thahdog

In the past, after a drinking binge, I usually had a spike in my blood pressure about 4-5 days after, then it returns to normal. This latest time, it was really high they day after, and now it's leveled off a bit, but it's still above normal. It's not dangerously high--if it gets there, I'll go to the doctor's office--but it's not at normal levels either.

Has anyone had any experience with this? Do you think it's withdrawal symptoms? If so, how long can I expect it to last? It's been about 4 days now.

Silver lining - I am not more determined to quit than ever. I'm tired of having episodes like this.

I hope this is in the right forum.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

CarolD

When I used alcohol....I too had high blood pressure
and took meds for years to keep it down...I was not a binge drinker.

within a few weeks after quitting....it dropped to normal
and has stayed there for 22 years...no more meds.

This may not be the same for you.
You are correct....seeing your doctor is wise


Good to know you did quit...early sobriety is difficult
but the results are worth the effort.

ImReadyToQuit

Extremely common... I went on blood pressure meds to control it while I was actively drinking.. It would still shoot up to 150/100...

Within 7 days of quitting, no more BP pills, and BP averages 110/70..

ImReadyToQuit

And just an FYI, heart disease is the #1 killer of alcoholics.. at a MUCH younger age..

doggonecarl

I think it is your body telling you its had enough alcohol. I hope you get the message.

thahdog

I think it was the initial high reading on the day after that made more nervous about it this time. I'm going to give it a few more days to see if it returns to normal.

It has taken me a while, but I think I'm finally getting it.

thahdog

Oops, in my original post, I said, "I am not more determined to quit than ever." I meant to say, "I am now more determined to quit than ever."

Fandy

I also suffered from higher readings when drinking...after a few months, my meds were cut in 1/2...now my diastolic(bottom #) usually runs in the 70s which is perfectly normal.

regular cardio exercise will also help your BP.

AWOL

Thadog... like you, my BP used to spike after a rough nite.
After a particularly rough nite it spiked me into the cardiac ward of a local hospital
where I had a coronary artery bypass operation. Today, without alcohol, my
BP is a steady 110/70, without meds.

thahdog

Wow...if that's not motivation for me to put a stop to it, I don't know what is. Glad you're in better health now.

My BP seems to be slowly inching back down towards normal levels. I'm just keeping a close eye on it.

Kjell

Yes, that was normal with me too.

I'd be lying around the next day, after a night of drinking and drug use, hung-the-fudge over, and I could literally see and feel the pillow vibrate with by my temples b/c my blood pressure was so high.

Scary when you think back on it.

Kjell

Taking5

Yes this is very common. A lot of drunks die from a stroke caused by high BP. When I detoxed my BP was like 180/130 when I got to the ER. They immediately put me on anti-seizure med and BP meds. It was a tough 4 days.

ImReadyToQuit

My wife's uncle, 53, dropped dead from a stroke last summer.. Lifetime alcoholic.. It was his third and final stroke.. He kept drinking until the end..

He was mowing grass, and just died.

Dee74

Seen a Dr thahdog?

D

thahdog

I haven't seen a doctor recently. I think I'm through the worst of it, to be honest. However, if my blood pressure goes back up or I have any other symptoms, I will definitely be making a visit to my doctor's office.

I just know that I can't keep doing this to myself.

AA4life

Hi blood pressure the day after is pretty normal. While you are drinking it goes down. But then it can stay elevated for several days.

Mine was 175/110 the day after my last night. I think it took about a week for it to come back down.

Last time I was at the doctor it was 90/60. Quite a turn around. :-)

tooling

I read somewhere it was because you are dehydrated and your kidneys raise it,

Jrock13

Mine was around 190/110 after a few nights of knocking back a case. It scared me sober for 4 months. Then i tried the moderation thing lol, that lasted maybe 2 weeks. Its messed up that your brain craves something thats killing it.

Veritas1

My experience has been higher blood pressure when drinking, normal blood pressure when sober.

Cindi74

While you actually have the alcohol in your system- your BP will be fine (even lower than usual), when it starts to leave the system, yes, it will rise and quickly. Either see your DR-they can maybe give you something short term (xanax,ativan, etc) while you de-tox and you know you can feel when your BP rises, but just be very careful of those medicines as they can be addictive if abused...

If you want to take a holistic route then Valerian Root will help but may make you drowsy...

But definitely talk to a Dr-we had a 43 year old that had a stroke a few months ago. May have been drug/alcohol induced, stopping without medical help...

I cannot stress enough.. Always be honest w/ your Dr, even if it's a 1st time visit..They cannot help if they don't know what you have been up to....If you feel judged/uncomfortable..find another who may be more understanding. Unfortuantely, a lot of Dr's do not acknowledge Alcoholism the true DISEASE it is.