I had a neck injury 7 years ago and my doctor prescribed all kinds of pain meds for years. For about 4 years I was taking Lorcet 10/650, about 200 a month, and then I was switched over to Ultram, again about 200 a month for 2 years. I was able to find the source of the pain by visiting a D.O. He made some adjustments to my neck on a daily basis for about a year. At that time he discontinued the narcotics and put me on Esgic Plus for about a year.(about 90 a month)
My question is this, I haven’t been able to stay awake for the past year. I have stopped taking all medications. My doctor ordered blood work and it showed that my Billy Rueben sp? level was high. Is this what’s causing my drowsiness, and is it permanent?
I fogot to mention that I was 13 when I started taking those medications. Dunno if that makes a difference.
It’s spelled bilirubin, and it’s a yellow or orange pigment made from hemoglobin and found in the bile. Only small amounts of bilirubin are normally found in the blood. An excess of bilirubin in the blood is called hyperbilirubinemia. If it goes on long enough it can lead to the symptom called jaundice (yellowing of the skin and other tissues). There are many things that can lead to hyperbilirubinemia, including gallstones, liver damage, or any number of other things. You need a doctor (an M.D.) to make the diagnosis.
Have you tried coffee (to replace the caffeine you were taking in the Esgic Plus)?
A high bilirubin level can be caused by more things than just liver damage. In general, drowsiness and hyperbilirubinemia are not associated although people with active hepatitis (who have high bilirubin) tend to be rather lethargic.
As I said, a high bilirubin level can be caused by a lot of things. Some people just naturally have a high bilirubin level.
Usually when the health care provider orders a test for blood bilirubin, she orders a bunch of other tests at the same time. By considering your symptoms (e.g., any fever?), physical findings (e.g., any liver enlargement?), and the results of other tests, she can narrow down the possibilities.
Once the possibilities are narrowed down, she may be able to answer the question, “is it permanent”?
Per Yeah, many things can cause a high level of bilirubin…
However, All of the above listed meds are metabolized in the liver, so given a history of taking those meds for many years, I would suspect some form of liver deficit.
In any case, keep seeing the docs.
I already mentioned Milk Thistle here. It’s totally harmless (one capsule three times/day). Take it for a month, repeat your bilirubin test.
funny peace, I don’t see any post from you listed above. What effect does milk thistle have on bilirubin levels?
Sorry, it was another thread. About hepatitis. People with a potentially lethal disease have nothing to loose…
Anyway, Milk Thistle is an unbelievable remedy. It is harmless. It is a universal “liver fixer”, totally unknown in medical establishment. It will normilize abnormal LFTs, prevent toxic effects of many poisons. Some even claim that it can reverse cirrhosis. It looks impossible, but they swear…
I understand the limitations of this MB, but if you can check my info, post the results here, maybe you could do some good…
Peace
If milk thistle is used to raise levels of a chemical in the body, how can it be totally harmless? What if you take too much. Does it make any other changes in body chemistry? Have there been any scientific studies in the use of milk thistle?
Kinoons, I said “normalize”, I did not say “raise”.
I said “harmless” because this is my personal experience (5 years, 1 cap X 3/day) and I’ve never heard anything to the contrary. I never did any web search. I guess some info can be found in books.
I know that some studies were done. But do your own research, my word is just that.
Again, with this MB limitations in mind: I do not own the stock, and I am not interested in MT in any way. Do not take anything recommended by anybody on the web. But do your own investigation. If you can test for LFT or bilirubin, check it. You can always stop.
Peace, how do you expect for MT to make changes in the body if it does not raise or lower some chemicals or change a chemical reaction in the body. It doesn’t just walk in and say “hea, were all good now.”
per some quick internet research –
“The active chemical component in the herb is silybin, which functions as an antioxidant and is one of the most potent liver protective agents known”
I am curious on the effects of possibly having too much silybin in the body, or what other chemical processes in the body may be changed
I do not know how it works. Not the slightest idea. I am glad that you found about “one of the most potent liver protective agents known”.
I generally do not believe in herbs and folk remedies, but MT is one of the exceptions. I called it “liver-fixer” because somebody I trust told me that MT is capable to reverse liver cirrhosis. I am sure, you will not find confirmation of that. Neither do you need to. If, God forbid, you have cirrhosis, you can try anything short of minced glass, it won’t hurt. Try MT for a while and see what happens.
Lastly, if MT (silybin) is antioxidant, it does not have “to make changes in the body”. It prevents body from untoward changes (free radical damage?).
Peace
Antioxidants are used to prevent free radical damage, yes. I am curious what possible damage can be done to the body if the concentration of antioxidants is too high. What effects on homeostasis would these levels have?
Kinoons, I do not know exactly. I am even not sure what is “too high”. Most people never take them and live “normal” lives. I guess, that to have some “extra” (above naturally occuring) amounts of AA is beneficial, as your organism is “armed” against potential free radicals. But, they work to a limit, like vitamins: normal biochemical reactions can use only so much of them. After all are used, the excess will be waste. So, if silybin works as AA, it prevents certain reactions, but if only a number of moles is involved extra silybin will not be used.
Again, I am not aware of any studies, the above is just extrapolation of what I know.
Peace