I have not seen alchohol mentioned anywhere does it mean that everyone with PBC is tea total?

[Trish_W]

I have a drink of red wine with some cooked meals is this bad??

[zipitydoo]

I have personally chosen not to drink alcohol. I used to enjoy a glass of baileys or advocatt occasionally but found whenever I had one I would end up with really bad acid reflux (probably due to the hytus hernia they found sometime after) the few minutes pleasure of drinking it was certainly not worth the hours of suffering after.

i do try to be careful with what meds I take aswell as some of the pain killers are bad for the liver. one thing I have only just realised is the hand sanitiser I use has alcohol in, perhaps I should stop using that.

[Hidden]

I USED to drink alcohol socially which was quite rare as I never really went out to more than the odd birthday party or annual Christmas evening with my sister, husband and children along with my own children. I never drank at home except for the odd one with Christmas Day lunch or New Yr's Day lunch which wasn't much either. As soon as I got the first abnormal LFT blood reading 2010 I ceased drinking totally. I was diagnosed with PBC Dec 2010 and haven't had any alcohol since May 2010.

I found it annoying to be asked 3 times by doctors regarding drinking of alcohol before I was ever checked for PBC and my GP at the time sort of assured me every doctor asks his/her patient this when they receive the original abnormal LFT.

Just thinking too, I did work in a GP surgery for 3yrs (finished yr before PBC diagnosed) and was on the domestic side in practice hours and I had constant use of the alcohol hand sanitisers at the time.

[Lisa30]

My consultant told me that it is fine to have a couple of drinks occasionally, and therefore i do. I would say i am sensible about it, i will have the odd glass every now and then with dinner and on specially occasions like today (my 30th birthday) i will enjoy a few small glasses of wine. Personally i feel this works for i don't feel isolated when were out with our friends as i can have the odd one but because i am sensible i then feel fine. If someone was to tell me that this was no good for me at all then of course i would stop.

[Hidden]

No......

I drink to the normal guidelines..... My GP also got me to cut down and then stop drinking completely to see if the liver function test results would come down, they didn't, therefore the drinking was making no difference to my PBC. But as the GP explained most people showing raised LFT have a drink problem (even if they don't know it), so it seemed sensible to follow that course of action at the time.

Not sure how hand sanitisers can do anything as the alcohol doesn't effect the PBC in the first place.

[Jgreen46]

My consultant told me to go away and live my life normally. He said that drinking alcohol has nothing to do with PBC. I never tell anyone I have PBC ony a close friend who also has PBC as people always asume liver problems are a result of drinking. If I want a glass of wine then I have one

[PBCRobert Partner]

Within reason, alcohol intake does not affect your PBC. The mechanisms within the liver that are affected by PBC and alcoholic liver disease differ. The normal guidelines for alcohol intake is the same for people with PBC and for people without. However, due to the fact our Medical Advisory Board are mainly hepatologists, they have reason to say that the limits should be 14 units per week for a man and 7 units per week for a woman, for all that the guidelines suggest 21 and 14 per week respectively.

As with any substance intake, it is important to listen to your body. Just as some with PBC cannot tolerate carbs or fatty foods, some will not be able to handle alcohol as before. Some will only tolerate whie wine or only red; some will only be able to take spirits, etc. SO, listen to your body and feel how it reacts.

I would also suggest to keep well hydrated and to bear in mind that alcohol is a hepatotoxin. Therefore, you may find that you may be slightly sluggish the next day. This is probably nothing to be alarmed about: it may well be your liver is slightly slower at processing the alcohol itself.

The key is self monitoring and being aware of your body. If you do tipple... enjoy!!

[Jtxx in reply to PBCRobert]

Interesting point. Since you state above that the mechanisms within the liver that are effected by PBC and alcoholic liver disease differ, do you know what the mechanisms within the liver are affected by AIH as I have overlap syndrome. Hope you can help clarify this for me as well. x

[Jtxx]

Although my consultant told me that I could still have an occassional drink, as I did not drink a lot, I took the decision to stop completely. I did not want to put any extra pressure on my already damaged liver due to haviing PBC/AIH overlap syndrome. As Robert pointed out above, alcohol is a toxin.

I am not going to lie, I do miss the odd glass of wine or G&T and realise how drink focused the world is when you are TT but to me it's worth it.

It's a very personal decision and there is no right or wrong. x

[Trish_W]

Thank you Robert this is what my doctor told me initially, i was considering giving up the drink altogether because i guess i just felt guilty. My body cannot tolerate spirits it does seem to give a bad ache in my liver region so i don't but 2 small glasses of red wine with meals seem fine for me 3 - 4 times a week.

[lucretia in reply to Trish_W]

my hepatoligist said it would not hurt me to have a glass of red wine! so i do and it dont have any ill effects, so i have one or two each night, it helps me sleep, and no ill effects the day after, i guess we are all different.

[SLWB]

I think that you should always be careful of what you decide to put in your body and how much. I was told by my specialist that I can continue to live life as I normal have. I was never a big drinker, nor am I now. My husband jams every Sunday at at local pub and every Sunday, I have a couple of drinks (1 or 2). I do get the occasional look, but I have nothing to be ashamed of, I did not cause PBC. You should listen to your body and your doctor and don't forget to live. I lost the first 2 years by cutting almost everything out, it never made a difference in my levels, but it did with my moods, I was miserable. PBC might kill me one day, but until then I will live my life to the fullest.

[nash1]

doc has told me that i can have an occasional glass of red wine only, but that,s because im diabetic as well, i only drink now and again and i always take milk thistle before, in fact i take it 3 times a week and i have found that it helps me a fair bit ...............