Hep C and Alcohol
Eugene R. Schiff, M.D., and Nuri Ozden, M.D
"...Patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) who drink heavily are likely to suffer more severe liver injury, promoting disease progression to cirrhosis and increasing their risk for liver cancer. Some research, although not conclusive, suggests that even moderate drinking may spur liver damage in HCV–infected patients. Research areas that have the greatest potential for developing more effective treatment options include HCV virology, immunology, animal models, and the mechanisms of liver injury. Key words: hepatitis C virus; alcoholic beverage; chronic AODE (alcohol and other drug effects); amount of AOD use; epidemiology; risk factors; disease course; alcoholic liver cirrhosis; gender differences; biochemical mechanism; RNA; mutation; apoptosis; inflammation; hepatocellular carcinoma; regulatory proteins; immune response; alcoholic fatty liver; treatment issues; treatment outcome; interferon...."
see: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-3/232-239.htm
I might add drinking after tx but before SVR you really don't know if your drinking with the virus still there or not. With the virus you shouldn't drink at all.
AFTER completion of treatment or SVR the stage of your liver damage determines how serious alcohol will affect you. If you have slight or no liver damage a little alcohol in moderation is fine. If you have moderate ot serious liver damage you really shouldn't drink. Whatever you do though,don't drink any during treatment.
Alcohol reduces the effectiveness of interferon - alcohol has a negative effect on existing liver damage and it also negatively impacts the effectiveness of your treatment drugs - double whammy.