Lloyd Wright and natural treatment for Hep C

[JulieAnn]

My brother asked me to research the alternative treatment recommended by Lloyd Wright that's also promoted at www.heptitiscfree.com.  I've looked into it a bit and was surprised there was no reference to it on this forum.   Does anyone here know anything about it--pro or con?  My first thought was that it wouldn't work post transplant because it likely stimulated the immune system.  So I emailed Lloyd Wright this morning and asked him the question.  He replied saying he has had several clients that have had a liver transplant who use his products, but he does advise keeping a close watch on the lab work "to be sure nothing is interfering with the anti rejection drugs." 

[robin]

Julie...I am not one who is "familiar" with herbals. My personal thoughts would be that I would not go by what the person who is to profit from the sale of the item. The only really safe thing would be to contact your brother's transplant team and ask what their suggestion is. There are many things, including food items, that you can not use because it interfers with the anti-rejection meds. This is only my idea of things but I don't think your brother should take ANYTHING with out express consent of his transplant team. Keep your spirits high...robin

[JulieAnn]

Robin, I agree.  In fact I asked my brother this morning if his team had given him a list of food and substances to avoid and he said yes, but it was a couple of years ago.  He's going to get a new list later in the week and share it with me.  But I'm discouraging him from this approach, though I understand that he's feeling desperate.  He's still really freaked about his viral load, and I read to him this morning what you said about it, so I think that helped.  I do think certain things like Lipoic Acid, Milk Thistle and Selennium may help and not be on the avoid list, and if he wants to do those things to lessen his viral load and help his liver be healthy, then I think that would be ok.  But I think other substances that have not been carefully tested on someone post transplant could be a dangerous path.

[jody13]

I had some emails from Loyd when first found out I had "C" But after pricing his products I decide to do it my self. I'm not saying he has bad stuff, just that he is awful proud of it. I thought about it but didn't have the money any way at the time. What he says makes sense and i used the same stuff he did but not his stuff.. Milk thstle  and some of those I dont think would bother him any. But on the other hand I have seen Doctors and Chemo kill people that wanted to try herbs and they would tell them if they tried herbs they would be through with them , 2 weeks later they die. Jody

[robin]

Hi Julie...I'm glad your brother is using care in what he puts in his body. Trying to balance the bodies own immune system and keep the donor liver "happy" is a big task. BTW...does your brother have a name that he wouldn't mind us using when we talk about him? I feel kind of funny always referring to him just as "your brother". Feels like talking in the third party. LOL. Keep your spirits high...robin

[Helen]

Hi JulieAnn, 

 Here go's.... I am an "alternative" person and have never done tx. (yet) My biopsy was a stage 1, grade 0 about 4-1/2 years ago. So at that point in time I decided I would just try to do things to stay healthy and try to keep my liver happy and hopefully something a little more tolerable will come along OR at least a shorter tx. period. Ive looked into alot of different things and Lloyd was one of them. Now alot of things he says does make sense, BUT the cost is really high AND all he has are testimonials....I dont like testimonials.  unless its someone I know personally I just dont feel I can trust that. I also have no way of knowing if Lloyd has ever really had hep. 
 
 Now Im not trying to be negative Im just leary. Your brother needs to be VERY careful. There are some good books out there that can help him with a holistic approach. But the best at this point in time is that it may or may not keep the virus in check. I believe there is a natural cure out there somewhere, But we just dont know what it is yet.
 Now this is all just my personal opinion and Im no Dr. in any shape or form. But please be very very careful of all the "snakeoil salesmen" out there.

 Best of luck to you and your brother, Helen 

[JulieAnn]

Thanks all for you thoughts and input!  It really does help.  And Robin... my brother's name is Ricky.  I love that name, maybe because I love him so much!  He's a little less than 2 years older than me.

Ricky went for more blood labs on Tuesday and his enzymes were somewhat elevated from the week before and his platelets were low.   He's very sad right now.  I think my sister's son and son-in-law are going to go over to my brother's house and cut his grass and stain his deck.  What a great way to let him know people love him and care!

Thanks again everyone,
Julie

[willy]

  I've looked into it a bit and was surprised there was no reference to it on this forum.   Does anyone here know anything about it--pro or con?" 

I was surprised to read this.  I promptly typed Lloyd Wright into the board search engine and found......
nothing.

Well....... I knew that wasn't so and so I tried a few other "keywords" and found lots of links to various threads.

Try typing in "wright"  or "thymus" or "natcell."

I have read his books, bought several products from him but I don't know what to tell you.  I've tried thymus but could discern no difference for me.  I've purchased Milk thistle from him as well; no real difference..... but then again....I have minimal liver damage and few sides anyway.

I see that many people on the net think he isn't for real.  I don't agree completely and I see that he promotes many lifestyle changes, sells many supplements that seem to have some basis in trials.  I often have read things at his site that seem to have basis proven years afterward in some trials and technical journals.  I can clearly say that not everything he sells worlks for everybody......but then again the FDA approved current treatment only has about a 50% chance of curing you.  I will tell you that I'm not aware of most people feeling worse in doing his supplements.  We did have a member here who DID experience severely elevated LFT's while on some alternatives though.  The flip side of that is we've also had people who claimed they were cured ( I can't substantiate that) .  Those must be balanced against those who saw no difference.

The issue that many people would promote is that you are not busy curing oneself by treating your damage is progressing.  Some people feel that he exploits peoples fear or ignorance about HCV or TX.  It's clear that he is a vendor.  He sells stuff to heppers.  I also feel that he does educate and instruct on many issues about HCV.  Many people would say that he promises people hope with products which have a virtually non-existant chance of "curing" people, especially genotype 1's.


I may not agree with everything that he sells or writes.  I'd just say keep an open mind.  When I say keep an open mind..... I also remember years ago when Lloyd more or less said that geno 1's couldn't be cured with current SOC.  Lloyd does not have an open mind about SOC; he thinks it's a very bad treatment.  Whether one agrees with him or not I do feel that it is good to hear both sides of the story on treating.  Suffice to say that Lloyd exists to attempt to catalogue all the bad things he can find about current TX.  One can also take that with a grain of salt. 


My counter argument to that is that if one could stay in low liver damage areas and slow the liver damage progression they will soon see better (more potent, shorter, and possibly safer) forms of TX.  That is one doesn't have to be cured in order to be helped by alternatives and diet/ lifestyle modifications.

All of this discussion is just an informational side trip; I agree that your brother needs to work with their transplant team.  I agree with the assessment that the Drs in charge of your brothers case have to call the shots.  It can be a crap shoot dealing with alternatives for us folks with minimal damage.  I just think that it's too many drugs and drug interactions to further complicate a case with other supplements when a person is dealing with a TP.

best,
willy

[robin]

Thanks Willy in backing up my main concern when dealing with a post transplant and any medications. Even if a medication, herbal or any other type of treatment WORKS with the "regular" patient and even if it were free, anyone with a transplant MUST make any additions to their medications (even over the counter) with the blessing of their treatment team.

Tell Ricky we are thinking about him and sending positive thoughts and energy his way. BTW, will his doctor not give him IV platelet enriched plasma to bring up his counts? keep your spirits high...robin

[JulieAnn]

Thanks Willy for your thoughtful reply!  I too was surprised I didn't find anything when I did a search--I'll seach again using your advice.  And I'll share your post with my brother.

Robin, they were giving Ricky platelet enriched plasma before they diagnosed the ITP, but I'm not sure if they're still doing it along with the IV immunoglobulin.  It would seem logical.  He's back for another treatment later today and more blood labs so I'll ask him, and I'll also share your good wishes and positive thoughts!