Heart pain during a hangover: why it occurs and how to fight it

Withdrawal syndrome after a long binge is more similar to drug withdrawal than a hangover. A hangover syndrome can occur in a non-drinker due to yesterday's binge drinking. However, abstinence occurs only in alcoholics with prolonged use of alcoholic beverages from the second stage of addiction. Against the background of regular drinking, the liver does not have time to process the diseased volume of alcohol, and highly toxic substances - acetaldehydes - accumulate in the body.
This leads to a whole range of consequences, including somatic and vegetative symptoms:
  • weakness;
  • increased sweating;
  • dyspnea;
  • tremor of the limbs;
  • nausea;
  • rapid pulse;
  • high blood pressure;
  • exacerbation of concomitant diseases.

However, the most common complaint of alcohol addicts is pain after a long binge. At the same time, painful sensations do not always have a clear localization. Addicts complain that everything hurts after drinking and they don’t know what to do. In some cases, with chronic intoxication, the whole body actually hurts after binge drinking, and sometimes the pain is localized in a specific organ or limb.

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Content:

  1. Why does chest pain occur when trying to quit?
  2. How does the heart behave after quitting alcohol?
  3. Irregular rhythm
  4. Arterial spasms
  5. Can quitting alcohol cause angina and heart attack?
  6. What to do if you have heart pain after quitting alcohol
  7. Treatment of withdrawal
  8. Does the heart recover after quitting alcohol?


Drinking large amounts of alcohol can harm the cardiovascular system. However, it is important to know that quitting alcohol also affects the heart. During this period, people may experience chest pain, increased heart rate, tachycardia, and shortness of breath. They are a sign of pathologies. During withdrawal symptoms, angina pectoris, heart attack, stroke or death may occur. Chest discomfort becomes a definite problem for those who want to recover from alcoholism. Does the heart recover after quitting alcohol? How to survive a temporary deterioration in well-being - let's talk about these issues in detail.

Liver Key Values

The liver is one of the largest exocrine glands, performing many vital functions. Therefore, it is very important that this organ is healthy. Otherwise, the liver will not be able to cope with its tasks, including:

  • The liver is an organ that secretes bile acids. They are required by the body to break down and absorb fat-soluble components, activate lipases, and emulsify fats in the intestines;
  • the liver provides regulation of the hemostatic system. This organ influences the maintenance of the balance of the blood coagulation and anticoagulation systems;
  • the liver is responsible for the formation of substances that neutralize toxic products and harmful elements.

The liver takes an active part in all types of metabolism that occur in the human body. With normal nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, this organ works 100%. If a person begins to drink alcohol in large doses and go on binges, then malfunctions occur in the liver. Organ cells die. Oncology may appear. If after drinking alcohol your right side hurts under the ribs, then you should immediately visit an experienced doctor.

Why does chest pain occur when trying to quit?

Chronic alcoholics have increased physical tolerance to alcohol. The body gets used to the presence of ethanol in the body and adapts accordingly. For example, drinking ethanol causes high levels of a chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). It makes people more relaxed and slows down various processes in the body. When someone drinks regularly, their brain gets used to having a lot of this chemical around. When drinking stops, GABA levels drop sharply, which can cause withdrawal symptoms as processes in the body and brain become overactive. One of them is chest pain. Some people experience depression, anxiety, fatigue, tremors, mood swings, confusion, and seizures. Detoxification and withdrawal from alcohol withdrawal in a drug treatment clinic will help alleviate the condition and prevent relapse.

Binge drinking

At the initial stage of binge alcoholism, the addict realizes that alcohol abuse is contrary to the social and ethical norms accepted in his family and work collective. That is why he justifies the next binge (family and calendar holidays, etc.), but if there is no good reason, he tries to find one himself.

However, everything is not limited to one feast - a person drinks for several days, but almost always finds the strength to stop, although, as a rule, this happens under the influence of some external reasons (work schedule, scandal in the family, financial difficulties, etc.). d.). Such alcoholic excesses (they are also called “false”) usually occur in the second stage of alcohol addiction.


As alcoholism progresses, the addict's craving for alcohol becomes more and more obsessive. He is no longer stopped by the wrong time, place, or environment for drinking. Gradual social degradation begins. The addict loses interest in work, previous hobbies, and family. Memory and intellectual abilities deteriorate, speech becomes monosyllabic, egocentrism and vindictiveness appear.

The third stage of alcoholism is characterized by true binge drinking. An uncontrollable desire to drink occurs spontaneously, sometimes preceded by a prodromal period, accompanied by:

  • tremor;
  • chills;
  • sweating;
  • anxiety, intolerance, irritability;
  • insomnia.

True binges are very difficult: withdrawal symptoms appear quickly - literally a few hours after the last “dose” of alcohol, so the addict drinks almost constantly, interrupting only to sleep and buy another bottle. In such a situation, a person cannot stop on his own, and the multi-day “tailspin” ends when alcohol intoxication reaches its peak, and the body simply “cannot” cope with a new portion of alcohol.

How does the heart behave after quitting alcohol?

People who quit drinking often experience:


  • feeling of tightness or discomfort in the chest;
  • dizziness or nausea;
  • cardiopalmus;
  • labored breathing.

If these symptoms appear, it is important to get prompt medical attention because they are common signs of a heart attack.

What to do before the ambulance arrives

Before the ambulance arrives, you must:


  • lay the patient on a flat, hard surface, placing something under his head;
  • unfasten the top buttons of clothing, trouser belt;
  • ensure the flow of fresh air into the room;
  • place a Nitroglycerin or Validol tablet under your tongue;
  • If your blood pressure is high, give medicine to lower it.

All further actions must be coordinated with your doctor.

Irregular rhythm

Studies have shown that ethanol can cause disruption of the rhythm of cardiovascular contractions - arrhythmia. The larger doses a person drinks in one sitting, the more severe the side effect. Chronic alcoholics also suffer from arrhythmia.

One possible cause of irregular heartbeat during withdrawal is that your electrolyte levels are too low. Electrolytes are important in regulating the rate at which the human engine contracts, and dehydration caused by withdrawal typically reduces the levels of electrolytes in the bloodstream.

Literature:

  1. Endogenous intoxication syndrome (manual) / S. G. Musselius. — Ed. 2nd, revised and additional - Moscow: Author's book, 2019. - 356 p.
  2. Addictology: psychology and psychotherapy of addictions / G. V. Starshenbaum. - Moscow: Kogito-Center, 2006 (Mozhaisk (Moscow region): Mozhaisk Printing Plant). — 366 p.
  3. New reference book for a cardiologist: differential diagnosis of diseases, functional tests in cardiology, treatment of cardiovascular pathologies, new medical technologies / A. K. Myshkina. - Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2007. – 348 p.

Can quitting alcohol cause angina?

Chest pain can always indicate that something more serious is going on with the heart. Drunk people who are trying to quit should be attentive to their health. Be aware that withdrawal can cause angina and even a heart attack. One of the main reasons withdrawal symptoms and death are linked is heart problems. Irregular heartbeat is the most likely cause of sudden death in middle-aged male drinkers, and binge drinking or heavy drinking is responsible for 10% of deaths among people aged 20 to 64 years.

How coronavirus affects sleep

Russian somnologists note that during the pandemic, the number of patients with complaints of insomnia and sleep disturbances has increased by up to 45%. There are several reasons for this phenomenon:

  • anxiety and stress;
  • apnea and breathing problems;
  • symptomatic course of coronavirus (the patient is worried about fever, cough, etc.);
  • cytokine storm;
  • the effect of antiviral medications;
  • exhaustion of the nervous system;
  • endocrine disruptions (lack of) vitamins and minerals - “building material” for cells and hormones;
  • physical inactivity (sedentary lifestyle).

To restore healthy sleep, it is necessary to first identify the cause of its disturbance. Some patients are recommended psychotherapy, others need medications and special preparations (sleeping pills, melatonin, vitamin complexes with magnesium, vitamins B12, D), and others need a comprehensive solution to health problems (restoration of the lungs, breathing, normalization of vital signs). For mild sleep disturbances, herbal remedies and magnesium baths before bed will help.

Treatment of withdrawal


How quickly the heart recovers after quitting drinking depends on many factors. One of them is the correct withdrawal of their binge drinking and timely assistance in relieving withdrawal symptoms. To eliminate them, medical detox is used. It involves the administration of an isotonic solution of sodium chloride (glucose or other detoxifying agents). These substances not only accelerate the process of eliminating toxins, but also restore impaired electrolyte metabolism, which helps improve heart function.

If chest pain and tremors are present, doctors may prescribe benzodiazepines. If heart rhythm disturbances are diagnosed, the patient is given antiarrhythmic drugs. Blood pressure indicators must be monitored. To reduce them, antihypertensive drugs are indicated.

A special role is given to the prevention of heart attack or stroke. The appearance of any symptoms indicating these conditions is a reason for mandatory hospitalization in the department.

General recommendations-memo for recovery after CT-3 and CT-4

Recovery from severe coronavirus may take 6-12 months. Breaks in treatment are acceptable - 3-5 days, but this point must be discussed with your doctor. The rehabilitation plan is very individual and depends on: the extent of lung damage, complications, concomitant diseases, age, gender, weight of the patient and other private factors (how long the patient was under oxygen, whether there were episodes of tachycardia, cytokine storm), etc.

If you do not have the opportunity to undergo a rehabilitation course at a paid medical institution, the patient can go to a clinic at their place of residence. The patient can recover independently - it is enough to include basic diagnostic measures and appointments with specialists, who can be contacted in a clinic at the place of residence or online.

Below we will outline only general recommendations that are not full-fledged treatment, but will help you not to forget about basic activities during a period that can be very important in improving the quality of life after illness.

Does the heart recover after quitting alcohol?

Completing medical detoxification and stopping the use of alcohol stops the progression of many diseases, and in some completely relieves existing symptoms. Subsequently, the heart muscle has a chance to strengthen and gradually improve. However, this takes time. Depending on how long and how much you drank, full recovery may take months or years.


Unfortunately, some illnesses are chronic, meaning that a person will never fully recover. Overcoming serious cardiovascular disease usually requires medications, lifestyle changes, and sometimes surgery. Quitting alcoholic beverages is only one part of recovery. It is important to remember that your body needs to repair all the damage that ethanol has done over the years of abuse. At the same time, as you learn to lead a healthy lifestyle, your body adapts to new living conditions. It is undergoing a restructuring of many processes. Proper nutrition will help speed up recovery.

If you have heart palpitations and alcoholic cardiomyopathy, be sure to keep your doctor informed of any problems you experience, even if you think they are minor. It's better to mention something minor than to overlook something that could be a major problem. Most treatment programs include regular doctor visits, CT scans, and blood tests.

Pancreas problems due to alcohol consumption

The pancreas is an organ that creates proteases. These are enzymes that ensure the saturation of the body with carbohydrates, the absorption of proteins and the breakdown of fats. In addition, the pancreas is involved in the formation of insulin, which is necessary to maintain optimal sugar levels.

The functions that this organ performs can be disrupted by becoming addicted to alcoholic beverages. After all, due to problems in the functioning of the pancreas, such a terrible disease as pancreatitis occurs. Among the main signs of this disease are:

  • girdle pain;
  • constant feeling of weakness and high fatigue;
  • flatulence and diarrhea, loss of appetite;
  • nausea, vomiting, weight loss.

An experienced doctor can identify pancreatitis, especially chronic pancreatitis. According to research by specialists, this disease is encountered in most cases by women who abuse alcohol. If the disease is not treated, it can cause cancer.

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