Alcohol & Hepatitis

If you have Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C, the single best thing you can do for yourself is to stop drinking alcohol. Alcohol can cause serious problems for someone infected with viral hepatitis.

It’s no joke. Drinking alcohol with viral hepatitis is like adding gasoline to a fire. If you can’t stop drinking entirely, cut back as much as possible. Help yourself by cutting back day by day.

Hepatitis infections cause liver inflammation that leads to scarring (fibrosis), cirrhosis, and even liver cancer. Alcohol can speed up liver damage. People with viral hepatitis who drink alcohol shorten the time it takes for serious liver damage like cirrhosis and liver cancer to occur.

Alcohol can also reduce the effectiveness of hepatitis treatment. In fact, some doctors will not treat hepatitis in patients who consume alcohol. There are many resources to help people cut back or eliminate alcohol use. Contact your healthcare provider, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), or your local health department for help. Remember, your liver is essential.

Drinking alcohol when you have hepatitis can shorten your life.