best to eat at those times?

>

> What is best to eat for the last meal and how late can I eat

before

> bed?

>

> What is whey protein? Is that ok for someone who is lactose

> intolerant?

>

> How much flaxseed oil should I take and how often per day? I'm

well

> over 200 lbs. Is this oil really necessary. Where can i order it

for

> a reasonable price(hope it's not expensive)? which is best pills

or

> liquid?

>

> How much water should I drink and what kind? Distilled? Spring?

Tap?

> ect?

>

>

>

>