Question
Can I drink alcohol with ARVs?
9 September 2014. Related: All topics, Drug interactions, Recreational drugs.
I have started ART a month ago. Before that I used to drink alcohol quite often.
Since I started ART, I try to not drink. But, I still want to.
Can I drink alcohol?
Answer
In general, one or two drink is likely to be fine, if this is something you enjoy. There are no interactions between alcohol and ARVs.
More heavy drinking however can lead to missing doses of your ARVs. This can cause your treatment to fail. This means that if you have a drink, make sure you find a way to not miss any of your meds. Moderation is important.
Two other concerns are important for people living with HIV:
- Alcohol can also make efavirenz side effects worse, in particular feeling dizzy, so be careful about this.
- Alcohol can make hepatitis or other liver complications progress more quickly. Alcohol is not recommended if you have hepatitis. See this information from the guide to HIV and hepatitis C:
https://i-base.info/guides/hepc/alcohol
The NHS website has a lot of information about alcohol. This is important whether you are HIV positive or HIV negative. See:
http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/Alcohol/Pages/Alcoholhome.aspx, and
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/Effectsofalcohol.aspx
In the UK, the NHS recommendations for alcohol are:
- Men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day. This is only 1-2 pints of lager – ie one strong drink.
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/alcohol-units.aspx - Women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day
- If you’ve had a heavy drinking session, avoid alcohol for 48 hours.
“Regularly” means drinking this amount every day or most days of the week.
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This question from 2008 was updated in September 2014.
Hi My name is louisa i dont drink on wkday but during wkends i tend to sit n drink with my friends i make sure i eat well n take my meds on time is there any problem with that? (2)is it possible to change the time u take ur arvs?
Hi Mmapula,
It could be the drinks that have made you feel ill. How long have you been on the meds? And what are you taking?
I had a few drinks last night. I took my ARVs. I’m now having stomach problems.
Hi Mike,
Even if it may be something minor, and something that can be treated with antihistamines having a rash can also be a sign of a serious side effect. Therefore, its important that you discuss this with your doctor.
I’ve been on meds for 2 months. I have a rash on my hands and neck.
Hi Thoko,
What type of infection do you have? What meds are you on?
The following might help:
http://i-base.info/guides/side/liver-related-side-effect
Hello my name is thoko. My problem is that I recently find out that I have a liver infection. I’m scared is it curable or what?
Hi Boitumelo,
Please see the above post.
I’m HIV positive my CD4 count is 425, can I drink alcohol?
Hi Richard,
What ARVs are you on?
The rash that you got when you had a drink won’t be due to the ARVs. Therefore, if it happens again when you drink you should talk to your doctor. Or try drinking something else.
Though not very common, weight gain can happen when people are on meds. The weight gain however may also be due to lifestyle choices. How is your diet, and do you exercise?
I’d skip the herbal stuff and just stay with the ARVs. This is because they are unlikely to do anything for you.
You mentioned that you’d like to know what your viral load is, is it possible to have this tested? Do you know what your CD4 count is?