Connect
← Return to Newly diagnosed - Thoughts about drinking alcohol
Discussion
Newly diagnosed - Thoughts about drinking alcohol
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Feb 26, 2023 | Replies (17)Comment receiving replies
Hi Kevin,
Just been looking at your treatment history again and can see you have a couple of AFib episodes. Was that related to the treatment by any chance as my new smartwatch has just picked this up, so I've just worn a cardio monitor for 48 hrs and awaiting results. I don't get any symptoms of irregular heart beat, but have undergone hormone therapy, chemo and radiation in past 15 months, also read that the covid vaccines may have a part to play.
I'm currently still on Lupron and Xanti.
On the question of alcohol, I used to drink a reasonable amount mostly socially at weekends, but since diagnosis have cut back by probably 90 %.
Maybe have one drink a week now and a few more when on vacation. I have read that there is good evidence to link alcohol to inflammation and it can be a contributing factor in PC, so I heed that advice. As others have said there are many great non/low alcohol beers out there now which taste great, just watch out for high sugar content in most of the mass produced ones. In the UK we have some great IPA's.
In my case, since cutting down on beer consumption helped me with my weight reduction along with a whole food plant based diet and me taking up running age 61. Although I sometimes miss the boozy nights out with my friends at weekends, can't say I miss the hangovers next morning 😅
Replies to "Hi Kevin, Just been looking at your treatment history again and can see you have a..."
Connect
The first Afib episode I had was in December 2010, resulting in having a cardio conversion. Subsequently, I had Paroxysmal Afib, occurring episodically. We tried various medications, I still had intermittent episodes, some at the the breakthrough levels with HR climbing to 170 and above with the resulting dizziness, shortness of breath. When that happened riding 50 miles or so on my bike, well...
My cardiologist thought alcohol was the trigger and wanted me to abstain. I reminded him that in our previous consultations, he said I had an extra heart beat and would like begin to experience Afib. Nonetheless, I did abstain, that didn't stop the Afib breakthrough episodes., so went with the ablation, problem solved.
None of my medical team is willing to definitely say the treatment for PCa may have been a factor. I can understand, there is no clear and definitive linkage. Still, in my mind, given the CV side affect profile of the treatments, I cannot say it wasn't. Then again, I am getting older...I do remember one incident while on ADT prior to Afib developing, I was playing basketball and my heart suddenly raced to 200, damn near passed out. It subsided and I continued playing, but...never had that happen before!
When I talk with others who are starting their treatments, I ask them to consider bringing a cardiologist onto their medical team, get a baseline consultation and assessment and then see their cardiologist at any signs of CV problems or at periodic intervals throughout their treatment.
There is no doubt as you say, that moderation of consumption has a wide variety of beneficial affects. I did not agree with my cardiologist about abstinence, rather, moderation. I said "you are too quick to dismiss the root cause as my PCa treatment but are awfully quick and sure to link it to alcohol." I said it may very well be the opposite, think about that! Since the ablation, zero Afib episodes, coming up on six months! And yes, I still enjoy the occasional glass of wine, beer, or mixed drink, all in moderation of course!