Milk Thistle
Milk Thistle is used for liver disorders. May lower blood sugar levels. As a result, use with caution if you have diabetes and take medications to lower your blood sugar levels.
Milk Thistle Overview
Milk thistle is a plant.
It is used most often for liver disorders, including liver damage caused by chemicals, Amanita phalloides mushroom poisoning, jaundice, chronic inflammatory liver disease, cirrhosis of the liver, and chronic hepatitis.
Other uses include lowering cholesterol levels, reducing insulin resistance in people who have both type 2 diabetes and cirrhosis, and reducing the growth of breast, cervical, and prostate cancer cells.
Side effects of milk thistle include a laxative effect, nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, intestinal gas, bloating, fullness or pain, and loss of appetite.
Milk Thistle Cautionary Labels
Uses
Milk thistle is used most often for its protective effects on the liver and improved liver function. Uses include liver disorders such as cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis, and gallbladder disorders.
This medication may be used for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information
Side Effects of Milk Thistle
Common side effects of milk thistle include the following:
a laxative effect, nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, intestinal gas, bloating, fullness or pain, and loss of appetite.
This is not a complete list of milk thistle side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
Milk Thistle Interactions
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take medications that are broken down by the liver including:
- acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- amitriptyline (Elavil)
- atorvastatin (Lipitor)
- celecoxib (Celebrex)
- diazepam (Valium)
- diclofenac (Voltaren)
- digoxin (Lanoxin)
- entacapone (Comtan)
- estrogen
- fexofenadine (Allegra)
- fluvastatin (Lescol)
- glipizide (Glucotrol)
- ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
- irbesartan (Avapro)
- irinotecan (Camptosar)
- itraconazole (Sporanox)
- ketoconazole (Nizoral)
- lamotrigine (Lamictal)
- lorazepam (Ativan)
- losartan (Cozaar)
- lovastatin (Mevacor)
- meprobamate
- morphine
- oxazepam (Serax)
- phenytoin (Dilantin)
- piroxicam (Feldene)
- pravastatin (Pravachol)
- rosuvastatin (Crestor)
- tamoxifen (Nolvadex)
- tolbutamide (Tolinase)
- torsemide (Demadex)
- triazolam (Halcion)
- warfarin (Coumadin)
- zileuton (Zyflo)
This is not a complete list of milk thistle drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Milk Thistle Precautions
- Milk thistle can produce allergic reactions. Use with caution in people who are allergic to plants in the same family (for example, ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold, and daisy).
- Milk thistle may lower blood sugar levels. Use with caution if you have diabetes if you take medications or supplements that affect blood sugar levels.
