Nicotine & The Heart

this evening i've been researching the effects of nicotine on our hearts... and it's given me a lot to think about..

i posted earlier that i'm having palpitations, also missed beats. although everything i read says not to worry, and my GP although sending me for a 24 hour heart monitor, also says not to worry - i've been worrying. a lot.

missed beats are something new for me, palpitations i've had at various points before, but nothing like the strength, speed & duration of these ones i'm getting recently.

i stopped smoking approx 7 months ago, & have been using electronic cigarettes. as far as i was concerned, they are a miracle invention, absolutely took away all the craving feelings, made me feel like a 'healthy smoker', however i'm now wondering if they've actually been silently making me ill.

they contain far more nicotine than the cigs i used to smoke, and many of the side effects are symptoms i'm getting.... the increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, irregular heart beats.. plus sweating (which i thought was hormonal)..

i've not had any nicotine for around 3 hours now, and i'm reasonably palpitation-free... can feel it a bit, but not too 'thumpy' (if there's such a word. :unsure: )

i wondered if anyone else here has had similar experiences with nicotine or other stimulants? and if so, how long did it take for effects to stop, after stopping using the substance?