Alcohol on tx

[cb867]

Has any one had a few drinks of alcohl while on tx. I know it is not good for your  liver. Could an occassional glass of wine or beer interfere with your tx. I didn't think a small amount would hurt, but I could be wrong
Thanks for input

[Isobella]

I rethought my comment and thought it may seem pro-alcohol so I just want to be clearer.

The main point I wanted to make was to not fret too much about not drinking during tx because chances are you aren't gonna want to. And if you decide to have the occasional....dont do it without putting alot of thought/research into it.  Because the bottom line is it may affect your SVR.

[Kristina538]

I gave up drinking way before tx (not before I got myself down to very weak shandies sometimes after work with dinner - lemonade & beer).

After getting SVR (although early cirrohsis so stilling being good to myself) my specialist said he didn't mind me having a 'glass of wine a month'.    I went out to dinner to celebrate it and had a steak (don't eat red meat) and the obligatory Merlot.

It DID taste nice, but not THAT nice.  I didn't even finish the glass and felt so proud of myself.   Now I'm back to lemonade and bitters, lime and gingerail, or cloves and coke :-).      

Alcohol on tx was not an option because I really needed to give the tx my all - it was a voyage of no choices for me.

[Isobella]

I have to chime in because I was worried I would be missing my wine during tx

But I will honestly tell you that drinking wine was the last thing I wanted while tx'ing  for  48 weeks. Being a 1/0 did make me cocky enough to drink some before tx....but just as a farewell thing.

I couldn't imagine wanting to drink on tx.  (but we are all different) That is until about week 46.  Not saying I did, or didn't....we all make our own choices....but just weigh things....when were you UND, what was the state of your liver pre-tx...do you even know?

Weed may work for some.  (yeah, tried it--liked it but it's just not me) I hear it helps lessen the sx.  But I have read here on the forum that it may speed fibrosis....search the archives and then research the person whose posts you are reading before you make any decisions. Make sure to check their genotype and outcome.  Don't make a decision without research that you are willing to bet your SVR on.  We are all just patients...not doctors or research scientists.

Good luck to you.

[medicmommy]

RESIST the urge! I was told by my hepatologist and multiple hepper friends, in no uncertain terms, that abstinence from alcohol during treatment was a MUST!  Think of it this way...if you do have "just one" and you don't SVR, won't you always wonder,"Hmmm...maybe if I hadn't taken the chance, it would have worked..." For the same reason, I didn't stop my treatment two weeks early like the Dr told me to (it was freaking out my thyroid) because, I figured, I had made it that far and I didn't want to have any doubt that I'd done everything by the letter to ensure success. I am now 12 months post treatment, and am waiting for my PCR results. I've been UND since the 4th week of treatment, and my liver enzymes are now AST 14, ALT 15 (they were near 100 when first starting tx). I feel comfortable with having an occasional SIP of wine or beer now, and still limit anything that is not liver healthy (such as motrin use). Rootbeer and iced tea are still my drinks of choice! So have one on me! it'sThey are both cold and refreshing and VERY liver friendly! (((((((((HUGZ)))))))))))   ~Melinda

[alagirl]

I can't imagine having wanted a drink while on tx.  I was way too nauseous.  Frankly, it was a lot more difficult for me to give up botox.

[IAmTheWalrus]

Never drank during TX, but then I have also never put gas on a fire trying to douse it. It just doesn't make sense.

[jdwithhcv]

You're absolutaly right!  It got me through this tx, and chemo & radiation before that.  We should have that option in every state.

jd

[Krusing]

All your comments further cement my opinion that medical marijuana is the answer!!!

[nygirl7]

It's like why bother treating you know?

And Chuckles I hope that it hasn't affected your outcome but honestly until you are SVR you can't say that it hasn't so please don't let anybody get the impression otherwise. I'm hoping of course you do achieve SVR - please don't get the idea I'm saying otherwise but it's still a wide open football field and you are only the 50 yard line right now.

[Krusing]

I can't believe that anyone (besides hardcore alcholics) would WANT a drink during tx.......I've been off tx for a year and STILL the thought of alcohol turns my stomach!  I congratulate you on feeling well enough to ask!!

[l-horn]

drinking on treatment most certainly WILL lessen your chances of success and this has been proven in studies. If you drink enough, it lowers it to damn near nil.

[justme53]

It's such a personal choice. There were a couple days this summer that a cold one really sounded great, but I REALLY don't want to repeat this experience if at all possible. The possibility of relapse is so frightening for me...especially if it could have been prevented from complete abstinence, that I am just not willing to go there during tx.

[chuckles333]

I have had a couple of drinks while on TX and it didn't affect the outcome. What it did do was make me nauseous. Stupid as I am the second bout of nausea was required to teach me I can not do this. Then there's the obvious, if you have one or two can you say that's all or will it lead to 4 or 5, oops missed my riba I slept all day? Really try and stay away from it. It won't help anything.
BTW did my last shot last Friday, last caps this Thursday A.M., EOT bloodwork this weekend. I've made it!

[Rockerforlife]

Just break the pills open and dump them into a black russaian and sqiurt the PEG in also, to make the drink from hell.. (sarcastic humour?)

[nygirl7]

Doctor told me that alcohol can disrupt the efficacy of the medications.......meaning cause them not to work.  Especially if you are on the beginning of tx this would be like missing taking the meds......you could have viral breakthrough and ruin the entire course.

Not worth it.

[GSDgirl]

I had my first starbucks vanilla bean frozen milkshake thing with coffee yesterday.  It was every bit as good as a frozen white russian.  That was my payment for helping my friend shear sheep on Saturday, well half my payment, the next half is dinner at Red Lobster.

I read somewhere that alcohol was like an aphrodisiac to hep c.  That helped curtail my urge for the most part.

Denise

[R Glass]

There are to many conflicting studies to justify drinking or not drinking during tx.
Most conclusions are based on which study a person decides to stand behind.
I doubt that if anyone went through the horrors of tx  and relapsed, would forgive themselves if they drank during tx.
On another note, I had no desire for a drink while I was txing and this is coming from a man that drank everyday prior to tx.

[Marte313]

About 6 months ago, halfway through tx, I went to a restaurant and ordered some mexican food. I couldn't help myself for thinking that a beer belonged to the meal. I went and asked if I could buy a small glass of beer. The waiter showed me a 33cl glass and I went like "No, thats waaay to much." Finally she found a glass for redwine and filled a bit over half full, scratching her head over my weird order. I think I spent over an hour drinking that glass, and I couldn't even finish it. Enjoyed it then and there, but was real anxious when I went for my next bloodwork. The anxiety afterwards just isn't worth it. Had originally planned to drink one beer after tx, but now that the time is here I just don't dare. Will wait for my SVR...

[franke566]

My Hepatologists nurse who is a UND hepper herself told me Alcohol does to the liver
what drano does in our drains-eats the organic -slowly but surely-In everyone-not just Heppers.  O'Douls or any other non-alcoholic beer tastes like cra* to me.  I like the buzz-not the beer, the wine, or any of the other poisons wrapped in pretty boxes. On a hot day a cold one sounds so inviting but now I reach for a Green Tea and have
learned it is far more refreshing and satisfying.  Now herb, my Dr said ,I can have-if I must. Oh, and I must. I must indeed.  Yes, it has it's slight medical risks-but it is so pleasing to have a icy glass of gree tea in one hand and a nice bud in the other.  Ahhhh, it's the pause that refreshes......

[Trish77]

"Won't interfere with the actual treatment, may add further damage to your already damaged liver.  "

Your first statement here is untrue.  Alcohol has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of interferon.  Drinking while on treatment is giving yourself a double whammy.  

cb, you don't sound like an alcoholic to me, you're simply asking the question if recreational use of alcohol can be harmful while on treatment.  The answer is yes it can.  The balance to that is if it becomes the difference between whether you can tolerate side effects or not and whether you can complete treatment as a result is the situation you're facing, well....that becomes a whole other issue but it would have to be that situation where nothing else worked except for the odd drink.  That doesn't sound like your situation at all and is pretty rare for the most part, so I'd absolutely refrain from alcohol while you're on treatment to get the most bang for your buck from your meds.

What you do after treatment is an entirely individual thing based on your own health and personal situation.

Good luck with your treatment.

Trish

[Rockerforlife]

I havnt drank since the day i found out i was infected,since 2006 and let me tell you i was wild  party animal,ill bet if i had one drink now i would get sick as a dog.But if i do SVR,i will have a glass of very exspensive wine  and a beer.It amost seems like i have too,I probly wont continue drinking but i need a drink on me as AC/DC says.....if i dont SVR...no drinking ever again

[annieCinMD]

I had an accidental beer one time. I ordered an O'Douls and they didn't have it, so I said give me whatever non-alcoholic beer you have. I drank most of it, and thought I saw what looked like an alcohol warning on the label. Mind you, I'm nearly blind without my reading glasses. I was thinking how really good this beer tasted, too! I put my glasses on and sure enough, it was a beer. I figured might as well enjoy it, I get drunk on 1 beer, and made sure to order a Diet Coke for my next drink. First one was an accident, another one would have been an active decision on my part to drink, so I have no guilt here. JoeyM mentioned headaches. I had been getting really bad ones. It felt better for about an hour, while I was buzzed, and then it was worse than ever, as I suspected it would be. Overall the accidental beer wasn't worth it,even though I don't think 1 beer messed up my treatment. Better to wait until your treatment is over to partake in the real thing, even better to wait and see if you SVR.

[Rockerforlife]

This is not the" every now and then time"The last thing you want to do is drink while trying to help your liver with the TX....this would be the same as taking a pain killer for a headache and banging you head against a wall

[cb867]

I won't take the chance. I want to be cured of this. I don't think I have an alcohol problem I just like to have a drink every now and then.
thanks