Pots And Alcohol

[Garrettrichard]

Heyy again guys :]

I'm just wondering how alcohol effects people with pots,

It almost saddens me to think that alcohol will have such a bad effect on me that ill never be able to

drink or party or go out with my friends for a casual drink.

Is this true or does alcohol only have a minor effect like hot weather does or other little differences?

Please share your thoughts and experiences cause id hate to never be able to drink in my life D:

Thanks guys.

Garrett

[lissy]

Well its somewhat more than symptoms from hot weather. For me a drink feels like 5 and a few feels like 15, over sensitive more tachy and disoriented the next day it actually dehydrates you more than you already are.

I once drank 5 beers about 6 months ago and had to go to the ER because my HR was 150 for 6 hours no matter what if I was laying or not...it was a scary experience and I needed fluid and they wanted to give me something to bring heartrate down and I refused and kept telling them just give me fluid IV and finally once they did it brought it down.

I do have 1 drink every now and then but thats about it and only if I'm having a good day.

Your body knows what you can handle you may get symptoms right away like after a few sips or after a drink but you will likely feel the effect.

The weird thing is before I got severely ill I could drink sometimes like a 12 pack at 100lbs and have barely any effect LOL Its crazy. I use to have complete blackouts when I did drink sometimes wonder if I was truly passing out like from the BP getting too low.

Lissy

[MomtoGiuliana]

It seems to depend on the individual, but in general, alcohol causes problems for POTS patients b/c it is a vasodilator, also I believe if you drink enough it can actually cause a dehydrating effect. I feel terrible pretty quickly if I drink even a small amount (did not used to affect me) unless on a full stomach, and even then I can only tolerate a sip or two. It's not a huge loss for me, but at times is frustrating that I can't enjoy a drink with everyone else...

[Garrettrichard]

Do you guys think it would help if I matched my alcohol intake with fluids and also ate some salty food, before or

while I was drinking?

[OBXGIRL]

Do you guys think it would help if I matched my alcohol intake with fluids and also ate some salty food, before or

while I was drinking?

Garrett,

When I want to social with friends, like everyone else , drinking is more extreme for us. You will need to experiment what you are able to handle. Be careful of the meds you take too, mixing can have a horrible effect. I may sugguest that definitely eat when having a cocktail, salted nuts, olives, chips, etc.. I sometimes have a Bloody Mary, with V8 as the mixer, it has salt in it, and you get your vitatmins too. Fruitie drinks, have alot of sugar, so you can get a sugar rush, and not sleep too. But crashing the next day is the worst. Be sure to drink water before going to bed, and even keep some by your bedside. Be safe and listen to your body.

Kathleen

[Garrettrichard]

Do you guys think it would help if I matched my alcohol intake with fluids and also ate some salty food, before or

while I was drinking?

Garrett,

When I want to social with friends, like everyone else , drinking is more extreme for us. You will need to experiment what you are able to handle. Be careful of the meds you take too, mixing can have a horrible effect. I may sugguest that definitely eat when having a cocktail, salted nuts, olives, chips, etc.. I sometimes have a Bloody Mary, with V8 as the mixer, it has salt in it, and you get your vitatmins too. Fruitie drinks, have alot of sugar, so you can get a sugar rush, and not sleep too. But crashing the next day is the worst. Be sure to drink water before going to bed, and even keep some by your bedside. Be safe and listen to your body.

Kathleen

So if I keep myself hydrated and take precautions with how I feel, It should be relatively safe?

Thanks.

Garrett

[icesktr189]

be very careful! on my 21st bday (in july) I had 2 beers.. I was in bed the whole next day feeling horrible. It made my symptoms increase ten fold. Have a couple sips, give it like 30 mins and see how you feel. Do NOT try shots. Stick with beer or very lightly mixed drinks. You have to be very careful not to overdue it.. it wont be fun at all if you do

[TheLivingDead]

when i first got pots i could not drink anymore. but the last few months i can get drunk as all **** without much after affect......yet. this past week ive had alot of bp issues and felt like crap in general. i drank alittle last night and feel much better today.

but i also drink water between drinks and alot of water after im done drinking for the night. during my tossing and turning in the night i also sit up and drink water.

[janiedelite]

I have pretty hyperadrenergic symptoms and on cold days I found that a little alcohol actually helped me feel better. But now that I'm taking my carvedilol (which helps cut down the tremors and chest pain) the alcohol really wipes me out. I think if you just go REALLY SLOWLY and stay hydrated, you might be able to enjoy a little alcohol. For me, any more than a couple of sips makes me too tired to enjoy my friends.

[potsgirl]

Hey Garrett~

No one can tell you if you can drink 'safely' or not, it all depends on YOUR body and how you react to alcohol. I know some people on the Forum feel better if they have a drink or two. I can have a drink every so often and it doesn't bother me too much. If you do try, take it slow and match your alcohol to your water/Gatorade/etc. Only then will you know what will work for you.

Good luck.

[Kay]

When i first got diagnosed I could not drink at all, I could barely stand. After having POTS for almost 3 years now.. I've had a drink and I am okay while I am drinking but the next day I am in the bed all day and my heart rate doesn't go below 100 laying down and everything. I decided that it's best if I just stay away from Alcohol. Every once in a blue moon I will have something like my birthday but I know I am going to end up in bed all day the next day. I know that it's fun to be able to hang out and drink with your friends but sometimes you have to do what's best for you. Good luck!

[yogini]

Talk to your dr and make sure it doesn't interact with any meds you're on. If OK, you may want to try a little and see what happens. I probably have alcohol a couple of times a month now. My tolerance is improving to the point where I have a drink or 2 and just feel slightly sluggish the next day on some days. Other days I am wiped from it. Lots of fluids and salt before, during and after definitely help! Remember, you can also go out and not drink - or pretend to drink - and noone may even notice!

[sandymbme]

I occasionally indulge in a cocktail or a glass of wine, but like a lot of folks on the forum, I pay a very stiff penalty if I do. So I reserve having a drink for special occasions, when I know I will have a couple of days to recover. (Because sadly even just a couple of drinks causes a two day hangover!) Definitely talk to your doctor first, though, and make sure none of your meds will cause problems. It is really hard feeling like you give up so much for this illness, but drinking is one of the few things you can control. So while being able to party with friends is grand, spending time in the hospital limits your social life a great deal more than abstaining from alcohol!

Sandy

[Noreen]

So if I keep myself hydrated and take precautions with how I feel, It should be relatively safe?

Thanks.

Garrett

You know by now it won't kill you but the price you pay may vary each time - even if you get the okay from your doctor re: meds.

Remember you can be very popular as the Designated Driver.

[Troy]

Alcohol makes me very ill and causes me severe adverse reactions even when I try a very small dose, but then again I have an odd version of dysautonomia where my body will not tolerate any substance that stimulates or depreses the autonomic system such as sedatives, stimulants, SSRI's, opiates and other anelgesics. The very first sysmptom I experience with alcohol is a high fever, flushed and hot face followed by distrupted vitals, rapid pulse and feeling horribly unwell.