Alcohol tips during the festive season
The holiday season usually means getting together with family and friends to celebrate and be merry. If you have a liver condition, such as hepatitis B or hepatitis C, these opportunities to drink alcohol can put your health at risk.
If I have hepatitis, how much can I drink?
If you have hepatitis B or C, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to cut out drinking or cut down as much as you can. Alcohol can increase damage to your liver and well as increase the amount of virus in your body.
If cutting out drinking is not an option, we’ve pulled together some tips on how to limit your alcohol intake.
Top tips to manage how much you drink
- Avoid binge-drinking – it places a heavy strain on your liver
- Start with a non-alcoholic drink, especially if you’re thirsty
- Try not to drink rounds – set your own drinking pace
- Eat a substantial meal before drinking
- Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones
- Try new social situations where drinking is not usually expected
- Switch to low-alcohol drinks
- Have several alcohol-free days per week
Signs you may need to cut down
- tiredness
- liver, abdominal or stomach pains
- difficulty managing the amount you drink
- withdrawal symptoms (tremors or anxiety)
- increased stress levels or disrupted sleep
- relationship or sexual difficulties
- increase aggression or violent
- decreased judgement and performance.
Getting help
If you’re having a hard time reducing how much alcohol you drink you can connect with the following supports:
- Talk to your doctor
- Call 13 HEALTH (13 432 584) for a confidential phone service that provides health advice to Queenslanders, 24 hours, 7 days a week
- Visit http://drinkwise.org.au for general information and support about alcohol
- Call Lifeline on 13 11 14
