Anxiety and smoking

[Jefner]

Have been a smoker for many years and have a long history on and off with anxiety. Can smoking actually make symptoms worse?

[Hidden]

Hello

I am a smoker and yes I do believe they say it actually does make you more anxious but I also agree with you when you are a smoker the first thing you reach for is a ciggie

However I remember once been in the hospital after an op and my BP was high , the nurse said are you a smoker , I said yes and she said well go and have one and come back and I will take your BP again ( I was anxious ) so I did and when I came back it had gone down , not sure how that one worked as smoking is bad for you

I think stopping would be a good thing but I also think you have to be in the right frame of mind and I never seem to have go that far as yet but hope one day I might do

Take Care x

[Jefner in reply to Hidden]

in the right frame of mind I am not lol. How long have you had anxiety problems?

[Hidden in reply to Jefner]

I have suffered with anxiety for 30 years or more now but I have eventually got to a stage where it is more under control than not , I still can have some times where it rears it's ugly head but I think the key for me is acceptance and working through it rather than feed it with fear as it loves that

If you are not in the right frame of mind then leave the smoking to one side at the moment don't allow it to add and be another problem to I bet is already a long list , if and when you will stop but get yourself where you need to be first anxiety wise x

[Twinkle333]

Smoking Dec makes me worse especially the first cig of the day I have had to cut down drastically even tho I do love to smoke I feel bad for saying that but it's true, it's he only vice I have as I don't drink etc again because drink makes anxietysupport through the roof I'm also agoraphobic and have been for 7 years, ive suffered 21 years with anxiety and like you I've got better then got worse and at the moment I'm terrible I think I'm perimenopause too because I have night sweats, chills and really severe fatigue and that sends my anxiety through the roof too I just hate life and living this way it's not really a life it's just existing 😢

[Twinkle333]

Ah you sound very much like me in many ways hun o know what you mean about the smoking it's the only thing that de stressed us but St the same time heightens Al our symptoms and the agoraphobia just gives us more time to think all the negative thoughts but like you when people come round the house I'm shocking for the first half hour then I calm down I do dread people coming for the reason, well I started with anxiety after my first son was born if hit me out of the blue I didn't know what was going on with me I thought the birth had somehow sent me into heart failure it took a long time to accept this was all anxiety and even now I still question it I've had agoraphobia twice in my life but overcame it the first time as I was as severe as I am now but to be honest I don't think I'll ever be able to go out again it's been so long I'm terrified to go out now plus my fatigue won't let me do anything physical it's so so bad ice had every test under the sun to fine out why it's so bad but there's no answers as usual I'm kinda putting it down to perimenopause as I'm 41 well I'm hoping it is just that lol

[Jefner in reply to Twinkle333]

don't say you won't ever go out again hon because you CAN turn it around. You have to start by going out a few yards several times of a day, say to the first lamp post in your street. Just keep doing it and you find that you will start to desensitise yourself and then after a few days just go a little further. It's the only way unfortunately by FACING your fears. Don't say you arn't able to do it, that's just the negative side of brain saying that. YOU CAN DO IT and you have to try.

What is causing the fatigue? Have you had your VitD, B12 and Magnesium tested because they can cause the symptoms you have?

[Twinkle333 in reply to Jefner]

Yea I did cure myself years ago like that just step by step it took a while but I got there eventually I'm nit sure what's causing the fatigue only that a few months ago after a blood test I found out I was severely deficient in vitamin D so I was put on a very high strength and now I'm back to normal with the levels but far from normal with the fatigue so I'm again questioning it

[Jefner in reply to Twinkle333]

do you know your levels that are supposedly normal. I am pretty good at reading results now due to all the tests I have had done with thyroid and autoimmune problems. What appears normal might not be optimal for you.

Is your Doc any good in the way of listening and asking for certain tests to be done? What other symptoms do you have because you could indeed have thyroid problems which is very common and fatigue is the biggest sign

[Twinkle333 in reply to Jefner]

Ah yes hun my levels wer undetectable then came upto 48.9 so was rising quite well but I'm due to have a toner test next week to see how it's going now ah yes Ive had a few test for thyroid and all came back ok my doctor is brilliant hun I call him every week I must get on his nerves lol but he's been out to see me a few times and will basically give me any test o ask for as long as it's tests they can do at my home as I can't get to the surgery even tho its only 5 mins away

[Jefner in reply to Twinkle333]

yeah I am the same with the Docs, I email him with stuff that I am trying as I have lots of private bloods done cus he won't do it. I also have phone appointments. Are you still on the VitD supplement because 48.9 is far too low! Do you have the range for that test? If you arn't going out you need to be permanently on VitD as you can only real get adequate amounts from sitting in the sun, not from food.

What's a toner test?

[Twinkle333 in reply to Jefner]

Ah yea I'm luckily to have the doctor I have because the last one was a waste of space she really didn't want to know about anxiety she was very reluctant to help me in any way yes I still take the vitamin D but only a very small amount I use a uv light too juts to help a bit oh the doctor told me the levels wer ok now 😯 although I was to still take vitamin D as I don't get the sun being stuck in 24/7

[Jefner in reply to Twinkle333]

my level is 98 and yours is way way too low hon

[Twinkle333 in reply to Jefner]

Oh right I guess I'll have to keep on with the tablets and the uv light to try and get it up more

[Jefner in reply to Twinkle333]

are you on benefits and not able to do any private tests financially. My VitD only cost me £28 and the result was back in 2 days. It's a finger prick test you can do at home and post. It goes to Birmingham Hospital.

Do you not get any sunlight in any rooms of your house whereby you can sit in front of the window for a while?

[Twinkle333 in reply to Jefner]

Yes hun I'm on benefits so I guess it would be expensive for me unfortunately well my room doesnt let them much light in but I can use my uv lamp as it does help quite a bit I was only taking a low dose because vitamin D really makes me feel ill but with the lamp aswell my levels came up in quite a short space of time

[Jefner in reply to Twinkle333]

I would carry on with the lamp then hon. I would also mention that anxiety drains the body of magnesium so you need to supplement that either with tablets or have a daily epsom salt foot soak. I would get your VitD, B12, Magnesium and Iron checked because low levels of all can cause you a lot of problems especially fatigue and anxiety. Have a read up on each of them

[Twinkle333 in reply to Jefner]

Ah yes it seem to be doing the trick slowly I take magnesium too to help the heart palpitations but I will ask the doctor to really check all my vit and mineral levels just to make sure because this fatigue is really bad at times it's awful hun 😢

[Jefner in reply to Twinkle333]

I know hun, i get it too and makes you miserable mentally. Make those particular ones are testing cus they cause more probs if low and docs often misdiagnose when its just those vits and minerals low. Always get the results as well with the ranges, keep them written down so you can keep track of things. You are legally entitled for a printout of those results as well. Docs are very good at saying things are "normal" when in fact you might need to be higher in the range to feel well. The dont know buggerall about me with my thyroid and autoimmune probs

[Twinkle333 in reply to Jefner]

Sorry it has we ment to say another test

[Hidden]

Hello

Trust me mine is not as straight forward as it seems , I could write a book on my life story and some would think it was fiction , a lot of painful times and some still ongoing

I have often asked myself why , why me and someone said one day , well why not you ?

I did think well maybe they have a point , it was not the life I wanted or would have chosen but the one I got and maybe it was so I could relate to others because if we all did not have a story to tell we would not be able to try & support each other

I know sometimes it can feel like what is the point but there is every point even if to help the next person ( because regretfully there will be one ) that has the same struggles as we have had ) and to give them hope

Please try and I know not easy but to never give up hope , you have been through to much to contemplate such a drastic measure as you have expressed you sometimes think about and I hope you keep finding the strength that is within you even at times when you feel all is lost to carry on x