Liver Health

[DawnM]

I was diagnosed with fatty liver a while ago.  Ask me how well I have taken care of that?  No, don't.  I haven't done a thing. 

But I am getting some wake up calls.  I again tested with fatty liver and was told that the folates should be a min. of 600mg per day, which is twice the recommended amount.  I haven't ever taken a supplement or cared before.  

And a friend's cousin died at 58 of non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, caused by, yup, fatty liver.  She felt a little sluggish, when to the doctor, and died a few days later!  

So, I am going to do something.  Now.  

Has anyone bettered your liver health?  I am reading that liver cleanses may do more harm than good, and need to read up more on that, but I am thinking in terms of overall daily long term care more than a cleanse per say.

I haven't had a lot of time to look stuff up, but so far it says to cut out sugar, saturated fat, fried food, white stuff......and eat brown rice, lentils and whole grains, yams, lean meat, fruits, vegetables.  And of course, lose weight.  And add folates.....I need over 600mg per day, more than twice the average amount.  Grapefruit, papaya, and need to find some more.  I hate grapefruit, so I am wondering if there is anything to make it more palatable for me????

I am sure there are teas, supplements, etc....but I haven't gotten that far yet.

 

[DawnM]

20 minutes ago, texasmom33 said:

Are you are seeing a hepatologist and not a gastroenterologist or GP since the diagnosis? I would follow their instructions over anything you'd find here or online. They should be able to give you studies to back up the course of treatment if you ask, but I would definitely be looking to a hepatologist for advice. 

 

No

[Jean in Newcastle]

I take a supplement called Lipotropic Detox for my liver. Both my allopathic specialist and naturopathic doc recommended it. 

[gardenmom5]

things that have helped me:

yoga with twisting postures

eliminating sugar.  all forms. (all those "natural sugar subs" - they're just as bad.)  low carbs. 

lots of fiber

lots of veggies

I went from high liver#s - to so good I got the preferred life insurance rate.

 

my naturopath rec'd:

integrative  theraputics detoxification factors I  and II

castor oil packs.  (careful - it can stain.  soak cotton or wool flannel in castor oil, place over your liver put plastic over it to prevent it contacting something else.  heating pad on top.)  you can read more instructions of how to use it online.

Edited October 17, 2018 by gardenmom5

[Liz CA]

1 hour ago, gardenmom5 said:

my naturopath rec'd:

integrative  theraputics detoxification factors I  and II

castor oil packs.  (careful - it can stain.  soak cotton or wool flannel in castor oil, place over your liver put plastic over it to prevent it contacting something else.  heating pad on top.)  you can read more instructions of how to use it online.

 

Castor oil packs are wonderful. You can easily integrate Milkthistle into some dishes, dressings, etc.

Definitely work on regular exercise and systemic enzymes can help. If you think you may be a little depressed (dysthymic) broad spectrum B with methylfolate may help. Have you had anyone check on MTHFR? Recent research seems to point in the direction that many who are undiagnosed with those mutations suffer from liver issues. Could be fairly easily remedied if you know what mutations you are dealing with if any.

Edited October 17, 2018 by Liz CA

[6wildhorses]

Anthony William has a new book coming out this month about liver health: https://smile.amazon.com/Medical-Medium-Liver-Rescue-Gallstones/dp/1401954405/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539806726&sr=8-1&keywords=liver+anthony+william

His books contain a lot of practical advice, including dietary recommendations.

[Dynamite5]

20 minutes ago, Liz CA said:

 

Castor oil packs are wonderful. You can easily integrate Milkthistle into some dishes, dressings, etc.

Definitely work on regular exercise and systemic enzymes can help. If you think you may be a little depressed (dysthymic) broad spectrum B with methylfolate may help. Have you had anyone check on MTHFR? Recent research seems to point in the direction that many who are undiagnosed with those mutations suffer from liver issues. Could be fairly easily remedied if you know what mutations you are dealing with if any.

Rabbit trail. No fatty liver issues, but HERX reaction. Do you know about MTHFR? Did you test for it? Could you share what you know? Happy to go to pm if you'd rather. 

[Lanny]

I believe there is a Medical Specialty where the M.D. specializes in Liver health.   It has been MANY years since I heard or used that word and I cannot remember as I write this.

I would NOT be doing any "cleansing" or anything else, unless it was strongly suggested by a Board Certified M.D.

Probably something youo should explore since you are concerned and since you know someone who passed away with that symptom.

Hopefully, not worth worrying about, but probably not something that you should ignore.

[gardenmom5]

Oh yeah, avoid acetimophen/tylenol.   It's very hard on your liver.

 

Edited October 18, 2018 by gardenmom5

[DawnM]

38 minutes ago, texasmom33 said:

Side note on the grapefruit- not sure if you are on any other meds, but just be aware that grapefruit interacts with a LOT of Rx’s as well as OTC supplements. Simply put, it compounds the absorption rates, which is just that much harder on your system. Surprisingly so, so just something to keep in mind if you start trying to push citrus. It also hides in many supplements under other names. You might want to check on the Physicians Desk Reference (PDR) about any interactions for what you are taking or what you add and know that oftentimes herbal supplements and OTC things are simply RX’s in disguise because they’re so highly unregulated. The internet has made it virtually impossible to regulate— The FDA can’t keep up and usually doesn’t react on a supplement until there have been numerous reports of adverse events.

If you’re suspecting liver issues, I’d be extra careful as a lot of these will take a heavier toll on your liver as it tries to cope with what’s coming in. It’s unfortunate, but the supplement market is rife with corrupt and/or mislabeled ingredients. That’s one of the key reasons I’d seek a hepatologist and heed their advice over anything OTC. 

 

It would be difficult to get to one.  I have to have a referral and my doc's answer is just to "lose weight."  That's it.  And I have been to 3 doctors about it through the years.  Same answer.  And my health insurance now Is even worse.  

And the specialists around her seem to have long wait lists.  So, wait a long time and pay out of pocket.  If you can get in.

But I don't take ANY meds at all right now other than Benadryl for allergies.  I do take Vitamin B and C when I remember, which isn't all the time.  But nothing else.

[DawnM]

I have liver issues for two reasons.  I had Hep A when I was a child growing up in a 3rd world country, and I am overweight.  So, I do need to lose weight, which has been darn near impossible no matter what I do.  But the Hep A was bad.  I was in bed for almost a month.

[lmrich]

How much do you need to lose?

[Jean in Newcastle]

FWIW, the lipotropic detox just helps your liver to dump some of the fat and eliminate it as waste. Weight loss docs also recommend it. 

[mom31257]

Please check into taking care of it and what you can do.

I don't want to scare you, but we had a friend who almost died because of an undiagnosed fatty liver. He had varicies that burst. He had actually had a black stool and made an appointment with the doctor, but he ended up having a severe bleeding incident. He is now doing a liver detox prescribed by a liver specialist at Emory in Atlanta and has lost at least 15 pounds already. 

[Carol in Cal.]

Be careful—I went to a NP doctor who was great but she recommended a lot of supplements overall, and something I was taking then made my liver numbers increase alarmingly.

Avoid alcohol and Tylenol.  White sugar is not great and sugar substitutes are worse.

Lots of leafy greens and cruciferous veggies are helpful.  Herbal supplements that are helpful are milk Thistle and dandelion root.  I used to take those, and then switched to a supplement called a supplement from FutureBiotics called Detox—daily liver support.  I could literally feel a difference when I started taking this.

In general anything synthetic stresses your liver, so I avoid taking medications as much as possible.  I do take MTFR friendly prenatal gummy vitamins, but not a full dose.  I have to take GERD meds sometimes but try not to do it all the time as it is stressful to the liver, and also I often have to take Allegra.  I REALLY push veggies and some fruits—organic berries and pomegranates particularly.  Apricots in season.  Antioxidants that are natural seem to be helpful, as is regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight, hard for me.

Coffee is good for your liver.  I love that that is so.  

NASH is an extreme version of this, and not all fatty liver goes there.

[gaillardia]

Be careful of what might be going on with your gall bladder too. You can do this! Be careful of salad dressings, dairy products, and the simple carbs. 

No expert advice or experience here, just chiming in and cheering you on. 

[Liz CA]

With 2 factors, weight and previous liver issue, it may be worth it to get in line at the hepatologist. You only have one liver.

[DawnM]

thanks guys, I will look into some of these recommendations.  And yes, I know it can be serious.  No doctor has felt it was worth getting alarmed about, but I am starting to feel that I need to do something ab out it, after a DNA test said I have elevated levels and it needs addressing.

 

I will make an appt with my Family doctor, but I can't guarantee she will think it warrants a visit to a specialist and she has to make the referral.

[Lanny]

I would try to get a referral to an M.D. who is a "Board Certified"  Internal Medicine doctor.  I think that would be a good place to begin. 

[BeachGal]

On 10/18/2018 at 5:39 AM, DawnM said:

thanks guys, I will look into some of these recommendations.  And yes, I know it can be serious.  No doctor has felt it was worth getting alarmed about, but I am starting to feel that I need to do something ab out it, after a DNA test said I have elevated levels and it needs addressing.

 

I will make an appt with my Family doctor, but I can't guarantee she will think it warrants a visit to a specialist and she has to make the referral.

 

Your problem could also be too little choline. This guy has written an article that explains fatty liver disease and the importance of choline as well as betaine, and vitamins B2 and B12.

https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/2010/12/04/meeting-choline-requirement-eggs-organs/

Do you know if you have these genotypes? I have both which suggest I might need more choline and possibly the betaine and the Bs. I used 23andme and then ran my raw data through researcher Rhonda Patrick's site.

Gene: MTHFD1           snp: rs2236225(T;T)      risk of choline deficiency; 75% reduction in colon cancer risk

Gene: MTRR               snp: rs1801394(G;G)     increased risk for hyperhomocysteinemia and altered choline metabolism

Edited November 22, 2018 by BeachGal

[DawnM]

2 hours ago, BeachGal said:

 

Your problem could also be too little choline. This guy has written an article that explains fatty liver disease and the importance of choline as well as betaine, and vitamins B2 and B12.

https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/2010/12/04/meeting-choline-requirement-eggs-organs/

Do you know if you have these genotypes? I have both which suggest I might need more choline and possibly the betaine and the Bs. I used 23andme and then ran my raw data through researcher Rhonda Patrick's site.

Gene: MTHFD1           snp: rs2236225(T;T)      risk of choline deficiency; 75% reduction in colon cancer risk

Gene: MTRR               snp: rs1801394(G;G)     increased risk for hyperhomocysteinemia and altered choline metabolism

 

I will have to look when I get the chance.