Low Blood Pressure and Alcohol Withdrawal - Please Help, I'm so Scared

[Ashmedai]

Hi! Right now I'm going through alcohol withdrawal at home, hopefully safely since I'm phasing it out, and I'm not prone to seizures or anything like that. I'm a normally sober alcoholic who recently experienced a bad relapse. Please, if anyone has any experience with this, I'd so appreciate any feedback. I realize some people do it with diazepam, but since I have been addicted to prescription meds in the past, I can't do that (plus they tend to have a paradox effect on me and have proven totally useless).

The biggest concern I have is that withdrawal makes my blood pressure plummet to the point where I pass out, and this is the scariest part for me. I don't know HOW low it goes, but well...very low. I'm often alone at home since my boyfriend works, and I'm so frightened by this. Can very low blood pressure kill you? Or do you "just" pass out? It feels like dying and I'm scared out of my mind. Please help!

[PanchoGoz]

I would consult your doctor about this if you haven't already, he could give you some pills for low blood pressure.

[Ashmedai]

I do have meds for low BP, but they're not exactly helping any at the moment. :(

[PanchoGoz]

Then I would still tell your doctor, he may be able to offer you something else :)

[AlexandriaUK]

Hi so pleased that you are giving up the drink, not easy but I am sure that you will come through ok, yes your BP will lower as you stop drinking if it was high before?
But saying that it should not drop to the point where you faint, have you had it checked or monitored for 24 hours,what was it the last time you had it taken and was this at GPs.

[Ashmedai]

I already have low BP to begin with (90/60 or thereabouts normally), so it dropping even lower really scared me out of my wits. Today it's fortunately better since detoxing is coming along, and I'm taking some syrup with hawthorn alongside my other BP meds to elevate it - hopefully it'll stay that way.