Alcohol Use and Response to Treatment

Will drinking alcohol change my response to treatment?

• People who do not drink prior to starting antiviral treatment tend to have better response rates than people who do drink.
• In one study, researchers found that people who drank infrequently or not at all responded to antiviral treatment 3 times more often than heavy drinkers. Of 20 people who drank heavily prior to treatment, only 2 people cleared the virus. Drinkers may be more likely to have trouble sticking with antiviral treatment as prescribed.