Aa
can I drink alcohol after hepatitis c treatment?
i wonder if when i finish the treatment and pass the six months, can i drink alcohol again as a young man (I'm 19 years old)? how much time is necessary to recover my liver ?
It all depends on two things:
1. What level of liver damage you had before achieving SVR (assuming you do achieve SVR).
2. Whether or not you have a propensity for alcoholism.
If the answer to 1 is anything worse than stage 2 fibrosis, I would abstain from drinking indefinitely. I haven't kept up with the latest liver grading technology, but a needle biopsy was the gold standard and probably still is. Not sure I would trust an important decision to drink or not drink on fibroscan alone. On the other hand, if all you're going to do is have a beer or two once in a while, I wouldn't worry about it. if you SVR your liver should heal over time and a few beers every now and then (like maybe 4 beers a week or less) is not going to hurt anything.
The important thing you have to consider is how long have you had Hep C? You may not know and that can be a very dangerous thing. I've encountered the parents of several people here with HCV+ kids younger than you that had cirrhosis. Some of them have died from it. They were born with Hep C or contracted it very young due to transfusions. Make sure you don't fall into that category, because if you do, you may have much more liver damage than you realize. Under those circumstances, absolute abstinence is the only answer. Being young alone doesn't necessarily inoculate you from the danger of severe liver disease, so think carefully about your decision.
Regarding 2: If you have a problem with, or a propensity for, alcohol abuse, just stay away. It's not worth it for very obvious reasons that needn't be explained.
1. What level of liver damage you had before achieving SVR (assuming you do achieve SVR).
2. Whether or not you have a propensity for alcoholism.
If the answer to 1 is anything worse than stage 2 fibrosis, I would abstain from drinking indefinitely. I haven't kept up with the latest liver grading technology, but a needle biopsy was the gold standard and probably still is. Not sure I would trust an important decision to drink or not drink on fibroscan alone. On the other hand, if all you're going to do is have a beer or two once in a while, I wouldn't worry about it. if you SVR your liver should heal over time and a few beers every now and then (like maybe 4 beers a week or less) is not going to hurt anything.
The important thing you have to consider is how long have you had Hep C? You may not know and that can be a very dangerous thing. I've encountered the parents of several people here with HCV+ kids younger than you that had cirrhosis. Some of them have died from it. They were born with Hep C or contracted it very young due to transfusions. Make sure you don't fall into that category, because if you do, you may have much more liver damage than you realize. Under those circumstances, absolute abstinence is the only answer. Being young alone doesn't necessarily inoculate you from the danger of severe liver disease, so think carefully about your decision.
Regarding 2: If you have a problem with, or a propensity for, alcohol abuse, just stay away. It's not worth it for very obvious reasons that needn't be explained.
After SVR my doc told me the following good advice about drinking again, "It's about quality not quantity". I do so enjoy a glass of quality Merlot.
I think the key is moderation. An occasional drink should be, but not an occasional full-on night of drinking, nor a steady pattern of light drinking several nights per week. If you are the sort for whom it is a slippery slope then you'll be much happier and healthier if you abstain completely. When I was diagnosed with HCV I was told it was okay to have a drink on special occasions only. I really enjoy wine with dinner and it was amazing how easy it was for me to twist that limited permission into drinking 1-2 glasses of wine about 4-5 times a week. I paid dearly, as it pushed my liver disease and I rapidly developed cirrhosis nine years ago. That finally made me recognize my denial, and in the last 9 years I've taken a taste only now and then, probably to talking one glass of wine in all 9 years. I think this change alone is why my cirrhosis has remained compensated all this time and I've now completed my third tx and achieved SVR! I'm hoping, against the common wisdom, that my liver might regenerate to some degree, so I'm not going to go back to drinking wine regularly – though I might permit myself to have those little sips slightly more often. I'm thinking maybe accumulative total of one glass per year. I have found that drinking fizzy water with lime feels slightly festive and makes me feel less of an outsider when out to dinner with friends who love wine. You can also find some excellent non-alcoholic beers these days. Forget O'Douls, look for St. Pauli Girl NA or next best, for Clausthaulers (sp?). Don't waste your money on non-alcoholic wine however, I believe it can't be made to taste good. Best wishes for achieving and hanging onto good health for life!
This is always a controversial topic.
I would have a biopsy though. I mean stage 2 at 19 years old.
I would have a biopsy though. I mean stage 2 at 19 years old.
I asked my Doctor that very question. The answer was " Not a good idea, the treatment does do more damage, you will never heal 100%". That's all I needed to hear.
"How many posts have we seen that they were 'cured" but it came back"
Uh none.......Good grief!!!
Uh none.......Good grief!!!
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