Aa
6 month alcohol abstinence
Recently diagnosed. Mild inflamation (grade 1-2) mild fibrosis (stage 1) DR recommends treatment but only after abstinent from alcohol for 6 months. Curious as to why 6 months. I can count on one hand the amount of drinks I have had over the last six months. So I have to go six months from now before treatment?
few drinks a week is nothing your doc is not to up on hep C TX.Also your liver is in pretty good shape wonder why you would TX now and not wait a few yrs on the new drugs in develoment.
These Excerpts from: http://www.hepcchallenge.org/choices/alcohol.htm
may help you understand why your Dr. recommends 6 months abstinance:
"The amount of HCV in the blood has been shown to rise in proportion to increasing alcohol consumption and to drop when alcohol is avoided. This suggests that alcohol has an effect on HCV replication (viral reproduction)"
"Several studies have shown a decreased rate of viral clearance among people who drink alcohol compared to those who do not drink. Studies have shown an even lower frequency of achieving a durable response."
"This decreased response rate to antiviral therapy continues for up to six months after eliminating all alcohol intake. Most experts recommend at least six months of abstinence from alcohol before attempting interferon-based therapy ."
"Other effects of alcohol may contribute to the greater severity of HCV disease in those who consume it. Some of these effects are listed below.
possible changes in gene expression
reduction in the immune system's ability to respond to and fight off viruses
inhibition of the liver's ability to regenerate and repair itself
stimulation of fibrosis development in the liver
increased iron deposition in the liver"
"Most of the studies discussed above clearly show increased liver damage suffered by people with HCV who have more than 4-5 drinks of alcohol per day
Other studies show liver damage with as little as one drink of alcohol per day. Currently, the amount of alcohol consumption that is considered safe for healthy individuals is one drink per day for women and two for men. However, no amount of alcohol can be considered safe if you are infected with HCV.
People with HCV are strongly urged to eliminate all alcohol consumption."
"Inflammation is the body's response to tissue damage or infection. Long term alcohol use abnormally prolongs the inflammatory process. This leads to an overproduction of free radicals, molecules that can destroy healthy liver tissue and interfere with some of its important functions such as energy production. Alcohol can also interfere with the production of antioxidants. Antioxidants are one of the body's natural defenses against free radical damage. This combination of alcohol effects may lead to liver damage."
I hope this helps you to understand the why....
may help you understand why your Dr. recommends 6 months abstinance:
"The amount of HCV in the blood has been shown to rise in proportion to increasing alcohol consumption and to drop when alcohol is avoided. This suggests that alcohol has an effect on HCV replication (viral reproduction)"
"Several studies have shown a decreased rate of viral clearance among people who drink alcohol compared to those who do not drink. Studies have shown an even lower frequency of achieving a durable response."
"This decreased response rate to antiviral therapy continues for up to six months after eliminating all alcohol intake. Most experts recommend at least six months of abstinence from alcohol before attempting interferon-based therapy ."
"Other effects of alcohol may contribute to the greater severity of HCV disease in those who consume it. Some of these effects are listed below.
possible changes in gene expression
reduction in the immune system's ability to respond to and fight off viruses
inhibition of the liver's ability to regenerate and repair itself
stimulation of fibrosis development in the liver
increased iron deposition in the liver"
"Most of the studies discussed above clearly show increased liver damage suffered by people with HCV who have more than 4-5 drinks of alcohol per day
Other studies show liver damage with as little as one drink of alcohol per day. Currently, the amount of alcohol consumption that is considered safe for healthy individuals is one drink per day for women and two for men. However, no amount of alcohol can be considered safe if you are infected with HCV.
People with HCV are strongly urged to eliminate all alcohol consumption."
"Inflammation is the body's response to tissue damage or infection. Long term alcohol use abnormally prolongs the inflammatory process. This leads to an overproduction of free radicals, molecules that can destroy healthy liver tissue and interfere with some of its important functions such as energy production. Alcohol can also interfere with the production of antioxidants. Antioxidants are one of the body's natural defenses against free radical damage. This combination of alcohol effects may lead to liver damage."
I hope this helps you to understand the why....
Given the small amount of alcohol you've had in the last 6 months, I don't see why you couldn't tx right now. My impression was that doctors just need to make sure your capable of total abstinence while on tx.
I don't think what you just posted is at all relevant.
The guy just had a few drinks the past 6 mths. That should be no reason to delay treatment.
Maybe the dr. misunderstood you. Sometimes they just think the patient is lying when they say they drink a little. I would talk to him again.
The guy just had a few drinks the past 6 mths. That should be no reason to delay treatment.
Maybe the dr. misunderstood you. Sometimes they just think the patient is lying when they say they drink a little. I would talk to him again.
I would talk to him again and/or see another doctor. If the doc is acting like that that he doesn't "believe you" that you only had a few drinks in the last 6 months, you need a doc who isn't assuming all people who drink (even a little bit like you)are alcoholics and a doctor who believes what you say. I said the same thing as you to my doctor, that Id have a few in the last few months and his response was it was not advised to drink at all with this dx and started me on treatment right away, but cautioned me you don't drink with this diagnosis.
Docs get leery I think because if a patient is a drinker or contiues to drink, the help the doctor offer you wont work.
Its good to have "clean patients" but that doesn't mean everyone is an alcoholic! Nor should it mean you have to wait 6 months to start treating.
I remember you, sorry you are going through this.
Docs get leery I think because if a patient is a drinker or contiues to drink, the help the doctor offer you wont work.
Its good to have "clean patients" but that doesn't mean everyone is an alcoholic! Nor should it mean you have to wait 6 months to start treating.
I remember you, sorry you are going through this.
With your minimal liver damage, you can afford to wait a few more months if you want. I don't know how much very moderate drinking can affect viral loads. But as referenced above, alcohol is known to increase viral loads. Your best odds of clearing the virus successfully is by starting out with the lowest viral load as possible. So to be on the safe side, I would totally abstain from alcohol, wait however more months are required, and then start treatment. In the meantime you can make valuable use of the time to prepare for treatment.
I'm not sure if you know much about current treatment, but you would be well advised to get yourself physically in the best shape as possible prior to starting treatment. Also, get all of your personal/financial affairs in order as best as possible. I would prepare to mothball your life and "go dormant" for over a year and plan on minimal activities, minimal physical exertion and minimal mental clarity (so no important, stressful or consequential decisions have to be made). Plus use the time to just learn the basics about what's going to happen to you and how to handle common problems encountered during treatment. For instance, you really should learn about when you want your VL's checked during treatment, and also learn all about anemia, what causes it and what can be done to correct it (so you don't get hit with dose reduction(s), which will lower your odds of clearing). Don't assume your doctor will know all about these important factors, we've heard about many here who do not know about some of these basic concepts and have unknowingly lowered their patient's chances of achieving their SVR. So you'd be wise to learn now, so you can discuss these types of contingencies with your doctor ahead of time. That way everyone is on the same sheet of paper before getting started.
Best of luck, take care.
I'm not sure if you know much about current treatment, but you would be well advised to get yourself physically in the best shape as possible prior to starting treatment. Also, get all of your personal/financial affairs in order as best as possible. I would prepare to mothball your life and "go dormant" for over a year and plan on minimal activities, minimal physical exertion and minimal mental clarity (so no important, stressful or consequential decisions have to be made). Plus use the time to just learn the basics about what's going to happen to you and how to handle common problems encountered during treatment. For instance, you really should learn about when you want your VL's checked during treatment, and also learn all about anemia, what causes it and what can be done to correct it (so you don't get hit with dose reduction(s), which will lower your odds of clearing). Don't assume your doctor will know all about these important factors, we've heard about many here who do not know about some of these basic concepts and have unknowingly lowered their patient's chances of achieving their SVR. So you'd be wise to learn now, so you can discuss these types of contingencies with your doctor ahead of time. That way everyone is on the same sheet of paper before getting started.
Best of luck, take care.
I agree with Kalio and the others who think you should talk to him again or find a new dr. That's crazy. You should have a little more control over your decision to treat and he's making the rules right from the start.
Good luck.
Bug
Good luck.
Bug
I quit drinking, except for a couple of occassions, several months prior to treatment and my viral load went down from 9 million to a pre-tx baseline of 311,000. So, it worked for me.
That's great. You quit drinking EXCEPT for a few. Jackson drinks only a few in the first place, so he's starting where you ended up. His doctor is either uninformed or a power tripper, so Jackson needs to find a new doc.
this is probably really insulting when I don't mean it to be, and I might be out of place even posting it, I apologize in advance.... because what I'm talking about are hypotheticals...
but sometimes (not all the time mind you) we can go into a type of denial about just how many drinks we are drinking...and many doctors can pick up to the signs of this, espcially if they are used to treating a lot of drinkers...this is in no way means that this is YOUR particular case, I just wanted to point this out as this CAN happen from time to time...
and if this IS the case with any one person, the doctor is only protecting his/her patient, in that the body should be detoxed of heavy alcohol consuption before treatment, at least this is what my doc said...like I say, I'm not talking about any one particular person, just thought it begged the question...
On the other hand, if anyone just drinks very occasionally, I don't see why a doc would make a person wait that long to treat, doesn't make sense to me, but then I'm no expert...
but sometimes (not all the time mind you) we can go into a type of denial about just how many drinks we are drinking...and many doctors can pick up to the signs of this, espcially if they are used to treating a lot of drinkers...this is in no way means that this is YOUR particular case, I just wanted to point this out as this CAN happen from time to time...
and if this IS the case with any one person, the doctor is only protecting his/her patient, in that the body should be detoxed of heavy alcohol consuption before treatment, at least this is what my doc said...like I say, I'm not talking about any one particular person, just thought it begged the question...
On the other hand, if anyone just drinks very occasionally, I don't see why a doc would make a person wait that long to treat, doesn't make sense to me, but then I'm no expert...
they dont need to do any deciphering, they can tell by your bloodwork if you are a "big drinker"
The doctor should respect the patient enough to take them at their word unless the medical tests show him that the patient IS drinking a lot. I think your LFTs will show that very easily.
The problem is a lot of doctors havent educated themselves about the virus enough to understand there are plenty of people who are not drug and alcohol users who contract this.
60% are or were IV drug users and a large portion of them haven't used for decades or were never chronic users, that leaves 40% who did not contract this via behavior!
The doctor should respect the patient enough to take them at their word unless the medical tests show him that the patient IS drinking a lot. I think your LFTs will show that very easily.
The problem is a lot of doctors havent educated themselves about the virus enough to understand there are plenty of people who are not drug and alcohol users who contract this.
60% are or were IV drug users and a large portion of them haven't used for decades or were never chronic users, that leaves 40% who did not contract this via behavior!
I would agree with Kalio1 on this and would also agree that total abstinence is the best policy irregardless of whether you treat or not.
Why you may ask since you drink so infrequently? Well because having HCV and consuming is more akin to playing Russian Roulette with two bullets in the gun rather than one.
Why you may ask since you drink so infrequently? Well because having HCV and consuming is more akin to playing Russian Roulette with two bullets in the gun rather than one.
I think chcnme explained it better then I did, maybe I wasn't too clear...
What I meant is there could be a few different scenarios going on, not here particularly, but just as examples...And I'm not talking about any one person individualy, I don't even know the poster who asked this question, I'm just talking about hypotheticals brought up by his question...
There could be a case of a patient going into a hepatologists office, and perhaps the doc is mistaken in thinking that a patient actually has a drinking problem/and/or drug problem (and he/she really doesn't) and the doc mistakingly asks the patient to wait 6 months before treating...
Or, a patient does have an actual drinking problem and the doc picks up it through various telltale signs - along with elevated LFTs...(Elevated enzymes are just that, and they could be caused by Hepatitis, drinking or both, and other things of course)....
Telltale signs are bloatedness in the face and ruddy complexion, particulary around the eyes, enlarged pores around certain areas of the face along with the ruddyness...along with something as simple as alcohol smell coming from the pores and embedded in clothes, etc-....along with various other signs. Sometimes alcoholics try to disguise this smell with heavy cologne, so you get the sweat/alcohol smell mixed with the heavy cologne...I've known a few alcoholics in my time and it isn't rocket science spotting a heavy drinker if you know what youre looking for...I'm sure many hepatologists run into alcoholics in their practices from time to time, as they see many cases of alcoholic cirrhosis.
In the latter scenario, the doctor would be protecting his/her patient in having the patient wait for 6 months of sobriety before beginning treatment, to detoxify the body of alcohol, etc before undertaking a heavy chemical treatment...the doctor wouldn't be very responsible if they took EVERY patient at their word, for many alcoholics and or drug addicts do not admit to their disease, even to themselves, particulary if they are in the throes of it...
(And as a disclaimer, I am not inferring that anyone that indulges in social drinking is an alcoholic, far from it, sometimes people misunderstand these types of discussions....)
What I meant is there could be a few different scenarios going on, not here particularly, but just as examples...And I'm not talking about any one person individualy, I don't even know the poster who asked this question, I'm just talking about hypotheticals brought up by his question...
There could be a case of a patient going into a hepatologists office, and perhaps the doc is mistaken in thinking that a patient actually has a drinking problem/and/or drug problem (and he/she really doesn't) and the doc mistakingly asks the patient to wait 6 months before treating...
Or, a patient does have an actual drinking problem and the doc picks up it through various telltale signs - along with elevated LFTs...(Elevated enzymes are just that, and they could be caused by Hepatitis, drinking or both, and other things of course)....
Telltale signs are bloatedness in the face and ruddy complexion, particulary around the eyes, enlarged pores around certain areas of the face along with the ruddyness...along with something as simple as alcohol smell coming from the pores and embedded in clothes, etc-....along with various other signs. Sometimes alcoholics try to disguise this smell with heavy cologne, so you get the sweat/alcohol smell mixed with the heavy cologne...I've known a few alcoholics in my time and it isn't rocket science spotting a heavy drinker if you know what youre looking for...I'm sure many hepatologists run into alcoholics in their practices from time to time, as they see many cases of alcoholic cirrhosis.
In the latter scenario, the doctor would be protecting his/her patient in having the patient wait for 6 months of sobriety before beginning treatment, to detoxify the body of alcohol, etc before undertaking a heavy chemical treatment...the doctor wouldn't be very responsible if they took EVERY patient at their word, for many alcoholics and or drug addicts do not admit to their disease, even to themselves, particulary if they are in the throes of it...
(And as a disclaimer, I am not inferring that anyone that indulges in social drinking is an alcoholic, far from it, sometimes people misunderstand these types of discussions....)
Like I said, didnt mean to say that many or all people fall under this category, probably few do, but some do...not extrapolating to a general principle, and I tried to make that clear...this happened to a family member of mine, so I know this does happen...
You can have high LFTs by the virus alone, without drinking much or ever having drank one drink in your life...so if a person comes in with diagnosed hepatitis, and has high LFTs, how is the doc know if it's from the alcohol, or the hep? or both? Just from LFT tests? there are other tell-tale signs of heavy drinking, and that's what I was talking about...respectively....
You can have high LFTs by the virus alone, without drinking much or ever having drank one drink in your life...so if a person comes in with diagnosed hepatitis, and has high LFTs, how is the doc know if it's from the alcohol, or the hep? or both? Just from LFT tests? there are other tell-tale signs of heavy drinking, and that's what I was talking about...respectively....
Hi Jackson. Good luck on treatment! With your grade / stage, the "abstinence from alcohol for 6 months requirement" isn't really anything to get upset over - even if he possibly is doing this because he does not believe you. He has probably seen 1000s of patients in his practice who have said the "I'm probably drinking less than a six pack a month, if that." Actually, if you think about it, it's kind of part of his job (liver doc) to <strong>not</strong" automatically believe what brand new patients might tell him just because they said so. And if you want to throw that part out, well - then he has certainly done nothing wrong (not wrong enough) that should send you in search of another doc. You could actually be a flaming boozer and still have totally normal labs. If you think this is "wrong", well - lol - all I can say is you might want to prepare to be "wronged" on some things you will think (as times goes by) are a LOT more important than this requirement. Besides, six months will fly by! Best of luck!
well....where did it go?? lol. Am I seeing things or is my note only half here? hmmm... ok - I pushed the back button until I found it. Maybe this will work?
Hi Jackson. Good luck on treatment! With your grade / stage, the "abstinence from alcohol for 6 months requirement" isn't really anything to get upset over - even if he possibly is doing this because he does not believe you. He has probably seen 1000s of patients in his practice who have said the "I'm probably drinking less than a six pack a month, if that." Actually, if you think about it, it's kind of part of his job (liver doc) to not automatically believe what brand new patients might tell him just because they said so. And if you want to throw that part out, well - then he has certainly done nothing wrong (not wrong enough) that should send you in search of another doc. You could actually be a flaming boozer and still have totally normal labs. If you think this is "wrong", well - lol - all I can say is you might want to prepare to be "wronged" on some things you will think (as times goes by) are a LOT more important than this requirement. Besides, six months will fly by! Best of luck!
Hi Jackson. Good luck on treatment! With your grade / stage, the "abstinence from alcohol for 6 months requirement" isn't really anything to get upset over - even if he possibly is doing this because he does not believe you. He has probably seen 1000s of patients in his practice who have said the "I'm probably drinking less than a six pack a month, if that." Actually, if you think about it, it's kind of part of his job (liver doc) to not automatically believe what brand new patients might tell him just because they said so. And if you want to throw that part out, well - then he has certainly done nothing wrong (not wrong enough) that should send you in search of another doc. You could actually be a flaming boozer and still have totally normal labs. If you think this is "wrong", well - lol - all I can say is you might want to prepare to be "wronged" on some things you will think (as times goes by) are a LOT more important than this requirement. Besides, six months will fly by! Best of luck!
If you are a big drinker, your enzyme RATIOS will be screwy, they can tell in spite of the virus.
Forsee:
Telltale signs are bloatedness in the face and ruddy complexion, particulary around the eyes, enlarged pores around certain areas of the face along with the ruddyness
----------------------------------------------
BIG misconception. A lot of people thought WC Fields was an alcholoic because of his ruddy complexion, big nose and large pores. He may have been for all I know, but these can all be symptons of rosacea (which WC Fields had) and therefore can have nothing to do with drinking. "Bloatedness" on face (and around eyes) can be from allergies or contact dermatitis and I had these problems during treatment.
All the best,
-- Jim
Telltale signs are bloatedness in the face and ruddy complexion, particulary around the eyes, enlarged pores around certain areas of the face along with the ruddyness
----------------------------------------------
BIG misconception. A lot of people thought WC Fields was an alcholoic because of his ruddy complexion, big nose and large pores. He may have been for all I know, but these can all be symptons of rosacea (which WC Fields had) and therefore can have nothing to do with drinking. "Bloatedness" on face (and around eyes) can be from allergies or contact dermatitis and I had these problems during treatment.
All the best,
-- Jim
Assuming your're a social drinker -- no, you don't have to wait six months before treating -- at least not according to anything I've heard or read. So, if that's your doctor's take, go see another one, preferably a liver specialist (hepatologist) who can be found at your larger, teaching hospitals.
That said, given the fact you have little liver damage, you might want to wait on treatment anyway -- I would -- assuming you're a genotype 1 which is the hardest to treat with the current drugs.
All the best,
-- Jim
That said, given the fact you have little liver damage, you might want to wait on treatment anyway -- I would -- assuming you're a genotype 1 which is the hardest to treat with the current drugs.
All the best,
-- Jim
Jackson, if you go in search of another doc, remember - you probably won't get seen until sometime in February by a doctor at a major medical academic center (you may not get seen until March or after). No matter when you get seen (you could get seen tomorrow) what are you going to tell the new doctor when he asks "why would you like to be seen by me?" (he's going to ask.)
So be thinking (if you switch docs) of the following things because... if you are switching for THIS reason, you need to be prepared to answer questions and avoid the same instructions.
1) Are you going to get your current records sent from your current doctor to the new doctor or just tell them what you want sent (minus the clinic notes and Rx for treatment?)
2) Are you going to not sign a waiver to have your records released from the other doctor if the major academic facility wants them or asks for them? Are you going to say "yes you can have the records but NOT the clinic notes and NOT the prescription part that says I can't drink for six months?"
3) Are you going to assume this new doctor will have no records whatsoever on you from the other doctor once you arrive or if so, that he hasn't read them, or that no clinic notes were sent, too?
4) Are you going to lie to this new doctor when he asks you "why are you here?" Or are you going to tell the truth and just hope the new doc will let you begin treatment immediately anyhow?
5) Are you prepared to be given the exact same instructions from a new doctor even if you do lie?
6) Do you think if the new doctor is purusing your records from Dr. Hatesbeer sees "patient has been instructed to abstain from all alcohol for six months" that your new doc is going to to ignore what he just read?
7) Do you think a new doctor is automatically going to believe you even if he has no records and let you begin treatment now just because you want to begin now?
Lot to think about, eh? Let me make it easier for you: I can guarantee you if you switch docs, you are going to need to think of all those things and -- if you switch docs, you might not even begin treatment as soon as you are scheduled to now under this current doc. I guess you can get on the phone over the Holidays and start calling and seeing when / IF you can get an appointment with a new doc, and then you can think about lieing or telling the truth to this new doc between now and whenever your appointment is. If it were me, I'd forget about switching doctors over THIS reason. If it were me and I could count on one hand the number of drinks I had in the last six months, I'd forget about trying to switch docs over this reason and probably think about drinking one last beer or glass of wine or mixed drink this Christmas and then put it totally down and wait six months. If I was drinking more (as in possibly heavy), I'd get drunk Christmas AND New Years and hope the doc doesn't find out.
OK...I'm being uh... it's Saturday morning OK? And I know some think I'm being an a**, but I'm mostly just funning around. In all seriousness, though, if you DO switch docs over this reason, you need to think about all those scenarios. Another liver doctor who suspects you might be drinking more than you claim (and he will highly suspect it if you switch for THIS reason and he finds out why you switched, and he will highly suspect it if you lie and he sees in in the clinic notes) probably isn't going to say "OK, let's start you on treatment now anyhow." He will probably wait, too.
And by the way, there are many heavy drinkers who drink socially during the week and get drunk every weekend and do this for decades (even a lifetime) and their livers are fine. Their enzymes are not elevated because their livers are OK. No doctor in these cases can tell the patient is a heavy drinker by their enyzmes but might be able to tell on physical exam or because the patient has admitted to being a heavy drinker. On the other hand, there are social drinkers who can take a few drinks a week and their enzymes will go up. In almost ALL cases of Hep C, drinking alcohol will eventually cause your enzymes to soar because drinking alcohol with Hep C is like cooking your liver over an open flame.
So be thinking (if you switch docs) of the following things because... if you are switching for THIS reason, you need to be prepared to answer questions and avoid the same instructions.
1) Are you going to get your current records sent from your current doctor to the new doctor or just tell them what you want sent (minus the clinic notes and Rx for treatment?)
2) Are you going to not sign a waiver to have your records released from the other doctor if the major academic facility wants them or asks for them? Are you going to say "yes you can have the records but NOT the clinic notes and NOT the prescription part that says I can't drink for six months?"
3) Are you going to assume this new doctor will have no records whatsoever on you from the other doctor once you arrive or if so, that he hasn't read them, or that no clinic notes were sent, too?
4) Are you going to lie to this new doctor when he asks you "why are you here?" Or are you going to tell the truth and just hope the new doc will let you begin treatment immediately anyhow?
5) Are you prepared to be given the exact same instructions from a new doctor even if you do lie?
6) Do you think if the new doctor is purusing your records from Dr. Hatesbeer sees "patient has been instructed to abstain from all alcohol for six months" that your new doc is going to to ignore what he just read?
7) Do you think a new doctor is automatically going to believe you even if he has no records and let you begin treatment now just because you want to begin now?
Lot to think about, eh? Let me make it easier for you: I can guarantee you if you switch docs, you are going to need to think of all those things and -- if you switch docs, you might not even begin treatment as soon as you are scheduled to now under this current doc. I guess you can get on the phone over the Holidays and start calling and seeing when / IF you can get an appointment with a new doc, and then you can think about lieing or telling the truth to this new doc between now and whenever your appointment is. If it were me, I'd forget about switching doctors over THIS reason. If it were me and I could count on one hand the number of drinks I had in the last six months, I'd forget about trying to switch docs over this reason and probably think about drinking one last beer or glass of wine or mixed drink this Christmas and then put it totally down and wait six months. If I was drinking more (as in possibly heavy), I'd get drunk Christmas AND New Years and hope the doc doesn't find out.
OK...I'm being uh... it's Saturday morning OK? And I know some think I'm being an a**, but I'm mostly just funning around. In all seriousness, though, if you DO switch docs over this reason, you need to think about all those scenarios. Another liver doctor who suspects you might be drinking more than you claim (and he will highly suspect it if you switch for THIS reason and he finds out why you switched, and he will highly suspect it if you lie and he sees in in the clinic notes) probably isn't going to say "OK, let's start you on treatment now anyhow." He will probably wait, too.
And by the way, there are many heavy drinkers who drink socially during the week and get drunk every weekend and do this for decades (even a lifetime) and their livers are fine. Their enzymes are not elevated because their livers are OK. No doctor in these cases can tell the patient is a heavy drinker by their enyzmes but might be able to tell on physical exam or because the patient has admitted to being a heavy drinker. On the other hand, there are social drinkers who can take a few drinks a week and their enzymes will go up. In almost ALL cases of Hep C, drinking alcohol will eventually cause your enzymes to soar because drinking alcohol with Hep C is like cooking your liver over an open flame.
Chc,
I respectfully disagree. If Jackson indeed is only a social drinker, there is no reason for a new doctor not to believe him, regardless of what his present doctor thinks.
As you probably know, doctors are an arrogant lot :) and specialists even more so -- and the specialists I've gone to have no problems whatsoever changing a course of treatment or diagnosis from a previous doctor. The caveat being that both doctors are from different hospitals and practicing groups.
But that's not even the main point. If you're being truthful, and a doctor doesn't believe you -- and is making treatment decisions on those misconceptions -- it's time to find another doctor, because this is just a preview of how he is going to treat you down the road.
As to when to start treatment, I see no particular rush given stage 1 fibrosis, so first step to me would be to find a liver specialist I can communicate with.
All the best,
-- Jim
I respectfully disagree. If Jackson indeed is only a social drinker, there is no reason for a new doctor not to believe him, regardless of what his present doctor thinks.
As you probably know, doctors are an arrogant lot :) and specialists even more so -- and the specialists I've gone to have no problems whatsoever changing a course of treatment or diagnosis from a previous doctor. The caveat being that both doctors are from different hospitals and practicing groups.
But that's not even the main point. If you're being truthful, and a doctor doesn't believe you -- and is making treatment decisions on those misconceptions -- it's time to find another doctor, because this is just a preview of how he is going to treat you down the road.
As to when to start treatment, I see no particular rush given stage 1 fibrosis, so first step to me would be to find a liver specialist I can communicate with.
All the best,
-- Jim
WC Fields was a major alcoholic (probably what caused the skin problems) and reportedly drak at least a fifth a day.
Forsee is right, booze is a big contributor for these issues, if you drink a lot you are more likely to have these disorders.
I do know that our=t of whack ratios are not "always" there in big drinkers, but as pointed out by others, there are other common signs you can see in patients who drink excessively, like these types of skin problems that are being mentioned, the bulbous nose,ruddy complexion, puffiness,rosecea, etc. that doesn't mean all people with these conditions drink a lot but a large portion of people with these types of issues have them because they are drinking related disorders.
Forsee is right, booze is a big contributor for these issues, if you drink a lot you are more likely to have these disorders.
I do know that our=t of whack ratios are not "always" there in big drinkers, but as pointed out by others, there are other common signs you can see in patients who drink excessively, like these types of skin problems that are being mentioned, the bulbous nose,ruddy complexion, puffiness,rosecea, etc. that doesn't mean all people with these conditions drink a lot but a large portion of people with these types of issues have them because they are drinking related disorders.
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Getting tested for this viral infection.
3 key steps to getting on treatment.
4 steps to getting on therapy.
What you need to know about Hep C drugs.
How the drugs might affect you.
These tips may up your chances of a cure.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
