Ok I know this has been talked about before but I'm still confused.

How and when does alcohol raise pressure? Alcohol seems to have a bad reputation for raising blood pressure, but then lately some doctors are actually prescribing small quantities to lower blood pressure.

Does it depend on the person? If you are stressed out and a little alcohol relaxes you, then is that when it is OK?

The mechanics of alcohol suggest a relaxing of the sytem, which logically should lower pressure. I once had an MD tell me that alcohol raises pressure during the elimination process; I guess if you have too much the body fights too hard and that raises blood pressure. But wouldn't this process be the same for everyone? Why do doctors now prescribe alcohol? :confused:

I'm asking because as I become increasingly frustrated with finding the right drug regimen, I'm trying to focus more on diet/lifestyle which means examining every thing I eat or drink.

TIA!

My first reaction is that it sounds like a sick, twiseted versioin of the disclaimer on all BP meds: "Your doc has prescribed this because he feels the potential benefit to your health outweighs the chances of side effects blah blah blah...."

And we tend to find that statement rational, as people who actually have to take the damn things?


Like, contributing to alcoholism is an OK side effect?

Like, using alcohol to self-medicate is OK?

Love to see what substance-abuse treatment profressionals have to say on this one!


Funny thing, as far as I can recollect the only people who ever tell me a glass of wine will do me some good are------ alcoholics or children thereof! Yes, I know there are actually some beneficial substances in these products (I've seen the research too), but innit odd the only strong recommendations tend to come from imbibers???

~Susan

These are two good short articles on the subject from Mayo Clinic -

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/blood-pressure/AN00318

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcohol/SC00024

These are two good short articles on the subject from Mayo Clinic -

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/blood-pressure/AN00318

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcohol/SC00024


tfkeel,

Can you summarize? Those links don't seem to by any good anymore.

Thanks!

cut-and-paste: From http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/blood-pressure/AN00318

Excessive alcohol use can raise your blood pressure to an unhealthy level. Heavy drinkers who cut back to moderate drinking can lower their systolic blood pressure by two to four points and their diastolic pressure by one to two points.

If you have high blood pressure, avoid alcohol or drink it in moderation. Moderate drinking is two drinks a day if you're a man younger than age 65 or one drink a day if you're a woman or older than age 65. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1 ounce of 100-proof whiskey.

Keep in mind that alcoholic drinks are often high in calories and may contribute to unwanted weight gain. Also, alcohol can interfere with the effectiveness of some blood pressure medications and increase their side effects.

cut-and-paste from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcohol/SC00024

For every article you read about the benefits of alcohol consumption, another seems to warn you of its risks. You might find such conflicting information confusing and frustrating.

Though moderate alcohol use seems to have some health benefits, anything more than moderate drinking can negate any potential benefits. Moderate drinking is defined as two drinks a day if you're a male under 65, or one drink a day if you're a female or a male over 65.

So should you avoid alcohol? Or can you continue to enjoy your glass of wine with dinner? It's up to you and your doctor. Here are some points on alcohol consumption for you to consider.

Health benefits

Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits. It may:

Reduce your risk of developing heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and intermittent claudication

Reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack

Possibly reduce your risk of strokes, particularly ischemic strokes

Lower your risk of gallstones

Possibly reduce your risk of diabetes

Health risks

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health problems, including:

Cancer of the pancreas, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and liver, as well as breast cancer

Pancreatitis, especially in people with high levels of triglycerides in their blood

Sudden death in people with cardiovascular disease

Heart muscle damage (alcoholic cardiomyopathy) leading to heart failure

Stroke

Brain atrophy (shrinkage)

Cirrhosis of the liver

Miscarriage

Fetal alcohol syndrome in an unborn child, including impaired growth and nervous system development

Injuries due to impaired motor skills

Suicide

What counts as a drink?

A drink is defined as 12 ounces (oz.) of beer, 5 oz. of wine or 1.5 oz. of 80-proof distilled spirits. Again, keep in mind that people age 65 and older shouldn't drink more than one drink a day. With increasing age, adults break down alcohol more slowly, leading them to become intoxicated more quickly and increasing alcohol's damaging effects.

Who shouldn't drink alcohol?

People with certain health conditions shouldn't drink any alcohol, as even small amounts could cause problems. Don't drink alcohol if you have:

A history of a hemorrhagic stroke

Liver disease

Pancreatic disease

Evidence of precancerous changes in the esophagus, larynx, pharynx or mouth

If you have a family history of alcoholism, be particularly cautious when it comes to drinking, as you are at higher risk of alcoholism. And if you're pregnant, avoid alcohol entirely because of the health risks for your unborn baby.

In addition, alcohol interacts with many common prescription and over-the-counter medications. Check with your doctor, if you take:

Antibiotics
Anticoagulants
Antidepressants
Diabetes medications
Antihistamines
Anti-seizure medications
Beta blockers
Pain relievers
Sleeping pills

If you combine alcohol with aspirin, you face an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. And if you use alcohol and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), you increase your risk of liver damage. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration requires all over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers to carry a warning label advising those who consume three or more drinks a day to consult with their doctors before using the drug.

What to make of all the evidence

Weigh the pros against the cons of moderate drinking and decide whether drinking is OK for you. Be sure to consult your doctor if you have questions or are unsure.

Above all, don't feel pressured to drink. Few medical experts, if any, advise nondrinkers to start drinking. But if you do drink and you're healthy, there's no need to stop as long as you drink responsibly and in moderation.

Thanks for that, tfkeel.

I guess I'm just more curious as to exactly how alcohol effects the body, mostly because of the contradictory effects. How and why does alcohol raise blood pressure?

I drink one or two drinks a week (weekends), well within the " moderate" guidelines, but if alcohol can be harmful, I guess I want to know how, because I would consider giving up the two drinks, even if the "guidelines" say it is safe to drink. I do enjoy it, so I won't give it up for nothing, just as I haven't given up chocolate, but keep it to a minimum for weight reasons. But if chocolate raised blood pressure, I pobably would never eat it.

Thanks again!

I don't know why alcohol raises blood pressure but I can tell you first hand that long term heavy drinking definitely DOES cause hypertension. Cessation of drinking shows a marked drop in blood pressure but only after a rather long time.
For me it takes 90 days of teetotalling to see the large effect.

But it's REAL.

As far as "modest" drinking goes, I can't speak to that..."modest" drinking is outside my scope of comprehension.:D

Would you consider having two glasses of red wine daily moderate drinking?
The last time I had a few glasses of wine I measured my Bp and it was 107-65.

I guess the most logical thing to do is to stop drinking my two (or three) drinks a week altogether. If there is no change, then I guess it doesn't make a difference. If the pressure increases or decreases, then I will also have my answer.

Thanks to all who responded.

GEORGE,

Yes, I would consider 2 glasses (say 10 ounce total) of wine every day moderate, even light.

For me 2 BOTTLES would be about right!:dizzy:

GEORGE,

Yes, I would consider 2 glasses (say 10 ounce total) of wine every day moderate, even light. I would jump for joy if I could do that.

For me 2 BOTTLES would be about right!:dizzy:

Tamsin,

I really doublt that giving up 2 or 3 drinks a week will have any affect on your BP at all...it might make it worse be removing a "tension reliever."

Lenin,

That's really what I think too, but maybe I have an allergy? :dizzy:

As a loooong time alcoholic (beer) I can attest to the adverse effect on BP. I was up to a case or more a day until I found a more demanding job about 3 months ago. At that point I went cold turkey with the assistance of some meds. prescribed by my doctor (Librium). After three months with no alcohol I was beginning to feel a bit better and my pressure was down do to weight loss I attribute to not drinking 24 cans of lite beer a day. Pressures of the new job led me to start drinking again about three weeks ago. Last Monday I thought I was gonna die. So now I'm alcohol free for 4 days, and still detoxing. I "think" when you drink it thins your blood and I know it acts in dehydrating you. Both those factors seem to lower your BP while drunk. But LOOKOUT when you sober up. It's like a rubber band effect and your BP spikes and (I at least feel like my head will blow off)

Brutus that makes a lot of sense. It also concurs with what that MD told me about the elimination effect or I guess what could be considered as mild withdrawal effect being responsible for raising BP. Interesting points to ponder, especially the dehydration effect since I am salt sensitive and can always use help with water volume reduction. Anyway, my experiment is on but I'm going to monitor very closely.

Good look to you in staying dry!

Brutus,
Absent that 24 cans a day (3600 calories:eek: ) I'll bet the excess weight is just FALLING OFF you now.

I can also confirm that over-drinking contributes to hypertension. I think it has both direct and indirect consequences. Alcohol itself tends to raise blood pressure (it may decrease it while you experience temporary relaxation but this is only temporary with an upsurge to follow). But then there's the secondary effects of drinking too much such as poor sleep, stress induced by hangovers and possibly even stress from guilt feelings and anxiety over it.

So the end result is a raise in blood pressure beyond what can be accounted for by alcohol alone.

I also find, in contrast to other comments here, that reducing drinking causes a rapid drop in blood pressure. The amount may be in proportion to the degree of over-drinking. If you're a serious drunk (like I was for a time) you can expect a fast and signigicant decrease in blood pressure when you go on the wagon (with the exception of maybe the first few days needed for withdrawal and adjustment).

Fortunately, I was lucky and learned to control my drinking. I'm glad because I still enjoy a drink or two regularly. But you do have to respect the limits and if that's not possible it's much better to quit altogether. After my worst excesses I quit drinking for 10 years.

As for an acceptable amount I think it varies depending on the person and even your age. As you get older you can no longer handle the same amount. A very good rule of thumb that I go by is if you sleep undisturbed and wake up feeling fresh and rested then you're within healthy limits. If your alcohol intake wakes you up prematurely and you can't sleep well that's a sure sign it's too much. This amount may vary from one drink for some to 4 drinks for others. When I was young I could drink quite a lot then go to sleep and be fine the next day. Now my limit is two drinks. I think counting units and that sort of artificial thing is rubbish.

I find that 3 drinks ( red wine) at one siting is my limit, otherwise I feel it the next day. I try to stick to no more than two 5 ounce glasses... I have read that if you stay with this amount it will not raise your blood pressure..