Is heart palpitations and drinking alcohol related?
Patient: I have been having heart palipitations every day for a couple weeks straight now. I want to know of it has anything to do with drinking alcohol. i am a daily drinker, like 6-8 beers a day but have been trying to cut down and am wondering if the palipitations are a result Doctor: Hello!Thank you for asking on HCM!I read your question carefully and understand your concern. Alcohol can cause arrhythmia in people with normal hearts and can cause heart conditions that result in arrhythmia. People who drink heavily can develop a weak heart (alcoholic cardiomyopathy). Alcohol can directly injure heart cells and cause extra heartbeats and supraventricular tachycardias. Usually the cardiac function comes back to normality after stopping alcohol intake. But for some days, anxiety and withdrawal symptoms may be related to temporary cardiac arrhythmia. I recommend consulting with the GP and performing a routine blood test, kidney and liver function tests, resting ECG and blood electrolytes, to exclude other causes of this symptomatology. Hope to have been of help!Best wishes, Dr. Iliri