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Hepatitis A + HIV Co-infection

How serious is hepatitis A if you also have HIV?

If you have HIV you may be sick with hepatitis A for a longer period of time.

HIV treatments and hepatitis A

Having hepatitis A and HIV may also mean that you have to stop taking your HIV drugs or other medicines for a period of time. Many medicines are broken down by the liver and when it is inflamed because of hepatitis A, it is unable to process medicines properly and the risk of side effects increases. Talk with your doctor if you are about to stop taking your HIV medication.

While you have hepatitis A it is important to stop drinking alcohol and let you liver rest and recover. Discuss any complementary therapies with your doctor. It is important to note that complementary therapies can sometimes involve risks.

Taking care of your liver

It is important to have your liver function carefully monitored. You may need to take extra care and avoid other risky activities that can damage or stress your liver.

These can include:

Protecting your liver from further damage by having a hepatitis B vaccination – if you haven’t already had the infection
Stop drinking alcohol, or significantly reduce alcohol intake
Eat a balanced diet
Rest when feeling unwell
If injecting drugs, be sure to use safe injecting methods and never share any drug injecting equipment
Some herbal treatments can be dangerous and harm your liver. Check with your doctor before taking any prescription or over-the-counter drugs, including complementary therapies, and follow the directions carefully.

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