Smoking and Transition

[SophiePeters]

I know horrible,  i am having a really hard time quiting and i know the cardiovascular risks ect.  i have tried  over and over and just seems i cant stay away.  now im worried its interfering with my transition itself slowing or stunting the process.  is that true will it effect transition in that way.   does anyone have advice to help quit smoking things that worked for them?

[Jamie D]

Smoking is bad for your skin, kidneys, lungs, and liver.

My Mom smoked for 50 years, and quit 50 times.  She struggled with kidney, liver, and lung cancer the last 12 years of her life.  The last time she quit was just before she was taken away in a body bag.

I know how hard it is to quit.  Sorry to be blunt, but I have seen what smoking does to a person, up close and personal.

[Heather]

I know horrible,  i am having a really hard time quiting and i know the cardiovascular risks ect.  i have tried  over and over and just seems i cant stay away.  now im worried its interfering with my transition itself slowing or stunting the process.  is that true will it effect transition in that way.   does anyone have advice to help quit smoking things that worked for them?

I used the nicotine patch too quit it worked well for me. But really it was when cigarettes hit five dollars a pack I decided I was a non smoker and haven't touched a cigarette in over 4 years. I used to be quite a heavy smoker too! Smoking over a pack a day. But trust me if you really want to quit its possible and your life will be a lot better for it.

[kariann330]

I actually haven't herd of it stunting your transition, but it will put you at a higher risk of DVT, heart attack and stroke.

I know how hard it is, i have tried the gun which made me sick, the inhalers which i can't find anymore, and the patches which leave red marks all over me and make me itch. Best luck i have had so far tho was a quality E Cig such as Blue. Its just water vapor and nicotine so it's a lot healthier then a traditional cigarette and no smell...plus you can use them in bars, hotels, airplanes, restaurants, basically anywhere you can't smoke now, you can with an E-Cig.

One point tho, just like cigarettes, the quality you get in the end depends on how much you pay, expect to spend a good $60 us on a quality starter pack and the tips last from a pack to half a carton depending on how hard you drag on them.

[kariann330]

Sorry for the double post, but quickly wanted to say that if anyone says that E-Cigs aren't safe, tell them to stay away from any vaporizer during the winter because they are the same thing.

[JLT1]

Hi Sophie,

I quit March 8 2012.  How?  I used nicotine gum at a doctor supervised but above normally recommended dose.  When the craving hit, I popped the gum.  I also started to exercise, a lot, as it seemed to put off the cravings.  I kept busy.  I had phone support through a program at work.

I quit once before in 1995 for almost five months – more or less did the same thing except I used patches and went to a non-smoking class/support group.  What I learned at the group helped me the second time.  Where I failed that time was my last exams while getting my PhD.  Not enough sleep and I needed to keep studying.

Figure out why you smoke and substitute something else.  Arrange your life to minimize stress the first month or so.  If you fail, fine, start again.  My last quit was probably after three months of nearly continuous failures.  Then, one day, I just threw away the cigarettes.

It now been 16 months.  It get a little easier each day to stay quit. 

[AmberSkyeArisen]

I smoke when my mood switches and becomes really bad. 1.5 months ago, I started smoking again, and it became a habit, whereas normally I stop again. I started smoking 4-5 cigarettes a day, which was a lot for me, as when my mood becomes really bad I generally smoked one a day. I decided to stop smoking, so I just didn't buy more rolling papers (rolled my own, I had tobacco left still). For a few days I felt the urge to smoke again, but I simply distracted myself. If I was more addicted it would be harder for sure.

Anywho, one of my roommates said he's quitting smoking. But he bought another pack. I told him "if I see you smoking a cigarette i'm going to smack it out of your hand". I knew he was "trying" to quit, I had to help him any way I could. And I did smack one out of his hand, I warned him too. "if you light that i'm going to smack it out of your hand". He didn't believe I would.

If you're trying to quit, tell your friends/ the people you're with that if they see you with a cigarette, that they should smack it out of your hand, and to not be afraid to do so. Tell them it's hard for you and you get tempted because of the urges/ cravings. It might not sound like the best way, but I highly doubt you'll go get the cigarette off of the ground and look like a crack addict or something.

Or yea, I guess you could attempt the more conventional methods, like gum/ patch/ ecigs. And the worst thing is to make exceptions. "i'm trying to quit but _________ needs me to help finish the pack". If a friend offers you a cigarette say no. It's tempting for sure but mind over matter!

[Cindy]

I quit well over 20 years ago. I decided I couldn't quit so I just delayed the next one. So far I've delayed it 20+ years. I went cold turkey. Firstfew weeks were very rough then it got better. I also told all of my friends, all one of them , that I was giving up.

I think getting friends etc to help you and encourage you really helps.

Maybe put a ticker thingy on your profile to remind everyone you are giving up and we will all jump on you if you feel like starting again!! After all that is what family is for!!!

Cindy

[skin]

Sorry for the double post, but quickly wanted to say that if anyone says that E-Cigs aren't safe, tell them to stay away from any vaporizer during the winter because they are the same thing.

Those vaporizers don't have nicotine in them    E-Cigs definitely get rid of a lot of the nasty stuff from real cigarettes, but to claim that inhaling concentrated nicotine vapor is safe is a little ridiculous.  Especially when we're talking about the dangers of smoking while on HRT as nicotine is what increases the risk for blood clots

[LordKAT]

Only e cigs I saw had no nicotine.

[Asfsd4214]

Those vaporizers don't have nicotine in them    E-Cigs definitely get rid of a lot of the nasty stuff from real cigarettes, but to claim that inhaling concentrated nicotine vapor is safe is a little ridiculous.  Especially when we're talking about the dangers of smoking while on HRT as nicotine is what increases the risk for blood clots

Well first it has to be said there's nothing concentrated about it, it's highly diluted nicotine vapour, but that's just splitting hairs.

I'm not sure it's as ridiculous as it sounds, I would have to more research but it has to be kept in mind that chemicals you're exposed to from tobacco are numerous and nicotine is only the one that is responsible clearly for it's addictiveness. But the question is, does nicotine as a chemical itself increase your risks of dvt, and if so how much by comparison to tobacco.

I don't honestly know, but it's an important question. If nicotine is not particularly harmful in isolation, I think it would be a shame to discount using nicotine because of the risks smoked tobacco itself causes.

It's hard to find the answer because of the mixed information, nicotine has become synonymous with tobacco, and I think we're falling into a similar trap with nicotine as we did with marijuana. Marijuana was demonised and so there was a strong sense of intentional ignorance about THCs potential uses in medicine. Smoking is demonised and so people as a whole don't want to potentially find out that the nicotine isn't all that harmful or that it potentially has medical uses because it would be seen as promoting tobacco use which by contrast we know full well is harmful.

Now I'm not saying nicotine as a chemical doesn't carry health risks, it probably does. But it has to be kept in mind if good science and good outcomes are the goal that the risks of nicotine in isolation are not nearly as well known as the risks of smoking tobacco.

Nicotine is not synonymous with tobacco, if your aim is good advice to better peoples health outcomes, that  must be kept in mind.

[Jamie_Taylor]

the only thing that has ever worked for me was laser acupuncture. basically this lady ran a pen shaped red laser over various points on my hands and head and holy cow, I didnt have any desire to smoke afterwards.  I do admit I started up again after 8 months but that wasnt the treatments fault but my own.

[kariann330]

Those vaporizers don't have nicotine in them    E-Cigs definitely get rid of a lot of the nasty stuff from real cigarettes, but to claim that inhaling concentrated nicotine vapor is safe is a little ridiculous.  Especially when we're talking about the dangers of smoking while on HRT as nicotine is what increases the risk for blood clots

But yet in many cases of medicinal marijuana a vaporizer is recommend as it filters out the roughly 32,000 chemicals caused by burning leaving just water vapor and THC. Also it isn't concentrated and does the same thing giving you nothing but nicotine and water vapor. There have been studies that show that the danger of smoking is not caused by nicotine, but by the roughly 45,000 chemicals that are a byproduct of burning tobacco. Also the FDA (in the us) has even tested the E Cigs and proven them safer then smoking.

[missy1992]

Smoking on HRT is simple. Don't.

[Oriah]

there are tons of negatives to smoking.....but at least it lowers testosterone *thumbsup*

I smoke, but only a couple of hand rolled cigarettes a month....

your dose is your poison

[Northern Jane]

I would never advocate the use of something with so many proven risks but have smoked since I was 14, 50 years now, and it didn't hinder my transition or surgery.

YMMV

[Ltl89]

The problem with smoking is that it may increase the negative side effects of hrt like DVT, heart disease, strokes, etc.  It is hard to quit, but you should do so when taking hormones. 

As for e-cigs, the science still isn't clear.  Sure it is better than traditional cigarettes, but that doesn't mean it is safe.  There needs to be much more vigourous testing done before they can determine all the risk factors, side effects and interactions involved when using an e-cig.   It may not be the worst thing, but we don't really know at this point in time; therefore, it is best to be avoided. The problem is you don't want to present yourself with anything that may negatively interact with hrt.  It can be dangerous.

[skin]

There have been studies that show that the danger of smoking is not caused by nicotine, but by the roughly 45,000 chemicals that are a byproduct of burning tobacco. Also the FDA (in the us) has even tested the E Cigs and proven them safer then smoking.

That's true if you are talking in general, but in regards to being on HRT, nicotine is the part that makes it dangerous.  Switching to e-cigs will definitely lower your risk of a bunch of different ill health effects, but when it comes down to the risk of blood clots, if you are HRT there really is no difference between regular and e-cigs, unless you go with the cartridges that are nicotine free.

[Asfsd4214]

That's true if you are talking in general, but in regards to being on HRT, nicotine is the part that makes it dangerous.  Switching to e-cigs will definitely lower your risk of a bunch of different ill health effects, but when it comes down to the risk of blood clots, if you are HRT there really is no difference between regular and e-cigs, unless you go with the cartridges that are nicotine free.

What makes you so sure of that? I did some research and couldn't find good evidence either way.

[skin]

Search for studies on the relation of nicotine to thombus or fibrinogen.