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Avatar universal

Difficulty in breathing while smoking

Hello All ,I have been a smoker for almost 10 years now and few weeks ago I was smoking a cigerrette and all of a sudden I felt that it was suffocating me .I stopped smoking right then and only tried a ciggerette twice in the last 5 weeks and both times  felt that it is suffocating me .Ina addition, I have been having chest pain quite frequently since then.I had ECG done last week which came out perfectly fine.
Should I be worried ?Any other tests that can be done ?
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Avatar universal
No, When the stress test was done there was no pain .
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976897 tn?1379167602
When you had the stress test, was the chest pain there?
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Avatar universal
I had the treadmill test done as well which was also normal  except that My heart beat was slightly higher but still withing normal limits .I even had blood tests done .Everything normal except a slight increase in CO2 level .However the pain is not going away.
BTW I have quit now .It is week 7 now .I use Nicotine Gum once in a while.
Helpful - 0
976897 tn?1379167602
Smoking has many effects on the body, and much more in some people than others. It's basically a poison. It's a bit like someone asking why they get a stomach upset if they drink battery acid.
Smoking constricts arteries considerably and raises the pressure in the cardiovascular system. Some people notice hardly anything, whereas others would have to lay down with nausea and dizziness. The best way to realise the effects of smoking is to get a volunteer who has never smoked to have a cigarette. Ask them how they feel.  Apart from the arteries, the Alveoli in the lungs (where oxygen exchange takes place) are inflamed and filled with nasty substances. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood.
I'm not preaching here, I used to have the habit.
What COULD be happening is your heart is on the borderline with the required level of oxygen and this is reduced too far when you smoke, bringing on angina. I think your body is giving you some serious warning signs that it's time to quit, totally.
Your next test should be an exercise tolerance test using a treadmill.
Helpful - 0
187666 tn?1331173345
Have you had a pulmonary function test done? They can check to see how well your lungs are working. Perhaps you've developed a sensitivity to that particular brand of cigarette or they've "improved" it.  LOL  It reminds me of when my lungs react to certain things and clamp down. I have asthma and it feels like what you describe. The chest pain is more of a dull ache though.

Hope you get an answer. Breathing is pretty important. :-)
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