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Does Smoking Withdrawal Cause Sudden High BP ?
Question: I quit smoking 18 days back... today my blood pressure shoot up suddenly, when I check it at home on home BP monitor, it ticked 153/101.. is this related to quit smoking?
Brief Answer:
High blood pressure can be related to quit smoking
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in detail.
Normal blood pressure at your age should be below 140/ 90 mm Hg and as you know 153/ 101 mm Hg is slighter on the higher side.
I need some clarification from you regarding the blood pressure recording taken today. It is suggested that you should record your blood pressure after a minimum of 30 minutes rest and should be calm at the time of taking reading. The BP monitor should be kept at the level of the heart when measuring the blood pressure.
Sometimes even the machine might give error of 5 - 10 percent causing a false high reading.
If you have taken above precautions and even then if the recording is on the higher side then quitting to smoke might be partially the reason for it.
Research was done on this topic by the XXXXXXX Heart Association on 8170 healthy men with respect to stopping smoking and increased blood pressure. It was a 4 year study and it was concluded that the increases in BP among the quitters and current nonsmokers, especially the quitters, were generally larger than those of the current smokers.
The article is available at the following link below
http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/37/2/194.full
The authors say that "In summary, the findings of the study imply that smoking cessation itself may result in increasing BP, even hypertension, in men through an unknown mechanism that needs to be clarified. However, this finding should not distract from the well-known harmful effects of cigarette smoking, nor should it encourage smoking."
Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
High blood pressure can be related to quit smoking
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in detail.
Normal blood pressure at your age should be below 140/ 90 mm Hg and as you know 153/ 101 mm Hg is slighter on the higher side.
I need some clarification from you regarding the blood pressure recording taken today. It is suggested that you should record your blood pressure after a minimum of 30 minutes rest and should be calm at the time of taking reading. The BP monitor should be kept at the level of the heart when measuring the blood pressure.
Sometimes even the machine might give error of 5 - 10 percent causing a false high reading.
If you have taken above precautions and even then if the recording is on the higher side then quitting to smoke might be partially the reason for it.
Research was done on this topic by the XXXXXXX Heart Association on 8170 healthy men with respect to stopping smoking and increased blood pressure. It was a 4 year study and it was concluded that the increases in BP among the quitters and current nonsmokers, especially the quitters, were generally larger than those of the current smokers.
The article is available at the following link below
http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/37/2/194.full
The authors say that "In summary, the findings of the study imply that smoking cessation itself may result in increasing BP, even hypertension, in men through an unknown mechanism that needs to be clarified. However, this finding should not distract from the well-known harmful effects of cigarette smoking, nor should it encourage smoking."
Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
thanks a lot Sir,
Last 2 days, I am seeing my BP around 142/95 consistently. Will see a physician today. If this is related to quit smoking, do you suggest me to use some medication to control the BP.
Also, what's hurting me is the dizziness. I am having this dizziness for the last 2 weeks (I am on Day 20 on quit smoking). As long as I am @ home and lay down, I feel better. But the moment I step out of home, my head start spinning. At office, I am not able to sit and work as I get a feel that I am fainting. Are these related to Quit Smoking? My Doctor suggested a neck doppler to check which I will do it tomorrow.
Thanks, XXXXXXX
Last 2 days, I am seeing my BP around 142/95 consistently. Will see a physician today. If this is related to quit smoking, do you suggest me to use some medication to control the BP.
Also, what's hurting me is the dizziness. I am having this dizziness for the last 2 weeks (I am on Day 20 on quit smoking). As long as I am @ home and lay down, I feel better. But the moment I step out of home, my head start spinning. At office, I am not able to sit and work as I get a feel that I am fainting. Are these related to Quit Smoking? My Doctor suggested a neck doppler to check which I will do it tomorrow.
Thanks, XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Please take low salt diet and do meditation
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing back with an update.
The persistent high blood pressure reading can also be due to stress related anxiety. Since your blood pressure is 145/ 92, first I will suggest you take less salt diet and do meditation 30 minutes each day and then review your blood pressure after one month.
It is important to know if you are having increased blood pressure or a false reading due to anxiety. Since 15/ 92 is borderline high, it is best to follow lifestyle modification before taking medicine.
The neck Doppler is a useful investigation to study blood flow from heart to brain through carotid and vertebral arteries. I do it regularly on my patients and it tells if there is any block to the flow of blood to brain which is responsible for dizziness.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Please take low salt diet and do meditation
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing back with an update.
The persistent high blood pressure reading can also be due to stress related anxiety. Since your blood pressure is 145/ 92, first I will suggest you take less salt diet and do meditation 30 minutes each day and then review your blood pressure after one month.
It is important to know if you are having increased blood pressure or a false reading due to anxiety. Since 15/ 92 is borderline high, it is best to follow lifestyle modification before taking medicine.
The neck Doppler is a useful investigation to study blood flow from heart to brain through carotid and vertebral arteries. I do it regularly on my patients and it tells if there is any block to the flow of blood to brain which is responsible for dizziness.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Note: In case of any other concern or query related to prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, or the recovery of persons with the any type of addiction or substance use, follow up with our Addiction Medicine Specialist. Click here to book a consultation now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
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