Alcohol and high blood pressure
Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 56
Originally Posted by GnikNus 
Congrats on a year today
Before I quit drinking, I was taking blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds, antidepressants, thyroid meds, and I had sleep apnea. It's all gone now. The secret to lowering your bp is to stop drinking, forever....(Once I stopped I lost 55 pounds - that helped too.)
Otherwise, you are just banging your head up against the wall everyday and your surprised that you have a headache....
I would respectfully suggest that if you want it to change, you have to change. I know it's hard, but it is doable with help. Good luck.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3
alcohol
Originally Posted by Nevertheless
I started taking medicine for my high blood pressure about 11 years ago. It was scary high when I found out. I quit drinking almost 3 years ago. I quit taking blood pressure medicine about 8 months ago. It is picture perfect in the morning,but creeps up some during the day. (caffeine and salt). But it's low enough I don't take medicine anymore.
Sooo,while it didn't drop in a few weeks it did return to almost normal. I drank for 30+ years,so I really didn't expect it to happen overnight. But I was also very surprised when after over 2 years it came down. (I have always tested it from time to time by not taking my medicine) I bought a cheap but accurate machine for under 50 bucks when I found out I high BP.
I wasn't a binge drinker,but I drank at least a 12 pack every day.
It IS true that this "crap" raises your BP.
Fred
Sooo,while it didn't drop in a few weeks it did return to almost normal. I drank for 30+ years,so I really didn't expect it to happen overnight. But I was also very surprised when after over 2 years it came down. (I have always tested it from time to time by not taking my medicine) I bought a cheap but accurate machine for under 50 bucks when I found out I high BP.
I wasn't a binge drinker,but I drank at least a 12 pack every day.
It IS true that this "crap" raises your BP.
Fred
Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3
[QUOTE=Forward12;6127529]Alcohol for sure has an effect on blood pressure. I had to be put on meds at age 30 because of it, but the doc said it's likely because of the drinking.[/QUOTE
How long were you drinking with high blood pressure before you started taking medication .?
How long were you drinking with high blood pressure before you started taking medication .?
Member
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 2,950
This is reminding me, I really need to get a full check up soon... I have had systolic bp pushing 140 in the past, and alcohol could have been a factor, along with weight, caffeine intake and stress. After exercise it drops to 114, which would be lovely all the time.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 1,981
[QUOTE=junior08901;6174003] I went in for a checkup when I was 27 and they were blown away by how high it was for my age, they checked it three times and though it was just because of stress and that I smoked a cig before I came in, but years later it still was high. I was alcoholicly drinking for about 2 years at the time.
Originally Posted by Forward12
Alcohol for sure has an effect on blood pressure. I had to be put on meds at age 30 because of it, but the doc said it's likely because of the drinking.[/QUOTE
How long were you drinking with high blood pressure before you started taking medication .?
How long were you drinking with high blood pressure before you started taking medication .?
Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3
Originally Posted by JeffreyAK
Mine used to be as high as 165 over something, almost dangerously high, but now it's solidly in the normal range and the docs are always surprised. I don't take meds, I just quit drinking and very quickly it went down. Incidentally I think that can be a challenge to us in early recovery sometimes - we're used to high blood pressure, and when it quickly drops and stays down for good, our bodies have to re-adapt to normal pressure.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 11
My blood pressure has been dropping daily since I stopped drinking (day 10). It is hovering around 105/75, my doctor has reduced the hydrochlorothiazide from 25 mg daily to 12.5 mg daily because I have been so lightheaded. I am hoping that maybe I will be able to stop this and the other BP med altogether. I am monitoring daily to keep an eye on it.
Trying to Enjoy Life Now
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Sittin' on the dock of the bay
Posts: 275
Alcohol absolutely raises blood pressure. It seems, in my experience, the more you abuse alcohol the more it raises your blood pressure.
Here's an article from the Mayo clinic on the correlation:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...e/faq-20058254
Here's an article from the Mayo clinic on the correlation:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...e/faq-20058254
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 232
Yep me too, my blood pressure was high when I was drinking typically it was like 145/148/150/155 over 92/95/98/105 and my heart rate was always higher than normal like in the mid nineties and as high as 110 sometimes, it was bad. The mornings were no fun either, when I tried to maintain one pint of vodka a night in my effort to reduce my consumption, I would wake up feeling horrible with bad heart palpitations. So glad that's over
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: UK
Posts: 3,520
My blood pressure and heart rate used to rocket when I was drinking and for a few days afterwards. Not only was I drinking heavily (binge drinking for 3 or 4 days most weeks then off alcohol for as long as I could stand it) but I used to smoke like a chimney too when I was drinking. Very dangerous as I had a heart attack back in May 2010 the cause of which was down to my lifestyle. I was put on blood pressure and heart meds. Yet I didn't learn and there were times when I was drinking heavily that even with the meds my heart rate was over 100 (sometimes up to 120) while my blood pressure soared to about 160/100.
I stopped drinking (and therefore smoking) last summer and now the only time my heart rate is over 100 is when I'm exercising. My resting rate is a steady 55-60 and my blood pressure is usually about 125/80 which is slightly higher than the perfect 120/80 but not so bad that I have to worry about it. But I would say it took the best part of a week after I stopped drinking / smoking before everything went back to being healthy. In fact I think it may have been a few more days before my blood pressure went back to normal. But certainly my heart rate was fine by the end of the first week.
Don't forget that elevated blood pressure from drinking can cause strokes and heart attacks, often without warning. That was certainly the case for me and yet I still took 7 years to actually stop completely though when I came out of hospital in 2010 I did stop for over 3 months only to foolishly start all over again.
I stopped drinking (and therefore smoking) last summer and now the only time my heart rate is over 100 is when I'm exercising. My resting rate is a steady 55-60 and my blood pressure is usually about 125/80 which is slightly higher than the perfect 120/80 but not so bad that I have to worry about it. But I would say it took the best part of a week after I stopped drinking / smoking before everything went back to being healthy. In fact I think it may have been a few more days before my blood pressure went back to normal. But certainly my heart rate was fine by the end of the first week.
Don't forget that elevated blood pressure from drinking can cause strokes and heart attacks, often without warning. That was certainly the case for me and yet I still took 7 years to actually stop completely though when I came out of hospital in 2010 I did stop for over 3 months only to foolishly start all over again.
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