Hepatitis C is a chronic viral infection of the liver with the Hepatitis C Virus. It is spread through sexual or blood contact. Though there may be a mild acute illness which generally passes unnoticed, people with "Hep C" will often not notice that they are infected for months or even years after the initial infection meanwhile liver damage has continued to progress. According to the National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse, approximately 4.1 million Americans have Hepatitis C.

The Pitfalls of Traditional Treatment

Traditional medical treatment of Hepatitis C is harsh, unpleasant, expensive and painful. Traditional treatment will generally take months or years and includes a strong antiviral medication such as Ribavirin along with an immune activator such as injections of Alpha Interferon (Intron-A or Pegintron) administered 3 times weekly.

Chemotherapy is the chemical treatment of cancer, given in accordance with an individual's treatment plan. It may be given in a hospital, a clinic, a doctor's office or at home. The dose may be given over several days, once a week, or once a month, with treatment lasting anywhere from several weeks to several years. The medication used can greatly help cancer patients. But the side effects of chemotherapy can be powerful. Below I have listed some of the more common side effects of chemotherapy (side effects will vary with the type of medication used for chemotherapy), and provided some recommendations on herbal remedies for treating these side effects.

Many people suffer from migraine headaches, including myself. Migraines tend to run in families and are more common in women then men. In fact women are three times as likely to get migraines than men.

Symptoms

Pain on one side of the head, can be severe or mild.

A short period of depression, irritability and/or loss of appetite

Sensitivity to light and sound

Nausea/Vomitting

Seeing an aura.

You may experience one or more of the symptoms , and it is possible to have symptoms not listed above.

Possible Triggers

The underlying cause of migraines is not known. Were it known, there would more likely be a cure. However, various researchers have discovered possible triggers of migraines:

Low levels of seratonin

Certain foods

Stress

Not enough sleep

Bright light

Various changes in the weather

You think you're unlucky? A close friend of mine has battled breast cancer three times. Lumpectomy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, mastectomy, reconstructive surgery: she has survived them all. Ask her, and she will tell you that the chemotherapy side effects-- especially nausea and stomach pain-- were especially nasty. Luckily, there are several herbal remedies available to ease the worst of these common side effects of chemotherapy.

Of course, your doctor can prescribe medications for some chemotherapy side effects, especially nausea and stomach pain. However, many women prefer to ease the nausea and stomach pain that results from chemotherapy with all natural, herbal remedies. Chemotherapy, by definition, pumps toxic chemicals into your body. Why add to the toxins flooding your body if you can use alternative herbal remedies to counteract common chemotherapy side effects?