Do any newcomers feel this?

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by PS90

Can you please cite one of these "other medical websites"?

Here is ONE. There are others.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology...web1/chew.html

From what I read, alcohol dilates blood vessels...until too much is consumed. Then it does the opposite.

[elkotronics]

From what I read, alcohol dilates blood vessels...until too much is consumed. Then it does the opposite.

Now wait just a cotton pickin' minute, sonny. Now I know why my BP keeps spiking!

[pikabike]

No wonder fundraisers usually focus on getting people to booze it up. Get people stoopit enough that they write big checks without thinking.

[PS90]

Originally Posted by pikabike

Here is ONE. There are others.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology...web1/chew.html

From what I read, alcohol dilates blood vessels...until too much is consumed. Then it does the opposite.

1) Right at the top of that paper, it states that this is a student's essay. It's not a reputable medical resource.

2) Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anything about decreasing blood pressure. The 7th paragraph says something about dilating peripheral blood vessels, but that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with systemic blood pressure.

I agree that small, regular amounts of alcohol can slightly and temporarily decrease blood pressure, but it's not significant enough to make any clinical or physical effect.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

High or Low blood sugar can manifest itself as "loopy". Depending on the drink, sugar can be a major factor and if one is a diabetic then the risks are higher. Low blood sugar can result in passing out, and High blood sugar can result in something much worse. But I'm not a doctor, so it would be a good idea to talk to your doctor about alcohol consumption as the effects can be different for all of us.

Yeah, looks like low blood-sugar is more likely the culprit (apart from being blandished by a friendly bartender), unless the OP falls into the "frequent drinker" category.

Normally, when your blood sugar begins to drop, your body can respond by making more blood sugar or burning up stored sugar. And when your blood sugar begins to rise, additional insulin is secreted to bring your levels back to a healthy range.

Alcohol is considered a poison by your body, and all efforts are made to excrete it, including the cessation of maintaining healthy blood glucose levels. Studies have shown that alcohol interferes with all three sources of glucose and the hormones needed to maintain healthy blood glucose levels. The greatest impact is seen in those who drink heavily on a frequent basis. Heavy drinkers deplete their glycogen stores within a few hours when their diet does not provide a sufficient amount of carbohydrates. Over time, excessive alcohol consumption can decrease insulin's effectiveness, resulting in high blood sugar levels. One study showed that 45% to 70% of people with alcoholic liver disease had either glucose intolerance or diabetes.

Alcohol can also negatively impact blood sugar levels each time that it is consumed, regardless of the frequency of consumption. Research has shown that acute consumption increases insulin secretion, causing low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and can also impair the hormonal response that would normally rectify the low blood sugar. Drinking as little as 2 ounces of alcohol on an empty stomach can lead to very low blood sugar levels. This makes alcohol an even bigger problem for anyone with diabetes. Along with the impact on blood sugar, studies have also shown that alcohol can impact the effectiveness of the hypoglycemic medications, so extreme caution needs to be taken when consuming alcohol by anyone with diabetes.

http://answers.webmd.com/answers/116...ct-blood-sugar

[pikabike]

Which is why I asked OP if she was diabetic, back on the first page.

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by PS90

1) Right at the top of that paper, it states that this is a student's essay. It's not a reputable medical resource.

2) Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anything about decreasing blood pressure. The 7th paragraph says something about dilating peripheral blood vessels, but that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with systemic blood pressure.

I agree that small, regular amounts of alcohol can slightly and temporarily decrease blood pressure, but it's not significant enough to make any clinical or physical effect.

Second paragraph.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...-effects-of-a/

[PS90]

Originally Posted by pikabike

Second paragraph.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...-effects-of-a/

That's a little better reference, but it still doesn't say anything about decreasing blood pressure - it just says that alcohol can be a vasodilator in small amounts. Vasodilation doesn't necessarily mean lower blood pressure.

EDIT: I did find this while doing a Pubmed search, however, which basically says that their study found that light drinkers had lower blood pressure than non-drinkers or heavy drinkers. It doesn't actually concede a direct relationship, but it does support your comments.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4061438

Although all the other articles were focused on the relationship between alcohol and hypertension.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by pikabike

Which is why I asked OP if she was diabetic, back on the first page.

From the source I referenced (WebMD), you don't need to be a diabetic to have alcohol consumption, especially if drinking on an empty stomach, impact blood sugar levels. That doesn't mean the OP isn't diabetic, which would make it worse, but so far he/she has not said so.

[azgkrudi]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

From the source I referenced (WebMD), you don't need to be a diabetic to have alcohol consumption, especially if drinking on an empty stomach, impact blood sugar levels. That doesn't mean the OP isn't diabetic, which would make it worse, but so far he/she has not said so.

I said I was not diabetic in post #20.