HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Can Milk Thistle Be Taken For A Long Duration?

Posted on Fri, 22 Sep 2017

Question: Hello i am eating milk thistle in order to lower down my elevated ALT enzyme but in moderation i still drink alcohol like once in month or twice and by drinking it again increases so my main worry is like i am eating milk thistle for more than 3 months 400mg twice daily so do milk thistle have any permanent or severe damage to any organ or part of the body if used long term like 2 year continuously? Also can milk thistle harm liver or any other organ if taken for long period of time? Also doctors told me if i completely stop drinking my alcohol my liver enzymes gonna lower down automatically but in my case this never happened unless and until i start taking milk thistle because my liver enzymes went down only when i started taking milk thistle so why my enzymes didn't get lower automatically and today my ALT enzyme come 75 U/L which should be less than 50 so according to you when again i should go for this test and how much lower ALT figure do you expect to come in my next test?

Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (9 hours later)

Brief answer....milk thistle is generally supposed to be a safe drug
Detailed answer.....
Hello,
Thanks for the query.
I gave read your query and understand your concern.
I would answer you one by one.
Studies show that milk thistle is safe if used for 3 to 3 1/2 years,however it can cause some problem in certain individuals specially if they are taking drugs like anti cholesterol medicines,anti fungals,anti allergics,sedatives,estrogen preparations etc.
In few cases it has been found to increase your liver enzymes also or even some rise in serum creatinine levels,on long term use.
You must quit alcohol completely for your ALT to come to normal levels for at least 6 months.
However ALT levels may still hover over the normal range because there can be other reasons also along with alcohol.
These other reasons could be obesity,excessive use of pain killers or some herbal preparation etc.
I would advise you to quit alcohol completely, quit pain killers,reduce your weight( if high ) and get the repeat test after 3 months.
Your ALT levels should come to normal levels within 3 months,however there won't be any problem,even if levels are slightly above normal range.
I hope it helps,however you are most welcome to revert to me for any further problem.
Best of luck
Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana

Follow up: Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (7 hours later)

Ok does milk thistle also helps the person who has fatty liver grade 1? Because my mother ultrasound report says she has fatty liver grade 1 will milk thistle helps in curing fatty liver grade 1?

Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (24 minutes later)

Hello,
Fatty liver is a condition where excess fats get deposited in liver cells.
Frankly speaking there is no specific medicine to cure fatty liver.
Treatment for fatty liver requires reduction of weight by exercises and reduction n intake of carbohydrates and saturated and unhealthy fats.
Avoid alcohol
Avoid simple carbohydrates like white flour,white rice,white sugar,pasta,potatoes,bakery products etc
Eat more of green vegetables and fresh fruits
Using cooking oils like olive oil,coconut oils,flax seed oils and avoiding vegetable oils
Regular exercises and shedding of weight
It is said that a reduction of weight by 10% of your weight helps you a lot in clearing fats from your liver cells.
Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (39 hours later)

Also nowdays i have seen many videos on YouTube where people dying at work or news channel and young people are also dying from sudden heart attack and cardiac arrest so may i know what blood test are available that can assure our heart is working fine and is there any sign or symptoms before actual happeneing of this?

Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (7 minutes later)

Hello,
Frankly speaking , a person can die of heart attacks and cardiac arrest in spite of normal tests,however you can get certain test lipid profile,ECG,echocardiogram etc to have a look at your heart.
Best would be to consult a heart specialist and get all the tests under his guidance.
Key to healthy heart is eating in moderation,doing regular exercises to keep yourself fit as well as to keep your weight inside the normal range of your BMI.
Avoid smoking and take alcohol in moderation.
Eating fresh fruits and green vegetables.
Thanks

Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana