ok to have a drink?

I finished treatment nearly 4 months ago and am going to a large birthday celebration,is it ok to have a glass of wine or liquor until I get my results of nrxt blood test in July to see if I will be SVR?

[22hamilton]

Speaking purely for myself I would pass on having a drink, but then again I am totally abstinent for a number of reasons. Even if I had reached a SVR and didnt have substance issues I would probably want to rest my liver for about 6mnths post treatment.
You dont really give any info about the current staging/inflamation levels of your liver so members will find it difficult to give informed and reasoned answers.

I guess I cant really advise, am sure someone else will come along though.
Good luck with your blood results !

[Trish77]

As 22hamilton said, it's hard to respond without knowing your exact stats.  From a general standpoint without knowing any information about you, I'd wait until you're at the six month post treatment point to find out where you are at.  Stick with the non-alcoholic stuff, you've come this far...stick it out another two months.

[Diane12855]

After going through the tx, not drinking at a party will be a walk in the park. I'm sure anybody there will understand.

Also, if you don't get SVR you will never know if this party didn't have something to do with it. That would be a drag.

[portann]

Nobody here  - or maybe anywhere - can tell you for sure but for your peace of mind, why don't you wait?

It's perfectly acceptable these days to have an alternate drink like ice water, etc.

Believe it or not, you can still have fun.

Susan  

[Trinity4]

At 4 months post tx a glass of wine or 1 mixed drink would have no bearing on whether you achieve SVR.  If you are a social drinker and don't have a problem with alcohol you should be fine.

Trinity

[Cory255]

It is important to never smoke, drink, or do drugs the rest of your life if you've got HCV.

It is imparative to completely astain from all alcohol especially during the recovery period after treatment.  

Don't ever be influenced by anyone have a drink, especially at the fourth month post tx date.  Don't do anything that could potentially trigger a relapse, such as drinking or doing drugs.  

[Trinity4]

Could you please provide documentation that supports a glass of wine or 1 mixed drink will trigger relapse 4 months post tx.

The interferon is no longer in the body and the ribivirin levels are almost gone so by 4 months post so I would like to know what you are basing "potentially trigger a relapse" on.

Trinity

[spectda]

Hell - I'd be so grateful if I clear this virus, I don't think the first thing on my mind will be having a drink. I think if I attain svr, I will be high as a kite from relief. It's not that I think about hep c all the time, but it always somewhere lurking in your psyche. I just think about living a healthy life and having my liver regenerate from treating myself well. I don't know if you have any liver damage or not, so of course that plays a big part in your decision. I would certainly take the advice of not drinking until you are sure you are svr though.
Very best to you, and I hope you remain SVR!  

[Cory255]

Can you please provide documentation showing it is okay to drink when someone has Hepatitis C or is in the delecate recovering period after treatment.

[Rockerforlife]

I am not pushing having a beer ,but i waited 6 months post TX before i had a few beers.I still have a couple on Friday nite.Ill also have a brewski or two when i go to rock show.
My doc says its ok

[Trinity4]

I asked you first and I will provide an opposing viewpoint as well as documention if you can back up what you stated.

[GreatBird]

I was told by the trial nurse at Cedars LA, that according to their hepatology chief, having a glass of wine or a beer here and there after completing tx would not hurt me in any way. I did SVR. I am a real lightweight and drink very little, but I live in wine country and enjoy going wine tasting and have been doing that. (BTW--Going into tx my liver was F1.)

[Rockerforlife]

My doc say there is no way having a beer or a drink will make the virus return,not sure how he got this info.I was stage 2 so i can afford a drink i think,if i was a stage 3-4...i would wait a lot longer before i had a drink,id proberly want to a another BX too see if i went back a few stages

[FlGuy]

Please explain why it would be different if it was six months and one day versus five months and twenty-nine days.

[nygirl7]

"Also, if you don't get SVR you will never know if this party didn't have something to do with it. That would be a drag -
Can you please provide documentation showing it is okay to drink when someone has Hepatitis C or is in the delecate recovering period after treatment."

Having one drink is not going to determine when you 'lose' SVR or not. AT least if it does there is nothing that I've read in the past almost six years on here to support this ideal and have never seen not one person say that is why they relapsed.  It's just not feasible. Considering you'd be off the IFN for that long if you were going to relapse more likely your bodies immune system has failed - not alcohol I can't imagine what the logic that one beer could cause this situation could possibly be?

While of course it is better not to drink until you are sure all the virus is gone and you will not be damaging your liver greatly - honestly I've always been on the anti-drinking standpoint but one beer or glass of wine is not going to matter either way.  If you can't wait till month six just make sure you keep it something light - it won't damage your chances of SVR (but boy you might think it did if your results come back positive).

[Rockerforlife]

Driinknd before the 6 month post is not wise,even it dont trigger a relapse its stiil not safe,why?...because you may have relapsed at the 4 month post "naturally",and drinking will add fire to the flame...make sense?

[Trinity4]

Very stupid to say it will trigger relapse as well.  The durability of SVR has been studied and the facts are alcohol DOES NOT trigger relapse and if you have evidence to the contrary I would like to see it.  The OP's question was is it ok for have a glass of wine or 1 mixed drink prior to six month PCR and you now you have the guy relapsing if he does. That is simply not true. This is not about winning Corey, it's about facts as they are known today.

Trinity

[Rockerforlife]

(but boy you might think it did if your results come back positive).


YES..this would kill me emotionally

[Cory255]

"Please explain why it would be different if it was six months and one day versus five months and twenty-nine days."--

How many days does the fifth month have?  LOL.  I'm guessing the difference would be ONE, TWO, OR THREE DAYS depending on what month the fifths month post tx date is... lol

[Cory255]

Drinking after Hepatitis C treatment is not a good idea.........  Stop trying to make it look like it is................

[mj6000]

I am very interested in reading studies where alcohol was proven to be the cause of relapse. I know peoples opinions. Can anyone post a study?

[Diane12855]

Opinions are like a****, everybody has one. Just because your opinion is different from another person, that doesn't give you the right to put that person down or to try to force your beliefs onto them.

Lets try to remember why we are on here.... to help each other through the toughest thing we have ever faced in our life.

Be well.........

[nygirl7]

Sorry MJ but there are no studies that will prove that anyone who has A drink after treatment will relapse. We've been around this wheel for many many years and it is each to their own as to what they believe whether they do or not.

Personally if you don't have a great amount of liver damage a glass of wine here or there is not going to hurt you. Nobody is talking about being a full on alcoholic - just seriously once in a while isn't going to hurt anything.

There are thousands of alcohol threads in here and the person inquiring would be better off searching all of them rather than just keep rehashing it in here. There is always the resultant fight.

[Trinity4]

This is rather childish Cory because I don't even drink so I'm not defending any concept.
I'm defending the facts which you don't seem to have a good grasp of.

Namdeel, I repeat, if you do not have extensive liver damage and have not abused alcohol in the past than 1 drink will not hurt you.

Trinity

[Rockerforlife]

Common sense,a glass of wine or 2 with dinner is ok.Ya dont wanna down quart of voda straight up of guzzle 12 beers ...

[nygirl7]

that doesn't give you the right to put that person down or to try to force your beliefs onto them."

Nobody is trying to force anyone to believe their opinion - what we are talking about is grasping basic concepts of SVR and it's durability.  Also to mention to this person that they are not sure IF they have SVR or not (as defined being UND at 6 months after treatment.  six months is the data the the medical community has STUDIED saying therefore we are cured at this point and that is why we use six months not 5 months and ten days as a reference point - because there is SCIENCE behind this number.  

If you want to be a wise guy Cory you can say 5 months and 30 days, the point is that six months is the 'real time number' as given to us by scientists).  If SVR were less durable there would really be no need for anyone to do treatment - everyone would logically relapse at some (like if they took a tylenol or aspirin or anything) point or another.  

What is being said is medical truth and we are just trying to enlighten the new folks of the truth of the matter. EOS.

[spectda]

Nobody can be sure either way. The only thing we can be sure of is that not drinking will definitely not cause relapse. If a drink is that important then the person probably has another problem. Even studies are skewed and never completely objective and factual. There are always variables.

[mikesimon]

You said alcohol could trigger a relapse. That is patently wrong.
Then you changed the discussion to be about whether or not drinking is a good idea. Well cory, that depends. I'll cite a few articles which strongly support the cardiac and other benefits associated with moderate alcohol use. So, if one's liver is not significantly damaged and one does not have a history of alcohol or substance abuse and one can and will drink moderately then it may very well be a good idea to drink after SVR. Not everyone qualifies and, if you don't, then drinking is definitely a bad idea - even for those who never had HCV.

Moderate Alcohol Intake Independently Reduces Diabetes Risk
http://cme.medscape.com/viewarticle/721139?src=cmenews&uac=39980BG

Alcohol Cuts Risk for Heart Disease by One Third
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/712821?sssdmh=dm1.560289&src=nldne&uac=39980BG

Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Lower Dementia Risk in Cognitively Normal Elderly
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/706325?sssdmh=dm1.503531&src=nldne

"...Light to moderate alcohol intake has been associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and renal dysfunction as well as all-cause mortality. In addition, said Dr. Sink, it has also been linked to a reduced risk for dementia in middle age.

However, she said, it is not clear whether this association is also true for the older adults or for those who already have MCI.

At the end of the follow-up period, the researchers found that, among cognitively normal older adults, moderate alcohol intake was associated with the lowest risk for dementia. This was followed by light drinkers and heavy drinkers. Interestingly cognitively normal abstainers progressed to dementia the fastest.

However, among individuals with MCI at study outset, alcohol consumption of any amount was associated with more rapid rates of cognitive decline. In addition, those who were classified as heavy drinkers were almost twice as likely to develop dementia during the study compared with nondrinkers with MCI...."

Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Increase Bone Mineral Density in Some Older Adults
http://cme.medscape.com/viewarticle/590042?sssdmh=dm1.448943&src=nldne

Moderate Drinking May Slow Arthritis Progression
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/719281

Mike

[Cory255]

Bad idea drinking alcohol after Hepatitis C treatment.  Just sayin.

[GreatBird]

Maybe you should ask your doctor...

[mikesimon]

You've probably noticed by now that you cannot find one case of HCV relapse attributed to alcohol use. We have some history with SVRs at this point and I would speculate that not every SVR maintained absolute sobriety after treatment. If alcohol presented a real risk of relapse we would certainly have seen something in the literature by now. So maybe you aren't "sure either way" but the stark lack of any reference to the idea that alcohol can/does trigger HCV relapse convinces me that it can not.
If it could it would have and we'd have seen some evidence of it by now.
Mike

[Trish77]

The reason I would recommend someone not to drink at 4 months post treatment is because generally it's good not to drink alcohol when one has Hep C.  If you feel you've got SVR at a PCR taken at 12 weeks after EOT, then that's your decision.  However, if you aren't really sure on that SVR until the six month PCR after EOT, then I say might as well wait til that point. Personally I'm still with the six month PCR after EOT being the clincher for me.  I know one too many that were clear at 12 weeks and detectable at 24.  Not many..but enough. Two more months is not a big deal.  Never in any of my OWN comments was any chance of relapse BECAUSE of alcohol considered as the reason.  The Op asked a question with very vague details so my comment was one that erred on the side of caution.  Once you KNOW you have that SVR, that's a whole other story.  There are many people here who talk about how they would never touch alcohol again after hitting SVR.  For myself, I celebrated with a lovely single malt scotch that I'd been waiting to nose and taste for awhile and that was my celebratory.  Never been an alcoholic and the treatment reversed what little liver damage I had to practically nothing so a fortunate position to be in.

When SUCH little details were provided...I'd simply rather recommend in GENERAL..wait for the results of that six month post EOT PCR to say SVR and that there is no more Hep C.

[chuckles333]

I tested UND on my 4 week TX PCR, again UND on my 12 week TX PCR, EOT the same. A week after EOT I had about 6 beer one evening. Big mistake! I was sick as a dog. I'm harder than a dog to train though. A month later 6 beer same result. Well I can have a few beers now from time-to-time and it doesn't bother me too much. I get the hiccups some times. I am now 10 months past my EOT and my six month post PCR was UND. I don't believe alcohol after EOT will do anything to affect the final outcome of your TX. If you relapse with the consumption you would have relapsed anyway. We go through this to save our livers and our lives. In my case the damage caused by years of drugs, alcohol and HCV was really minimal. No cirhosis no fibrosis. I was lucky. I can continue now pretty much as I would have had I never had any liver desease and my liver is in better shape than a lot of people's, but why? Why would I risk my life now after what I've been through? Why would you? I used to binge drink every weekend while I was infected. Now I hardly ever take a drink although I probably could. It just seems so counter-productive now.

[Trish77]

The difference is in being responsible about the answer - it's simply good to keep in mind whether you're addressing someone who has control issues with alcohol or not.  Going ahead and having a drink would be alot more okay for me than for someone else and when I don't know their situation, I like to keep that in mind.  That's my own take on it.

[Trinity4]

The OP didn't state whether he had advanced liver disease or a problem with alcohol in the past.  He simply asked " is it ok to have a glass of wine or liquor until I get my results of next blood test in July to see if I will be SVR?"
Based on that information ONE alcohol drink would not effect SVR or the progression of liver disease
The conversation took off in a totally different direction from jeopardizing SVR, to accelerating liver disease to abusing alcohol and that is not what the OP asked.  
Not one post was advocating alcohol or pushing the OP to drink.  Seasoned members presented the correct facts and if the truth bothers some that's unfortunate.  Advice and opinions are one thing, correct information is another.  

[child24angel]

If after four months you have one drink, I doubt it will matter
unless of course you have advanced cirrhosis.
Having one drink isn't really going to have effect on SVR status.

I think people have a drink after completing TX to celebrate.

If you're going to relapse you going to relapse it will not depend
on one drink after completed tx.  Some people have to smoke
that funny stuff just to get through TX and still SVR.

ONE drink c'mon...give me a break.
Unless you have cirrhosis or a problem with alcohol.
I seriously doubt it will matter at this point.

[spectda]

The voice of reason. Thanks.

[portann]

Hi Namsdeel,

Welcome to the forum.

If you're still around, have you already asked your doc about this and what did he say?  

Alcohol can impact on liver disease, with or without HCV, but one drink wouldn't do more harm than the prescription meds many of us take every day.

One drink can trigger relapse of alcoholism, though, and that's a risk.

You didn't say if you have this particular relapse risk, so if you don't, then I wouldn't worry about one drink.

If you had a problem with drinking before treatment, I'd factor that into taking that 'one' drink at the birthday party.

And if you have advanced liver disease, then why poison your liver, SVR or not?

The problem is that, for some people, 'one'  beer can lead to six-packs and downward.

If you're seriously talking moderation, that's different but personally, I wouldn't drink unless the occasion was special. Heck, everyone has a birthday.

Rocker's new job, though, is a cause to celebrate, so enjoy that Beaujolais (not more than two glasses, remember?) and congratulations.

Susan

[Rockerforlife]

Thank you Port,you made my day.Feels good to get back to work,now i feel like ive won the lottery,i have my SVR and a decent job again...thanks be the JesusBTW...this red wine is amazing  it from Argentina and its called Misterio...good wine and good food...isnt this is what life is about,and women of course

[Trinity4]

Now that the OP has been given permission to have a drink if it is
a special occasion and everyone's answers have been sufficiently graded and we understand the reason why we are all here I guess it's time to close the thread now.

Trinity

[Emily_MHModerator]

The thread is closed.  The question has been answered a few times a few different ways, and the OP has enough info now to make a decision, hopefully after speaking to her doctor about her individual history, etc.

***************************** CLOSED THREAD  ****************************

                                    NO MORE POSTS!

Emily