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Complementary and alternative medicine
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) covers a number of practices that people use in addition to the care they get from their doctor or healthcare worker.
Different types of CAM look at the whole person and see if there are ways to improve general well-being. People can often feel better about their health, even if CAM cannot cure them of a disease. Some examples of CAM include: Some people with Hep C consider CAM because they think it will help them manage side effects from treatment or because treatment isn't working for them. Some believe that CAM might help cure the hepatitis C infection. Currently, there is no scientific proof that this is true. CAM certainly has some benefits. Most complementary and alternative therapies look at health from all aspects of a human being—your physical, spiritual and emotional health. Conventional treatment (peg-interferon and ribavirin) may not have worked for you or you may not feel ready to take it. Milk thistle and licorice root (not the candy) are two herbal supplements that some people with Hep C take. Some say that milk thistle can improve liver function or that licorice root can help you fight the virus. So far, none of this has been scientifically proven to be true. In any case, you need to be careful when you take herbal or “natural” therapies (licorice root, for example, can raise your blood pressure), so talk to your doctor if you are thinking of taking CAM. The main limitation with CAM is that it is not very well researched. Some of the herbal remedies that are available can be dangerous to the liver and should be avoided. Here is a list of some herbal preparations that can seriously damage your liver if you have Hep C: People may offer to get you herbal or “natural” medicines from other countries—be very careful. Always check with your healthcare provider before you take any herbal or “natural” medicine. This is the only way you can be sure that it is safe for you. Complementary and alternative therapies look at health from all aspects of a human being.Some benefits of CAM
CAM: What to be careful about
Always check with your healthcare provider before you take any herbal or “natural” medicine.
It may be difficult to know the quality of the herb you are taking, as there are no regulations in place to monitor that. Also, if you don't take the right dosage or amount, you could really get sick. So make sure that there is a Drug Identification Number (DIN) on the label, meaning that the preparation or herbal supplement has been approved in Canada.
Acupuncture is used by some people to help stimulate the flow of energy and has been used to treat things like fatigue or aches and pains. One caution with acupuncture is that sharing acupuncture needles can put you at risk for hepatitis C infection and other infections such as HIV or hepatitis B. All acupuncture needles should be used only once and disposed of safely in a sharps container. So make sure that the acupuncturist has a good reputation and follows infection control procedures.
