The Nicotine Patch and High Blood Pressure

Last night while at Walmart, I decided to check my blood pressure. I have been dealing with slightly elevated blood pressure for about six months now, and keep a regular check on it as well as taking my meds. It's usually pretty good since starting the medication, so when I read 159/90, I was a little scared.

After walking around the store, trying to figure out what was going on, it hit me. I had just put a piece of the nicotine gum in before coming into the store, and I was wearing the patch. It made sense. Not completely sure that this was the cause, I looked it up when I got home on the Internet. My suspicions were correct.

This is what I found:

Nicotine stimulates the central nervous system. Whether you smoke a cigarette or absorb nicotine from a patch, your body responds by releasing a hormone called epinephrine (adrenaline). Its effects range from increased energy and awareness to high blood pressure, a rise in heart rate, and nervousness. High blood pressure with the use of a nicotine patch (or gum, inhaler, lozenge, or nasal spray) may mean you are taking too much nicotine.

Now, while reading previously about the gum and the patch, I had read that you may use the two together if need be, and this is what I do on occasion. I'm beginning to think that this isn't something that should be practiced on a regular basis. So, today, I've limited my use of the gum, but am still wearing the patch. The patch seems to serve my purposes better, and doing without the gum hasn't been too difficult. My goal is to be off them both before the end of the week.

If you'd like to read the entire article, you can do so here. It's just a short article, but worth the read, especially if you have a heart condition and are using the patch.

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Funny Story

I posted previously about how I bought the patch to help me along in my quit. I said I didn't know why I bought it, but have since discovered, without a doubt, why I bought it.

Because it freakin' works!

I've had it (step 1) on since 6:30am this morning, and have only had two notable instances where a piece of nicotine gum was required. That was after I had lunch and after supper. Otherwise, I have barely thought about cigarettes at all! It's amazing.

Now, for the funny part. This should be a lesson in following directions for all you other quitters out there thinking about using the patch.

I read the directions before applying the first one this morning, I swear. But, reading and following are two different things, and following, I did not do. It said to clean the area before applying the patch. I thought, "I showered last night before bed. Clean enough!", and applied the patch on the upper part of my arm.

It stuck pretty good......for a while.

At about noon, the edges started to peel slightly. I thought, "That's OK. It'll be fine."

By 3:30pm it had peeled all the way around. The middle was still stuck really well. I began to think, "I wonder if this thing is going to make it till 6:30am tomorrow?"

At this point, it was time to take a shower. We have plans to go out this evening. I had read in the directions (again, I DID read the directions) that you can take a shower with it on. So, up to the shower I went. About halfway through the shower, it started to peel more, and faster. I even took great pains to make sure I wasn't putting my arm directly in the spray, but it wasn't good enough. By the time I was done, it had peeled to the point that just the center was stuck.

I yelled downstairs to my daughter, "Is there any band-aids in the other bathroom?"

She checks. "No!"

"What about medical tape?"

She sighs and looks again. "No!"

"Are you sure?"

"Mom, there's no band-aids and no medical tape. Why? What do you need it for?"

"I just need to stick something back on. Bring me the duct tape!"

"Duct tape?"

"Don't ask questions! Just bring me the duct tape!"

She brings me the duct tape, and I tape the patch in place. I don't know how effective it is anymore, but it's on. Even if not effective anymore, just having it on makes me happy. They are too expensive to just throw the thing away when I've got another 12 hours to go until I can put the new one on.

I suppose if someone turns up injured in the next 12 hours, we'll know that it became ineffective after a trip through the shower........

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Another Tool

I decided last night to give The Patch a try. It can't hurt, and should be a welcome addition to my arsenal of defense against the smoking monster. We shall see.

Woke up this morning with hardly any cravings, though. Thought that was a little odd. Surely, it can't be this easy after only four days, can it? I remember last time I quit. Four years ago. I went to a hypnotist, and managed to quit, on the spot, for ten months. I don't know what happened to make me start smoking again, but when I did, I picked up right where I left off, as if I had never quit. It was the strangest thing.

But, here I am now, four days into my quit, and breezing through. Sure, I have a few moments where I would smoke the entire pack at once if I had it. But, for the most part, the cravings come and go so quickly, it's not really too much of a struggle. At this point, I'm wondering why I even bought the damned patch last night at all!

I suppose the extra insurance is good to have, that's why......

I even made my coffee this morning. I didn't make it yesterday because that is one of my triggers. Always had a smoke with my morning coffee. So, feeling not as confident yesterday, I decided to forgo the coffee. Almost done with my first cup, and not a single craving. Weird......

I should be thankful for the ease thus far. I always have a tendency to expect the worse. I think that's so I'm not disappointed or surprised if it's bad. It's how I approach everything. I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than devastated. Makes life easier on me....

One thing I need to get a handle on is my eating, though. I don't think I'm over-eating a lot, but I could definitely back off a bit. Like yesterday. I ate an entire frozen pizza throughout the day. I know it sounds like a lot, and it probably is, but I didn't have anything else to eat with it, and it wasn't all in one sitting. I know. Excuses, excuses.

Anyway, I suppose the Whopper I had for supper after the entire pizza didn't help matters any, either. Will work on this.

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