Why do we have to quit smoking to get treatment?
I stopped smoking 25 years ago but use snus, wet snuff, that I put under my lip. No smoking hazards but a lot of nicotine. It is 10 times harder to quit snus than cigarettes.
I quit twice, when I was pregnant. I quit for 1,5 year. When I stopped brest feeding I could not resist snus anymore and was stuck again! It is a powerful drug. I was motivated 400% when I quit snus, I had an innocent human in my body taking damage of nicotine if I used snus. But I don't know if I can get that motivation again for myself. To not damage myself.
Is it nicotine that is dangerous? Or is it something else in the cigarettes?
Tony
Quote from: MeTonie on November 12, 2017, 01:33:20 AM
Why do we have to quit smoking to get treatment?
I stopped smoking 25 years ago but use snus, wet snuff, that I put under my lip. No smoking hazards but a lot of nicotine. It is 10 times harder to quit snus than cigarettes.
I quit twice, when I was pregnant. I quit for 1,5 year. When I stopped brest feeding I could not resist snus anymore and was stuck again! It is a powerful drug. I was motivated 400% when I quit snus, I had an innocent human in my body taking damage of nicotine if I used snus. But I don't know if I can get that motivation again for myself. To not damage myself.
Is it nicotine that is dangerous? Or is it something else in the cigarettes?
Tony
I know I may be one of those people who gave up and then preaches but I don't preach.
Nothing in snuff or cigarettes is any good to you.
Nicotine is a very good poison and has been used as poison to kill vermin.
I know giving up nicotine is incredibly difficult as it is highly addictive, I think it has been reported to be as addictive as heroin or more so.
If you want motivation just look at my throat every time you want to take some.
You really don't want to have your throat removed, it isn't a good look.
The association with Cancer is well documented. Snuf users are more prone to mouth cancers. Photos of people with mouth cancer are very disfiguring and the treatment is worse.
Also well documented are the cardio-vascular effects. Heart attacks and strokes are first on the list of adverse effects.
Is there any doubt as to why smokers do not live as long as non-smokers.
The damage is caused by nicotine and a number of other chemicals. It makes no difference if you inhale vapors or absorb the chemicals through the insides of your cheeks.
I need to build up motivation. Maybe I'll be motivated when I get further along the trail of transition. I have barely started my journey.
It is also expensive as hell!
When dysphoria hits you, it's hard to get motivated to quit your "pacifier".
I used to smoke, Starting when I was 14, and it was heavily triggered by dysphoria. On those many occasions I quit for a year or two I usually just switched to snuff (it was the thing in the Army). I got badly addicted to nicotine and found long term quitting nearly impossible.
So I switched to e-cigarettes. I still get the nicotine at whatever level I desire without all the other harmful chemicals. I don't know if it is harmless or not, the science of that is still indefinite. But it is a lot less damaging than what I did previously and compared to smoking has zero immediate negative cardiovascular effects. It does fill the niche as pacifier and eliminates the desire for tobacco.
I have told my HRT Dr. and she is unconcerned. Previously she had been very concerned about smoking and had told me to stop.
So if you are trying to stop other tobacco use and are unable to do so then this is a workable alternative that greatly reduces risk and negative health effects, at least for the short term.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
One last motivator: nicotine is a vasoconstrictor; it narrows the blood vessels making it more likely to have to amputate extremities later in life.
I don't think snus is that bad for you. Anyways it way more healthier than smoking. No comparison.
As said nicotine is a vasoconstrictor but I have never heard about people being amputated because of snus. Maybe smoking.
But I know that the risk of heart and vascular diseases goes up.
Nicotine and especially smoking has an anti depressive effect but the cost can be quite high. The nicotine and the way your breath when you smoke have relaxing and anti depressive effects have I been told by doctors and nurses.
What kind of treatment are you talking about specifically?
Quote from: Cindy on November 12, 2017, 01:40:12 AM
I know I may be one of those people who gave up and then preaches but I don't preach.
Nothing in snuff or cigarettes is any good to you.
Nicotine is a very good poison and has been used as poison to kill vermin.
I know giving up nicotine is incredibly difficult as it is highly addictive, I think it has been reported to be as addictive as heroin or more so.
If you want motivation just look at my throat every time you want to take some.
You really don't want to have your throat removed, it isn't a good look.
Hi Cindy, 17 February 2019
I want to thank you Cindy for your very courageous and frank response. I myself was a three pack a day smoker ..... until I quit.
I had a job the required me to travel most of each day, by automobile. I lived in Northern Ohio, Munroe Falls, to be exact. I had an appointment to visit a client in Buffalo NY one March day. The weather was cold requiring full use of the heater as I drove along smoking my Lucky Strike unfiltered cigarettes. I spent about eight or more hours in the car with the windows rolled up. To minimize the smoke cloud I kept the small vent wing window open (no longer have them in cars) most of the trip as I was pretty much a chain smoker. My daily habit required three packs, 60 cigarettes per day.
Long story short I arrived home about 9:30 PM and decided to sit in my easy chair and take a nap. I leaned it back and put the foot rest up and closed my eyes in anticipation of a nice quiet rest. As I laid there I kept smelling the foul odor of burnt rubbish. It then dawned on me I was smelling ME. The stench was so foul I got up and thought to myself that if I smell this bad to me, what do I smell like to other people, especially those that don't smoke.
I took the pack out of my pocket, crumbled it up and threw it in the trash. I then ripped the shirt off I was wearing and threw it into the basement. At that moment I decided I'd never smoke again.
I have kept that promise. In two weeks and 2 days I'll celebrate 50 years since I quit. 05 March 1969 was that day. Had I not done so that day, I know I wouldn't be here today. Many of my friends that kept smoking are long gone because of it; they shortchanged themselves and they shortchanged me. They were an important part of my life, they were my only family and now they are no longer here. I do miss them.
I have done a lot of dumb and stupid things in my life, smoking, drinking and doing dangerous stunts were some of them. I never did illegal drugs but have seen first hand the destruction they bring; I was a cop so I saw it in the raw. As I look back I can safely say that smoking, drinking and the use of illegal drugs have absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Some will argue otherwise, but their argument is hollow and without merit.
I've had two close brushes with tragedy recently; had it not been for Dena there is a distinct possibility I wouldn't be here today. The first was my DVT the day after Thanksgiving and the second was when I got the brainstorm to drive to the Braum's Dairy Store for a gallon of milk around 10:15 PM a couple of weeks ago. Dena asked me to not go as it was too dangerous
(I'll explain shortly). I said "I'll be OK, it's only 15 minutes away." I got into my car and headed out. As I was driving a little voice told me to: "Turn back and go home, Dena is right." I said to myself, "I'm OK. I'll make it." About that time I dropped off to LaLa land. Next thing I wake up and see I'm off the road and a big tree is heading straight for me. I swerved left, missed the big tree and side swiped the first of the two trees that jumped out in front of me. The jolt and what sounded like an explosion, got my attention. I couldn't have dropped off after that if I had to. Fortunately, no one was injured and only my car, aka the Wreck, was damaged. It's still drivable but looks like something only a jerk would own and drive.
Now it's Shortly: At times, I have a problem staying awake. I can drop off for a few seconds or for 20 minutes or so and barely notice it, if at all. This has been going on for maybe 60 years. Dena has been trying to get me to go to a sleep doctor. I have an appointment on Thursday 21 February that runs into Friday 22 February. Dena thinks I may have a form of Narcolepsy. All I know at this point is I should have listened to her last year and had the study long before the accident.
The net, net, is that after I had the accident, Dena and I had a long and seriously frank conversation. During my lifetime, I have not been a good decision maker when it comes to making decisions that affect me; I'm too impulsive and enjoy an adrenalin rush. Those days are history. Dena is in charge of all decision making with the exception of the mundane, like what color panties to wear. She has more common sense and knowledge in the tip of her little finger than I have possessed in my entire body over the 78 years I have been on the green side of the lawn.
I plan on sticking around for a long time to come and being with Dena for every second of it. She Is the Love of My Life and the One and Only Lady, Woman, Person that lives in my Heart and Soul. Thank You Dena Dear for helping me along the path of becoming a better human being.
Best Always, Love
Dena's Christine
Quote from: MeTony on November 12, 2017, 07:20:12 AM
I need to build up motivation. Maybe I'll be motivated when I get further along the trail of transition. I have barely started my journey.
It is also expensive as hell!
When dysphoria hits you, it's hard to get motivated to quit your "pacifier".
I am struggling to quit nicotine too, cigarettes not snuff. I have so much stress right now but I am working through my problems. I have completed a few goals and it helps to reduce stress. I believe that I am a stress smoker. I get stressed and smoke. I've struggled to quit since starting HRT, so 4 1/2 months.
I keep telling myself I will quit, but it isn't working very well. I quit years ago so I know that I can do it. I quit for 5 or 6 years. :) I count that as one of my biggest life successes.
I wish that I could just get hypnotized and quit.
Quote from: GingerVicki on February 17, 2019, 10:39:05 AM
I am struggling to quit nicotine too, cigarettes not snuff. I have so much stress right now but I am working through my problems. I have completed a few goals and it helps to reduce stress. I believe that I am a stress smoker. I get stressed and smoke. I've struggled to quit since starting HRT, so 4 1/2 months.
I keep telling myself I will quit, but it isn't working very well. I quit years ago so I know that I can do it. I quit for 5 or 6 years. :) I count that as one of my biggest life successes.
I wish that I could just get hypnotized and quit.
I am a smoker and have never tried to quit.. I am a lite smoker, that smokes about 2 to 3 ultra light cigarettes a day.
What I have read, to quit smoking you need to be mentally ready, other you will struggle to quit
Myself I am not ready too.. I know I am addicted as I do get cravings, especially when I stress.. often after a bad day at work (I rarely smoke at work)... I cant wait to get home so I can light up.
Quote from: noleen111 on March 08, 2019, 07:36:22 AM
I am a smoker and have never tried to quit.. I am a lite smoker, that smokes about 2 to 3 ultra light cigarettes a day.
What I have read, to quit smoking you need to be mentally ready, other you will struggle to quit
Myself I am not ready too.. I know I am addicted as I do get cravings, especially when I stress.. often after a bad day at work (I rarely smoke at work)... I cant wait to get home so I can light up.
Hi Noleen, 08 March 2019
There's only one thing you need to do: Take control of YOU away from stuff. You're allowing destructive crap to ultimately destroy your life. If you think otherwise, you're living in Denial. I have been there and done that and have witnessed the tragic results of continuing along that path. Fortunately, I bailed, but my friends didn't; none are still alive.
Best Always, Love
Christine
Quote from: noleen111 on March 08, 2019, 07:36:22 AMI am a smoker and have never tried to quit.. I am a lite smoker, that smokes about 2 to 3 ultra light cigarettes a day.
What I have read, to quit smoking you need to be mentally ready, other you will struggle to quit
Myself I am not ready too.. I know I am addicted as I do get cravings, especially when I stress.. often after a bad day at work (I rarely smoke at work)... I cant wait to get home so I can light up.
I did give an update before, but it was lost, so for the record I repeat my story
About 3 months after I posted this post, I actually quit smoking. I had a health scare, I had a growth on my tonsil and it started to block my airway, I was so scared as I struggled to breath. I was rushed to hospital. First they tried to drain the growth. That was scary, as you see this big needle being stuck in my mouth... that failed, so they removed the growth and my tonsil. The growth was not cancerous.
That experience scared me straight and I vowed to quit in the hospital. I did.. It was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. I did consider switching to vaping, but i decided against it, as I wanted to kick the nicotine habit. I never used nicotine gum or patches.
I got cravings and there were times I actually cried, that is how badly I wanted a cigarette. I almost craved once about 2 months after quitting.. I was looking for something in my cupboard and i found one cigarette (it must fallen out when I got threw out my cigarettes). I never wanted to smoke so bad in my life.. I was strong.. I knew if had craved, I would have gone out and bought a packet and smoked again and I would not being able to quit again.
As time went on, the craving pretty much have disappeared, now almost 5 years later I am still smoke free. Today I still have times, where I think I would love a smoke now, but as quick as that thought enters my mind, it leaves again.
Since I quit, I have motivation not to start again as I have become a mother (adopted 3 wonderful kids - not all at once), so I dont want to set a bad example to my kids.
I am a fellow addict. I started smoking when I was 14. I have quit many times, but I always come back to cigarettes as my drug of choice for dealing with stress. I quit for ten years and taught classes on quitting smoking. In my hypnotherapy practice, about a third of my clients were there to quit. Companies could get a discount on their employee health insurance if a certain number of employees completed the class.
Some helpful tips. Not all nicotine is the same. I have tried patches, gum, lozenges, and sprays and none of them are the same as burning a cigarette. The cigarettes contain chemicals that when burned increase the body's absorption of the nicotine. It changes the chemical structure. Watch the movie called "Addiction Inc." that exposed the big tobacco companies.
The best way to quit is not "cold turkey". Yes, it works for some people and if you can do it, God bless you. For most people, it doesn't work. The best way that I have taught is to step down gradually. If you can handle it, get a prescription for Wellbutrin or Chantix to help reduce the cravings. Wellbutrin gave me strange dreams, but Chantix worked very well. But it is very expensive.
The next part is important to understand. In our modern diet, most people are vitamin B deficient. Our soils have been overworked and our food supply suffers. Processed foods have important ingredients removed for whatever reason and that affects the nutritional value. A good example of this is "Enriched Flour". After removing the bran and wheat germ, the wheat is ground into flour. But the nutritious part of the seed is in the germ and the bran provides the fiber and those were removed. The manufacturer then adds vitamin B to the flour, thus calling it "enriched".
Why am I telling you this? Because B vitamins work together. They need to be in balance so that they improve the effectiveness of each other. Instead of taking a vitamin B supplement, I recommend taking a Super-B Complex supplement. Get all of those B levels up. Take one in the morning and one in the evening. Take them with food. You will start to notice that you feel better and your cravings are less severe.
Once upon a time, one of the B vitamins was called "nicotinic acid" and it was derived from the tobacco plant. Coincidence? I think not. Later it was decided to change the name to "niacin" to separate it from the poison "nicotine".
Think about when we crave a smoke. When we are under stress. Stress depletes vitamin B. The B vitamins are described as the "feel good" vitamins. If our diet is already deficient, I believe that our bodies are craving vitamin B but we interpret that as a craving for nicotine. We smoke when we are hungry and when our body is craving nutrition. Start by increasing your Vitamin B intake. B vitamins are water-soluble so you cannot overdose. Your body will pass what you don't need and it will make your urine a pretty yellow color.
Finally the Step-Down Method. The rules are simple. Never carry cigarettes with you. Leave them in your car or someplace inconvenient to get to. If you keep them in your car, you may not smoke in your car. You may never smoke indoors. Never carry a lighter with you. Leave it with your cigarettes. You want to make it very inconvenient to have a cigarette. That helps break the habit. You may never borrow a light nor get a cigarette from anyone else. You cannot afford to support anyone else's habit so you will never give away your cigarettes or lighters.
Start with whatever your current dosage is. If you smoke a pack a day, start with 20 cigarettes at the start of your day. You can only have 20 with you, but you can smoke them whenever you want to. On Day 2, you may only have 19 cigarettes. On Day 3, you can only have 18, and so on.
Eventually, you will get to a point where you need to manage your smoking. When you are down to three you might think you can have one when you get up in the morning, one at lunch, and one before bed. You start saving a cigarette so you can enjoy it later.
The last time I did this, I had one cigarette left and I kept saving it for the next day. Then I realized that I had stopped smoking two days ago. I threw that last cig in the trash.
I apologize for the long post, but hopefully, there is something in here that you can use to help you quit, or stay quit, or help someone else. Good luck.
P.S.
Among the B vitamins is Biotin. Biotin is responsible for hair and nail growth. But it can also interfere with certain lab results. Definitely let your physicians/Endo know that you are taking it. My Endo advised me to stop taking anything with biotin one week before lab tests. My Primary said that the thinking has shifted. The VA was doing "fasting labs" but has decided they are not helpful. Now, my doctor wants me to continue taking everything as I normally would so the labs show what is truly happening in my body each day. Talk to your doctor and find out how they want you to handle it.
Hugs!
@LoriDee
Dear LoriDee:While I have never smoked, your posting was really nice to read because you offer a great
method to help those that wish to quit smoking, or at least reduce the amount that they do smoke.
I applaud you for taking the steps that you did to not only stop smoking but also with that
victory comes not only your personal health benefits but also a big financial savings and
reward of many thousands of $$$ dollars a year.
I also enjoyed reading your treatise regarding Vitamin B ... and your comments regarding fasting
blood tests... very interesting and informative.
Thank you for sharing and posting your personal experiences that can help our members.HUGS, Danielle