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Alternative medicine
By Mayo Clinic staffNo alternative medicine treatments have been proved to treat liver cirrhosis. Many alternative therapies are promoted as liver cleansing or liver flushing treatments, but there is no evidence to support this. Talk with your doctor if you're interested in trying alternative medicine to help you cope with cirrhosis.
Alternative treatments that are generally safe
Some alternative treatments have had some limited testing in people with liver disease. While none has shown any clear evidence that it can help people with liver disease, the treatments are relatively safe when discussed with your doctor and used as directed. Examples include:
- Milk thistle
- SAMe
Other alternative treatments that haven't been tested in people with cirrhosis may be helpful based on their use in people with other diseases and conditions, such as:
- Meditation
- Tai chi
- Yoga
Alternative treatments that are unsafe
A number of herbal supplements have been found to cause liver damage, including:
- Black cohosh
- Chapparal
- Comfrey
- Kava
- Mistletoe
- Pennyroyal
- Skullcap
- Some Chinese herbs, such as ma-huang
- Valerian
- Bonis PAL, et al. Patient information: Cirrhosis. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Goldberg E, et al. Overview of the complications, prognosis and management of cirrhosis. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Dec. 16, 2008.
- Cirrhosis basics. American Gastroenterological Association. http://www.gastro.org/frame-templates/print_template.cfm. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Kelso LN. Cirrhosis: Caring for patients with end-stage liver failure. The Nurse Practitioner. 2008;33:24.
- McNally PR, et al. Common GI problems: Volume 3. American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/cgp/cgpvol3.asp?mode=print&. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Cirrhosis. American Liver Foundation. http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/cirrhosis/. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Liver health tips. American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. http://www.aasld.org/yourliver/Pages/LiverHealthTips.aspx. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Rambaldi A, et al. S-adenosyl-L-methionine for alcoholic liver disease (review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006:CD002235.
- Seeff LB. Herbal hepatotoxicity. Clinics in Liver Disease. 2007;11:577.
- Tillisch K. Complementary and alternative medicine for gastrointestinal disorders. Clinical Medicine. 2007;7:224.
- Rambaldi A, et al. Milk thistle for alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases (review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007:CD003620.
