Ask the PBC Doc
Have a burning question about PBC?
Can’t find the answer to your PBC question?
Our Ask the PBC Doc section provides a forum for you to ask a leading PBC research doctor a question about PBC. We will select the top questions we receive and provide you with the answers on a regular basis. Please send your questions to pbcsociety@yahoo.ca
DISCLAIMER: The following is intended for general information purposes only. It is not intended to be comprehensive. It does not in any way constitute legal or other professional advice, and should not be relied upon as such. The reader is cautioned to consult their own physician and other experts for advice regarding specific health concerns. The Canadian PBC Society is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or any action taken on the basis of the information mentioned herein. It is not intended to substitute for and/or supersede one's own physician's advice.
"Herbal Remedies that can be toxic"Compiled by the Liver Clinic at Toronto Western Hospital.
Who is the PBC Doc?
From the desk of Dr. Gideon Hirschfield
Dr Gideon Hirschfield MA MB BChir MRCP PhD
Liver Clinic
Toronto Western Hospital
Gideon Hirschfield is a Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist,educated at Oxford and Cambridge, and trained in the United Kingdom. He specialized in General and Transplant Hepatology, and managed an autoimmune liver disease clinic there. He moved to Canada in 2007 to work with Dr. Heathcote at the Liver Clinic in Toronto. His research interests are the genetic basis of liver disease, in particular Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, for which he is heavily involved in the present genome wide study. He is also developing research projects in Autoimmune Hepatitis and Sclerosing Cholangitis.
Questions: Issue 2, 2009
Question 1:
Are they recommending the H1N1 flu shot for PBC patients?
Are PBC patients at higher risk than the general population?
All patients with cirrhosis are at risk of flu and in fact are probably considered a high risk group. We all got our flu shots and certainly see no reason from a liver perspective for our patients not to get theirs!
Question 2: Why do some PBC patients develop wheat intolerance?
True wheat intolerance is an autoimmune disease called celiac disease. It is common in North America (1%) and even more common in PBC patients (6%). This is because it turns out that the genes predisposing to one autoimmune disease are often shared by other autoimmune disease. That is if you have one autoimmune disease, you are at risk of another.Question 3: What arthritic medication is best tolerated by PBC patients?
The safest medicine is Tylenol. However Advil like drugs can be used with caution. The only time we worry about Advil drugs is in patients with advanced cirrhosis.Question 4: I have PBC, I also have a very stubborn sinus infection, are there any antibiotics that will treat the infection but cause minimum damage to my liver?
Side effects of drugs are not related to having liver disease. You should take the best antibiotics as recommended by a specialist.Question 5: I have had PBC for approx. 8 years now. Have started taking Omega-3 vitamin pills. Is this safe or even desirable for me to be taking?
Omega-3 seems safe to our knowledge. Some people think it helps fatty liver but I don't know about PBC. Nothing suggests it will be bad though!
NOTE: Previous 'Ask the PBC Doc' questions may be viewed on this page
