Take care of Your Liver + A Neat Little App

With all of the research we do online we need to know which medications and supplements will actually be helpful to us in our own situation. What works well for your Facebook friend may be harmful to you. More is not better. Since PwMS/CCSVI usually take medications as a normal part of treatment and supplement deficiencies, it’s a good idea to be sure your liver is functioning normally. You might want to discuss this with your PCP. The hepatic function panel, also known as liver function tests, is a group of seven tests used to evaluate the liver for injury, infection, or inflammation. This test measures the blood levels of total protein, albumin, bilirubin, and liver enzymes. High or low levels may mean that liver damage or disease is present. The liver processes all the medications we take. Many of them for MS can cause liver damage as well as unrestrained supplements. I know that many of us have to experiment with the supplements that will work for us, but too much can be toxic. Some of the ones people throw out on the web are dangerous. What works great for one can cause liver failure in another. That’s why we DO need a doctor and pharmacist we can trust. These meds and supplements can cause liver failure if not monitored. This is by no means a complete list: Iron acetaminophen antibiotics non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs anticonvulsants herbal drugs and supplements: Kava ephedra skullcap pennyroyal Chaparral - Used as a natural antioxidant Bitter Orange - Used for weight loss Comfrey - Used to treat wounds and reduce inflammation in sprains and broken bones Germander - Used for weight loss Niacin - Used to lower cholesterol Black Cohosh - Used for muscle pain and menopausal symptoms Vitamin A is also known to cause severe liver damage when the dosage is too high or when taken at high dosages for an extended period of time. In fact, Metabolife had to recall its diet and energy bars in 2001 because they contained Vitamin A at a level much higher than was labeled. Before my procedure, cognitive issues made multi-tasking impossible. It can be a hard task to keep track of all the meds and supplements we take, with or without cog fog. I found this recently and am trying it out. The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) has developed a free mobile app for consumers called My Dietary Supplements (MyDS). In addition you can use it on your PC. This is a simple way to keep track of the vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other products you take. *Create personal product profiles for yourself and others. *Record the name and amount of each product you take. *Add additional information about each product in the Notes field. *Email your product profile to yourself or your health care providers. *Access reliable information about dietary supplements from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements *

IMO there are not any privacy issues here This is a free app, although it is not available in the app store. Though I personally don’t have great faith in the FDA, this app can help you keep track of your medications, supplements, etc. I have an iPad and an iPod and it works very well on those. Go to this link: https://myds.nih.gov/ Use the touch screen to add the app to your home screen. You don't have to have an Apple product, it will work with any mobile device. At this point in time CCSVI is a condition that forces us to take control of our own healthcare. I am all for little things that can help us do it.