 LIVER DETOXIFICATION DISCLAIMER
The purpose of this article is to educate. This article does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and is not a substitute for examination, testing, diagnosis and treatment, by a qualified, licensed health care professional.
Florida Detox frequently detoxes opiate and alcohol patients, with elevated liver enzymes or hepatitis. Our alcohol and tranquilizer detoxification, at Florida Detox is intravenous, with medication which eliminated by the kidneys, not the liver. Alcohol and tranquilizer detox does not require anesthesia. Patients with hemochromotosis are required to obtain treatment from another provider, for ferritin levels, exceeding lab reference ranges.
Florida Detox uses milk thistle extract, alpha lipoic acid and selenium supplements to reduce liver enzymes in our alcohol patients, who often arrive with elevated liver enzymes. Typically, our regimen lowers elevated liver enzymes to normal, in one to two months.
This article is posted, with permission of Burton Berkson, MD and is available on the internet. He is at the Center for Integrative Medicine, in Las Cruces, NM and is a leading liver detoxification expert.
It is titled, Triple Antioxidant Therapy for Hepatitis C. Since this is already uploaded by someone else, onto the internet, I merely copied it, to post on this website. Maybe someone will copy this article to other sites, where it might receive more views-I believe Berkson's protocol could help more people if it was more widely known.
Florida Detox used this protocol with someone suffering from Hepatitis C and HIV. Two of three liver enzymes returned to normal, she regained about 16 pounds, her hair regrew and she suffers about half as much fatigue, since starting the protocol. She almost died, during prior interferon/ribavirin therapy with another physician. We also used colostrum, creatine, DGL, and IP6. She is caring for her children and grandson presently. (We did not treat her for chemical dependency)
Since this article was written, pharmaceutical interferon/ribavirin therapy effectiveness is reported to have increased to fifty percent of time. Herbal and neutraceutical therapies can be used together with the pharmaceuticals, although we recommend the more natural therapy be used in every case, since it is gentle, with almost no side effects.
Gary Null has some excellent articles discussing natural therapy for HIV, at his website, garynull.com. The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, by Murray and Pizzorno, has an excellent chapter, discussing Hepatitis C treatment. The liversupport.com website is another good source of information regarding Hepatitis C treatment.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE IS NOT CONSIDERED MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT. HEPATITIS IS A SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITION AND MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT SHOULD BE OBTAINED
As published in "Medizinishche Klinik", a German medical journal.]
ABSTRACT
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. Since this article was written, pharmaceutical interferon/ribavirin therapy effectiveness is reported to have increased to fifty percent of time. 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 varies 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 antiviral have less than a 30% response rate and because of the residual viremia, and 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 of 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.
Key Words: Hepatitis C treatment antioxidant alpha lipoic acid thioctic acid silymarin selenium
Background: More than 20 years ago, when the author was in medical and pathology training at 2 hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, he was assigned to 6 critical patients who were suffering from acute hepatic necrosis secondary to hepatotoxic mushroom poisoning. He ordered thioctic acid (alpha-lipoic acid, ALA) from the National Institutes of Health and injected this antioxidant drug into the patients. In spite of their highly threatening condition the patients, as measured by laboratory values and clinical parameters, recovered quickly. Dr. Fred Bartter (then Chief of Hypertension and Endocrinology at the NIH) and the author were astounded by their recoveries and went on to treat many more mushroom poisoning patients. Over the years, the author continued to treat additional patients with other medical conditions using ALA, and observed similar results. The author has recently added silymarin and selenium to the regimen. In this paper he will discuss the use of this triple antioxidant regimen in the management of 3 chronic hepatitis C patients.
Patients and Method: The 3 basic antioxidants there were used in this report are alpha-lipoic acid (thioctic acid), silymarin and selenium (selenomethionine). The alpha-lipoic acid product was manufactured by Asta Medica at Frankfurt Am Main, Germany. The silymarin was a product distributed by NOW Foods of Bloomingdale, Illinois, and the selenium was encapsulated by Metabolic Maintenance Products Inc., of Sisters, Oregon.
The 3 patients were selected at random from a group of approximately 50 chronic hepatitis C charts at the Integrative Medical Center of New Mexico in Las Cruces. Each patient was maintained on a dose of 600 mg. of alpha-lipoic acid a day in 2 divided portions of 300 mg. each. The silymarin dose was 900 mg. per day in 3 divided portions of 300 mg. The selenomethionine dose was 400 mcg in 2 divided portions of 200 mcg. ( Enzymatic Therapy silymarin is complexed with phosphatidyl choline and is 8 times more assimilable)
Because alpha-lipoic acid depletes some of the B vitamins, the patients were prescribed 2 B-100 capsules a day. In addition, each patient also took between 1,000 and 6,000 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, and a mineral supplement. The patients were also requested to eat a daily diet that included at least 6 servings of fresh vegetables and fruits, only 4 oz or less of meat per meal, and 8 glasses of fresh water.
It was also suggested that the patients reduce their stress levels, and take part in an exercise program that included at least a 1-mile walk 3 times a week. The patients followed the nutritional supplement program carefully, however, it is not clearly known whether the other regimens were correctly followed.
CASE STUDIES:
PATIENT 1:
Mrs. M.P. is a 57-year-old woman who acquired hepatitis C after a blood transfusion during surgery about 10 years ago. She did not eat a nutritious diet and did not live a very healthy lifestyle at that time. About 5 years ago, she became very fatigued and nauseous, and was diagnosed with non-A, non-B hepatitis. She was treated with conventional therapies and continued to degenerate into a poorer state of health. About 3 years ago she was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C, cirrhosis, portal hypertension, esophageal varices, and thrombocytopenia, and treated with steroids and interferon. She did not improve. Her AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) level become elevated (16.1) and a mass was located in her liver. Mrs. M.P. was told that the mass was probably cancer and that there was no hope.
Mrs. M.P. presented at our office last year appearing fatigued, weak, pale, and her abdomen was grossly enlarged. The abdominal distention was due to ascites. She was administered oral furosamide (40 mg) and potassium chloride (10 meq) with a balanced diet and wholesome lifestyle. She lost almost 50 lb of fluid in 1 month. Mrs. M.P. was treated with 600 mg. of oral alpha-lipoic acid in 2 divided doses (300 mg each), 900 mg of silymarin in 3 divided doses (300 mg each) and 400 mg of selenium a day. A premium B complex vitamin was added to her regimen because alpha-lipoic acid depletes the body of thiamin, biotin and other B vitamins. Adequate amounts of vitamin C (2,000 mg), vitamin E (800 IU), Coenzyme Q10 (300 mg), and basic mineral supplements were also prescribed. Figures 1 and 2 track the favorable changes in her ALT levels and her AFP levels. Today, Mrs. M.P. is working 8 hours a day, feels healthy, looks good, and is not tired. She is free of the signs and symptoms of serious chronic hepatitis C infection. PATIENT 2
Mrs. P.P. is a 49-year-old woman who was infected with hepatitis C following a blood transfusion prior to trauma surgery more than 10 years ago. During surgery, her spleen was excised because it was lacerated.
About 3 years ago, a liver biopsy was performed that showed moderate cirrhosis with active inflammation. As a result of this pathology, Mrs. P.P. went on to develop portal hypertension with esophageal varices. She never acquired thrombocytopenia because of the splenectomy, and did not show an elevated AFP. Mrs. P.P. was treated with interferon therapy without satisfactory results. She was told that her condition was hopeless and that a liver transplant was her only option. Her health continued to decline and she presented at our office with fatigue, anxiety, and insomnia.
Mrs. P.P. was prescribed 600 mg. Of alpha-lipoic acid each day in 2 divided doses (300 mg each). To that, was added silymarin (900 mg/day) and selenium (400 ug/day). To combat the anxiety and insomnia, 0.5 of aprazolam was prescribed, as needed at bedtime. Mrs. P.P. was put on a balanced health and lifestyle program, and within 7 months regained her health. Figure 3 to 5 trace the favorable changes in her ALT levels, viral load and platelet levels. She is doing very well today and is working at an arduous job and playing at sports without any fatigue or other symptoms of serious disease. 
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PATIENT 3
Mrs. L.M. is a 35-year-old mother of 3 children who developed hepatitis C secondary to a blood transfusion during the birth of her baby girl 15 years ago. Three years ago she became ill and was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, portal hypertension, and esophageal varices. As a result of the portal hypertension, she developed splenomegaly and thrombocytopenia. Mrs. L.M.Ã's hepatologist sent here to the university hospital for liver transplant evaluation. When she presented to our office, she was anxious, tired, and pale, and complained of constant pain in the regions of her liver and spleen. Mrs. l.'s fasting blood sugars were in the 300-mg/dc range. She did not have hyperglycemia prior to the hepatitis C infection. Mrs. L.M. decided that prior to the liver transplant surgery, she wanted to investigate a more conservative treatment regimen.
Mrs. L.M. was prescribed alpha-lipoic acid (600 mg./day), silymarin (900 mg./day) and selenium (400 ug) per day with other supportive supplements. She was encouraged to follow a healthy lifestyle program with a 2,000 calorie diabetes diet. Within 2 weeks she began to feel much better and recovered quickly. Her blood sugar fell into the normal range and the pain in her liver and spleen ended. She became energized and was able to do her normal work as a housewife. She returned to college the next semester earning a 3.8 grade point average (A). Figures 6 and 7 trace her favorable progress. 
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DISCUSSION
ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a small organic molecule with a disulfide bond. It is a superb antioxidant that is soluble in both water and fat. ALA is an important coenzyme for the production of acetyl coenzyme A. Dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA), it's reduced form, is an electron donor that recycles other fundamental antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, and glutathione). ALA and DHJLA are superb free radical scavenger themselves because they neutralize peroxyl radicals [36], hydroxyl radicals [39] and singlet oxygen [38].
ALA is also a metal chelator that removes mercury from tissues [17], prevents calcium oxalate crystals (stones) from forming in the kidneys [21, chelates copper [28], and removes arsenic [18].
Lately, there has been a great explosion in ALA research. The lipoic acid/dihydrolipoic acid redox couple inhibits viral replication by stabilizing the NFK beta transcription factor [4], blocks the development of cataracts [24], protects the kidneys form aminoglycoside damage [35], insulates the pancreatic islet cells form inflammatory assault [7], inhibits thymocyte apoptosis , and stimulates the production of helper T cells [15]. In addition, the toxic side effects of cancer chemotherapy can be attenuated with the use of ALA [5] and it protects bone marrow from free radical damage secondary to ionizing radiation. [33].
Numerous other studies show that ALA is useful for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and syndrome X because it increased cellular glucose utilization [19]. And significantly reduces insulin resistance [12,20].
Diabetic neuropathy originates from a decrease in blood flow to various organs. This results in an accumulation of free radicals that can destroy nerve function. In one study, ALA brought about a significant reduction of neuropathic symptoms in 23 patients [46]. This was accomplished by abolishing the products of lipid peroxidation and increasing the entrance of glucose into the cell [27].
Due to ALA's lipophilic characteristics, it can cross the blood-brain barrier quite easily and can scavenge free radical toxins in the central nervous system. Both ALA and DHLA protect animals from neuronal death following laboratory-induced cerebral ischemia and reperfusion experiments [9,16,32]. This effect is explained by the fact the ALA greatly increased glutathione levels in nervous tissue, thus protecting the nerves from the toxic products of oxidation.
For many years, ALA was used as a treatment for liver disease. As of yet, however, there are not many papers on this subject, and some studies used entirely sub-therapeutic dose [25].
Ethyl alcohol (ETOH) damages the liver by several mechanisms that ultimately lead to the proliferation of innumerable free radicals. These toxins damage the cell membranes by lipid peroxidation. It has been reported the ALA lowers the levels of ETOH metabolic breakdown products, and in consideration of this ALA may be an effective treatment for alcohol induced hepatitis, early cirrhosis, and alcoholic coma [23, 37].
In the late 1960's and 1970's, there were several studies describing the successful treatment of hepatotoxic mushroom poisoning with intravenous ALA [22, 47]. National Institutes of Health studies reported the survival of 73 out of 79 seriously poisoned patients [3, 6]. In American, interest in the use of ALA for hepatotoxic mushroom poisoning, and liver disease in general, was in the main lost, because of the growing fascination with liver transplantation as a proposed "standard of care" treatment for serious liver disease.
SILYMARIN
Silymarin is the mixed extract of the milk thistle plant (sylibum marianum) and has been used for hundreds of years as a treatment for liver disease. In the late 1960s and 1970s it was extensively used for serious hepatotoxic mushroom poisoning with excellent results [43]. It has been demonstrated to be a proficient antioxidant, protecting the liver by neutralizing dangerous hydroxyl radicals, superoxide ions and hypochloric acid. In this way silymarin neutralized the toxins that destroy the cellular membrane systems and the hepatocyte's genetic material [10, 26, 41]. Silymarin, like ALA, increases cellular glutathione levels and decreases tumor promoter activity {1, 30].
Human viral hepatitis studies with silymarin demonstrate quicker normalization of liver enzymes, expeditious reduction of bilirubin levels, and shorter hospital stays [31]. In addition, silymarin has been shown to be an effective antidote for toluene and xylene toxicity, and drug overdoes [14, 29, 40]. Alcoholic and other chronic liver disease patients lowered their liver enzymes, decreased their levels of procollagen III, and improved the histology of their livers with daily oral administration of silymarin [2,13, 34]. Taking this intelligent reasoning into account, silymarin offers another effective treatment choice for serious liver disease.
SELENIUM
Selenium (Se) is an essential metal that is required for normal antioxidant metabolism, reproduction and thyroid function. It is also an important coenzyme for the glutathione peroxidase detoxification system. Because of this, selenium neutralized peroxides that proliferate under oxidative stress and consequently protects cell membranes from free radical damage.
Selenium often combines with amino acids and forms selenoproteins. Viruses might benefit from being directly involved in this selenoprotein encoding process by monitoring selenium levels in the cell. Consequently, this viral behavior could act as a barometer for increasing or decreasing viral reproduction. If cellular selenoprotein levels fall, the virus might become more active and produce more viruses that attack new cells. If selenoprotein levels rise, the virus may remain in a dormant state for longer periods of time or remain permanently dormant.
Research papers have reported that RNA viruses, including hepatitis C virus, encode selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase genes. In view of this concept, it is entirely possible that a specific viral gene could generate a selenium shortage in the host. And in this way, a selenium deficiency could stimulate viral proliferation and thus promote the progression of hepatitis C. To continue, in that case, the addition of selenium might act as a "birth control pill" for the virus and thus show down it's reproduction mechanisms. According to several investigators this could give the immune system a chance to control the hepatitis C or HIV disease process [42,45]. EMPHASIS ADDED
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 liver transplantation is uncertain and tentative. Since this article was written, pharmaceutical interferon/ribavirin therapy effectiveness is reported to have increased to fifty percent of time. This is partially due to the residual viremia; the newly transplanted liver ultimately becomes infected again [44].
S -Adenosyl Methionine can reduce elevated Bilirubin S Adenosyl Methionine, SAMe, is produced in the body, from the amino acid methionine and Adenosyl Triphosphate, ATP. Conversion of methionine to SAMe is frequently impaired in cirrhosis and chronic liver disease. Studies reveal methionine supplementation does not increase SAMe level, in cirrhosis patients, since SAMe synthetase enzyme levels are inadequate. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial performed in 220 patients with chronic liver disease revealed bilirubin decreased about 45 % with oral SAMe supplementation at 1,200 milligrams daily. Almasio P, Bortolini M, Pagliaro L, Coltorti M Role of S-adenosyl-L-methionine in the treatment of intrahepatic cholestasis. Drugs. 1990;40 Suppl 3:111-23S Adenosyl Methionine increased phosphatidyl choline levels in alcoholic liver disease. Alcoholic liver disease reduces levels of phosphatidyl choline, a major component of cell membranes. SAMe produced increased glutathione levels in alcohol impaired livers and increased time till liver transplant was required. Lieber, C. S-Adenosyl-L-methionine: its role in the treatment of liver disorders. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76(suppl):1183S–7S MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES FOUND TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER Leiber reports medium–chain triglycerides (MCTs) significantly reduce alcoholic fatty liver. The main source of medium chain triglycerides, in the United States, is coconut milk or oil. HEPATITIS C PATIENTS MORE LIKELY TO BE HYPOTHYROID Hepatitis C positive patients are more likely to suffer hypothyroidism and benefit from thyroid hormone replacement. Hypothyroidism was observed in 13% of subjects with hepatitis C virus, compared with 3-5% of uninfected control subjects. In addition, the HCV patients had higher levels of anti-thyroid antibodies, markers of an autoimmune response. hcvadvocate.org/news/newsRev/2004/HJR-1.12.html#4
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