
Hepatitis C Support Group
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease which can cause liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. Many people with HCV infection have no symptoms and are unaware of the need to seek treatment. Hepatitis C infects an estimated 150-200 million people worldwide.
The day I received my diagnosis, I completely QUIT drinking anything with alcohol in it. I don't even allow myself to consume an item that was cooked using a bit of alcohol. Why?
Because it makes your liver work harder, hurts your liver, and if you were honest with yourself, you just don't need it in your life or especially in your body.
You realize that alcohol plays a BIG part in hurting your liver? So does it really matter if you can find a dr who will go along with your wish to "just have one or two drinks"?
Now before you go off thinking that I was not a drinker at all, so it's easy for me to be like this, but you're wrong!
I am a beer drinker from waaaaaay back. I do love my beer but was never a HUGE drinker. On the weekends I would have a handful of beers, if I went to a club or even if at home watching a hockey game. I absolutely LOVED my guinness and so much so that I have a couple of email address with guinness in them!
But I quit. Why? Because I love my liver and refuse to do something consciously that I know for a fact will be a harm to my liver.
But you do what you like. Go ahead and have that "one small glass" at that special occasion. Your liver is not my concern.
Don't like my reply? That's ok, don't listen to me.
Your liver will thank you if you do listen though.
Many medications work better when taken with food, or don't upset your stomach if taken with food.
I have had some rx where they are specific to say take 1hr before eating or 2hrs after eating! My guess on that one is to have an empty stomach.
I never really question the why because there is usally a valid reason like the two above I mentioned, so it's no big deal.
Any alcohol or drugs etc.. makes it harder on you so it is up to you to decide if the "fun" outweighs your health or not. You could choose to do nothing and live as clean as possible and still get run over or die of something else long before your liver gets bad enough to kill you but the other side is you could live a long time with Hep C if you take care of yourself...
It is all a gamble and only each person can decide what is best for themselves.
Medications can be bad on liver as well but sometimes they are necessary ie: antidepressants so you don't suicide... HIV meds, etc.. some things are just vital and you have no choice which is why I believe in cutting out all the things that are not vital that could harm my liver. I have had a lot of friends die from Hep C and HIV together because it is a fragile balance between taking the meds to control the HIV and not taking the meds to keep liver Hep C safer... most of the time they put you on a schedule where you take meds for say 3 months and then not for 1 month (medication holiday I think is what they call it).
As far as the doctor who says it is ok, well I question his medical knowledge & ethics. I can't imagine why he would tell you that and to be honest I would consider finding another doc. One that wants to see you succeed in your journey back to good health.
As for medication, you didn't say what it was you are taking. I can only speak for my ribavirin that I take. The information provided to me says take with or without food, UNLESS taking with Peg-interferon take with food. It does not say why the difference. The other important factor to remember is to take it at the same time everyday and the same way every time. If it is prescribed to take more then once daily, space your doses evenly to keep medication at a constant level in your body. Whatever medication you are/will be taking, you should be given a drug information sheet by the pharmacy that fills the prescription as well as the information provided by the drug manufacturer. Take care of you.
Lots of hugs.
Mtnstar
argh - that's gonna be the hardest part of all with this treatment, not drinking!!! I take the replies seriously though & certainly DO want to beat this, so no more booze :(
I slipped up once last weekend at a wedding... felt very bad, kept thinking i'm poisonsing myself!! Okay from now on fun without alcohol. Thanx again...
good luck with your tx oz. keep us posted how you're doing, stay strong and keep smiling cos smiling lightens the burden and brightens your day.
we're here for you