Dear Stephen,
I had hepatitis C and was treated in 2003 for one year and had a sustained viral response. My bloodwork showed no HCV until I started your protocol for lyme disease. I was using the Japanese knotweed, cat’s claw and andrographis. Are you aware that knotweed can reactivate hep C? I am wondering if you have this posted on your website? People who have a history of this virus should be aware of this herb’s ability to reactivate the hep C virus.
I had hepatitis C and was treated in 2003 for one year and had a sustained viral response. My bloodwork showed no HCV until I started your protocol for lyme disease. I was using the Japanese knotweed, cat’s claw and andrographis. Are you aware that knotweed can reactivate hep C? I am wondering if you have this posted on your website? People who have a history of this virus should be aware of this herb’s ability to reactivate the hep C virus.
Stephen’s response:
Yes, you are right, that under certain circumstances knotweed root may have an impact on hep c viral loads. Thanks for the reminder.
Yes, you are right, that under certain circumstances knotweed root may have an impact on hep c viral loads. Thanks for the reminder.
UPDATE 3/17/14 I have spent some time on this question since it was first posted and need to revise my initial response. The material suggesting that some of the components of Japanese knotweed root might, under certain circumstances, reactivate hepatitis C virus really did not pan out over time.
There seem to be two aspects to the potential reactivation of hepatitis C by Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) root: 1) Hepatitis C viruses, when the immune health is high, retreat to relatively untestable numbers, if the immune function falls, for instance, when another disease becomes dominant, may begin to increase in numbers; 2) Polygonum multiflorum, a related species, can in fact, under some circumstances, cause liver inflammation, that is, hepatitis. This can exacerbate any underlying liver diseases that may be present.
After several years of looking at this issue, I do not see that Polygonum cuspidatum will actually reactivate hepatitis C virus levels in the body. The herb is often used in China to treat hepatitis diseases of various sorts, including HCV. I no longer consider the herb a potential problem for former sufferers of HCV (which includes myself).
Stephen
Hi,
I would appreciate if the author of the question and also Stephen could elaborate on this a little. For example:
Original author;
– Were the tests you took not accurate enough to catch any remains of HCV after the treatment (until they became more active)?
Stephen;
– In your opinion, under which “certain circumstances” may knotweed have an impact on HCV?
– What impact are we talking about?
– How likely is it / what does it (knotweed having an impact/effect on HCV) depend on?
On the same topic, how accurate are post-treatment tests for HCV? What I mean is; If one goes through a treatment for Hep C, and doctors say “yeah, you’re clear”, how well can we trust that? Especially in relation to considering consuming japanese knotweed – how do we assess the risk of Hep C potentially becoming “reactivated”?
Thank you,
I posted the original question to Stephen Buhner about Polygonum Cuspidatum re-activating a previously sustained viral Hep C response. For clarification; Polygonum Cuspidatum DID NOT re-activate a formerly “cleared” HCV infection. My doctor ordered an incorrect test. It was the tests results from this incorrect test that I referred to when I posted this comment to Stephen Buhner’s Q&A section. My doctor should have ordered the HCV PCR that quantitates viral load to < than 5, he ordered an antibody test instead. I have since had the HCV PCR test and results showed < than 5. A viral load less than 5 is considered "clearance" from the blood.
In response to the reply/question above about how does one know if they have truly "cleared," the HCV? It's likely we still have reservoirs of infection in our bodies. My Hep Doc claims it is "gone." Probably best to keep our immune systems strong and as healthy as possible. I have continued to use Polygonum Cuspidatum.
Thanks Stephen for posting this follow-up.