Looking after yourself over the festive season

Of course, if you're out having a good time HIV is probably the last thing on your mind; but following a few tips can help keep your immune system strong and allow you to party for longer!

If you’re drinking more than usual, be aware of how many units of alcohol you've had. Government guidelines recommend that women drink no more than 2-3 units of alcohol per day and men no more than 3-4 units per day. Drinks contain more units than you may imagine – a pint of average strength lager contains 2.8 units of alcohol and a standard 175ml glass of wine is 2.1 units. It is a bad idea to 'save up' your weekly allowance of units and drink them all on the same day – this can be dangerous.

If you are partying, it's important to remember to take your HIV medicine at the right time every day. If you miss doses the HIV can reproduce while the levels of drugs in your body are reduced and less able to suppress it. This means you could become resistant to your medicine (meaning it stops working). One idea is to sign up for text reminders on myHIV – if you carry a dose of your medication in your bag or pocket the text will remind you to take it. It may also be worth carrying an extra dose just in case you end up staying over at a friend’s house.

If you use recreational drugs, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about whether they could interfere with your HIV medicine. Some HIV drugs can make recreational drugs more potent (particularly ecstasy) so taking what you think is a small amount could have the same effect as taking a lot. There have been cases of people becoming sick or even dying because they have misjudged the amount of recreational drugs they have taken and the effect their HIV drugs will have on the potency. Find out more about drug interactions.

Your HIV doctor will be used to talking to people about alcohol and recreational drug use and will be able to advise you about what could be dangerous – you won't get into trouble if you tell them you use recreational drugs.

If you are out a lot this Christmas try to look after your body by getting plenty of rest between parties and eating well. This will help your immune system to stay strong and hopefully stop you getting run down. The better you feel, the less time you will need to spend thinking about HIV and you’ll be able to enjoy the Christmas holidays feeling great.