Drugs and Alcohol ...

General description


If he has just found out that you are positive VIH, it is possible that he wonders what the alcohol and other "recreational" drugs will do it to his body. (The recreational drugs are medicines that are not used for medical ends, like the alcohol, the cocaine and marijuana).

You will be wondering if the drugs are bad for his immune system. And what about the medicines of the VIH. Can it affect to the recreational drugs?

Nobody can say with certainty if the alcohol or other drugs is bad for you. Every person is different, and very much it depends of that the medicines that it uses and with what frequency they use them.

Nevertheless, most of the experts coincide that, in big quantities, the alcohol and the drugs are bad for his immune system and his health in general. Remember, if you have the VIH, his immune system is already debilitated.

Here, you can read about what the alcohol and the drugs can do for his health in general.

Effects on the immune system

To drink too much alcohol can debilitate his immune system. A weaker immune system will have a more difficult time to fight the common infections (like a cold), as well as the infections related to the AIDS. A weaker immune system also increases the probability of which more side effects of the medication are experienced against the VIH.

To smoke marijuana (pot) or any other drug irritates the lungs. You can be more inclined to contract serious pulmonary infections, like the pneumonia.

Other common medicines of recreation, like the cocaine or the crystalline metanfetamina (also acquaintance as "meth" o "speed" o "crank" y "Tub"), it can leave his dehydrated and exhausted body, as well as produce annoyance of the skin. All these things can do that it is easier so that you could have infections.

The organ in his body that the alcohol and other drugs affect to the majority is his liver. The liver rounds to the residues of chemicals that you put in his body. The chemicals include the recreational drugs, as well as the prescribed medicines, like the medicines anti VIH. The biggest weakness of the liver less efficient means of "maintenance" and, probably, the weakness of you.

If you also have the hepatitis C (or any other type of hepatitis), the liver is already working very hardly to fight the illness and to treat with the strong drugs that it is possible to take him for his treatment of the hepatitis.

Interactions with medicines anti-VIH

Medicines for the VIH are difficult in his body, so when you are taking these medicines, it is important that his liver works so well as it is possible. The liver is responsible of getting rid of the products of waste of the medicines.

Once you are positive VIH, his body can react in a way different from the alcohol and the drugs. Many persons think that it is taken more in recovering the use of marijuana, alcohol or other drugs that earlier had the VIH.

Remember that to have the VIH means a big change it has taken place in his body. You can choose the consumption of alcohol and drugs in the moderation, but insure of respecting his body. Pay attention what and how much to eat, to drink, to smoke, and to have in his body.

Some medicines against the VIH it can increase the level of recreational drugs in the system of unexpected and dangerous form. For example, the amphetamine (like the crystal meth) it can be present in 3 to 22 times his normal levels in the blood when (Norvir) is mixed by a medicine anti-VIH called ritonavir. That is because ritonavir it hinders the aptitude of the body to break these other drugs.

If you are going to mix a recreational drug with any medicine, it is better to start with a very low quantity of the recreational drugs (as down as 1 / 4 of the normal quantity) and to have time to see how it affects him before increasing the quantity. Bear in mind that, as recreational drugs are not regulated, it is never known exactly how much you are going to find.

Although you can feel uncomfortable at first, you must inform his doctor of recreational drugs what you are using. This way, his doctor will know how the substances that use medicines against the VIH affect and his health in general. The most probable thing is to speak with his doctor he will help him to explain some things that are happening in his body.

Drugs, alcohol and sure sex


Certain medicines, like the metanfetamina, to affect to his aptitude to take decisions.

Although they use condoms regularly and to practise the sure sex when high place one is not, you can be ready to assume more risks and not to use a condom when one is under the influence of the metanfetamina and other drugs.

The alcohol also can affect to the decisions that it takes about the surest sex. For example, if you have drunk too much, it cannot be capable of remembering where to put the condoms, and to decide not to use them simply. These are decisions that probably it would not do if it was sober.

These actions put his couple in VIH risk and set in risk of other sexually transmitted diseases.

Remember that it must support the condoms to hand in the places where it is possible to have sexual relations. Also, try to limit the quantity of alcohol that it consumes, if you know that you are going to have sexual relations.

The VIH and the use of injectable drugs

To share needles when drugs are injected is dangerous for you and for the people who is sharing with. It was possible to acquire your VIH, and you might have their another illness, like the hepatitis.

The surest option is not to share. To use needles you clean every time or to support your own needles for you.

Due to the dangers of the use of injectable drugs, the best way of reducing the risk is drugs stop being injected and to bring in and to complete a treatment plan for the substances abuse. You can speak with his doctor about this.

If drugs are injected, continue these reminders:
Never re-use or to "share" the syringes, the water, or team of preparation of drugs.

Use only obtained syringes of a reliable source (such like drugstores or exchange programs of needles).

Use a new sterile syringe every time to prepare and to inject the drug.

If it are possible, use water sterilized to prepare drugs, otherwise, to use water cleans of a reliable source (such as fresh water of the faucet).

Use a new or sterile packing ("pan") and a filter new ("cotton") to prepare drugs.

Clean the injection place with a cotton with alcohol before the new injection.

To eliminate safely the syringes after only one I use.



Points of remembering


Most of the people are ready to assume some risks, and the use of drugs and the alcohol is not an exception. But when the alcohol or other drugs turned into a route of leakage that they depend, that can be dangerous for his physical and mental health.

Before drinking or using drugs, it is important to think in what the risks that it is ready to take.

If he wishes him to reduce his use of alcohol or other drugs, to speak with his doctor on how to obtain help and to find the treatment that he needs.