Alcohol - Racing Heart

[Phil_London]

Hi, so here goes and I have mentioned this before and I am sure I will get comments positive and negative, I am 18 months post HA and a single stent to the LAD, no heart muscle damage and all going well, in fact much fitter now than before, I do enjoy about once a week a glass some times 2 of wine. I work as part of the construction industry so site offices are still open and we do have socially distanced meetings, the offices are set up for 2m distance and others join by live link. Yesterday after a long meeting ending late, we decide to crack open some wine and beer, and over the course of about three hours, I have 2 bottles of beer 330ml, which is an unusual one for me but was in good spirit and 125ml of red wine, the most I have drunk since the HA, I feel very well, no issues at all and we all go home. Come 2.30am I wake up and knowing that alcohol does relax the blood vessels, with my heart racing at about 75bpm up to 85bpm, normal at night for me is 45 - 55bpm, heart thumping harder and have to sit and try not to panic and see how the situation pans out, I drink water, probably up to 750ml over an hour period of being awake and eventually it does pass and heart slows, but it is very frustrating that this occurs and very frightening except I am aware more now of how my body feels and every beat of my heart. I do not get it on the occasions when I have had 2 glasses of wine at home, I have not exceeded 10 units a week since my HA and in fact was one person that did a dry lock down, its the second time its happened now but only when I have been out with friends never when I have had a drink at home, should I worry about this, should I seek more advise, does anyone else suffer the same and yes I am aware some will say, just give up, but I do really enjoy red wine.

[Hidden]

I too love my red wine,but when I mix it with anything else it is lethal,and I get the worst hangover.Either that or you are not drinking enough .

[Hidden]

Alcohol triggers palpitations in many people prone to them and raises heart rate, it’s just a fact of life. I have an arrhythmia and palpitations anyway, and back when I used to drink, I did so knowing that one drink my set me off with palps, or I might be alright after one, but three might set me off instead. No rhyme or reason, but the price I regularly paid if I wanted to have a drink. I probably didn’t even drink once every month, and never exceeded more than 6 units in a night, but partly because the palpitations if/when I got them were unpleasant and the payoff was therefore just not worth it. There are several substances in wine that are particularly known to trigger palps - tannins and sulphites for starters - and some people find that some types of wine are worse than others, literally even on a brand by brand basis e.g. they might be alright with one make of merlot, but have palpitations with another. The only other thing I would say is that whilst that hr was elevated compared to your norm, it wasn’t actually racing, nor would it be classed as abnormal even for sleeping: when we dream, our hr can easily be up that high, or sometimes even if we turn over. Not knocking that it gave you a fright, just saying that it wasn’t worryingly high by any stretch. I think the call you have to make is whether waking up like that and worrying for hours is worth having a drink for. The only advice you would likely get from a doctor would be to drink even less or stop completely.

[Phil_London in reply to Hidden]

Hi thanks for the reply, I need further talks with a specialist as at home I have so far not had an issue but maybe just that its easier to have less under my control than in a social situation. but your right, its a matter of some or none and I would rather have life than the fear of an issue!!

[Hidden in reply to Phil_London]

As I said, that could be down to brand if you’re drinking different things - you might be alright with what you drink at home, but not with whatever you’re drinking outside the home. It could also just be complete coincidence that the two times it’s happened so far have been following drinking outside the house. Good luck.

[Ianc2]

Once upon a time I used to take my family camping in France, down on the Atlantic coast in the woods near Royan. A bottle of white wine would be 8% and a red would be about 11% alchohol.

Now the reds are anything up to 14.5 so I have a rule. On high days and holidays I have a small glass in one hand, fork in the other, eat slowly and really enjoy the taste. Times change.