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What Causes Anxiety Post Consumption Of Alcohol?
Question: Hello,
Full disclosure. I have Generalized Anxiety and severe sleep apnea. I am 6.3, I weigh 228. This morning my BP was 128/89 and my pulse was 69. I use my cpap and take steps to calm my anxiety. I take no meds. I have been feeling really good the last month or so. Last night i drank 6 glasses of white wine and had a strawberry sundae. This morning at 6am i woke up with a significant flutter in my chest. I also had a couple of pvcs. I had no pain, no shortness of breath, but my anxiety did get ramped up quite a bit. What is the flutter and the pvc? And how do i control my anxiety after these? I do take magnesium and that seems to keep them at bay, but if i don't take magnesium 1 day, i get a palp and then anxiety. They seem to be a major cause of my generalized anxiety. Please help! I am looking to minimize these greatly.
Full disclosure. I have Generalized Anxiety and severe sleep apnea. I am 6.3, I weigh 228. This morning my BP was 128/89 and my pulse was 69. I use my cpap and take steps to calm my anxiety. I take no meds. I have been feeling really good the last month or so. Last night i drank 6 glasses of white wine and had a strawberry sundae. This morning at 6am i woke up with a significant flutter in my chest. I also had a couple of pvcs. I had no pain, no shortness of breath, but my anxiety did get ramped up quite a bit. What is the flutter and the pvc? And how do i control my anxiety after these? I do take magnesium and that seems to keep them at bay, but if i don't take magnesium 1 day, i get a palp and then anxiety. They seem to be a major cause of my generalized anxiety. Please help! I am looking to minimize these greatly.
Brief Answer:
Alcohol intake results into heart rhythm disturbance
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for your question and welcome to HCM. I understand your concern.
Alcohol is a substance that induces serotonin levels to go up, which results in many heart rhythm disturbances. This can and may happen to anyone, actually there is a syndrome known for "after drinking" episodes called "holiday heart syndrome".
Episodes of more than 30 gm ethanol consumed, combined with anxiety disorder, almost always result in "skipped" heart beats and palpitations.
What are PVCs? Premature ventricular contractions are activations of the heart electrical system by a another site in the heart muscle, not from the original pacemaker - the sinus node.
The sinus node quickly "takes over" and produces a more powerful and forceful beat which produces a feeling of "heart jumping out of the chest or throat" - palpitation.
I think that there is nothing to worry about, since this is a phenomenon that may happen to anyone, including me after drinking some glasses of alcohol.
I think that your anxiety disorder should be continued to be controlled by your psychologist/psychiatrist. Judging that you already suffer from this disorder, I would recommend you to withhold alcohol, based on the above mentioned explanations.
I hope my answer was helpful to you. I am happy to help, if you have follow-up questions.
Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
Alcohol intake results into heart rhythm disturbance
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for your question and welcome to HCM. I understand your concern.
Alcohol is a substance that induces serotonin levels to go up, which results in many heart rhythm disturbances. This can and may happen to anyone, actually there is a syndrome known for "after drinking" episodes called "holiday heart syndrome".
Episodes of more than 30 gm ethanol consumed, combined with anxiety disorder, almost always result in "skipped" heart beats and palpitations.
What are PVCs? Premature ventricular contractions are activations of the heart electrical system by a another site in the heart muscle, not from the original pacemaker - the sinus node.
The sinus node quickly "takes over" and produces a more powerful and forceful beat which produces a feeling of "heart jumping out of the chest or throat" - palpitation.
I think that there is nothing to worry about, since this is a phenomenon that may happen to anyone, including me after drinking some glasses of alcohol.
I think that your anxiety disorder should be continued to be controlled by your psychologist/psychiatrist. Judging that you already suffer from this disorder, I would recommend you to withhold alcohol, based on the above mentioned explanations.
I hope my answer was helpful to you. I am happy to help, if you have follow-up questions.
Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
when would these be a cause for concern? and would exercise make them go away. I have had anxiety all day because of them.
Brief Answer:
Welcome back
Detailed Answer:
Hi again.
They become a matter of concern if they happen 10 thousand times a day, this is the cut-off that separates physiology from pathology. Yes, physical activity makes them go away most of the times. However, if this is a vigorous physical activity, PVCs are expected when the activity is discontinued. This may happen to everyone.
I hope the follow-up was helpful to you. Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Kind regards,
Dr. Meriton
Welcome back
Detailed Answer:
Hi again.
They become a matter of concern if they happen 10 thousand times a day, this is the cut-off that separates physiology from pathology. Yes, physical activity makes them go away most of the times. However, if this is a vigorous physical activity, PVCs are expected when the activity is discontinued. This may happen to everyone.
I hope the follow-up was helpful to you. Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Kind regards,
Dr. Meriton
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
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