I got a cortizone shot last week and am so far LOVING IT. I haven't felt this optimistic/energized/able to move in at least a year. Is there anything I can do to make it last? My doctor said it'll wear off anywhere from a week to two months from now.... hopefully my (dreadfully high seeming dosage of) methotrexate will have kicked in. I'm planning on reading up on how cortizone works biologically to see if there's anything I can do, but.... wanted more input, and I'm tired =)
Milk thistle has been reported to have protective effects on the liver and to improve its function. It is typically used to treat liver cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis (liver inflammation), and gallbladder disorders. The active compound in Milk thistle is silymarin, a mixture of at least 4 closely related flavonolignans, 60% to 70% of which is a mixture of 2 diastereomers of silybin. Silymarin is typically administered in amount ranging from 200-500mg per day. Whether or not these dosages are optimal is not known; no scientific data on which to base effective dosage level guidelines is available.
Research into the biological activity of silymarin and its possible medical uses has been conducted in many countries since the 1970s, but the quality of the research has been uneven.[1]
Reviews of the literature covering clinical studies of silymarin vary in their conclusions. A review using only studies with both double-blind and placebo protocols concluded that milk thistle and its derivatives "does not seem to significantly influence the course of patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C liver diseases."[2] A different review of the literature, performed for the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, found that, while there is strong evidence of legitimate medical benefits, the studies done to date are of such uneven design and quality that no firm conclusions about degrees of effectiveness for specific conditions or appropriate dosage can yet be made. [3]
A review of studies of silymarin and liver disease which are available on the web shows an interesting pattern: studies which tested low dosages of silymarin concluded that silymarin was ineffective[4] while studies which used significantly larger doses concluded that silymarin was biologically active and had theraputic effects.[5]
Beside benefits for liver disease, treatment claims include:
I swear by milk thistle. I had 3 elevated LFT's PRIOR to starting AP and my AP doc and I both think that's what made the LFT's return to normal. I take one cap a day in the AM. Also, the Whole Lemon Olive Oil Drink (search here) works well to help pull toxins out of the body. It cut my inflammation so dramatically my hubby started making it for me. I've recently started it again at night to help with my sleeping problems and I sleep longer during the night with less waking up when I use it. Probably ties in with Jasmines post about the insulin dumping for diabetics as I wake every night at about 4 when our bodies start dumping insulin to get us ready to wake up.
Hugs,
Pip
Milk thistle it is, then, I knew there must have been something out there :) And I'll search for that olive-oil-lemon concoction...Pip, when I looked up milk thistle online, it said something about it only being taken for up to 8 weeks. Do you take yours indefinitely, and did you decrease the dosage after a certain amount of time? (That seems to be what some websites imply.) Thanks :)I've been on it since maybe 7 or 8 '06. Started just before I started AP. I've had no problems. Never heard there was a time limit and most APers are on for a long time because we're processing toxins as fast as we can.