Quit smoking a year ago - sick ever since!

Hi , would be thankful if you or other guys here who are into 5-6+ quit share their blood pressure related experience, i mean after 5-6+ months their blood pressure is still not normal .....

Smoke Free - I am sorry about that – I should have explained it better. During my visit to the E.R. and visit to the doctor my first few months- I had high blood pressure. I never knew I had high blood pressure. I also found out my glucose level was a little high and doctor said I am pre diabetic. It was a fasting glucose test.  My father had a heart attack fairly young and is Type 2 diabetic. So what better time to get things better is when I am detoxing from nicotine? I started doing things to get healthier and also to try to get rid of the pains I was feeling. I have lowered everything.

If you are wondering if withdrawal/recovery symptoms can cause high blood pressure – I can’t answer that for certain because I’m not a doctor. But my withdrawal symptoms help me test and realize how unhealthy I was and help me take action. Stress does cause peaks of high blood pressure and during my first month I was stressing out like crazy. So it can be a reason for my high blood pressure. 

I went long but yes my blood pressure was high at first and in my 6th month now I have perfect blood pressure and perfect heart rate. Yes it got better over time but I worked at it. My father has a bunch of medical stuff – so I can check myself every day. I’m very fortunate with that. I used to check my glucose every morning and got it averaging in the 90’s.

Hey Smokefree,

When I quit smoking, I started having spikes in blood pressure. My BP was usually normal, but it started getting really high for short periods of time - 10 minutes to 90 minutes. Once it reached around 170/120. My doctor guessed it was because of axiety/stress. Now that I'm out of the axious phase of nicotine withdrawl, those BP spikes don't happen anymore. They started in week 1, and ended in about month 4. Now my BP is almost always under 120/80. What it came down to was that I had to learn how to destress.

SInce my BP would only be elevated for a short amount of, my doctor said no additional actions needed to be taken.

What's been going on with you?

Really having a ROUGH day today....6 months, 4 days later and I NEED to start feeling better soon. These pains and anxiety are going to get the best of me. I have NO cravings for cigs anymore and don't want to turn back now as I feel I have kicked the habit...I just need to kick the rest of this c**p. I have no health insurance so running to the ER with every pain isn't possible so I just sit here in my own mind (live alone) which is the worst for someone with anxiety.

This forum has helped as I have read EVERY post to reassure myself....hoping to see some new posts soon...it does wonders.

Well enough whining...just needed to vent!

 

Hi francks72 I had a rough day as well but somehow I know it will be better What are your pains ? Can you take Advil or Aspirin ?

Thanks Rob,

your case looks ok to me as having high BP in the first month is fine but in my case i had high BP in 9th month... i think it was because of stress as my heart rate was disturbed as well ...like your father my father also had a heart attack at the age of 42 but he expired. I am 36 now and saw my father dying at early age thats why i quit smoking after smoking 20 years around 1 pack a day .....my mother is diabetic and high BP patient as well......seeing the condition of my mother and my father deat at young age i quit all bad things :) ...quit alcochol 4 years back and quit smoking 9 months back .... before quitting smoking i was dam perfect no BP issues nothing it all started after quiting smoking ...wierd thing is doctors dont agree with this...

hi bababooey,

I quit smoking 9th ago and in the 9 months i got my BP checked 3 times.
3rd month: 80/131
4th month: 75/141
9th month: 80/144
9th month: 80/150

When i got my bp last checked i was having palpiations at that time i guess it was because stress.. my age 36 and i smoke 1 pack a day for 20 years

Franks72 - Hang in there bud. I get these weird sensations in different parts of my body. One month it was something different -it is the weirdest thing. But what helps me - i know it is sounds so repetitive but exercising helped me. Taking 30 min walks and doing some intense stretching afterwards can help and picking up a new hobby does help to get your mind off things. I learned how to build a website from scratch and become a webmaster. I wish you the best - us ex drug addicts are in a long fight for sure. 

 

Smokefree - My mom was that high during her visit recently but ive been testing her the last week and its been normal. i bet it is mostly stress and your over thinking during your visits. Do you have a home monitor. Having a complete log of blood pressure through out the day would be more accurate reading. There is a lot of scenarios that can have your blood pressure peak at certain times. I would try to relax and try not to over think it. Hang in there. 

Hi Guys,

Franks72 : Exercise will help. It releases endorphins. Also, if you can do 20-30 mins a day...that's proof that you are not sick. I also had a day last week were I got really mad at all of this. I was saying "when will I get a break from all this discomfort?"...I almost wanted to break a few things in the house...I went to run for 30 mins and sweat a lot and got well.

Smokefree : My BP is also linked directly to my anxiety. from months 2-4 it was high and now its average/high. My doc said it will get back after 9 months.

istop

Thanks guys/gals for all the responses. Some days I "get it" and others it just takes over my day. I suffered from anxiety prior but was able to control it for the most part drug free. Now with the health related anxiety it is running my life. So worried every other minute Im gonna have a heart attack. Scrared to exercise out of fear. (although this was the exact advice my doc gave me along with an antidepressant which I haven't taken...not big on pills)

So today I keep imagining life after all this craziness....I do love some of the positives...home smells great...clothes don't stink...teeth are white again (treated myself to 3 months whitening strips) and overall feeling of knowing I made the right decision.

I have yet to cough up anything six months later so hopefully I won't or perhaps once I do the rest will start to let up....who knows...for right now I am taking it some days hour by hour others day by day.

Thanks again for the great responses....my sanity thanks you as well....have a fantabulous day and keeping on being a quitter :-)

Hey istop, thanks for sharing your experience mate but i am already in my 9th month of quitting.. its been 9 months 10 days since i quit smoking.. well as you said your doctor advised tha it will come back itself so i think i should wait for couple of more months then before seeing any doctor for BP. ....i also agree with you that ANXIETY is t he cause of BP as for the last 2 months i was having pain/aches in different parts of my back and which was causing anxiety.....nowadays my heart rate is fluctuating ......

Thansk Rob,

well as iStop's doctor advised that BP will get fixed in 9th months so i will wait for couple of more months before going for any home montior etc ....

quick update guys

Today I have 5 weeks since I quit .

THE GOOD:

I run 45 minutes for the last 2 day . Feel much much better No more lung discomfort. I am eating less and I only eat boiled vegy foods and fruits. Today after 2 weeks of diet I had some boiled chicken.  My stomach feels better each day. I drink  6 to 8 cups of green tea daily.   I have lost some weight already. The weird pain on my body is less each day although is still there.

THE BAD  

I am coughing more, I have a runny nose ..only white mucus . This morning I have noticed some blood on my nose  mucus . I had this before ..not scared or I was but then my wife calmed me down. She had it too She doesn't smoke but she has sore throat as well.Nausea still there , sore throat as well although with less pain then Sunday. Weird tinglings on my face  -they come and go. Depression and anxiety never left.        

 

I will have an other update next week when I will start my 6 week of hell.

I wish you well my friends. I am going for a hot shower and an old netflix movie as they relax me so good and somehow kill the depression and anxiety Someone on this forum gave me this advice.

All of you please update It makes the suffering easier. 

 

Just wanted to mention a few things that have helped with the Panic/anxiety....I started taking a Super B Complex Vitamin once per day about a week ago and my anxiety level had dropped tremendously....I still have it but not the panic...thank goodness! Also started a stress relief Yoga CD and it helps with the breathing....its not so much about the poses....just stress relief.

Hope this helps!!

Hey Smokefree, for blood pressure, are you taking it yourself or is your doctor taking it? My BP is always 10 points higher at the doctor's office.

If you're concerned about your blood pressure, I would suggesting buying your own BP monitor - a good one is around $60. Take your BP twice a day, always at the same time under the same circumstances (at rest, not right after eating, etc) Keep a log of your readings for a month to get a good idea of your actual BP numbers, and use those numbers in discussions with your doctor.