Hey everybody I'm not arguing with anybody about the facts that I quoted.It came directly from WebMD.
My blood pressure actually went up. My doctor increased my medication. I don't know is your are getting less nicotine or if I am getting more but the facts remains what they are.
I also feel 100% better, breathe better and my doctor said my lungs sound much better than before.
i've been a paramedic for 7 years. WebMD is non-patient specific generalized information. It is a useful tool to narrow down a persons condition, but when it comes to diagnostics? Not the be-all, end-all. You'd be amazed how many people call 911 claiming they are having a terminal condition (because webMD said it was a possibility in the list of potential causes of symptoms) when they actually have the sniffles or a pulled muscle.
(We actually have a poster on the wall in our garage that says "WebMD was created by the Devil to punish Paramedics"
regarding:
http://www.webmd.boots.com/women/guide/smoking-heart-disease
* Decreased oxygen to the heart.
* Increased blood pressure and heart rate.
* Increase in blood clotting.
* Damage to cells that line coronary arteries and other blood vessels.
I looked up the webMD article you are referring to. It specifically states the nicotine in
cigarettes. Nicotine in cigarettes is married to the carbon monoxide and toxins.
Basically, you're missing something key. We're talking about how blood pressure and heart rate have fluctuated for the better since we stopped
smoking. Not since we changed out nicotine intake. They are two very, very different things.
Yes, an indisputable fact is that nicotine can increase heart rate and blood pressure (usually during the immediate 45 minutes after intake, but eventually long-term). Nobody here is saying that their circulatory changes are due to nicotine.
The additional toxins in cigarette smoke have a massive contribution to hypertension. You're also leaving out underlying medical conditions and predisposed genetic dispositions that make some people more susceptible to hypertension than others.
When you get your nicotine through a cigarette, you are decreasing the oxygen to your arteries and heart because you are inhaling carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide bonds to hemoglobin 200x better than oxygen. It displaces the oxygen being transported by your hemoglobin and due to this, your heart and arteries are not receiving properly oxygenated blood. The toxins included with the nicotine also contribute to these issues.
Yes, nicotine has negative effects. If we're going to pinpoint them, lets at least get the right ones! Nicotine, in itself, is not responsible for the decreased oxygenation of the arteries and cardiac tissue.
Big point... blood pressure and heart rate are increased when you are low on oxygen because your heart works
harder to get the adequate levels of oxygen. When your heart works harder... your blood pressure and pulse goes up.
Causes of Hypertension
sedentary lifestyle
obesity
alcohol intake
vitamin D deficiancy
adrenal and thyroid problems
congestive heart failure
kidney failure
age
genetics
cardiac issues
too much sodium
stress
Diabetes
birth control pills
Nicotine causes your blood pressure and pulse to increase due to vasoconstriction (aka, everything tightening up). Antihistamines, caffeine and decongestants do this to you also. In moderate doses, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's, again, to be determined on a
case by case basis
Nicotine actually has a lot of
positive medical uses, too! Obviously,
too much nicotine is bad for you. Too much oxygen and too much water are bad for you also.
My diastolic (when my ventricles relax) blood pressure has gone down since I started vaping and stopped smoking cigarettes. I've reduced my nicotine intake through vaping. I used to smoke 4 cigarettes in a row as soon as I cleared the ER while I was doing my paperwork. Then i'd smoke another before I called clear on the radio just because I knew it was my last chance. Not to mention when I'd wake up randomly during the night and smoke 2-3 cigarettes while trying to get relaxed to go back to sleep (long-time insomniac).
Through vaping, I've cut out the intake of the toxins in cigarette smoke and my heart doesn't have to work as hard to get oxygen.... thus eliminating what seems to be the significant factor of my increased blood pressure.
I'm not doubting that your hypertension has worsened. And yes, nicotine can increase blood pressure and heart rate... but the webMD article you are using as your resource of information is about
nicotine in smoking. Not straight nicotine.
Hypertension is complicated and can have many causes. Eliminating the carbon monoxide and toxins in cigarette smoke is enough to make significant changes to blood pressure and heart rate. In my case, elimination of these toxins has alleviated my issue.
In your case, that doesn't seem to be the case. It could be nicotine for you, but apparently, it wasn't for those of us that have had decreased blood pressure and heart rate. Or maybe it's another factor entirely. I'm sorry that your hypertension has progressed. I truly hope you find the cause of it or at least the medication you need to resolve your hypertension issues.
