When friends are over I sometimes have more that a couple of beers. Never more than 8 in a 4-6 hour period, so I’m not stumbling drunk but rather fuzzier than simply “relaxed.” After friends leave and I’m sitting or lying and not drinking, my heart sometimes goes racing and pounding loudly. I have several questions:
Thanks.
Do you have high blood pressure?
I get that sometimes, but only when I’m so drunk the room is spinning, so I’ve always assumed it’s just a perceptual effect, but I’d be interested to know if it could really be dangerous
I am not a doctor and am not giving any medical advice, just relating what I was told about my particular situation.
I was in the middle of an anxiety attack so bad I ended up going to the ER with what I thought was a heart attack. Everything was OK as far as blood pressure and the EKG so I asked why it felt like my heart was about to jump out and run laps, as well as why it felt like that if I had the proverbial “one too many.” I was told that it was, as Zsofia said, it’s simply a matter of perception. When you’ve got a buzz going, you’re more likely to notice and “latch on” a particular thing, such as your heartbeat.
If you’re in the least bit concerned though, I’d suggest seeing a doctor if you haven’t seen one recently.
Peace - DESK
I get this. In fact, it bothered me so much that I have stopped drinking, even a glass of wine with dinner.
I can’t find it again, but after much Googling I found a medical message board where many people discussed how even a small amount of alcohol made their heart race. A doctor moderator pointed out that alcohol is a vasodilator, so it was entirely possible that in some susceptible people this could cause a pounding heart. I have lowish blood pressure myself, so my theory is that LBP in combination with a vasodilator causes my heart racing.
I first noticed this a few years ago in Paris. The denizens there drank wine at lunch and at dinner, so we soon got into this habit too. I would notice that at 4 or 5 in the afternoon, my heart would pound and race. Then again at midnight, the same thing. Back at home, I went to the doctor, but she was unable to account for it. Finally, I put two and two together and figured out that alcohol was the culprit.
I stopped drinking because I figured that this wasn’t doing my heart any good at all. Ah well, no more Cotes du Rhone or German beer for me.
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I go through the same anxiety stuff, and it’s always when I’m just lying in bed or sitting around doing nothing, because that’s when you’re likely to focus on something inward like your heartbeat. Seeing as how the OP said this happens after his friends have left and he’s just sitting or lying, it probably is in his head.
Rudely wandering in to say that I like this thread. I’ve usually figured that it’s a perceptual and sort of self-perpetuating thing, but it can be alarming. It seems, though, tht we all notice it precisely when the brain is not concentrating on something else, so that makes sense. 
I disagree. The OP mentions his heart was racing. Does it ever do this when you’re sitting quietly after not drinking, NoCoolUserName? Mine was definitely not in my head. I would count my pulse and I was doing 110 beats a minute while I was in a resting state.
When I was taking Zoloft, I suffered racing heart after a night of drinking. Scared me pretty bad.
You should call the pharmacy (it’s free!) and ask if there is any drug interaction with any medication you are taking.
Anyone who is concerned that they may be having a heart rhythm disturbance should contact their doctor to see if further evaluation is appropriate. EKGs can be helpful indetermining if heart conduction is normal, and 24 or 48 hour Holter monitors which record heart rhythms can ascertain if dangerous arrhythmias are present.
Ethanol can cause vasodilation, which may cause one to be more aware of their heart rate than nusual. It can also result in a racing pulse, frequent premature ventricular contractions, and even atrial fibrillation in some people.
What’s ethanol doing to you? There’s no way for us to tell.
QtM, MD
[cue organ music]
And so, we come to the close of another episode of “Dr. Killdare, boy physician.”
You ain’t about to get diagnosed any better than the posters(including our esteemed real-life DR. QADGOP) already did.
Seek a professional. Message Boards are no substitute for professionals in matters of life and death. You only go around once, as far as I know.
Closed.
samclem GQ moderator