What happens to your liver if you take INH then you drink alcohol?

Question

I take INH for my positive PPD test and i was told by my doctor to take a medicine which is INH and i know i am not suppose to drink alcohol, but i cant hold my self sometimes so i drink once a month. I wanted to know exactly what well happen to my liver.

Answer 1

As you know, INH could cause liver impairment.The therapeutic dose of the INH you are taking now could possibly keep your liver unharmed if it is taken with due precaution. But if you are combining it with alcohol, you are increasing the risk of getting liver impairment. If you cannot help but drink once in a month, at least be sure to limit the amount of what you drink. Your safety cannot be guaranteed but most likely it won't cause much injury but there is always a probability. Therefore, the best thing you have to know is your liver enzymes profile which have to be monitored while you are on INH therapy.

Take care of your health!

Answer 2

You should have your liver enzymes monitored (Liver Function Test) during the course of INH treatment -- usually it's nine months now, though sometimes still six months...ugh...

INH causes increases in your LFTs. Drinking alcohol can compound this. If your liver is perfectly healthy now, a few periodic drinks probably won't hurt. But, maybe your liver doesn't like the INH that you're taking, so drinking might do even more harm.

Binge drinking is going to be cause more harm than a glass of red wine every week.