Posted on 10/01/2018 12:37:42 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Turmeric supplements are popular these days, but for one woman in Arizona, taking a turmeric supplement may have triggered an uncommon liver problem, according to a new report of the case.
What's more, the link between the woman's liver problem and her turmeric supplement use wasn't identified by her doctors — but rather by the woman herself, after she consulted the internet.
Until the woman brought it up, her doctors weren't aware that she was taking a turmeric supplement, and the case underscores the need for doctors and patients to communicate about the supplements that patients are taking, the report's authors said. [27 Oddest Medical Cases]
The report, by researchers at the University of Arizona, was published Sept. 10 in the journal BMJ Case Reports.
Turmeric is perhaps best-known as a spice in curry powder, but some studies suggest that it has anti-inflammatory properties. Early research suggests that turmeric may help with certain conditions, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, but more research is needed on its benefits, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
In the new case, the 71-year-old woman started taking turmeric supplements after she read a news article about a study in animals that suggested turmeric may help prevent stroke. She was also taking 20 other medicines and supplements. Her health care providers knew about most of these medicines and supplements, but not the turmeric.
About eight months after she started the turmeric supplements, a blood test showed elevated levels of liver enzymes — a sign of liver problems, the report said.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
After her diagnosis, the woman was monitored closely without receiving specific treatment. But three months later, she told her doctor she had stopped taking turmeric, after she read on the internet about a possible link to liver problems.
This was the first time the woman had told her doctors about the turmeric supplement. And her suspicion about its tie to her liver problems may have been right — after she stopped taking the turmeric supplement, her doctors noticed a rapid decrease in her levels of liver enzymes, the report said.
It's known that in about 10 to 15 percent of people with autoimmune hepatitis, the condition is triggered by drugs or supplements, the report said. In these cases, the condition is called drug-induced autoimmune hepatitis. It's unclear how drugs or supplements trigger drug-induced autoimmune hepatitis, but it's thought that in some cases, the breakdown of drugs may lead to the formation of molecules that trigger an immune reaction, according to the NIH.
HERE’s ANOTHER ARTICLE ON THE SAME INCIDENT:
https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/a23505656/turmeric-supplements-liver-disease-hepatitis/
(EXCERPT)
Before you decide to throw away your supplements, you should consider a few things.
As part of their case study, the authors conducted a review of 35 previous studies related to turmeric supplements. They found that around 5 percent of the participants suffered liver problems that were linked to the supplements. However, Dr. Funk does remind us that this is the first report of autoimmune hepatitis associate with turmeric use.
They also note that there is a possibility that specific people — such as those who drink alcohol or are older in age — who take these supplements may be more prone to having problems as a result. Additionally, there is the fact that the product itself wasn’t tested (as the woman had thrown it away before she told her doctors she was taking it) and there could be a chance it was contaminated. Dr. Funk explains to us that they have demonstrated and others have reported that turmeric supplements can be comprised of encapsulated spice (root) or the spice itself can sometime be contaminated with high levels of lead. “This is unusual, but can happen,” she says. Alternatively, the turmeric could have been reacting with one of the many other drugs the woman was taking.
Tasneem Bhatia, MD, an integrative medicine specialist, isn’t quick to dismiss turmeric supplements, pointing out that it is a well-known anti-inflammatory and reiterating that this is the fist case study to be published. “It is important to note it has been reported by the patient and not in the medical chart that turmeric may have caused the autoimmune hepatitis,” Dr. Bhatia tells Prevention.
so.....the autoimmune hepatitis could have been triggered by the turmeric. Or one of the 20+ prescription drugs she was on. Or none of the above.
Not a terribly enlightening article.
I took the supplement a few times and did not feel well. I told my acupuncturist about it and she said to quit taking it. It was ‘too hot’ for me. And that is what I felt. It is a powerful product. Just because it has some redeeming qualities for your body doesn’t mean one needs to take it all the time and copious amounts or even at all. Not everything that is tested as having benefits is right for our body or needs to be a steady diet.
I’ve been taking turmeric supplements (one a day) for 30 or 40 years. No problems.
ive never taken tumeric, but I know more than one friend (who do not know each other) that swear by it for knee pain.
Reminds me of the beautiful actress, Allison Hayes
She was getting up there in Hollywood. But she started to experience severe health problems and was unable to walk without a cane.
In severe pain, her usually good-natured personality began to change and she became emotional and volatile, making it difficult for her to secure acting work. She had a very minor role in the 1965 Elvis Presley film “Tickle Me,” making her final appearances in a guest role on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. in 1967.
Hayes later said that the pain of her illness caused her to contemplate suicide, and that her symptoms were not taken seriously by doctors.
Reading a medical book about the metal poisoning of factory workers, Hayes recognized the symptoms described as being similar to her own.
Hayes began to question the ingredients of a calcium supplement she had been taking for a long time and when she employed a toxicologist to test a sample of the product, he determined that it had an extremely high content of lead and concluded that Hayes was most likely suffering from lead poisoning.
By then it was too late....her body had been fatally damaged by lead poisoning. She died soon after.
RE: I’ve been taking turmeric supplements (one a day) for 30 or 40 years. No problems.
Some questions if you don’t mind:
1) What is your daily dosage?
2) Did it do anything good for your health?
3) How old are you?
Thanks.
Thank you in advance.
Amazing.
I’ve used different tumeric supplements over the past few years.
They seem to help me some.
RE: Reminds me of the beautiful actress, Allison Hayes
She was getting up there in Hollywood. But she started to experience severe health problems and was unable to walk without a cane.
_________________________________________
If I recall, she was only in her 40’s when she died.
I took the supplement for about a week and then started to develop extreme headaches, stomach and intestinal pain, and explosive .. and I do not use the term "explosive" lightly .. diarrhea. I stopped taking the supplement and it took three days to get it out of my system and for the negative effects to wear off ...
According to this site:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/turmeric-dosage
Studies typically use doses of 500–2,000 mg of turmeric per day, often in the form of an extract with a curcumin concentration that is much higher than the amounts naturally occurring in foods.
A couple years ago, after hearing good stories about turmeric from friends who bought it online, I decided to try it. I bought capsules available in a local chain store. I noticed immediate improvement for my knee pain, but after two weeks, I began to feel funny. I felt a little spacey, a little more nervous. I immediately went off the product. The feeling ent away. Now if anyone asks if I’m allergic to anything, I list turmeric. I talked to my doctor before I went on it and he said it was okay to try it. I talked to him after I went off it, he said it was good I went off it. By the way, I found relief for my pain by consulting with an Orthopedic specialist who believes in conservative treatment (not surgery).
“I took the supplement a few times and did not feel well.”
tumeric made me itch ...
I take turmeric supplements. This article is bs
At the moment I’m taking one capsule a day, curcumin C3, with bioperrin, along with other supplements and vitamins. I don’t notice any effects, but I presume it’s doing its job. I’m 83.
If turmeric alone caused liver damage then everyone in India should be dead. It’s in virtually everything they eat.
Of course the 20 other medications she was taking played no part. LOL!
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