Speed up effects of hepatitis c?

my wife has had Hep C for over 15 years and she drinks 2-3 glasses (180mls per glass) of red wine @ 13%ALC per night.

The internet gives me numerous facts/fiction of research. Which I dont know what to or not to believe.

My wife also has pale skin (not sure if this is relevant) Im just a bit desperate for knowledge on what she is doing and how long she can continue on like this. She has told me that she is 'defiantly not taking treatment' for it. but the Dr said her body is producing antibodies for it.

thanks in advance

oh she has had a liver biopsy about 10 years ago,. not too sure how relevant that is..

OK....

Drinking alcohol is the biggest external cofactor that speeds up Hep C disease progression.

Drinking 2 units of alcohol per day
(= 2 glasses of wine, or 1 pint of beer)
can increase the disease progression by 3 fold.

Her body is producing antibodies to her infection, but they do not prevent disease progression. 25% of people who become Hep C positive will create antibodies and clear/cure the infection within the first few months of being infected. The rest still produce antibodies but they are not strong enough to cure the infection -- these people are said to be chronically infected with Hep C, as seems to be the case with your partner.

It would be best if your wife didn't drink, but that is her decision. The only thing you can to do is make sure she is aware of the risks (which she probably is), encourage her every once in a while to not...but be careful this can be a very sensitive issue. The other thing you can do is find out why she doesn't want treatment. Try and work through those issues (with the help of a HCV treatment advocate (nurse, doctor) with her. The treatment can be very difficult to manage but there is a chance it can cure her of her Hep C, in which case she can have her wine and not worry about it. But the treatment issue can be very scary for someone, as it is similar to cancer chemotherapy.

My advice is to, yourself, speak with someone knowledgeable about Hep C, and the treatment for it. Ask your questions, get some answers, find out how best to approach this with your partner. But accept from the beginning that it is your partner's decision and that all you can do is be there to support your partner.

Good luck

Alcohol will definitely hurt her liver more when she has hep c. One of the livers jobs is to get rid of the poisons in your body, like alcohol. When you have hep, your liver has an infection and can't do it's job properly. Alcohol will just speed damage to her liver and possibly cirrhosis of the liver and eventually death. My husband has had hep c for 40 years. Since he has never been a drinker or a drug user, his liver is in good condition.. Not all people with hep c need to take treatment. It does not cure the disease, it helps the liver to heal if it isn't too far gone. Treatment will only bring the viral load in the blood down to 0, it does not cure the disease. The treatment has a lot of awful side effects. My husband is one it now, he started in Feb. A person with hep c that takes care of themself can live a long and otherwise healthy life.

try looking on www.aidsmap.com it has plenty of free info & advice concerning Hep C, etc.
their e-mail addy is: info@nam.org.uk
you'll be able to get free monthly treatment update mail shots.
The Terrence Higgins Trust would be another good source of info. as for producing antibodies for it I can only say that occurs for sure with Hep B for which isn't treatable like Hep C with interferon. the treatment for Hep C consists of 24 or 48 weeks, a test of 12 weeks should tell if your wife's Hep is responsive & if she is she might be shot of it within a year. i know a few people who have done this and have got on ok with the medication. i've got B & C but my B is basically sorted by the anti-bodies your Dr mentioned & my C is pretty much non progressive. but i've virtually knocked getting pissed on the head on the advice of my consultant(drink or drugs was the choice i was given) so i opted for the drugs as they don't damage my liver as much. hope this helps a bit.

Hepatitis C - familydoctor.org
... Tylenol) are broken down by the liver and may increase the speed of liver damage. ... He or she can suggest ways to relieve some of the side effects. ...
familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/.../i... - Cached
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Hepatitis C
... by injection just under the skin and has a number of side effects, including: ... moderate amounts of alcohol speed up the progression of hepatitis C, and alcohol ...
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/artic... - Cached
about hep c? ok i am a recovering intravinious drug user and have been ...
... late in life, you may never show the effects of chronic hepatitis C infection. ... that can speed up the progression of a chronic hepatitis C infection include co ...
answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2...
OptionCare | hepatitis C services
... on Hepatitis C therapy: Recognize and identify the side effects that you ... moderate amounts of alcohol speed up the progression of Hepatitis C and alcohol ...
www.optioncare.com/dsm/

need ask drdrinks 2-3 glasses (180mls per glass