Lercandipine and alcohol?

[Herbie2022]

Conflicting advise regarding drinking alcohol and blood pressure medication. Recently started taking lercandipine 10mg, says on leaflet and nhs website avoid alcohol and yet my GP said I could?. Obviously I'm aware that following a healthy diet and reducing alcohol will be beneficial in helping reduce my BP, however I would like to know if anyone has drank alcohol while taking medication and if it is safe., what have been your experiences??. So far I have mild side effects from lercandipine, headache, tiredness. Would still be nice to have the occasional drink at birthdays etc...

[Happyrosie]

My experience with the pack inserts on medicines is that most of them say to be wary of alcohol. I’ve been on BP meds for 20 years or so and usually manage to get through most of a bottle of wine a week.

The best people to talk to about this is (a) your pharmacist and (b) the charity most concerned with this, Blood Pressure UK.

Finally, congratulations for realising that your diet and lifestyle are crucial - some people seem to regard this as optional.

[Herbie2022 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank for your response, it has been helpful. Best regards.

[TheJazzSinger]

Hi Herbie2022, like you, I take 10mg Lercanidipine and have for the last 3 years. I also was told by my GP that it’s ok to drink alcohol and have done so with no effect. Arteries dilate when you drink and BP drops, so for some people their BP might drop too low. Certainly my pulse is slower on the medication and drops to 55 or 56 at night regardless of whether I’ve had alcohol. I guess it’s trial and error but a chat with your pharmacist may help.

[Herbie2022 in reply to TheJazzSinger]

Hello, Thank you for replying. Can I ask how soon after starting lercandipine did your BP start reducing? I will certainly discuss with a pharmacist. Best regards

[TheJazzSinger in reply to Herbie2022]

Hello again, I can’t remember to be honest. My BP was never very high. Morning 160/85 reducing to 110/70 overnight. The tablets have never reduced it that much. However recently It’s 120/70 in the day and has dropped to 116 at times. That could be because I lost 20lbs last year during the 2nd lockdown as we were eating/drinking too much. I haven’t had any particular side effects from it. Would prefer not to take it though. The one thing I do take is Vit D with K2 which directs calcium away from arteries. I eat a very healthy diet with some meat-free days, lowish carbs, loads of veggies and some low sugar fruits, and I fast until 7 p.m 2 days a week. I no longer eat breakfast - apart from high days and holidays - and this is the way I’ve managed to keep my weight off. I do enjoy wine and the occasional G&T - not every day though! I have always exercised a few times a week too. Whether any of this has reduced my BP recently I don’t know but I’m not sure it’s the tablet.

[Herbie2022 in reply to TheJazzSinger]

Wow thank you for all the information..I too would rather not have to take meds and would gave liked to have reduced my blood pressure with diet, exercise, however my readings are consistently above 140/190. So meds and lifestyle changes will hopefully reduce my BP soon. All the best.

[CardinalPug]

I had been following the advice to avoid alcohol, which is fine as I rarely drink anyway (there really is no such thing as a safe level of alcohol consumption.) However I really fancied a glass of champagne at Christmas and decided to have one. Bad idea!! I felt so dizzy I thought I was going to faint and had to lie down and missed most of Christmas dinner. I suspect I’m one of the tiny proportion of people who react this way, but for whom the warning is aimed at. I guess trial and error would be the best way- don’t have a drink unless you have someone with you who can look after you if you react like I did. I know of other people on this medication who manage to drink quite heavily and be ok!

[Herbie2022 in reply to CardinalPug]

Hiya, Thank you for responding. Sorry to hear you weren't able to enjoy the glass of bubbly. I know everyone is different and that is why it can be difficult to know what it best. Best regards.

[Bolt1972]

Hi I take 20mg lercandipine and if I have a drink it makes me feel very light headed, I used to be fine before medication so it can effect you.

[Herbie2022 in reply to Bolt1972]

Thank you for sharing your experience. Best regards