Advice around drinking alcohol with a heart condition

[Musicw]

I'm just using this group to ask people what advice they have regarding drinking alcohol. I have recently been diagnosed with moderate heart valve disease by cardiology. I'm now awaiting to see a heart valve specialist. I have completely taken caffeine away from my diet and I'm not really drinking much alcohol however, what I have been doing a little of is only having a small amount of alcohol with may include small glass of wine or half a glass of cider. Is this generally okay?

[TheBoys]

i usually have a pint and/or a half bottle of wine most days. It does seem to be fine. My bp / pulse is satisfactory.

[Yumz199725]

Hi Musicw I don't drink at all just my descion. I have bicuspid aortic valve severe aortic regurgitation and moderate stenosis so probably best that I don't anway cant stand the taste of it! 😅.

[theonethatgotaway1]

Red wine most days. I hear it van actually be good for heart health and bp in moderation on a regular. Look at the Mediterranean diet that includes red wine... And those people who enjoy this, live the longest!

[Jetcat in reply to theonethatgotaway1]

and they get better weather too. Can’t beat a nice pleasant day to enjoy your med diet.! What do we get.? Rain, snow, dark miserable damp weather most of year. I was born in wrong part of world I think. I must admit I can’t stand UK weather apart from the one hot week we get.?😜

[Dollcollector in reply to theonethatgotaway1]

The ingredient that does yougoodthat is red wine is in red grapes in a much larger quantity. The other ingredients that are in red wine are a poisen to your body and can make your heart race.

[theonethatgotaway1 in reply to Dollcollector]

That's true..but grapes are no fun, wine is

[Dollcollector in reply to theonethatgotaway1]

Not when it gives you tachycardia and triggers afib.

[theonethatgotaway1]

Just watch out for interaction with meds such as beta blockers. Taken close together can interact badly and make you super zonked out! I kmow this.

[Cavalierrubie]

l don’t think it does any harm if you enjoy a small glass now and again and you feel ok in yourself., I enjoy a small glass of wine. Everything in moderation and just be sensible. Enjoy.

[Captain_Birdseye]

It's a very individual thing this - what's OK for someone else may not be ok for you...

Anyone who thinks that alcohol is good for them even in moderation is kidding themselves as alcohol has no benefit at all to the human body. That doesn't stop most of us enjoying a little bit every now and again though.

My advice - Keep an eye on your symptoms if you do decide to indulge and weigh up the risks and benefits that will be unique to you.

[Ageingfast]

hello MusicW

Well done for eliminating caffeine.

I drink a half bottle of wine per week. And I make a point of going an odd week with zero alcohol. And I go for a six week period each year with zero booze.

Before health problems I drank around three bottles of wine per week.

I didn’t realize that I was addicted. I found it very hard to cut out the booze. I never thought of it as addiction, until I tried stopping.

The annual six week stop is a very good idea.

Sooty

[Hrty]

After my heart attack last November I was told I could drink but to stick within recommended guidelines. Having said that I don't drink at all at the moment, apart from the occasional zero alcohol beer. Mostly because I jusy don't fancy it but also they are still tweaking my meds and some of them don't, according to the leaflets that come with them, mix well with alcohol.

[Bingofox007]

cider seems ok with me but a couple of G&Ts and I’ll have a couple of miserable hours that night with a pulse in the high hundreds! In moderation and everyone’s different but as said before check meds interaction. Take care 🦊x

[Rogo23]

I was told that a moderate amount was probably, possibly, perhaps not a totally bad thing by Mr R, but he also told me that I had to pay attention to how I felt.His advice was a small glass of wine or a half of beer and see how I went, if no issues try a bigger glass or a pint and so on.But gauge how I felt because we are all different.

My anesthesiologist the one that looked like Hardy Kruger was far more specific he told me when filling a glass with wine "stop at the brim" he was probably joking but as a gas passer he is a expert at unconsciousness.

Dan

[benjijen]

I now rarely have alcohol during the week but usually have some at weekends.

[Hidden in reply to benjijen]

My husband used to have two triple whiskies a night(he never measured them so he said it was a regular amount|) followed by two same tumblers of wine, red or white depending on what I cooked for dinner and by 7.30pm he was asleep in front of the tv! In the end I said right, no alcohol Monday through Thursday, and he has pretty much stuck with that-guests throw the plan awry though! He is 79, well, but with a big tummy but his results are always good! I also make sure he takes saw palmetto and lycopene every day for his prostate, and his readings are 1.02, which is good.

I find men are less generally inclined to listen to their bodies until something goes wrong!

[Stumpy47]

Everyone has different tolerances I think. Some will find just a small amount wil be enough to trigger palpitations etc. I Can tolerate the odd glass of wine or spirits but if I over indulge I know their will be a payback. Over 4/5 years my intake has been reduced & is now very low.

[wischo in reply to Stumpy47]

Fully agree with you as I used to really enjoy a few beers but on the heart meds I find it does trigger ectopics and also does not react well to the meds so end up feeling dreadful next day. I still have 3 small bottles of beer on a Saturday night which is my limit without having ill effects. Used to have a great tolerance at one stage but not now.

[heart_surgery]

That level of consumption is not a problem. I drink regularly and use marijuana.... in fact i struggle a bit with "self medication" for stress and anxiety associated with major surgery (mine was an ascending aorta root replacement) so it can be an issue. not in your case... I would be more wary of all the artificail addatives put in processed food. Fats, sugars and a whole ream of additives already proven to be bad for you.... the food industry is not regulated enough. Most of our population are now suffering from weight issues and our obesity and diabetes figures are going through the roof. Keep your diet clean, your weight within limits and you'll be fine!!

If you think about it being overweight is probably much more dangerous for the heart than having a few beers!

[Sancto1944]

I gave up alcohol 19 months ago and now I don't miss it. In the company of "drinkers" I am often asked how I feel. My one word reply is "smug!" Go for it!!

Seánoxo

[Henry20]

When I first was diagnosed with heart disease, I decided to pause drinking any alcohol. I just didn't want it affecting anything. I needed to know how I felt without the powerful lens of booze distorting anything.

Time passed. I realised I didn't miss it/want it, so I decided not to drink any more at all. Some years have now gone by and I don't really miss it. It's good to know that if I am feeling unwell that alcohol isn't involved, it really is me that is under the weather.

Henry

[Farawaytree]

Hi MisicwI'm pleased you've asked this question and looking forward to the answers you receive. I'm 17 months out of having emergency aortic dissection surgery and also wondered if a glass of wine now and again is OK. I've near enough cut caffeine out apart from a chocolate very now and again. So I shall keep posted 👍

[MummaSoap]

Hi Musicw

I have dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure; I don’t drink at all anymore but that’s what felt right for me.

My dad has dilated cardiomyopathy and a leaky mitral valve and drinks frequently (not every day but often heavily on weekends if he goes out) but I believe his cardiologist has advised him to consider dialling it back a bit.

Obviously it’s each to their own and I think the general consensus is anything in moderation. However, you know your body and your symptoms best; if that feels manageable to you and you remain unsymptomatic then it may be acceptable for you. My recommendation would be to have an open and honest conversation with a medical professional in charge of your care who can provide you with a professional opinion knowing your background 🙂

Best wishes

Soap 🧼