Question
Can I still have fun going out?
22 August 2024. Related: All topics, Drug interactions, Support.
Hi, I have a question.
I take Dovato and have been for over a year now and it’s all good, I’m undetectable but my last blood result came high ALT in liver but they did another test three weeks later and it was fine. But this got me scared.
I like to go out raving and I use recreational drugs and alcohol. Does this mean for sure I’ll have liver problems? I just love going out and I go out every weekend. I know I’ll stop going out in my 40s but at the present I just really enjoy it. I’m 33.
Answer
Hi there
Thanks for your questions and for writing in.
Great you are on ART and that it sounds like you are doing well.
Lots of things that are fun are not necessarily good for us. But they can also be really important in terms of living and enjoying life. So everything is a balance.
The most important change from being HIV positive is to be able to find a treatment that is easy to take. And also to get into a good routine so that you don’t miss doses.
It is also good to follow general advice to keep mentally and physically active, to eat well, to find good things to do in life and to have fun. So long as there are no drug interactions with your meds, and you remember your HIV on nights out, then this is okay,
Please use the HIV drug interactions checker at Liverpool University to check your meds for interactions.
https://www.hiv-druginteractions.org/
Alcohol doesn’t interact with HIV meds – but again, moderation is always better than excess, especially over several years. Recent research about alcohol has included that there isn’t technically a safe minimum amount to drink, but many people, irrespective of HIV status, include this as a part of life.
Your doctor knows your overall health and is a good person to talk to for advice. They will know more about your overall health and they can look after your better if they understand a bit more about your life. This includes befaps being around if you do find you are partying more than you want to,
Being on HIV meds means that in the UK you will routinely be having more frequent health checks than other people your age, so this is a good thing.
Most modern HIV meds are also much easier to tolerate that the very early meds and they don’t particularly risk your liver health, though this is checked for.
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