Does anyone know and really good treatments for Hepatitis C?

Answer 1

Hi Piddle

Here are some ideas to get healed.

Cause
The most common cause of hepatitis is a virus that can occur in five potential forms: A, B, C, D, or E. Other causes include excessive alcohol consumption, drug abuse (including pharmaceutical drugs, such as acetaminophen), overexposure to chemicals, and, sometimes, as a reaction to properly prescribed medications.

In recent years, hepatitis C has been on the increase. It is most frequently caused as a result of blood transfusions. Typically, people with hepatitis C are identified either because they have abnormal liver tests or because of a hepatitis C antibody test. A positive test does not necessarily mean serious liver disease, however. People with hepatitis C may have no liver disease, a mild form of chronic hepatitis, or a more serious form of hepatitis that may progress over a number of years to cirrhosis. The usual indications are a positive antibody test for the hepatitis C virus, abnormal liver tests for more than six to twelve months, and a liver biopsy that shows chronic active hepatitis. Approximately 20% of patients chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus will go on to develop cirrhosis.

Note: Infectious hepatitis can be easily spread two weeks before and one week after jaundice appears. The feces of people with hepatitis contain the virus. Therefore, very strict toilet hygiene and hand and cloth washing should be observed during this time.


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Natural Cures

Aromatherapy: Rosemary can help stimulate liver function.

Diet: Follow a diet low in protein and high in fresh vegetables to minimize stress on the liver. Also eat small meals throughout the day, and avoid foods such as refined sugars, alcohol, and caffeine, which cause stress on the liver, and be sure to drink plenty of filtered water. Drinking fresh lemon juice water every morning and evening followed by vegetable juice is also recommended to help liver function. Easily digested grains, such as millet, buckwheat, and quinoa, are also good food choices.

Enemas: Three warm enemas administered daily can help boost liver function. Also a colon and liver cleanse to clean out the toxins in the blood.

Herbs: The liver-cell regenerative properties of herbs such as milk thistle and licorice can be helpful. Take 1/2 teaspoon of this mixture three times a day. Tumeric combined with milk thistle has also been shown to help alleviate the symptoms of hepatitis B.

Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy is the application of water, ice, steam and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health. Treatments include full body immersion, steam baths, saunas, sitz baths, colonic irrigation and the application of hot and/or cold compresses. Hydrotherapy is effective for treating a wide range of conditions and can easily be used in the home as part of a self-care program. Many Naturopathic Physicians, Physical Therapists and Day Spas use Hydrotherapy as part of treatment. I suggest several at-home hydrotherapy treatments.

Juice Therapy: The following juice combinations can be helpful: beet, carrot, and wheat grass juice; or garlic, burdock, flax, and black currants.

Nutritional Supplementation: Supplement with vitamin C, beta carotene, liver glandulars, milk thistle extract, vitamin B complex, adrenal glandulars, lipotropic factors, pantothenic acid, free-form amino acids, betaine hydrochloric acid (HCL), multi-enzymes, and evening primrose oil.

Alternative Professional Care
If your symptoms persist despite the above measures, seek the help of a qualified health professional. The following professional care therapies have all been shown to be useful for treating hepatitis: Ayurveda, Acupuncture, Detoxification Therapy, Magnetic Field Therapy, Naturopathic Medicine, and Oxygen Therapy.

Best of health to you

Answer 2

What do you mean by "really good"? Do you mean easy to deal with, or really effective, or research proven?
The standard treatment for Hepatitis C is pegylated interferon shots (one per week) taken with ribavirin pills (daily) over a period of approx. one year. The length of the treatment depends on your genotype; genotype 2 responds well and has about an 80% chance of clearing, genotype 1 is the most common and most resistant with a 50-57% chance of being effective. Genotype 3 also responds well; some doctors treat 3's for 6 months, but research has shown a relapse rate so some doctors are treating it for a year.
Be careful of alternative treatments that claim they can cure Hep C; many of them rely on normal liver enzyme levels as proof that they work, but the problem with that is 40% of people with Hep C have normal enzymes, but damage still occurs. The other problem with relying on enzyme levels as proof of efficacy is that liver enzymes tend to fluctuate. The only proof that a treatment works is to show an undectable viral load ( a blood test that measures the amount of viral particles per ml of blood). About 20% of people who test positive for Hep C will clear it on their own within 6 months of exposure. The rest of us go on to have a chronic infection.
As for the interferon treatment, it is a mild form of chemo, therefore most people have some side effects, but the side effects can be managed by drinking lots of water, having a positive attitude, and if needed, treated with additional medications (ex: procrit shots to treat anemia, neupogen shots if white blood cells are low).
I have facilitated a support group for people with hep c for several years. I recommend first that people educate themselves about the disease & the medication. A positive attitude is crucial for success. I also recommend a face to face, in person support group. There's nothing to make you feel better than to meet others who are / who have walked in your shoes. They can give you tips to help you deal with Hep c issues, talk to you about the good & bad doctors, etc.
I hope this helped. Best wishes.

Answer 3

If it is newly diagnosed, please see the MD, and stay with him/her. If you do not have a good one, see an Infectious Disease physician. And please do it as soon as possible.

It used to be that HepC was always fatal. Now, medicine can actually remove it from most people with the right treatment.

Check this CDC web site:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/resource/PDFs/Have_C_01.pdf

Good Luck! Lenore Hodges PhD, RD, LD

Answer 4

I'm NOT diagnosing you...don't be frightened. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the only thing medical science can do for Hep C at this point is ease the symptoms...there's no cure. Don't give up the ship. LISTEN and TALK to your doc.

Answer 5

Look into a Japanese tea- SST, or silymarin- usually in milk thistle, or Arbidol- a Russian herbal compound