Need reviews from people about Milk Thistle

[Watercolors]

It's an herb that's recommended as a liver detoxifier.

 

Has anyone on LS taken it? If you have, does it have any weird common side effects to note? Did it make a difference after you took it for a while? How can you tell if it makes a positive difference other than a blood test? How do you take it? In a tincture? A tea? A capsule? A pill? A liquid?

[basil67]

You could drop money on a suppliment...or you could cut alcohol intake and eat more clean, unprocessed foods. Any reason you're not doing the latter?

[Watercolors]

@ basil67: I don't like supplements. I don't trust them, hence my question if milk thistle works and is safe from anyone here who's taken it.

 

I don't drink alcohol or eat processed foods. I eat relatively clean; no fatty foods, no fried foods, no boxed foods, no red meat or processed sandwich meats...just chicken or salmon.

 

But a medication I've taken for a health problem has injured my liver so now I'm in a situation where I have to reverse that damage.

 

Have you taken milk thistle?

[basil67]

Milk thistle is sold here in processed capsule form...that's why I thought you'd be spending money on it. Thanks for the further explanation about damage not being cause by poor diet - I hope someone can help.

 

Good luck.

[preraph]

Here's what to realize about supplements. I'm in the U.S. Do you think that if something was a really effective medicine, a major drug company wouldn't have already taken advantage of that and gotten it FDA approved and sold it and reaped the profits?

[Foxhall]

I studied herbal medicine for a while and am of the view much more consideration should be given to these natural remedies than the chemicals offloaded by pharmaceutical companies,

 

lol its an interesting debate actually-people from the herbalist sphere will argue that these pharmaceutical companies actually want people to be sick, so for that reason they despise herbalists who promote healthier living.

 

milk thistle is quite a commonly used liver herb,

 

Dandelion coffee is another to consider, and Essiac tea is an interesting one to read about.

 

I took milk thistle briefly before, two drops per day in a glass of water, I found it gave me slight headaches actually which prompted me not to continue with it,

 

the herbalist however assured me that this is a natural part of the detoxification process,

 

I have it in the house actually- might start taking it again - we can compare notes!

Edited August 23, 2019 by Foxhall

[Watercolors]

@ preraph I'm in the U.S. as well. I went to 4 vitamin shops today comparing Milk Thistle products (each one preserved with different ingredients which sort of alarmed me, a lot of soybean oil which is bad for the thyroid). I really want to try Milk Thistle, but I'm anxious about taking it for fear I'll have some bizarre allergic reaction.

 

@foxhall thank you for sharing your experience with taking Milk Thistle as a tincture that you used 2 drops a day in water with, until it gave you headaches so that's why you stopped. I would have stopped too.

 

Your herbalist is wrong for rationalizing away the seriousness of your headaches as part of the detoxifying process. Um, no!! That's not how the liver works. I see a hepatologist regularly who I run everything by that I want to try in addition to my dietary changes. I trust him b/c he has a medical license and specializes in liver disease. Sorry that you had a headache after using Milk Thistle. That is exactly what I'm afraid will happen to me if I were to try it.

 

I obsessively study the liver functions and it sounds to me like you had a reaction to the Milk Thistle. No one is supposed to get headaches when they take an herb.

 

Maybe it was a side effect but it was certainly *not* an indication that it was working. This is EXACTLY why I don't believe herbalists or chiropractors. My friend who is a licensed doctor, is pursuing her masters in alternative medicine so she can become a licensed alternative medicine doctor.

 

I realize and respect the history of medicine though, and its reliance on herbs as medicinal agents that actually healed. I don't trust Western medicine 100% and I want to explore the use of herbs but again, I'm anxious about it.

 

I've found legitimate studies done on Milk Thistle use in lowering liver panels, that had medical school funding and were published in medical journals. Still, I have anxiety. I guess I have to get over my anxiety and just try Milk Thistle and see what happens.

 

I will look into the Dandelion tea as I've heard that promotes liver health and its sold in stores in tea bag form and loose leaf form every where. I'm more apt to try the tea as I have good luck with teas. Not sure why Milk Thistle scares me. It shouldn't. It's been used for thousands of years to keep the liver healthy so it can't be that bad.

 

Sorry for my long-winded post.

[gaius]

I think Timshel (my wife) takes it, or did at one point. I seem to recall searching for it at the store one time, and she always looks stunningly hot and hasn't turned green or yellow or anything. So I highly recommend it.

[Watercolors]

@gauis so what you're saying is, if I take Milk Thistle, your wife will remain hot.

 

I think I'll pass on Milk Thistle for now. I read about its possible side effects and I think I'll try the dandelion tea instead.

 

• Abdominal bloating/pain
  
• Allergic reactions
  
• Diarrhea
  
• Gas
  
• Indigestion
  
• Itching
  
• Loss of appetite
  
• Nausea
  
• Rash
  
• Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
  

[Foxhall]

Interesting comments watercolours,

 

yes perhaps you are right regarding the reaction,

 

I have taken a few different herbs and have not had a reaction other than the headaches with the milk thistle,

 

a lot of these herbal remedies are quite strong though, so its a good idea to monitor any potential reactions and so on,

similar to medications people should not take amounts in excess of what is prescribed.

 

on balance I would be in favour of trying them as they seem to have quite positive results in many cases.

[Veronica73]

Sounds like you’ve already decided, but I’d recommend talking to a doctor or pharmacist. There could be interactions you don’t know about. Also, supplements aren’t always whack snake oil. I used to work in a pharmacy at one of the top rated hospitals in the US. Doctors sometimes prescribed milk thistle. It wasn’t common, but it was done. And I even think it was part of our formulary. (Can’t remember if that’s the right word...but I mean that it didn’t have to be special ordered.)

[Watercolors]

Thanks for your replies Foxhall and Veronica.

 

I think it's just I have severe anxiety around taking supplements, even though they are safe for the most part. I don't know why I have such a severe anxiety about taking milk thistle as I"m not allergic to ragweed or the other flowers of the same species.

 

Foxhall, I found evidence that yes it does cause headaches on the Mayo Clinic website: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-milk-thistle/art-20362885

 

I guess the only way to find out, is for me to try it in capsule form. I tried the dandelion tea and didn't have any reaction, so I'm pleased with that.

[Ellener]

I've just pulled out the milk thistle as I drank alcohol several times during the holidays. It seems to work for me in improving liver function test.