Hep C and wine

[jankar]

My sister recently diagnosed with Grade3/Stage 4 ovarian cancer. About to begin 18 weeks chemotherapy.  She also has had Grad 0 HCV for 20 odd years - don't know the viral load.  She is utilising a diet that will help support her immune system to support the chemotherapy, etc.  This diet includes one daily glass of red wine.  It is my opinion that if she has cancer and HCV, she should not be drinking wine as this could accelerate the HCV in her present immune compromised position.  She may not be able to treat the HCV for a long time, if ever IMO.  What do others think?

[Rockerforlife]

Alcohol related mortality.

Alcohol is second only to tobacco as the major cause of drug related mortality in Australia. The most common alcohol related cause of death is cancer

[Rockerforlife]

Alcohol related mortality.

Alcohol is second only to tobacco as the major cause of drug related mortality in Australia. The most common alcohol related cause of death is cancer

[Rockerforlife]

Alcohol related mortality.

Alcohol is second only to tobacco as the major cause of drug related mortality in Australia. The most common alcohol related cause of death is cancer

[Rockerforlife]

While it's clear that heavy drinking is very unhealthy, there is also evidence that light alcohol consumption can decrease the probability of death from ischaemic (loss of blood supply) heart disease. But there's a catch.

It depends on how old you are. For people under 35, any benefits are negligible, mainly because at that age, there's no heart disease to prevent. Also this age group is involved in the vast majority of car accidents caused by alcohol.

For people over 35, it's less straightforward. In light drinkers, there is less heart disease than in non-drinkers. However, there's more cancer. But the reduction in heart disease is much greater than the increase in cancer, so there does appear to be a net benefit.

The amount of alcohol required to produce this benefit in healthy adults - less than one standard drink (10 grams of pure alcohol) a day for women and about one for men - is much less than the upper limits set by the NH&MRC. There are no further health benefits to be gained by drinking more than this amount.

http://www.abc.net.au/quantum/poison/alcohol/alcohol.htm

[jankar]

Thanks all your people for your sensible and careful and thoughtful responses.  I was going to freak out about the red wine, but now I will keep my counsel.  Thanks

[jmjm530]

First sentence in part should have read:

"...shows that red wine indeed can be part of an immune system enhancing diet and is NOW being suggested by some during chemo..."

[jmjm530]

Probably from reading too many alcohol/HCV threads, my knee jerk reaction to your post, was "what the f*ck". But a quick google of "red wine, chemotherapy" shows that red wine indeed can be part of an immune system enhancing diet and is not being suggested by some during chemo.  So I say she should go for it if that's what her cancer team recommends. FWIW many of us were told that moderate consumption of alcohol (women 1 drink per day/men 2 drinks per day) is perfectly OK with HCV. My liver specialist in fact encourages me to drink red wine daily, not to enhance the immune system but to help with my cardiac lipid profile. I sure hope things work out for your sister.

-- Jim

[Bill1954]

So sorry to hear about your sister. I agree with Hector that she should try to concentrate on the moment; the HCV shouldn’t be of consequence at this time. If her medical team designed this diet, she should follow it, assuming they are privy to her liver disease. On the other hand, I’ve heard that many of the benefits of wine can be found in grape juice; could this be a possible compromise? I wish her nothing but the best—

Bill

[Magnum]

Immagine the liver being a house on fire. Imagine the wine being equivalent to gasoline and you pour it on the house on fire trying to put out that fire...

Magnum

[HectorSF]

I am very sorry to hear about your sister's illness. I think the best think you can do is support her in every way possible through this difficult time. Which I'm sure you are.

The priority at this time is for your sister to get through what she is going through now. HCV and liver damage should be of no concern at the present time. Stage 4 ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest cancers there is. Whatever it takes to help your sister fight the cancer that should be the number 1 priority. All other issues fade in comparison. This is a true tragedy. I am so sorry that she, you and your whole family have to go through this. Your sister is facing a battle now that she will need all of her mental and physical resources to weather.

I'm sure everyone here sends their positive thoughts and wishes to your sister and yourself.

Best of luck with your HCV treatment.
Hectorsf

[Trish77]

I would assume the cancer treatment team is aware of her HCV?  I'm also assuming that red wine is potentially one of those "can't hurt, might help" things and they may have a substitute that they can put in place of the red wine.  They may also say that the benefit is negligible compared to the detriment.  It's at least worth talking to them to see what they say about it.  

I wish your sister every success in dealing with this and good to know she has you looking out for her.

Trish

[jdwithhcv]

I'm so sorry to hear of this situation.  Here's my advice to your sister.

Drink the wine.  Furthermore, do anything it takes to get through chemo.  Its a special kind of hell and whatever makes it easier on you is a good idea. You will be in my thoughts.  Best of luck.

jd

[portann]

I'm totally sorry to hear that. Ovarian cancer is so d-amn insidious and rarely gets detected early.

Is the 'diet', including the wine, prescribed by her cancer team? If so, I'd not have the slightest doubt what to do - I'd drink the wine.

If the team recommended it, did it explain why? Was it somehow to protect her heart health during chemo? A friend of mine who treated for breast cancer was left with a lot of cardiac problems, so maybe this is an attempt to counteract chemotherapy damage.

I personally would put cancer and cardiac ahead of HCV if she's Grade 0. What's her HCV stage? Also zero?

The one consolation I found in dealing with my friends who had cancer was that the staff seemed hand-picked for their extraordinary level of compassion.

[meakea]

Wow, I'm sorry to hear of your sister's double-whammy!  I don't know the medical answer to that but my gut instinct tells me that the wine will do her more harm than good...even if it's supposedly good for her immune system during chemo.  I wish her the best!!  (My own sister is currently going through breast CA tx)