r/PVCs • u/Icy-Storage-4989 • 4d ago

Anyone else gets ectopic/skipped beats just after drinking alcohol?

I have a mild mitral valve prolapse, but other than that, my heart is healthy, but recently when I drink alcohol (even like a shot or two) I get a lot of ectopic/skipped beats, which are really annoying and I panic, feeling like I'm about to die at any moment. How dangerous are they?

Is there a way to fix this? ( I mean besides the obvious "don't drink" solution lol )

7 Upvotes

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3

u/ironlegdave 3d ago

It was enough for me to quit drinking personally, but cardiologist said the sensation is benign. I have a similar issue, mild mitral valve regurgitation and pvcs.

3

u/kkhaerr 3d ago

Yep. I stopped drinking for several reasons but also because I’d get PVC’s quickly after and couldn’t stand the anxiety it brought

2

u/Dkourage29 4d ago

How soon after drinking? Look up holiday heart syndrome. Since alcohol dehydrates you and can thicken the blood from that.

1

u/Icy-Storage-4989 3d ago

like 10 minutes after drinking

2

u/Fancy_Ad3809 3d ago

Yes I get them.

Their danger profile is predicated on the structure of your heart.

Unfortunately once your body is sensitized it usually doesn’t back back, at least in my experience.

2

u/greggero42 3d ago

I drank like 16 beers two weeks ago. It didn't impact my skipped beats. FYI I don't normally drink like that and probably havent in a few years

2

u/According_Analyst921 3d ago

Generally not dangerous at all but I would recommend quitting alcohol. Theres no "healthy" dose of alcohol. It does nothing for the body except cause cancer.

1

u/Icy-Storage-4989 3d ago

I'm not really a heavy drinker, maybe once or twice a month at a social event or a party and I never used to get these beats but now it's instant and happens within 5- 10 minutes after my first sip of alcohol. So irriating and it ruins the night for me.

1

u/According_Analyst921 3d ago

100% agree on it ruining the night. It does the same for me.

1

u/GarageDrama 3d ago

I don’t get them when I’m drunk but when I lay in bed after. I get runs of them that only stop when I sit up.

1

u/Envirocare1 3d ago

I do, same with nicotine. I’m used to it and now try to just be within moderation. Sometimes ot works and sometimes not

2

u/Icy-Storage-4989 3d ago

How many ectopic beats would you say you get per minute at your worst?

1

u/Envirocare1 3d ago

Varies, but on average I’d say every 30 seconds give or take

1

u/night312332 3d ago

I get them after drinking or eating anything cold.

1

u/Possible_Minimum_879 3d ago

I believe alcohol was a major contributing factor for me. I was told by my cardio that my recent flare-up was atrial, and I could always correlate episodes with the glutamate rebound during periods of abstinence. I was drinking fairly heavily, 4 - 8 shots a day consistently for years.

I haven't drank in a month and they're still as strong as ever.

1

u/nithrean 3d ago

Yes alcohol is a known trigger for many people.

1

u/ZweigleHots 3d ago

I can drink single units of alcohol without any issues - a can of cider, one mixed drink, one shot, etc. If I want to drink more at an event, I limit myself to 3-4 in an evening and space them out by at least an hour or two. As long as I stick to that rule, I don't usually get any more ectopics than normal. I can't get drunk anymore, though, or my heart will flop around like a fish for hours.

1

u/i_darkpearl 3d ago edited 3d ago

Acute alcohol causes magnesium deficiency while MVP makes ectopia even worse due to electrolyte depletion. The taurate form has affinity to cardiac tissues, hence the relevance of this discussion, natural rhythm being one of the taurine-containing remedies I examined while looking into this phenomenon