For Grand Oak, alcohol and HCV increased replication

G Oak you asked in the post below (now locked) if there was a study that suggested that alcohol consumption increases viral replication. There's a link below that references that study. Although I definitely think you're safe with dipping your communion wafer in the wine! ;-) If blessed hepper truly is only going to have one glass of wine, I'm sure that won't hurt her. Although during treatment, personally I wouldn't touch it.

Also, as an aside, I sure drank a decent amount when I was younger. Typical college parties, bar hopping etc. I remember downing 3 beer beer bongs (in less than 5 seconds!), jello shooters, white russians, manhattan ice teas (wow!). And my liver only has minimal damage after being HCV+ for 23 years. And I've heard of quite a few other folks you drank and drank heavily for decades while being infected with HCV...and incredibly have gotten by with only minimal damage. Somehow, someway, there are certain people who can shrug off damage for decades that would kill other people in a much shorter timeframe. One of the many mysteries of this thing called HCV.

Alcohol/HCV replication link:

http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jun2003/niaaa-26.htm

[GrandOak]

Thx for the link.  I figured that there must be one somewhere.  But I also have observed a lot of bickering and back biting where claims get bandied about which often times turn out to be personal opinions or anecdotes.

I was of course being a facetious with my concern over Communion ;-O (as you probably figured out) and also agree that Blessed's one glass most likely would not kill her.

Being a delivered alcoholic myself, I would not even consider or recommend any consumption myself, even being off tx now irregardless of my currently still being infected as a nonresponder or even if I had been fortunate to have reached SVR.

But as nygirl I believe pointed out, I do realize that unlike myself or others in the same boat, there are those who can consume a single drink or two and that I should not expect everyone to abstain simply because I must.  Thus I try not to lambaste them for their vices and hope that they would behave in kind for those which I still have, or revert to at times.

Thus, my original response suggested she check with her doctor to get their professional opinion and suggest that she not look to those on the forum for direction on what to do as opinions here are a dime a dozen and most likely cover the gambit of permutations possible.

Thanks again for the link as it adds to my chest of reasons to remain dry, except for the occasional few drops from partaking Communion ;-)

[mremeet]

Yep I agree with your sentiments completely, well said. And although I always enjoyed recreationally drinking in the past (before finding out I had HCV), now that I'm on these SOC treatment drugs just the thought of alcohol makes my stomach turn. Abstaining from alcohol for me is REAL easy right now, not sure if that's a common feeling others have while on treatment(?)

[Pdilly]

I agree.  I can live without a drink for the most part.  The one think I miss is if we go out to a real nice restraunt not having a glass of wine.  Maybe some day I will allow myself way down the line if I reach SVR, but right not I don't know if I want to take any chances of not beating this thing.  I think it is harder for all around the holidays.   My husband had a majjor drinking problem awhile back and has not had a drink for 27 years.  He now is thinking about wine with a meal every now and then.  He decided to wait and see if I can join him down the line.

[APKhaos]

OK, I admit it.....I'll occasionally take a mouthful of wine from my wife's glass and run it around my mouth for a while just to enjoy the taste. Can't beat it! Never had a drinking problem, so maybe its easier. Don't know about that.

BTW, it was the consequences of casual drinking that really triggered the search that turned up the HCV dx. My tolerance for alcohol had fallen apart. Two glasses of wine with dinner and I'd be suffering all the next day.

[GrandOak]

APKhaos, you make an interesting point.  For some, and this hopefully will not send some off the deep end again, who may be genetically predisposed to alcoholism, that tolorance level is quite different (i.e. they can easily drink others under the table whilst remaining relatively sober).

I believe that this, coupled with my HCV, is what sent me from the casual consumption into a deeper indulgence into the drink a few years ago.  In other words as the HCV became more active after what I believe to be 30 years, possibly due to a more consistent pattern of indulgence, I turned more to the alcohol to anesthetize the effects the HCV was having upon me.  This eventually turned to a wicked two-edged sword dance which, by His grace and mercy, I finally put to an end that resulted in me learning of my infection and my recent 10 month ordeal to see if tx would work for me.

So while I would never encourage anyone to consume, especially while on tx, I realize that like tx it is a personal decision each one of us needs to make and no amount of discussion is going to force anyone to accept it.

[NYgirl]

Rev

I actually think your last post said it ALL.

Like I said - if it's really that big a deal to someone, they'd rather taste wine than take care of their liver since nobody can GUARANTEE anything...well - you got the picture.

Dr. J and my regular doctor said absolutely NO alcohol on treatment and I have to believe them. COMMON sense tells me that.

[motheroffour]

Thanks for posting this article.  My h (who is already at 13 weeks BTW) has been very, very hard on himself and blaming himself for the state of his liver.  I must say the docs did a good job of making him feel like he was to blame by not believing him when he would report his level of alcohol consumption. Our family doc, who we've seen and known for over 25 years even called me and asked "is he telling the truth?".  I don't think they believed you could do damage with moderate alcohol consumption.  I've already forwarded the article to family doc.  I've spent the better part of the last year trying to convince my husband that he "didn't do this to himself".  In many ways I've become bitter watching how he was treated early on and wondering how many people are depressed, not by the drugs but how othey have been treated, even by the medical community. It's been almost a year and a half since h was diagnosed and everyone's singing a different tune now but it's devasting for someone to find out they have this virus and to look ahead to the year of treatment, patients don't need the added insult of having trained medical personel treat them like they self inflicted this disease.

[chcnme]

LMAO - HAHAHAH!  Oh gosh that was just the note I needed to read right now to go get my arse in gear and get moving for the day and go... go..... uh... maybe go eat a pound of sugar and see if I can get drunk off of it! Just kidding.

I hope your SIL is doing OK, Scott. That's very sad she is to that point.  

take care

[GoofyDad]

Holy cow you guys! Someone asks a simple question and you still have your knickers in knots? This seems compulsive. What's the deal? Most of us eat badly and don't excercise enough. Some of us smoke, knowing full well it ain't doing the liver any good. I don't think asking a reasonable question has ever been linked to increased fibrosis. Lighten up. Watch some bad porn or something. Give yourselves a break, you deserve it.

[cuteus]

you can watch me!  
sipping the marg, that is!


maybe this should be called the EXTREME hep forum!  

you got to admitt that asking here whether you should drink is like opening a jar of rotten eggs, though!  or was it a can of worms?  and you should be prepared for ANYTHING!

happy holidays!

[GoofyDad]

I knew we would find some common ground. It's like that Far Side cartoon with the kid in the jar and the bugs on the outside.

[GoofyDad]

<i>Watch and wait
bad porn
cuteus
margarita</i>

There's a joke in there somewhere, but dang if I can find it.

Wishing you the plumpest christmas goose you've ever had!