Very interesting. It’s great to see information of possible interactions, both positive and negative, come to light. We’ve all been sailing in mostly dark, uncharted waters without navigation lights and this is invaluable for future patients.
Personally I have continued to take Jeunesse AM/PM Essentials which I started several months before treatment and made a noticeable improvement to my feeling of well being, although I take less than 1/2 the recommended dose (it’s quite expensive). It contains small amounts of taurine and green tea extract among dozens of other things. I was DET <15 at 4 weeks.

This is the story you mentioned –
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-14/man-faced-death-after-taking-popular-weight-loss-product/7162378

Green tea extract was mentioned as the probable cause although doctors were uncertain. I would guess it was present in large quantities in the “weight-loss product purchased online”.

With a little more searching I found vastly conflicting reports, from a girl who got very sick from 3 cups of green tea a day:
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/88334/20150927/teen-who-drank-too-much-green-tea-develops-hepatitis-and-turns-yellow-because-of-liver-damage.htm

to a report that it helps fatty liver:
http://www.liversupport.com/green-tea-promotes-a-lean-liver/

I do think you can mistakenly overstimulate your immune system when you have hep and suffer for it.

Liver fibrosis is not directly caused by the hepC virus. It is caused by inflammation set up by the immune system in response to the virus. So paradoxically, your Viral Load number bears no direct relationship to the progression of your liver damage, and trying to ramp up your immune response could be counter-productive.

A much better approach to protecting your liver (while not on tx) is the use of natural anti-inflammatories, for example like cooking with turmeric.

dt

Research shows the complete opposite. Especially when it comes to Tumeric. The good parts (curumin) is not absorpable and they need to make a extract to get some absorption. Extracts are mostly always better for absorption and to get the most precise part of the plant or herb.

Masculinist fallacy? I guess we will just disagree then. Some know better then others and will always have different opinions. For the massess out there don’t believe everything you read and do RESEARCH. Real research and not sites like Doctor Mercola or Mike Adams (Health Ranger)etc.

….cute!

Hi Han,

Please see Dr Freeman’s explanation in the first post of this thread. In summary, taurine is an essential compound as you say but it is also an inducer of the CYP3a4 enzyme which is what metabolises Daclatasvir. That means that increased levels of taurine increase the rate at which Daclatasvir is removed from our bodies therefore reducing its effectiveness. So while we need taurine to survive and it is a natural part of our diets, we should not add extra via supplements or energy drinks during treatments that contain Daclatasvir. An example where ‘more’ doesn’t necessarily equal ‘better’.

Bristol-Myers Squibb who make and license Daclatasvir have recognised this is a potential issue per below quote and link.

In addition to herbal and dietary supplements which may increase DCV exposure via CYP3A4 inhibition, others may induce or modulate the induction of CYP3A4 and thus potentially reduce the antiviral activity of DCV. Such extracts include St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum; a strong inducer of CYP3A4 and thus contraindicated for concomitant use with DCV) [36] and taurine (commonly found in body-building supplements and energy drinks) [38].

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12325-016-0407-5