13 replies to this topic

[Stevea]

How bad is it on my liver?  I've been on Gleevec for almost 10 years, I drink a lot and recently because of issues with my marriage, I've found myself drinking even more.  I drink to get drunk!!  Sometime I even take my gleevec with my alcoholic drink!

-Steve

[Jamar]

My doc told me I can only have 1 drink, 2 if its a special occasion.

Sometimes I cheat and have 3. I do miss the days of drinking too much every now and again

[LivingWellWithCML]

I'm on Gleevec 400mg and I'm drinking a couple of glasses of red wine every evening, and an occasional beer on a Saturday (especially during college football season <smile>).  I've all but eliminated hard liquor since I was diagnosed.

"Drinking to get drunk" sounds like a bad idea all around, *especially* in light of CML.

[PhilB]

Both Glivec and alcohol are processed by the liver.  Some people's liver's are better at this than others.  Some unfortunate people, even when teetotal, struggle so much with processing the Glivec that they are unable to tolerate it and have to change drugs.  Others process it with no apparent struggle and all their liver tests still show up as normal.  Where you are on that scale has an enormous bearing on how safe it is to drink alcohol and how much.  If your liver numbers show that your liver alrready has its hands full with the G then any alcohol is going to be dodgy.  If all your liver function tests are normal then it may be safe for you to drink as normal - but that's a decision each of us must take based on our attitude to risk and how significant alcohol consumption is to our quality of life.

The one thing you can be sure of though, is that if you drink so much as to damage your liver then you're going to be in an awful lot of trouble as you won't be able to take your G any more.  So regularly drinking to get drunk is recommended even less for us than it would be for a 'normal' person.

In a perfect world we'd all be able to get through life without needing mood-altering drugs to get through the day.  If that isn't the case, something with which I can entirely sympathise, then the safest thing might be to change, or at least vary, your mood-altering drug of choice.  Whether that be via prescription medication or recreational drugs is up to you, but cannabis resin does give a lovely flavour to a chocolate cake and makes you sleep much more soundly than alcohol.

[Jamar]

but cannabis resin does give a lovely flavour to a chocolate cake and makes you sleep much more soundly than alcohol.

made my day

[lala]

Hi, Steve, please please please find another coping mechanism.  My 38 year old brother died from complete liver failure due to alcoholism.  He turned yellow and died.  38 years old....struggling with too much bad family news.  How I wish I could have changed that.......he never knew about my CML....that would have really thrown him!  It is a heart-breaking situation.  PLEASE reach out to a friend before you hurt your liver.  PLEASE,  Lala.    On Friday, 9/9, he will be gone nine years......

[valiantchong]

HI Stevea,

If I were you, I will stoping drinking with medication, it is not advisable... if drinking could solve your problem then you can drink, but it would help you and may make things worse....

Hope u understanding you health is at stake here... you are lucky to be 10 years on medication without much side effect, why want to risk all that with drinking... ?

[Tedsey]

I am so sad to hear you are suffering.  I hope things resolve soon in a positive way.

Wishing you peace,

Tedsey

[ChrisC]

May I offer a link to some of the best medicine?

http://vimeo.com/26784202

Best of luck with everything!

ChrisC

[lala]

Steve.....checking on you......how are you doing?  -----Lala

[Stevea]

Lala,

I'm doing good thanks.  Going through a seperation, i've been hanging out with new poeple and trying not to drink as much but when I do drink, I get really drunk and it then messes up my next day because I'm hungover all day. 

I have been drinking on Gleevec since my 21st birthday, 8 years ago.  I think if I had a bad liver I would have already known?

-Steve

[CallMeLucky]

My father was a heavy drinker/alcoholic his whole life.  He made it to his mid 60's before dying of liver failure.  It was a terrrible way to die.  He was well aware he was dying throughout the whole process, it was slow and painful.  It should not have happened, but the decisions he made in life brought him to that point and there was nothing that could be done.  The liver is very strong and it will go through a lot, but eventually, you will destroy it.  The additional stress put on it by Gleevec will likely accelerate the outcome, although, no one can probably say for certain.

I think you know the answer.  You know you can't go on this way, and you know what it is going to do to you if you keep it up.  There is no mystery here, just a very difficult problem to overcome.  I know of two illnesses you have.  One of them there is nothing you can do about except take your medicine and hope for the best.  The second one you control.  It may not seem like it, but ultimately it is within your ability to stop drinking.  You're already reaching out for help, but we both know that you can't get the kind of help you need for your drinking through this forum.  Sure we can listen, sympathize, and give you some advice, but ultimately you need to turn to somewhere where you can the right kind of help.  You should take some time to consider going to an AA meeting.  You have nothing to lose by going - you could always get up and walk out and say "this isn't for me".  But maybe it would be worth it to just go once or twice, listen in and see where it goes.  I wish my father had done this, perhaps he would still be around today if he did.

Good luck Steve, I hope you find some peace and are able to get this under control so you can focus better on dealing with CML and living your life.......

[Susan61]

Hi Steve:  Don't do this to yourself.  You are so young, and have a full life to look forward to.  Drinking does not solve your problems, it just covers them up for awhile well your drunk.    Then when you get sober,they are still there. You have to find other ways to deal with things.  I saw a lot of bad drinking in my family growing up, and maybe thats why I do not drink now.  I do have a glass of wine a few times a year, usually for  holiday or if I go out to dinner somewhere.

     If your problem is that bad, then go to AA for some help.  Never mix medications with alcohol,no matter what the medication is.

     I wish you well in beating this problem as well as your CML.

Susan

[lthouse612]

Hi Stevea

I was just getting back to reading posts (I haven't been in here for quite some time) and I happen to come across your post.  I guess I can sort of relate but I'll explain and then you can be the judge of that.  I am 38 and have been on Gleevec since Dec, 06...  I also have Chronic Hep. B (not from alcohol) and I have had marriage problems so bad to a point I was heading toward separating and divorce and yes.. I was drinking as well. I guess I found I was tired of "feeling" bad and not in control of anything and I let my emotinal state of mind get the best of me and then of course there was depression... where now I look back and it was more than likely depression that was the ultimate cause of my marriage being on the rocks which in turn led me to drink more.  Some how in my mind though I knew I needed some help and I went to counsiling and my wife eventually came with me too...I really did want to feel "good" again and was tired of rut I was in ( we are still married and celebrated our 12th anniversary this year).  We have 2 boys, 9 and 6 yrs old and of course that was also a big factor in my feeling I needed to talk to someone... or I would risk hurting them somehow however directly or indirectly it would have been.  It is so fricking hard to deal with emotions when you know you want to feel one way but feel the total opposite and you have NO CONTROL over any of it.  I had a hard time wrapping my head around that one for some time but it eventually took.  Basically its all one step at a time, one situation at a time... I have no idea if you even want to stop drinking or if you want to stay married but I know I had to stop drinking in order to focus on my feelings and then my marriage. Problems are still there the next day and every day till you can take an active step to do something about it.  I still have "off" days and it's always a bit of a struggle but that's when you need something that reminds you to want happiness/control in your life... or just some clarity to think straight so you can improve on your situation....whatever it may be.

Anyway... I haven't felt the need to drink to cover up bad feelings for quite a while.  I still enjoy an occaisional beer but that's about it.  I am at risk more than most as I already have liver disease... and of course there's also a medication I need to take ..every day.. to help make sure it doesn't fail on me.  I don't want to help matters to lead me down that path so I know I need to be more responsible for myself.  I have others that love me that I need to consider as well.  I guess all I'm trying to say is there is something that is worth you wanting to be better for yourself or for someone else...you just need to realize it ... It's bad enough our bodies have CML.. why would you want to add liver disease to that?  Hang in there and take care!

Mark