Can i drink red wine if i have a fib

[Elainemae]

I have had conrolled afib for about 8 months. I would like to drink at an upcoming wedding.

[mjames1]

Some of us have an occasional drink, some don't. One thing to consider is how the alcohol may interact with any new medications you might be taking. A wedding is probably not the best place to find out, so if you decide you will have a glass or so, maybe a trial run at home?

Jim

[LadyLawson in reply to mjames1]

I would advise caution and agree with Jim - have a dry run! However my excellent EP / Cardiologist told me that, if alcohol isn’t a trigger for me - and it doesn’t seem to be, I can have the normal allowance each week ie 14 units for a woman. I love wine with food but can’t drink it freely any more, so I have come up with a bespoke solution. I have a ver small glass (under 100 mls which is less than one unit) with my evening meal. It makes me happy and I’m now used to this small amount. It helps me to take pleasure from my meal and I don’t even notice that I’m not having a big glass. I would never have a lot though I do allow myself two glasses across the whole of Christmas Day. However we are all different and this won’t apply to everyone. Enjoy the wedding!

[BenHall1]

Hi,

Probably good to heed what Jim says in his post. Personally, I have never made any concessions to any drugs that I have been prescribed ( for AF or anything else ). Even when I was first put on Warfarin I just maintained my regular diet, consistency, consistency, consistency and even more consistency ...... which included, beer, some spirits and red wine/white wine regardless of alcohol % content, all depended on what I felt like boozing with at the time.

No sweat ! No side effects.

[bean_counter27 in reply to BenHall1]

Not sure your approach is one we should all follow. Good luck to you in not having any problems and enjoying life in the process. I'm sure many of us are envious. However, I generally try to avoid anything with the potential for me to end up in ED.

[BenHall1 in reply to bean_counter27]

Undoubtedly ! Just relating a personal take and I certainly didn't suggest anyone follow my lifestyle. As a matter of interest .......... I'm 79, I work part time - 30 hours a week ( in term time) driving a college bus travelling around 110 miles plus per day and am monitored annually by an independant MD who reports to the drivers licencing authority and my employer. I also have annual liver and kidney blood tests organised by my MD. This includes my 'fessing up to the units of drink a day. This I object to because .... as I tell the medical officer ........ I don't drink units .... ! On balance I'm probably better protected than many on any of the forums hosted by HU.

[Ronnieboy in reply to BenHall1]

Driving kids around in a bus you deserve a medal my friend esp at 79.Ive driven heavy goods vehicles (containers) but not after 60.

[BenHall1 in reply to Ronnieboy]

Hi Ronnieboy,

I am spoilt really .... I have a modern fully automatic bus ... not doing the gear changes you would have been used to particularly with trailers pulling 40' containers on the back. TBH, the students are generally A Level students, late teens .... however I do carry young adults too (twentysomethings ) and the contract does permit me to carry adults of all age groups. The girls are a great credit to their parents, mostly the lads are too .... BUT ... there is a pack of would be 'Jack the Lads' who can be a problem. (I probably was too - just can't remember that far back ) 😂😂

I don't stress out, I just pull off the A30 into a heavy vehicle parking area, shut the bus down and open the front doors. ( that way nobody can accuse me of imprisonment or entrapment ). It has been up to 10 minutes before a JACK THE LAD approaches me and asks what we've stopped for.

I then get out of my seat, walk the guy to his seat and just quietly explain there are standards of behaviour which I consider distracting and unsafe and I won't put up with. Then I point to the side of the lower deck roof and remind them that the Onboard CCTV are whirring away and all I have to do is ask my boss to download the CCTV, take the images to the college,and wait to be told of a travel ban on the students in question ! Sorted. I also remind them where all the CCTV cameras are on the bus including those focused on the drivers and located facing forward through the front screen.

No worries mate ... actually, in a way I get a comfort from still passing my medical annually, at least I see a Dr. once a year. Haven't seen my regular GP for a face to face for 2 years. Stay safe young man 😊😊

John

[Ronnieboy in reply to BenHall1]

Well done young man it's keeping you occupied,when I say I haven't driven HGVs since I was60(12 years),I did a job at Xmas time pulling a container from bordeux to harwich ,I got stuck in French farmer protests on the Paris ring roads,and that can play havoc with the blood pressure,but it seems the more pressure I'm subjected to the better I react,if I'm sitting around doing nothing I feel the worst for it..it's a funny old thing this AF.

[BenHall1 in reply to Ronnieboy]

Well Ronnieboy ..... I'm sure there are many ( on this forum and elsewhere ) who would join me in 'doffing' my hat to you .... bloody hellfire ... Bordeaux to Harwich with a container. Wow man! That makes you a total legend in my book.

I must say the French seem to really go for it with their protests and demonstrations, no holding back with them.

Its funny what you say about reacting to pressure. I am exactly the same, the more stress, angst, difficulties I experience the better I respond .... like I feel more alive , adreneline I guess, and you are so right sitting around doing nothing is the worst thing ever. Like waiting for god .... not for this old git ! 😂😂

When my AF first mugged me in Jan 2010 it was actually my Blood Pressure that first gave me the clues that something was wrong, it dropped from about 136/80 ish down to 76/50 in a few hours and I felt seriously unwell. My GP sent me to A & E immediately and from that I was introduced to AF.

Just had my latest PCV drivers licence medical ..... grumpy young company doctor just said, well you can take that as a pass.

Stay safe, stay well Ronnieboy.

[Ronnieboy in reply to BenHall1]

I had just 1 AF attack in 2009 and hardly anything since,I get the odd missed heartbeat,but I've a low hr of at best mid 50s,but unlike a lot of people on this forum I've very little health knowledge really ,but I learn so much from other people so I keep on here. Keep well .

[trevs7]

Good advice from the guys above. The only thing I would add is that alcohol may not be a trigger for you. Do you have some idea what triggered your episodes in the past? Also, moderation is probably key here as well (i.e. don't binge drink) if you do decide to have a drink.

Whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy the wedding; especially if it's yours 🙂

[bean_counter27]

What impact does an AF episode have on you i.e. will an AF episode prevent you from enjoying the wedding or potentially prompt your early departure (home or ED)?

The greater the impact an episode will have, the less advisable it would be to risk drinking.

At the end of the day, it's a personal choice.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy the wedding either way.

[StuJ019]

I limit myself to two drinks, so if I’m having a drink I might have two pints of beer or two glasses of wine . This works for me without causing me any AF problems. So try and find your happy medium. Good luck and enjoy the wedding.

[CliveP]

Why?

[Peacockmumma in reply to CliveP]

Why not..it’s their choice. Life’s too short.

Knowing someone who dropped down dead with no warning…

[secondtry]

Best not 🤔.

My theory is most people's AF is caused by an accumulation of factors rather than one trigger such as alcohol. Weddings can raise a number of red flags..... alcohol, emotions, speeches, late nights, dancing more than usual. One easy to control factor is alcohol and worth it to stay in NSR.

[kkatz]

A wedding is a setting that could lead to over indulgence.So is it worth it?And you could affect others if you have a full blown attack.

I do know how difficult not drinking can be . Believe me.

[Peacockmumma]

I think it depends on your own triggers. You obviously don’t want to get drunk..but I would say keep hydrated and enjoy a glass . I’m like you..controlled…red wine can trigger an episode…but it depends what mood my afib is in lol. Have a great day . Life’s too short to be miserable if you can’t have a glass every now and then

[Vonnegut]

I wouldn’t if I were you. I stopped the glass of wine I used to have most days with our evening meal after being told to “cut down on alcohol” and have not missed it at all though I might have had the odd sip of something special - but not for ages. Wine is not essential to celebration and having a good time with friends and family. Enjoy the wedding!

[Ronnieboy]

Give the demon drink a miss ,you don't need alcohol to enjoy yourself.

[jeanjeannie50]

Wine contains sulphites (a preservative) and that's what can trigger an AF attack. I can usually have half a glass at special times but any more and my heart complains. Wine without sulphites can be bought in larger supermarkets.

Jean

[Iamfuzzyduck in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Interesting you say that, my entire family have episodes ot tachycardia with wines with sulphites and are careful which wines they drink.

[CDreamer]

I do, has no effect now but it used to.

[Desanthony]

If you know alcohol is a trigger for your AF then no. If you don't know if alcohol is a trigger for you then a wedding is not the place to find out. Check with any and all your medication if alcohol is OK and if it is OK then like Jim says try taking a half glass at home a couple of times before the wedding. I allow myself a small glass of wine a couple of times a week. I do know people whose AF is triggered by just white wine - beer, lager and red wine and caffeine are fine and others whose AF is triggered by just one cup of caffeinated coffee.

Enjoy the wedding whether or not you can drink alcohol. You really don't need alcohol to enjoy yourself.

[OzJames]

as secondtry said it’s usually more than one thing that can trigger AF. My triggers are drinking lots of wine or coffee, eating too quickly and too much food. About a month ago on last day of our Fiji holiday I thought let’s try the Indian buffet I had a couple of zero beers and half a glass of wine… on it’s own that normally wouldn’t trigger my AF as I didn’t drink enough. However add the overeating and going to bed before things digested….. I went into AF.

Problem is I get complacent when I start feeling good. I’ve learned a tough lesson. Since then the most I drink other than zero stuff is a sip of my wife’s wine and that’s it…

[Auriculaire]

Keep in mind that after a long period of abstinence any alcolol you drink might affect you more than if you drank that amount regularly. So a practice run of one small glass well before hand is a good idea. I drink one sherry size glass of wine with my evening meal everyday and a slightly larger one if we go out for lunch . I don't really think it's a trigger for my afib as that can start at any time of the day !

[Buttercups22]

Hi. I’m AF free (just over 2 years) following an ablation. Alcohol was never a trigger for me. However, to be on the safe side, I never drink on an empty stomach and limit myself to 1 glass of red wine, or 2 glasses on a special occasion. I agree with others, I wouldn’t drink for the first time at the wedding. Have a small glass well in advance and see how it feels. Enjoy the wedding.

[Elainemae]

THANK YOU all so much forsharing your knowledge and experiences. It truly helps.

[fibnum]

Eschew it and enjoy the wedding worry free!

[Ppiman]

I do. Tesco, of all places, have a stunning and unusual French red at present. It's a 2015 Graves from La Raison Close Montesquieu. Red Graves isn't usual in the UK and it's just sumptuous. It has no obvious effect on my AF or ectopic beats. It's a lovely glass of wine.

Steve

[1969hippy]

I have had AF for about 10 years. I drink pretty much as I want to. I have not been aware that alcohol is a particular problem for AF sufferers.

[Shcldavies]

Any alcoholic drink will increase the risk of any tachycardia, as the chemicals/alcohol will affect your electrolytes/B receptors/magnesium etc. Some have a much lower threshold than others, consequently some can drink more than others with no noticeable side effect. If you want to be risk adverse you don’t drink, if your happy to take a risk , all well and good. I decided that a little risk is worth it. If you take the risk I would advise that:

you build up gradually

Leave gaps (days) between drinking sessions

Drink water before and after alcohol - drinking water improves the threshold where it may start having an effect

pay attention to what your body tells you eg if you wake up in the night felling hot/sweaty and rough, or feel ectopics, etc, you have consumed too much.

I have read that Red wine is the worst for your condition so this will have an effect on the quantity you drink. Light larger or clear sprits are the best but no tonic, high caffeine or grapefruit in the mixers.

The effect of alcohol can take days to manifest.

Trial and (a little) error will let you know then you can decide what is your personal tolerance. Good luck.

[TopBiscuit]

At the end of the day it's entirely up to you, but I would advise no alcohol on an empty stomach.

Personally I did regretfully concede in mid December 2023 that all the evidence points to alcohol being a definite trigger for AFib, but more importantly that alcohol increases reoccurrence of Afib. So in other words, it can trigger it at the time (this has happened to me several times) but even when it hasn't triggered an episode it will increase the likelyhood of having an episode at some other time. This was disappointing as I'd found that I would seem to be fine if I had one drink after my meal, but I heard several clinicians giving evidence of the increase in occurrence of AFib connected to alcohol.

So I went totally alcohol free mid December, which was not an easy choice for me. I said I'd do it for 3 months and see if it made any difference. Today is a month since my last episode whereas the previous 6 months I was having an episode about every 10 days, almost like clockwork. So I guess it's an alcohol free life for me from now on!

To be honest, once I'd made my mind up I've found it much easier than my slight unease every time I did have a drink, because was it going to trigger an episode or not?

Whatever you decide, I hope you really enjoy the wedding!

[Gilli54]

I don’t know if alcohol triggers my AF but I absolutely know that wine does not go well with bisoprolol. I stopped drinking anything- I was a very moderate drinker- a glass of wine now and then- but it made me feel really ill after I started bisoprolol.i didn’t realise the interaction. 🤦‍♀️ I had two small glasses of red wine the night before my son’s wedding, not realising the interaction and I felt REALLY dreadful for several hours. Fortunately, by drinking copious amounts of water I was ok by the time of the ceremony. But I drank nothing after that. Occasionally a taste literally.

I found that several years after when I tried a small glass of any wine it really didn’t make me feel good in any way so I don’t now.

I like to have some Nosecco in for occasions I feel like having a wine glass in my hand. 😂😂

As others have said, you don’t need alcohol to have a good time.

Learn from my experience and don’t try it at the wedding.

Hopefully your meds or AF won’t interact at all. But find out at another time. 😊

[Lolabob123]

Hi after having a successful cardioversion 0n 11/09 2020 I abstained for a few months and gradualy having the odd drink couple of vodkas and on holiday without any adverse effects, at first I have fallen out of NSR a few times since then first time with no alcohol involved but I have noticed a couple of days after having a little more than normal Ihave went into slow af last xmas I over indulged a few xtra days and on the 07 January Ifell into af again all the other times I reverted back to NSR this time I have not and still remain in AF so I,m back at the cardiac ANP so lesson learned just my input to the post