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Nicotine and BP


andybonse

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Hey,

My BP is always around 120/70-150/80 when standing/sitting. Laying 114/60 literally perfect in text books. Heart rate is 50-70 usually unless doing things, walking around etc.

I've found my symptoms don't match with my numbers.

I've found that when I have a cigarette which is only now and again, I feel my head becomes 'normal' not light headed, not dizzy just...nice lol like really normal. I'm thinking its the nictotine causing increased blood flow due to vasoconstriction, however Midodrine makes me worse!

I think Midodrine constricts brain blood vessels in me making it worse. I was thinking of getting a e-cig/vape to try it out, I don't want to smoke and hate it, just usually have one if I had a beer or two! 

In my opinion it would be a safe, way of making me feel better if nothing else seems to be working.

Anyone else found this?

 

 

Andy

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I'd personally feel that the health risks of smoking outweigh any symptom relief. I guess vaping may be safer, but I think caffeine and nicotine have incredibly similar effects when it comes to vasoconstriction, and I would choose caffeine as the safer option. I know a lot of people use caffeine pills as a treatment option, and I personally find that adding an afternoon cup of coffee to my day minimizes my lightheadedness and dizziness quite well. It does raise your heart rate, which makes some people feel worse, but so does nicotine. Nicotine also gives you a much higher risk of blood clots and has other risks that caffeine does not. Of the two options, I would suggest you try the caffeine first. 

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  • 5 weeks later...

That's really interesting, I have never smoked and don't plan to start, but I would certainly try a nicotine patch or gum etc if it would improve my lightheadedness. Did you end up trying any other nicotine sources and did they help?

I can't tolerate caffeine at all due to the diuretic effect and palpitations. My BP is also normal, not low. 

B x

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi,

Yes, nicotine helps. Nicotine helps me more than midodrine. There's a vasoconstrictive effect from nicotine, but also there's a cognitive stimulating effect. It's also easier to titrate your nicotine consumption to your needs - you can consume more until you're at the dose you're most comfortable with.

I recommend using snus and not smoking or chew. Studies on Swedish snus suggest very few health risks. Now,I don't know if you can infer from the studies on Swedish snus that American snus is safer than cigarettes.  I suspect it is, but I also wish I had the energy to drive down to the tobacco store and buy the Swedish stuff instead of just using what I can get at the gas startion. 

 I also use nicotine patches - I'll cut a 21 mg patch into 1/4ths and use 1/4th per day.  No cancer risk there, but harder to titrate your dosage. 

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