Drinking BEFORE treatment???????

Ok...I know we are not suppossed to drink before and especially during treatment.....
However since being told of the Hep c  2b (about 5 months ago ....(I know I am going to get ragged out for this but I am just being honest cause I really didn't think it was a big dealand I know I can be honest with your guys/gals) I have been to 2 weddings, 7 showers (jjjeeeezzeee wish people would stop having so many babies!!!, as much as I love them) ) and 4 bloody retirement parties....a pool party or 2... and have had some wine at each.
Does that put me at risk for my treatment not working?????   Of course I would never touch a drop during treatment.... might as well flush all that money and drugs down the john if I did that!   But drinking BEFORE treatment????  Is that really that bad????  My liver function seems not that bad but how does that affect treatment and the virus????

My  doc said everyone should abstain for at leaset 6 months before.....this is a recent unfolding on his part....of course he told me no alcohol ...no iron supplements no bloody spinach etc....  but who the heck knew he meant NO NO NON NOthing even at a wedding?????   I just did not know that could affect treatment!!!  :(   Now what???????????????   can that much  really mean that much to my success of complete suv????  And how much is too much????


You guys/gals must think I am a  real "durrr what the heck did you think"   but I honestly did not think that bit would mean any thing BEFORE treatment. Please oh please tell me it does not!!!!!   By the way every chance I got  I only had Organic/sulfite free wine....   does that count?????????????????    ~ ; /   It is hard to find but I found it!!!!!

A Draggin' dragon tamer....

[Lilla]

when I found out I had HepC, I was drinking  wine -  my doctor never mentioned anything about stopping before treatment, but I read enough to know it was not good.  I found out in Nov of 06; started treating in Feb. of 07.  I was a 2b also.   I did not drink any alcohol while treating of any kind.......an occasional O'Doul's and doctor said that was fine.  My liver damage was moderate fibrosis per blood work and all blood tests were okay with exception of liver enzymes. That was what triggered the search.  Last blood work enzymes were normal.

alcohol is a touchy subject to many.  I personally decided that I wanted to beat this, so I chose not to drink.

I attained SVR at 6 months post treating.   Good luck to you.

[Fl_Gator]

...light a fire in your fireplace and then throw a gallon of gasoline on it....what would happen...your house would burn down...right?

that is what alcohol does to your liver when you have HCV

Don't hurt yourself anymore.

Get rid of the virus, heal your liver then celebrate with an occasional Organic/sulfite free wine....  

[DragonTamer]

Sounds perfectly sane!    Has any one had any problems drinking a bit before treatemnt?

Again I would never ever ever drink ON treatment and I too was never told they  would not do treatment if I had ANY alcohol before treatment for 6months (amyone heard this before???) ....He  said just don't have any.....That was no biggie for me so i didn't.... except for the special occassions....but what I thought was "the little of it" I never thought would be an issue???????????????
Any one  think it is????    Or any one have bad affects from it while ON treatment????

needing answers from the pro's!!!
D.T

[Fl_Gator]

I was diagnosed just under two years ago...I quit drinking. Started tx last friday. I wasn't a big drinker. Beer or Wine with dinner.

I have on very rare occasions had a beer or wine since being diagnosed. No Doctor ever told me that I couldn't have any alcohol 6 months before tx. They just said no alcohol.  I won't even look at it while on tx...I had a biopsy when I was first diagnosed....and then again just before tx....not much difference in the two thank God. Everyone is different though. I did make a cocktail to help my liver...consisting of several herbal and nutritional supplements.

[Magnum]

I was diagnosed in 1994 and drank like there was no tomorrow until 1999, when the logic of doctors changed and they said "no drinking" instead of "we'll keep an eye on this". It was difficult being an entertainer in Las Vegas and not drinking.

So I decided to get away from the city and take a weekend off without drinking as the doctor suggested. I drove an hour out of Las Vegas and stayed in a small motel by myself to dry out. There was nothing good on TV so I searched around the room for something to read.

The only thing I found was a bible in the nightstand drawer. I opened it and on the first page, someone wrote very neatly "If you have a drinking problem, call 921-1256". So I did. It was the liquor store just down the street...

Magnum

[copyman]

you will be fine. the drinking before treatment will not prevent you from attaining SVR. as the others have said drinking is not good for someone with HCV but if you must then keep it to a minimum. and of course as you know none during treatment. best of luck

[pigeonca]

When I was diagnosed the doctor said I probably had hep c for 20 years or more, during which time i had no idea that I was infected.  So for all those years nobody told me not to drink, and I did drink a little, i.e. 4 or 5 glasses of wine a week on average, never more than 2 glasses in a day as I hate being soused.  

Consequently, while waiting to treat, I figured it wouldn't hurt much to continue drinking as I had.  Of course, if I had any problem with liquor this would be a different story.  I resumed my wine with dinner upon learning of my SVR.  The doctor said it was good for my heart to have a little wine most days, in my case no more than a glass or so (specifically 5 to 8 ounces a day max).

[Trish77]

You have early stage liver damage and I have posted before that I think the occasional drink is not a big deal however you're listing all these events in the last five months where you've had alcohol at every one of them.  That seems like alot for a person in your situation which was also my situation pre-tx...and I'm one who had the occasional drink prior to treatment.  You might want to try substituting for alcoholic drinks at those special occasions as much as possible so that you really ARE only having the occasional drink and only when it's one of those times when it mentally makes sense.  When you start treatment, you really shouldn't have any alcohol at all so you might want to do a little "training" before you get there.  Something to think about.

Of course...all of the above is assuming you don't have an alcohol dependence.  Then you have a whole other problem when you also have HCV.

[Mollyrae]

You all know that Hep C is a disease of the liver, alcohol will harm you. DON'T DRINK AT ALL. This will prolong your liver and life.......Mollyrae

[FlGuy]

There were two guys who used to shoot dope together. Then they fell out of touch with each other.  The first guy (Brian) was diagnosed 5 years ago with HCV-G3.  He did not change his life and continued to drink socially (weddings, showers, bbqs, few beers every once in a while).  The second guy (Fog) was diagnosed only a month ago, also G3, even though he was infected the same time that Brian was.  He went through the last five years drinking socially (weddings, showers, bbq, few beers every once in a while)not knowing that he had HCV.  Finally, Brian decided to treat his hcv after his 5 year wait.  Fog, decided to treat when he got his diagnosis and ended up starting treatment when Brian did. Both stopped drinking altogether a month before the start of treatment.

Is there really any difference between these two?

[DragonTamer]

Thanks for all the advise and info, and examples....  I do feel better. I don't have a dependence and stopping all together is no big deal for me.  I was just surprised to hear  that some doctors do tell people to abstain for at least 6 months before treatment. I was not told that at any time period. Just don't drink.

Well..... I am doing  tx couple drinks or not starting June 27....   so I hope you will all be here and I promise i will not be a whiney %$%^& about the sides. I pray I don't have to many Side effects to whine about!!  But might have some questions.
You all have been great about being there for me!
Thank you all!!!!

Hope each and everyone of you are having the day you need!!
Dragon Tamer

[working dog]

i started drinking in the late eighties...and by the late nineties was drinking too much..i  found out i had hep c after i stopped drinking ...wish i never drank at all as a habit..theres seems to be a big difference between folks that drink a lot and thoughs that keep a good handle on it..my x who has been through tx 5 years ago has a drink every now and then and no big deal...i think i would have killed myself if i kept on drinking......billy

[merryBe]

you know no one said it was going to be easy.

I think the main thing is, you can't change what you did, but have learned more...and now going forward, make a quality decision to live....and you need a live-r to live..hence the title...L I V E R.

You know, try this on...let's say my hubby just had a heart attack.  And I bring him bacon and eggs for breakfast everyday...and steak and fries every evening...
how long before he asks me...."honey, do you want me to drop dead?"
OK, so it would be obvious, not to eat all that fat with a bad heart..
so why do the equivalent thing to your liver...once you know it's sick?
You see?
I think the thing is, you are probably just a little people shy, and wine turns shy people into really comfortable people at events....but you need to learn to love yourself just as you are, and not fear what people think....you can be comfortable without the glass....and those that can't accept you then...well that's their problem. But take care of yourself, please.The alcohol really is poisonous to you now.
mb