Smoking and Palps

[kyfan]

Hi everyone, hope all is well. This year is almost over, and what a year it has been! I have been through and overcame so much, and really gotten serious about my personal health. I stopped drinking four months ago, and I am now almost two weeks smoke free! I have suffered palpitations on and off for a few years, and have been told they are benign, but no less irritating. I just want to offer my support to anyone who is dealing with them now. I must say though, as a former heavy smoker, the best thing anyone here can do for their health is to stop smoking! I tried twice, and the second time cold turkey, but you (like me) have to be mentally ready to stop. I got tired of being a slave to cigarettes, smelling bad, and feeling rundown at age 27. I have tons more energy now, I can breathe, smell, and even jog and run! I still have my palpitations when my heartrate goes up, but it is so liberating to know that I am not harming my  body with tobacco anymore. So I am just wishing everyone well, and telling smokers, there IS a link between more palpitations and smoking. Mine have decreased A LOT. Do yourselves a favor and quit while you still can! Merry X-Mas and Happy New Year everyone.

[Mom2four85]

That is wonderful news and congratulations! great work and that's great it really helped with your symptoms.  

My oldest daughter just turned 23, and started smoking after she moved out 2 years ago, which worries me with my heart history.   I'll take any advice to try and help her; she casually mentioned quitting after I had surgery and I told her I'd pay for whatever she needed to quit.  I think she felt guilty because she made me cough so much from the smoke smell just being on her clothes.

How did you quit successfully? yeah I know what you mean by what a year~!

[Jerry_NJ]

Great advice, hold true to your advice.  There may be times when you think, oh "heck" what would it matter if I had just one smoke... Don't do it.  I quite over 25 years ago and can say it took several years before I was totally out of the risk zone.  I did finally reach the point where tobacco smoke smell makes me "sick"... I hate it.  There isn't any interest in smoking left in me... I am "FREE"...

I don't know about the relationship between smoking and palps, I quit smoking before I started having problems with AFib, but I can say stopping smoking is the right thing to do.

[jonaz]

Good to hear things got better for you.
I hope 2010 will bring good health to all of us!