Beta blockers and beer: Been prescribed... - British Heart Fou...

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Beta blockers and beer

Seaguller profile image
21 Replies

Been prescribed beat blockers and it recommends avoid alcohol. Anyone else still have a tipple whilst taking these?

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Seaguller profile image
Seaguller
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21 Replies

I have the odd white wine and soda. I.was told I could drink.alcohol in moderation after my HA

SpiritoftheFloyd profile image
SpiritoftheFloyd

Here's a link to the subject of Bisoprlol on the NHS which mentions alcohol and beta blockers.

I take Carvedilol and the message from the NHS page is the same:-

Drinking alcohol can increase the blood pressure-lowering effect of carvedilol. This can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded.

During the first few days of taking carvedilol, or after an increase in your dose, it is best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine affects you.

If you find carvedilol makes you feel dizzy it's best to stop drinking alcohol.

nhs.uk/medicines/bisoprolol/

Petercat1 profile image
Petercat1 in reply toSpiritoftheFloyd

Hi.I am on Bisoprolol 7.5mg - I don't drink often or a lot, but have been known to have a couple of voda and cokes or a couple of glasses of wine, and apart from the normal sqiffy feeling attached to drinking alcohol, it doesn't affect me.

I think just don't overdo the booze - everything in moderation.

Petercat1

gilreid1 profile image
gilreid1

I am sure there is a good reason for this recommendation. You need to decide what is more important. Your health or a couple of drinks

nursenancy53 profile image
nursenancy53

I have a couple of drinks once a week and I take beta blockers - doesn't seem to have caused a problem so far 😀

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14

My personal opinion is why add alcohol to your body when you have any health issues? It's all personal choice I guess.

🐬

in reply toDolphin14

I agree man , I had a few beers when Scotland okayed football, that’s the first I’ve drank anything at all this year . It’s really not worth it to me

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14 in reply to

Yes some things regarding our health we can control.

Did your team win?

🐬

in reply toDolphin14

Haha sadly no Scotland are out of the euros , defeated 😂😂😂😂

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14 in reply to

I'm sorry 😢. At least you got to see some action. COVID took so much away from sport fans.

I live in the US... people live for their football. Of course we use a different ball for ours hahah

🐬

in reply toDolphin14

Oh my husbands American from Nashville so we watch Titian’s now and then

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14 in reply to

I live in New England Patriots territory.

Petercat1 profile image
Petercat1 in reply to

They did really well, especially McTominay, one of our Red Devils lol

Petercat1

BongoBaggins profile image
BongoBaggins

I was advised to avoid alcohol so I have, completely. I'm young enough to not want to drink if I can't get drunk 😁

Nobody's mentioned caffeine to me though, so I'm not going to mention it to my doctor in case he tells me to stop that, too. I need my coffee

shopman profile image
shopman in reply toBongoBaggins

The Respiratory Clinic have advised me to go on to decaff tea & coffee particularly after 5pm.

Gladwyn profile image
Gladwyn in reply toshopman

The cardiologist I saw after my HA said he never drinks coffee after 3 pm. He only has 3 cups a day. Caffeine is very powerful. Try not having anything with caffeine in it at all and you are likely to find after 15 hours you’ll get a bad headache. That’s your body screaming for a fix of caffeine. As a result I stayed off caffeine for years and when I did have a coffee it made my head spin. It’s really powerful stuff! 😄

shopman profile image
shopman

If you want a drink then there are ways to do it. Nowadays there are some good 0% beers/lagers - personally I like the Heineken 0% which comes in bottles or cans. I also have the occasional glass of wine but now buy the single serve bottles to ensure the resistance of polishing the whole bottle off. Haven't really worked out how to have a Scotch yet - the lady of the house now has them under lock & key but am allowed to have Dry Ginger on its own instead.

pasigal profile image
pasigal

I've oddly lost my taste for most alcohol since going on beta blockers. The only thing I can stomach is "sweet" mixed drinks such as gin fizz. I haven't noticed any ill effects from an occasional drink, although my cardiologist has said a small glass of red wine could be beneficial.

It's too bad as I love a good microbrew, as well as a dry light red wine, but the sourness of hops doesn't go down well.

Farmer87 profile image
Farmer87

My advice was you can drink but how much is down to your choice as Alcohol speeds up your heart and if your hungover etc then your more than likely to have worse symptoms etc. I think I have only had 2 - 4 alcohol drinks. I normally just stick to the old non alcoholic things beer Moretti alcohol free has a good taste.

edplayer profile image
edplayer

I take 1.25mg Bisoprolol (so quite low dose). I still have a drink 4 days out of 7 but rarely more than 1 pint of beer or 1.5 glasses of wine. Anything above v moderate amounts of alcohol is simply bad for the heart whether you are on medication or not (or have a heart condition or not). Maybe stay off it while you get used to the new drug, but after that a little of what you enjoy seems a sensible balance to me as long as it doesn't make your symptoms worse or you haven't been told by your cardiologist to stay off alcohol. When it comes to caffine, I have to stay off that. It really messes me up.

Eiain profile image
Eiain

I’ve not drank any alcohol since my HA & 4 CA’s but have been trying out alcohol free booze. Waitrose do some nice alcohol removed wines and I’ve just bought alcohol free Tanqueray gin and Guinness zero. All good. Not as good as a good ipa but hey ho!

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