Quit Smoking - Feel Terrible

[gaylemh]

Hi!  Not sure if this is the right place to post my question, but here goes.  I quit smoking 11 days ago cold turkey.  Smoked about 15 cigarettes a day.   Just decided I was finished, not getting any younger (I'm 55) and wanted to give myself a birthday present for my 55th birthday.
I'm doing great as far as not wanting a cigarette.  My problem is I feel completely drained.  I know your body is going through alot of changes after you quit, but I didn't expect to feel this tired.  I checked my blood pressure when I was feeling really bad and it was 86/48 with a pulse of 56.  My normal blood pressure when I was smoking was 120/70 with a pulse of 75-90bpm.  I can't stand not having any energy to do things.  I quit to feel better not to feel like this.   Is this low blood pressure/ pulse normal after you quit smoking, or should I see a doctor to see if something else is going on.
Anything I can do in the meantime when my pressure is low, so I don't feel so bad.  Should I be taking any extra vitamins to help in the healing process?  Thanks Gail

[sweetlips167]

You should definitely be seeing a doctor .. blood pressure and heart rate is way to low.. dangerously low ...Severely low blood pressure can indicate serious heart, endocrine or neurological disorders and can deprive the brain and other vital organs of oxygen and nutrients, leading to shock, which can be a life-threatening condition.

[Darcy Green Conaway, MD]

Hi- I'm not sure if the quitting smoking is true culprit of how you feel-- it may be coincidental  but certainly quitting cold turkey can make someone feel very bad if the nicotine addiction is bad enough. At 15 cigarettes a day you  probably have significant nicotine addiction-- from the standpoint of quitting smoking, I usually suggest a slower withdrawal. Some of what you are experiencing is due to that -- you may consider a patch to help you wean the addiction-- that way you could withdraw more slowly and still not smoke.
I would also ensure there is not something else going on given your low pulse and low blood pressure, such as hypothyroidism (low thyroid). I suggest discussing this with your primary care physician.
Off the top of my head, there are no vitamins I am aware of to help with the process. Good luck!
I would certainly suggest staying very hydrated and discussing your symptoms with your primary physician. Thanks for the interesting question