alcohol post tx but before svr

Would it be okay to drink wine after I complete tx? No more than a couple of glasses!  I have type 2b and have been undetectable since week 4.  My liver enzymes are normal and my pre-tx ultrasound showed no damage. I have never been a heavy drinker.  
I will finish my 24 week treatment next week and my husband and I are planning on renewing our wedding vows and taking a second honeymoon.  I would like to enjoy a little wine during our vacation.

I would like to know:

1) Will consuming the wine bring back the virus/cause a relapse?  
2)Or is the issue that I don't know whether or not I have SVR'd and would be drinking with a possible active virus?

I realize by posting this question on the internet I am asking for many a lecture.  If possible, please refrain.  I just want an answer to the question and my doctor is always in such a darned hurry.  I won't see him again until 3 months post tx so I would like to know the knowledge that some of your might have.  Thank you all and many blessings to each of you....

[Boobert]

Personally I would wait 6 months post treatment when it's official SVR and then a glass or 2 of wine would be ok. That also would depend on the extent of damage my liver was in before treatment, because remember that's still there.Have you ever biopsied?

[Bill1954]

I don’t believe there’s any evidence that alcohol will directly affect your viral status; either the virus has left the building or it hasn’t. Being genotype 2 and assuming you were fully compliant with the meds give you very good statistical odds of success.

I think the problem is central to #2) “Or is the issue that I don't know whether or not I have SVR'd and would be drinking with a possible active virus?”

Even then, unless you had significant fibrosis, I wouldn’t think a few drinks would be the end of the world anyway. Of course, your medical team should be the final word on treatment related decisions; but that’s my personal take on your situation, for what it’s worth.

Have fun, and good luck with your future test results-

Bill

[Bali05]

I would not drink alcohol during detox from tx but in the end it is a personal decision.
Hey let`s all move to a muslim country that might solve the alcohol problem :-)

[R Glass]

1) Will consuming the wine bring back the virus/cause a relapse?  
NO

2) Or is the issue that I don't know whether or not I have SVR'd and would be drinking with a possible active virus?
IN MY OPINION!  With minimal Liver Damage, an occasional couple of glasses of wine are not going to do any significant damage to your liver even with an active virus. Now if you were going to kill a gallon of Port, my answer would be different.

"I realize by posting this question on the Internet I am asking for many a lecture.  If possible, please refrain"
Hopefully the Hyenas will stay at bay. Awhile back, a lady asked a similar question and before it was over with she was accused of being an Alcoholic. Needless to say, she was offended and never came back.

[SusieS2010]

First of all, congrats on being so close to the finish line. The question you ask was asked of one of the top docs in hepatology at the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) in Boston, last year. His response was that there is no data on the amount of alcohol that is safe for  a person with hepatitis C. It depends on so many things....the amount of liver damage, the amount of alcohol, how often one drinks, etc. He said that even for a person with cirrhosis, a very occasional glass of wine is not harmful. One should never drink on an empty stomach and one should try and have some water or juice, after the drink. He said that doctors rarely tell patients that an occaisional alcoholic beverage is ok because they don't know how people define "ocdaisional" or "small" amount.

My personal opinion is that if you can trust yourself to have just one and not make every occasion a special occasion, it is ok to have a drink after treatment.

Have a great vacation. You deserve it!

[Bali05]

the argument against drinking alcohol before SVR is achieved is that should you
relapse despite good odds will you blame the alcohol ?

[Mary4now]

have you had a problem with alcohol in the past?  
why dont you consider stopping after all this time without?  have a nice glass of non alcoholic spritzer?
alcohol has destroyed so many lives and livers,

[willbb]

  "Now if you were going to kill a gallon of Port,"

  LOL



bpspoiler: Congrats on  finishing tx. and enjoy your honeymoon

[can-do-man]

Wishing you the best and ENJOY

[pjxak]

Just one study....

Drug Alcohol Depend. 2010 Jul 1;110(1-2):167-71. Epub 2010 Mar 23.

Treatment outcome in relation to alcohol consumption during hepatitis C therapy: an analysis of the Swiss Hepatitis C Cohort Study.
Bruggmann P, Dampz M, Gerlach T, Kravecz L, Falcato L.

ARUD Zurich, Konradstr. 32, 8005 Zurich, Switzerland. [e-mail]

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Adherence to hepatitis C treatment is influenced by alcohol as is the action of interferon; yet the clinical significance of the latter remains unclear. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of ongoing alcohol intake on sustained viral response (SVR) rates in adherent patients receiving hepatitis C treatment.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients treated with antiviral therapy for hepatitis C infection who were enrolled in the Swiss Hepatitis C Cohort Study was completed. Patients were eligible for the study if they had their HCV RNA tested 6 months following treatment completion and at least one cohort follow-up visit during HCV therapy, documenting the consumed amount of alcohol. They were assigned to three groups according to the amount of alcohol consumption: group A without alcohol consumption, group B 24 g/d alcohol.

RESULTS: 554 patients were included. Patients with at least 80% of the scheduled cumulative dose and duration did not significantly differ between the three groups. SVR rates according to alcohol consumption were 60% for non-drinkers (group A), 57% in group B and 50% in group C. No significant negative influence from alcohol consumption during therapy was observed in the multiple regression analysis for treatment success.

CONCLUSION: In this evaluation, we demonstrated comparable SVR rates in non-drinkers and in patients with daily amounts of alcohol intake up to 24 g during hepatitis C therapy.

Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
PMID: 20334985 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[jusjames]

cant see it being a problem having a few drinks

[Junebug812]

I agree with the other comments. I for one plan on "celebrating" with a glass of wine once I'm done with tx. I think it's important to take into consideration some of the things mentioned above such as having problems with alcohol in the past, amount of liver damage, etc. Since I have little damage and have never had a problem with alcohol, I feel fine about having wine once in awhile when this is all said and done. And I look forward to a cup of hot sake with sushi. It's just not the same experience without it!

Best of luck!

[mikesimon]

Sure you can have a drink or two but Junebug - you better be careful with that raw seafood.

Mike

[Anne1717]

I sometimes feel that there is an automatic assumption that if you have HCV then you are an alcoholic and fall into the group of "you must NEVER touch alcohol AGAIN."   It is the same as saying that if you have HCV, then you must hav contracted it through drugs.  There are so many gray areas.  
Believe me, I understand that alcohol is poison to some as it has ravaged our family.  My fayjer has been in AA for 45 years, a brother who got sober on his own, and still another brother who will die an alcoholic.  I have a healthy fear of wha it can do and the utmost respect for those who have had to give up an addiction.

Having said that,  many people on this site are not addicted to anything and should not have to be held to an unreasonable standard.  I am not an alcoholic and if I was, my dad would be the first person to drag me by my ears to meetings.  And, being newly diagnosed and acute,  I have the liver of a baby, no damage or compromised liver in the slightest.  So, any standard applied to a heavy drinker with stage 3 cirrhosis,  should not be applied to a tee tottler who wants to have a glass of wine on their anniversary.

We are all well meaning supportive people, but when it comes to this issue, we paint everyone with the same brush, so much so that no one dares to ask a legitimate question.

My heart goes out to those so sick with addiction.  I am too familiar with what it does and the havoc it creates.  But please don't lump everyone unfairly.  Once I am done treating,  I plan to celebrate and that celebration will include a rack of lamb and a St. Emillion.  And,  my dad will be there cheering me on.

[Junebug812]

Hmmm, maybe I should be more concerned about radioactive sushi rather than hot sake. Nah, the government says it's all ok. They wouldn't lie....right?

;)

[Magnum]

My Gastro and I discussed the alcohol question. I told him that for my mother's birthday I would like to drink a couple of glasses of champagne. He didn't think that was a problem. I'm waiting to treat and am considered mildly cirrhotic, so I don't know about under treatment or post treatment or in a drinking mood, but seems that this small amount of alcohol can't turn the tide of this disease one way or another.

Let's be sure we understand his reasoning. A birthday comes once a year, as does Christmas and New Year's Eve. So if you add that up to six glasses of champagne per year, I'm sure that any liver specialist will say this will have no effect on the current state of the liver. However... if you drink two glasses a day, then I will pray for you because at that point you are asking for trouble. Otherwise, it's up to you...

Magnum

[Junebug812]

Anne, well said. So many grey areas that it's dangerous to put all of us in the same basket. I like how reasonable this thread is when it could have easily gone a different path. Bspoiler, thanks for having the courage to bring up this topic.

June

[lovebird99]

Alcohol will not bring the virus back.  The only risk is that you might be drinking while you have active virus.

I hope you get your SVR.  If I ever do I am going to have a glass of champagne to celebrate.

[bpspoiler]

Thank you to everyone for your candor!  I was very nervous about posting because I've noticed, in the past, people make assumptions there are those of us out there just looking for permission to drink alcohol.  I have never had a drinking or drug problem so moderation is not a problem for me.  I also have no signs of fibrosis nor am I cirrhotic so I'm very lucky.  I truly appreciate your well wishes and hope nothing but the best for all of you!  Blessings...

[Anne1717]

Good luck to you and I hope it's a good hearty red with which you will celebrate and please raise a glass to the rest of us yet to finish tx.  We'll be there in spirit.  

[working dog]

my x did 48 weeks tx about 10 years ago...she wasn't a big drinker before but did like a couple glasses of wine maybe once or twice a week...after tx she waited maybe a year then would once in a while would drink a glass or two...not anymore...her body just can't take it... says its from the hep....she did have hep real bad back in 70 so maybe that messed up her liver really bad...so if your body reacts different to alcohol after tx your not alone...good luck...billy

[Mary4now]

as far as I can tell, I'm done with drinking, would I say I had a problem, oh no, i just enjoyed it a lot, I stopped when it started not feeling good anymore.  
I think a couple of drinks is fine, I for one at 61 yrs. have had enough to last.

[Anne1717]

When  I drink, I break out in spots - Sully's Tavern, Joe's Bar and Grille.................