Alcoholoic Beverages?

[cardiactec]

just wondering who here is okay with consuming alcoholic beverages or does it make you symptomatic?

i had two glasses of wine tonight at a party and feel GREAT. lol. wondering if tomorrow it'll kick my butt or not, but as of right now, i dont feel bad at all.

[nikigrl8883]

well from what i know alchohol slows down the heart rate maybe thats why u feel better

[Jacquie802]

Goodluck tomorrow morning if you're anything like me! I get horrible tachy and what not and nausea off 2 lite beers... Let me know how you feel tomorrow!

[Ernie]

Hi,

I can't get near it!

[becky]

yes please!

i love alcohol and i'm not happy about having vertigo cos i can't drink.

i just have to be careful not to drink too much and watch out for mixers, too much caffine and i'm really not a happy bunny - be prepared for tachy the next day i always am, but i've never suffered from hangovers even before i got pots and i don't get them now either! lucky me!

beckx x x

[rlh]

Actually, a couple of glasses of wine make me feel pretty good. I agree with the previous post that it must slow down my heart rate enough to "level" me out. Any more than a couple of glasses is not good, however. I have to be very careful and make sure that I get enough water. Any time we go out with friends, I always have a drink and then a glass of water. Usually I stop after about 3 drinks. Any more than that, and the next day is troublesome.

[taylortotmom]

If I have had a bad or tiring day- alcohol can cause more problems. But, if physically I've had an okay day one drink is usually fine. The key being one weak drink- anymore is bad for me.

Carmen

[Lukkychrm42]

It can make me more symptomatic. I don't abstain 100%, but I only have a drink on very rare occasions (holidays- every couple of months). When I do drink, I make sure to eat salty foods and drink lots of water, because alcohol is dehydrating. Also, it seems to kinda counteract the ProAmatine, so considering I pay about $7 per pill, it's really not worth it since I can't go without it! LOL.

[India]

Like others have mentioned, sometimes I am o.k. with alcohol and sometimes not. When I am not, I am very bad and so I have just given it up entirely.

For those who feel good on a couple of glasses of wine, maybe it is because alcohol can increase blood pressure. But my doctor told me that alcohol and florinef are not good combinations. Firstly, it increases blood pressure for those whose BP is already high--probably not many of us on this list. But secondly, alcohol has a potassium reducing effect as does florinef.

I used to drink, now I don't people keep asking me if I am pregnant. Never know quite what to say to these folks other than a frustrated "it's none of your beeswax" as not only cannot I not drink because of POTS (and we all know how difficult that it is explain to friends) but my husband and I can't have kids.

Some people seem so judgmental if you don't drink. What's up with that?

India

[Tessa]

Besides being gluten and casein intolerant (a problem with my diet and drinks), alcoholic beverages have always made me feel worse and I mean really worse. I can start feeling the symptoms while drinking or the following day, but it is usually headache, nauseas, vomits, fatigue, etc. I do not need to drink a lot to feel so sick, headache starts a few minutes after starting an alcoholic beverage...

I just thought, why do I have to drink something I do not like and makes me feel sick?

As I feel so bad when I drink, I gave it up long ago.

Love,

Tessa

[cardiactec]

welp, today was interesting. actually it started last night, around 3 in the morning - terrible nausea! most likely from the alcohol. i wasnt too tachy today though so, that's good! and actually after drinking the two glasses of wine, my tachy was like 120's instead of my typical 140's --- WHILE ON 200 MG'S OF BETA. lol, perhaps i'll just take up drinking as a way to medicate/treat myself/my tachy! haha, the new treatment plan for POTS - TWO GLASSES OF WINE A DAY! hahaha. I'LL TAKE IT!

[Suzanne]

Half a glass of wine and I have a migraine and severe fatigue. Would like to find something, just one drink in a while would be nice, without sounding like I have a problem!! Very hard to find an escape with POTS. Can;t exercise, can't drink, can't even eat chocolate! Any suggestions?

[dizzygirl]

totally have to 100% stay away from it.. even a few sips send me into autonomic meltdown...

[jhjd]

If I drink too much of it, then I'll get dizzy, which makes me nauseus. But I do probably drink a couple glass of wine once or twice a week, either socially or occasionally, if I have time and feel up to the heat, I'll get in the bath with a glass and a book (oh luxury). If I feel bad, going out is not a good idea, but that's more because of the noise and standing then the drink itself, though it does contribute. I drink only white wines (reisling or pinot grigio), champagne/sparkling wine, or vodka. Not a snob- just beer, whiskey, tequila, etc. all make me feel AWFUL, even if I just have one. But my main problem with going out isn't drinking, as I've always enjoyed a few glasses, but never liked being drunk. My problem is the atmosphere of the place- noise, light, people, etc. Or if I'm feeling good and having a good time, I have a hard time making myself go home. (Though I suspect that's really pretty common).

Other stuff people have mentioned- HYDRATE before, during, and after the party. Salty snacks are also key.

[Jan]

Alcohol is a vasodialater, so it can bring your blood pressure down.

I know for me it drops my BP and makes me very symptomatic.

So I hope everyone enjoys their holiday but is very careful.

[Sunfish]

i can't eat or drink at all these days & don't think that alcohol is a good idea to put in my IVs

but...through the years - when doing better & with symptoms relatively well-controlled (i.e. pretty good unless standing for a long period or fighting off an acute illness) - i generally did okay with one or two drinks (with food). i never liked beer and hadn't quite matured into wine at the time so generally it was a mixed drink. i was never a big drinker though so this was occassional. i also always was obcessive with hydration & i never touched alcohol if already symptomatic in any way and/or if i'd have to be standing.

since i haven't been without symptoms for years now i haven't had alcohol in just as long.

not only is alcohol's affect on symptoms something people should be aware of but also the potential interaction of alcohol with meds people may be on...this can be just as dangerous or more than interplay with symptoms themselves.

melissa

[Fiddlchik]

A couple thoughts -

When first diagnose, I went "dry" for three or four months. Couldn't stomach the thought or taste of any kind of alcohol. I can now tolerate wine, and on a rare occasion, vodka and diet soda, of if caffeine is bothering me, citron vodka and soda water. I ALWAYS alternate a drink with a full glass of water, and make sure I'm eating as well. That said, I'm a cheap date these days, as a glass or two of wine has me grinning ear to ear in no time!

I have discovered that since POTS onset, I cannot tolerate sugar or most carbs. I follow an Atkins sort of diet approach, which has helped me immensley. That being said, I can't tolerate beer at all anymore. Something about the wheat and sugar content I'm sure. I used to love the taste of it - my dad even brews his own - but no more.

Also, if you're going to drink wine, be nice to yourself and indulge in a higher cost one - same for any sort of hard liquor. As a rule (though there are exceptions) the cheaper the alcohol, the less filtered it is, and therefore more impurities. Thats the reason why doing shots of well tequila will give you MUCH worse day after results than say, $12 a shot Patron. Same with wine.

Also - to whomever said they miss their vices, chocolate included - try sugar free! There are actually some great tasting ones out there, and though they still have some caffeine content, the lack of sugar seems to help greatly. Same with low carb ice cream. etc.

Mmmm.

[april abbott]

I have never been a big drinker at all, but I would occasionally have a beer or a small strawberry dacquiri(sp?) But since my dysautonomia days I can't even tolerate a couple of sips of beer. The last time I tried a bottle of beer, which I drank very slowly, I went into my full blown symptoms, and could barely function. You think that it would at least make my drowsy or happy, but really had the opposite effect on me. I felt wired and had insomnia and instead of relaxed and happy, I felt worried and stressed, not to mention I was spaced and dizzy. So I just don't bother to even try the stuff anymore, even on special occasions.

[morgan617]

Never touch it, it's killer.......

[jesse1919]

I can still drink. I usually feel much better at night than during the day and that's when I'm most likely to drink anyway. I feel fine when I'm drinking but as a general rule the hangover is twice as bad- 2 drinks feels like 4 the next day. I try to drink a ton of water before and after.

[persephone]

Alcohol lowers bp so is more likely to RAISE hr. It also dehydrates you, so will make you feel much, much worse. I find that I can drink VERY occasionally, but I constantly have to alternate with soft drinks/water/irn-bru to make up for it. And I invariably pay dearly the next day.

[yogini]

I can have a drink or two occasionally. Sometimes I feel no increase in symptoms after drinking, but most times I feel a little bad for about 1/2 of the following day. It definitely helps to hydrate before and after. My POTS improved dramatically due to a pretty strict routine of diet, sleep, exercise, etc. I try avoid alcohol because it tends to throw me off of my routine. At this point, I have also lost my tolerance. Luckily I had lots of fun before getting POTS, so I don't really feel like I need it anymore...