milk thistle and allergies

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Nann Bell - 13 Sep 2006 00:07 GMT

When I was buying more milk thistle today at WalMart they had Rexall brand as
well as the usual Spring Valley brand and Rexall had a stronger concentration
of milk thistle. But I noticed that on the Rexall brand it said to avoid
taking milk thistle if you are allergic to ragweed or daisy-type flowers. I
have never seen this anywhere before. As it happens I am *very* allergic to
ragweed, as well as other pollens. I've never noticed any greater allergy
troubles when taking milk thistle though so I went ahead and bought the
Rexall with the higher concentration.

Has anyone else ever encountered this warning? Does anyone know more? My
allergies have been bad lately, but the pollen counts have been really high
here so that's not surprising.

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Nann
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Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare

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Duckie - 13 Sep 2006 01:04 GMT

I am extremely allergic to ragweed too. Never had a problem with the
brand I take but did have problem when switch to one that says Nature
something on a green label. Terrible indigestion and did find that they
had different formula added to the mix where as the Solaray I take is a
plain gelatin capsule and milk thistle. Let us know how it goes.
Duckie

> When I was buying more milk thistle today at WalMart they had Rexall brand as
> well as the usual Spring Valley brand and Rexall had a stronger concentration
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> allergies have been bad lately, but the pollen counts have been really high
> here so that's not surprising.

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Smokie Darling (Annie) - 13 Sep 2006 15:56 GMT

> I am extremely allergic to ragweed too. Never had a problem with the
> brand I take but did have problem when switch to one that says Nature
> something on a green label. Terrible indigestion and did find that they
> had different formula added to the mix where as the Solaray I take is a
> plain gelatin capsule and milk thistle. Let us know how it goes.
> Duckie

Nature Made or Natural Life, I have trouble with both those brands and
I'm NOT allergic ragweed or daisy type flowers (*finally* something I
am not allergic too - LOL). I also do better with the gelatin capsule,
but have found that I can tolerate Safeway store brand pretty well.

Smokie Darling (Annie)

> > When I was buying more milk thistle today at WalMart they had Rexall brand as
> > well as the usual Spring Valley brand and Rexall had a stronger concentration
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> > allergies have been bad lately, but the pollen counts have been really high
> > here so that's not surprising.

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Duckie - 14 Sep 2006 02:33 GMT

I think it is Nature Made. Can't tell you the burping that stuff caused.
Good to know about the Safeway brand. I have had to get Whole Foods to
special order the Solaray as they happily keep trying to give me Nature
Made and I finally told them the heartburn that brand caused was not
worth it. If I did not know better I would have thought it was the milk
thistle had that been the first brand I tried. They were stunned. duh.
Thanks.
Duckie

> Nature Made or Natural Life, I have trouble with both those brands and
> I'm NOT allergic ragweed or daisy type flowers (*finally* something I
> am not allergic too - LOL). I also do better with the gelatin capsule,
> but have found that I can tolerate Safeway store brand pretty well.
>
> Smokie Darling (Annie)

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Nann Bell - 14 Sep 2006 04:07 GMT

Hunh, I'll have to avoid those brands. Figures that a compnay with
Nature/Natural in the name would put more "other" stuff in the product!
Around here, I can only find milk thistle at WalMart though. I suppose GNC
might have it too, but I never stop at the mall. No one else carries it -
life is rather different in small towns!

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Nann
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Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare

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ladylove77 - 14 Sep 2006 19:05 GMT

Nann, I get Spring Valley at WalMart. Have never had any trouble with it.
Gwen

>> Nature Made or Natural Life, I have trouble with both those brands and
>> I'm NOT allergic ragweed or daisy type flowers (*finally* something I
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> might have it too, but I never stop at the mall. No one else carries it -
> life is rather different in small towns!

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Smokie Darling (Annie) - 15 Sep 2006 00:27 GMT

> > Nature Made or Natural Life, I have trouble with both those brands and
> > I'm NOT allergic ragweed or daisy type flowers (*finally* something I
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> might have it too, but I never stop at the mall. No one else carries it -
> life is rather different in small towns!

Well, our GNC didn't have it, but doesn't mean yours wouldn't. I have
another brand I like, but haven't been to that store (Apple Seed) in a
while. It's not on my way anywhere, and anymore I have no stamina for
driving around. Aside from the Safeway stuff, if they stop carrying
it, I'll probably go back to the health store, but I hope not (whimper,
whimper).

At least with S'ways brand I can only take one and it keeps my levels
fine (though I'm only on Imuran, so far as a "liver eater" goes).

SD (Annie)

> --
> Nann
> remove the Gator cheer to email me
> Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare

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Fire Chief - 15 Sep 2006 15:54 GMT

> Hunh, I'll have to avoid those brands. Figures that a compnay with
> Nature/Natural in the name would put more "other" stuff in the product!

One of the two articles this week on "salt" warned that
the "healthy" lo-cal foods have much more sodium than
the regular labels.

... Looks to me that Victoria doesn't have many secrets.

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johnie - 13 Sep 2006 12:17 GMT

Nann, Milk thistle is in the ragweed family so being highly allergic to
'rag', if you are taking theraputic doses of high quality thistle you
may very well be reacting to it. I would suggest 2 things to find out.
First, stop taking it and if your allegeries improve
significantly...there ya go. Second, if they didn't improve and you
think you aren't reacting to the 'thistle' buy a good brand of
concentrated 'thistle' as a liquid herb and try that for awhile. Milk
thistle is one of those that is supposed to remain at a higher quality
as a tinctured liquid.
Hope you are not allergic or can live with it cause it does help the
liver alot.

johnie

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Nann Bell - 14 Sep 2006 03:42 GMT

> Nann, Milk thistle is in the ragweed family so being highly allergic to
> 'rag', if you are taking theraputic doses of high quality thistle you
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> johnie

I did stop it around June of '05 - Feb '06 and I've been on and off it since
Feb. We stopped mtx due to wacky albumin and protein levels, though my other
LFTs are fine. We have my albumin and protein back to just a bit low, but
nowhere near the low 4s they were at 2 or 3 years ago. So, I've decided to
stay on the milk thistle until all liver related labs are normal again. I'll
have to see if my allergies worsen with this brand. This week has been cool
enough that we've kept the house closed up and that has finally brought me
some relief from the relentlessly high pollen levels of this dry-ish summer.

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Nann
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Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare

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John McDowell - 13 Sep 2006 15:43 GMT

I know that some people with Hepatitis take milk thistle but why would
someone with arthritis take it?

John Mc

> When I was buying more milk thistle today at WalMart they had Rexall brand
> as
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> high
> here so that's not surprising.

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Kelly C. - 13 Sep 2006 15:50 GMT

>I know that some people with Hepatitis take milk thistle but why would
>someone with arthritis take it?
>
> John Mc

Some meds, methotrexate in particular, are very hard on the liver and can
cause liver enzymes to go out of whack. Milk thistle seems to help a lot of
people get those enzymes level again, so they can continue to use a
medication that works on the RA, without ruining their liver.

HTH,
Kelly C.

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