Hello doctor, It has been seven days since I have smoked a cigarette (quit cold turkey). How long will it take after quitting smoking, for the blood to be free from nicotine? Is blood viscosity reversible by simply cutting down nicotine?
Hi. Looking at the query, my opinion is as follows: The effect of nicotine is dependent upon the amount and years of cigarettes smoked and can vary from two days to two months. On an average, usually within a month of withdrawal of nicotine, the blood viscosity starts reducing. Yes, it is reversible as nicotine affects the platelets, red blood cells, the endothelium, and the clotting factors to increase blood viscosity. Once withdrawn, red blood cells will take a longer time, while the other usually recover as early as a month. During withdrawal, due to a reduction in blood viscosity, you might have dizziness periods as the blood pressure will also reduce. Give at leastthree more weeks to notice the improvement in blood viscosity. Nicotine patches havea low dosage of nicotine. You can use it to avoid cigarette in the initial periods, if necessary. Consult a hematologist online for further follow up -->