Smoking Cigars

I know not to smoke weed or drink alcohol and never would because I have a pacemaker. I was wondering if cigars would be detrimental in anyway. I have complete heartblock and tranverse position. Any advice.


thanks

8 Comments

Reality...

by dward - 2008-07-14 03:07:21

Meet just ONE person who has mouth cancer and you will not walk - but will RUN away from cigars.

HOWEVER...
The odd glass of wine (see Smitty's comments) or (for we Canadians) BEER... can actually be good for you.

Did you know beer makes your teeth stronger?
So my dentist tells me.

side note

by sweetkozy - 2008-07-14 04:07:24

I'm a young 27 and have had a PM since I was 21 and have drank a "few" with no complications. With two toddlers running around....who wouldn't drink? (joke)

Oh and Dward....if beer makes your teeth stronger than mine must be SUPER strong. HAHAHAHHA!!! AWESOME!

my thoughts

by Tracey_E - 2008-07-14 05:07:49

I drink in moderation also, but I don't have any problems other than CCHB and I'm not on any meds. I'd be more worried about drug interaction than the pacer.

I don't think the smoking itself will affect your heart rate so it's your call. Here is my unsolicited opinion... I was born with a screwy circulatory system and am dependent on a chunk of titanium to keep me alive, I'm not about to risk my respiratory system. But that's just me, take it with a grain of salt :o)

(sweetkozy, wait til they're teens LOL)

Smoknig and Heart Disease

by Nim Rod - 2008-07-14 07:07:27

I had to stop smoking when I had a heart attack. When this topic showed up I decided to look on the internet and see what I could find. The following is from http://www.quit-smoking-stop.com/harmful-smoking-effects.html, mentions the effect of smoking on theheart rate.

Effects of Tobacco Smoke, Smoking KILLS

Every year hundreds of thousands of people around the world die from diseases caused by smoking.

One in two lifetime smokers will die from their habit. Half of these deaths will occur in middle age.

Tobacco smoke also contributes to a number of cancers.

The mixture of nicotine and carbon monoxide in each cigarette you smoke temporarily increases your heart rate and blood pressure, straining your heart and blood vessels.

This can cause heart attacks and stroke. It slows your blood flow, cutting off oxygen to your feet and hands. Some smokers end up having their limbs
amputated.

Tar coats your lungs like soot in a chimney and causes cancer. A 20-a-day smoker breathes in up to a full cup (210 g) of tar in a year.

Changing to low-tar cigarettes does not help because smokers usually take deeper puffs and hold the smoke in for longer, dragging the tar deeper into their lungs.

Carbon monoxide robs your muscles, brain and body tissue of oxygen, making your whole body and especially your heart work harder. Over time, your airways swell up and let less air into your lungs.

Smoking causes disease and is a slow way to die. The strain put on your body by smoking often causes years of suffering. Emphysema is an illness that slowly rots your lungs. People with emphysema often get bronchitis again and again, and suffer lung and heart failure.

Lung cancer from smoking is caused by the tar in tobacco smoke. Men who smoke are ten times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smokers.

Heart disease and strokes are also more common among smokers than non-smokers.

Smoking causes fat deposits to narrow and block blood vessels which leads to heart attack.

Smoking causes around one in five deaths from heart disease.

In younger people, three out of four deaths from heart disease are due to smoking.

Smoking

by SMITTY - 2008-07-14 10:07:05



You are correct about the weed. During the time when a user is high they will have an increased heart rate up to 50% above normal. The amount the heart rate increases depends on the amount of marijuana that was smoked. This will make exercise and other
activities seem a lot harder. The effect could be extremely dangerous for a person with a congestive heart or with an irregular heartbeat. A chronic smoker will have a decreased heart rate, often below normal. So depending on their heart. problem a person could be tickling the dragon's tail by smoking weed.

However, it is a different story with a little alcohol. A little alcohol, no more that 1 or 2 oz., will dilate blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure. This reduces the load on the heart, so that has to be a plus with those of us with heart disease. In fact my cardiologist prescribed for me one or 2 oz. of bourbon each night many years ago. That was right after bypass surgery and 26 years later I'm still here, so I have to conclude it didn't hurt me.

That same doctor told me in no uncertain terms that smoking, chewing or dipping was a no, no. Nicotine has the exact opposite effect of alcohol, so in addition to putting our lungs at risk, it is detrimental to our heart.

Yes, I quit smoking at that time and learned it only took about 5 years for me to completely get over the desire for a smoke.

Smitty

Alcohol is a go!

by Smeagol22 - 2008-07-14 12:07:45

Hey,

I have never smoked much, maybe a cigar here and there, but I haven't had one in 5 yrs. I am however a wine drinker. Now I do not get loaded or drink in excess, but I do sometimes have a glass or two a night. I find that it relaxes me and it works fine for me and best of all, I am on coumadin and it really doesn't effect my level that much. I would say talk to your cardiologist about it, I have even heard from a few that a glass of wine a night is good for the heart like smitty was saying.

Cheers,

Michael ~Ticker~

thanks

by harrisonb - 2008-09-26 10:09:24

thanks for all the help as I've just decided to forgo anything that has the slightest chance of hurting my health. i don't want to ruin everything now after I've worked so hard to stay healthy for 18 years.

hi

by thisisthetake - 2009-11-06 04:11:22

Im 18 and i have had a pacemaker for 7 years now and i also have complete heart block. i drink quite alot and have never had an issue. its energy drinks ive been told to stay away from

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