Alcohol And Heart Problems?

[pauleddy]

Someone quite close to me had a heart 'scare' last week. He now has angina, they say.

However, I have seen many heart problems in ER departments, and the problems here do not seem 'typical' of CAD. They say that the ECG looks OK.

This person has been drinking steadily for 35 years or so. He doesn't shake and is not a breakfast drunk, but I am sure he is on 1-2 bottles of wine a day.

I know that drunks can get heart problems, especially in withdrawal. How frequent is this? What are the heart-related symptoms? Tachycardia? Ectopics? Anyone had this problem in detox?

He wants to quit. Can he dry out at home with diazepam? How do you know when someone doesn't need a hospital dry-out?

P

[Wrong Turn]

Someone quite close to me had a heart 'scare' last week. He now has angina, they say.

However, I have seen many heart problems in ER departments, and the problems here do not seem 'typical' of CAD. They say that the ECG looks OK.

This person has been drinking steadily for 35 years or so. He doesn't shake and is not a breakfast drunk, but I am sure he is on 1-2 bottles of wine a day.

I know that drunks can get heart problems, especially in withdrawal. How frequent is this? What are the heart-related symptoms? Tachycardia? Ectopics? Anyone had this problem in detox?

He wants to quit. Can he dry out at home with diazepam? How do you know when someone doesn't need a hospital dry-out?

P

I know quite a few hard drinkers and that quit drinking, Cold Turkey. They just stopped. No withdrawals. Difficulty sleeping at first, but no withdrawals.

Some guys took Diazepam (Valium) in the beginning to help them sleep, but I've never know someone to have withdrawals.

[DocJD]

Alcohol can lead to dialated cardiomyopathy. That is, alcohol (a toxin) damages heart tissue and causes the heart to enlarge. Death is usually due to an arrhythmia. There could be some slight chest pain, but angina is not a common symptom of dialated cardiomyopathy. Also, without getting into all of the mechanisms involved, alcohol can create a vitamin B1 deficiency which can lead to heart failure, among the failure of other organs (including decreased brain function).

Out of curiosity, you seem to already know that angina is more often associated with CAD--the classic inflamation of artery walls and/or build up of plaque. So, was the ECG given while the patient was under the conditions of a stress test or while at rest? Was an angiography recommended? Did a chest x-ray reveal any enlargement of the heart?

Cutting alochol cold can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms for someone who has been drinking for so long. A rehab center will offer more support. It's all too easy to just pick up a bottle to end the pain. A method of stepping down the number of drinks each week would be a better option for someone who has been addicted for so long and has to quit alone. Also, I've seen addictions to diazepam pop up where alochol addictions have dropped off. Avoid putting too many chemicals into your body.

Edited November 20, 2008 by DocJD

[zzdocxx]

Agree with above.

And, yes abrupt withdrawal can lead to seizures, make no mistake about it.

[ThaiPauly]

Agree with above.

And, yes abrupt withdrawal can lead to seizures, make no mistake about it.

Can't agree with the above.

maybe in very few cases , but it is by no means true for the majority IMHO, I have known many many people who were drinking at least a bottle of whiskey every day give up and they are still alive

[sceadugenga]

I just quit cold after more than 40 years of heavy drinking. (5 weeks today).

I knew I'd have sleeping problems because if I missed a day's drinking through travel or illness I always did.

So I just didn't go to bed until I was tired; two, three days I was OK.

I had migraine problems and a low key continuous headache for a while for a while but it seems to be OK now. the only medication I've been taking is paracetamol.

[zzdocxx]

Agree with above.

And, yes abrupt withdrawal can lead to seizures, make no mistake about it.

Can't agree with the above.

maybe in very few cases , but it is by no means true for the majority IMHO, I have known many many people who were drinking at least a bottle of whiskey every day give up and they are still alive

I am a little dense, for heaven's sake please show me where I said it was for a majority.

I am just trying to help out by posting accurate information here.

Do a little googling so I don't have to write up a long explanation, please.

(PS I am an MD)

PSS I have always enjoyed reading your posts, so please excuse me if I sound a little blunt -- I hope you don't take this personally.

[pauleddy]

Yes, I hear that problems can be serious with detox.

One source told me that 1 in 20 people die during the d-ts. Experts say that if u are a very heavy boozer, you need to dry out in a clinic where nurses and docs can watch you.

??

P

[spirit47]

Most Alcoholics die by heartproblems, about 75%, than follow Pancreas and last but not least, the liver with 5%. When liver is damaged, than water will be going first in the legs and than get big belly filled with water. The heart have a problem than doing his work. Sometimes people die by inner blood, the pressure goes high and get varizes.

Excuse my bad english, I'am still learning...

[Datsun240Z]

Ow boy, hearing this must make my lights go out around age 35+. I got sometimes, heavily pain waves around my heart. Doctors said I was okay, I'm not so sure.

[chiang mai]

Sheryl ???