Question
I am HIV positive – can I drink alcohol or eat pork?
7 January 2017. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Starting treatment, Supplements and herbs.
Hello,
I’m 29 years old and have been HIV positive for almost one year. I have known about my status since December last year. I’m currently living in Germany due to studies and I would like return to my country (Mexico) at the end of this year. My questions are:
1) I have attached the results from the last analysis that have been done and I would like to hear your overall opinion on these and if I should focus in some particular issue.
2) I’m aware that between the last two analyses I went to a party and I drank too much alcohol (about 1.5liters) and I regret it. When you are not on therapy is the alcohol more likely to affect me than when I am on therapy? I mean does it decrease my CD4 and increase my viral load? I don’t want to drink alcohol anymore but it would be nice to know.
3) The Dr. suggested I should not eat pork. I am making big changes in my lifestyle (diet, exercise, etc) and I would like to know if it is possible to estimate when I should start the therapy? I’m worried since I don’t know if I’m going to stay in Germany or move back to Mexico. I’ll be able to know by the end of this year but not before.
My Dr. provided me with this website and I find it amazing with all the information that it’s available for us to learn about the subject.
I really want to thank you all for the great work you do!
Answer
Thank you for your question, and for the feedback – and for your doctor :)
I will try and answer your questions according to the numbers you have given above.
1) Firstly, we are not doctors but HIV treatment advocates.
Monitoring your blood tests you should focus mainly on your CD4 count, your CD4% and your viral load. If you have changes in your liver enzymes, cholesterol or kidney function tests then you would need to monitor those as well.
2) Drinking alcohol will not affect your viral load or CD4 count. T
Moderate alcohol use should not be a problem. It is your decision if you don’t want to drink anymore but it should be because it is what you want to do rather than because you are HIV positive.
The reason you may have been to told to avoid excessive alcohol is that excessive alcohol use can damage the liver. The liver is the organ that filters drugs from the blood so if the liver is damaged then the body has trouble with the HIV treatments.
However, an interesting study showed that HIV positive people not on treatment, might have higher levels of alcohol, (than on ART).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22495786
Also excessive alcohol use can mean that people on medication may forget to take their treatment. This can lead to resistance which means the medication will no longer work.
3. Being HIV positive doesn’t mean you need to change your diet – other than to a more healthy one. A more healthy lifestyle is good for lots of reasons but can still eat the foods your want, including pork. Perhaps ask your doctor the reason they said this.
4. Since 2105, HIV treatment (ART) in generally recommended for everyone, even at high CD4 counts. This means it is good for everyone to think about HIV treatment.
If there are practical issue that mean you cant get treatment for a short time, then if your CD4 count is very high (over 500), this is usually also okay.
Once on treatment your viral load should become undetectable within the first three months.
This Introduction to ART has lots more information.
This answer was updated in January 2017 from a Q&A first posted in May 2010.
Hola
Yo no hablo español (esto es del freetranslation.com) pero gracias por su reacción.
El sitio de gTt de Barcelona tiene mucho información de bien en español.
http://www.gtt-vih.org/
hola yo a penas se de esto pero me intereso buscar esta informacion por que tengo muy poco de averme infectado con vih la verda esque estoy muy triste y nose solo queria saber algo mas al respecto porque no se mucho y bueno es algo que te canbia mucho la vida y en mi caso eh comensado ya el tratamiento y conosco a otras personas que no lo an comensado toda via y son vih positivo eso no lo entiendo mucho bueno me dspido saludos
Hi, you are asking about two different but related things. Lots of couples where one partner is positive and the other is negative are able to have children. This usually involves the positive partner using HIV meds to reduce his viral load to undetectable levels. After it has been undetectable for at least six months, some couple decide the risk is low enough not use a condom but only for the 1-2 days in the months when the woman is most fertile. This still carries a small risk, but many people find it acceptable. You would then use condoms again afterwards.
The second point is about you worrying that you could become HIV positive when you have sex. This is very common when you are new to this, and for some people it can cause problems for several years. However, condoms are very effective if used properly, and maybe making sure they are in place throughout the time you have sex will make you feel more comfortable. Also to have discussions with your boyfriend, where he agrees not to ejaculate without first checking that the condom is still in place and not broken.
These are just ideas. If and when your partner starts HIV treatment, this will dramatically reduce the risk of you catching HIV. When he starts treatment though is likely to depend on his current CD4 count. Even if his count is too high to start treatment yet, he might be able to use treatment for a year of so if you decide that this is a safe way to conceive.
My boyfriend is HIV positive & I am negative. i have accepted this & support him but i would like to have children. How would we go about concieving without infecting each other. When we have sex i am constantly worried about what if the condom accidentaly breaks ?
Please follow this link to how HCV is treated in our HIV and HCV coinfection guide.
Hi I’m taking ARVs and I have HCV p# which regimen I will take.
Hi Sam,
It’s very normal to get side effects when you start HIV treatment. You should talk to your doctor if these are difficult to deal with or you are worried.. If you are vomiting your doctor may be able to give you some medicine to stop this. You should not stop taking your anti-retroviral medicine without talking to your doctor first.
For more information please see our Side effects and other complications treatment guide.
I just started taking my anti-retroviral and I’m falling sick and not getting my body system.Will I still use to this therapy?
All food and drink is good. You should try and get a balanced diet. For more information please follow this link. You should also take a look at the i-Base factsheet on vitamins and minerals to ensure you are getting the correct nutrients.
Please advise on the type of food and drink I need to consume?