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How many of us are smokers?

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Posted 7/23/2008 11:53 AM (GMT 0)
I am just curious as to how many of us are smokers.  I smoke, trying so hard to quit. 

I wonder if it effects the fibro because of all the toxins that are put into cigarettes these days.  I think that they have added more addictive chemicals also.  Darn cigarette companies.  They want us addicted.  Tax dollars, you know.

So if anyone wants to post about it, I am so curious. 

Maybe some of us don't want to admit they smoke.  I just often wonder if I ever could quit, would I feel better.  I know that my circulation was much better when I quit before.  Stupid, stupid, stupid for starting again.  I was smoke free for four years and it was the best that I ever felt.  Stess got me started again, and stress also caused me a lot of problems.

Thanks for replying.

Hugs, Karen...

Posted 7/23/2008 12:31 PM (GMT 0)

Yep.  Smoker here.  Also wishing to quit, but very, very difficult, I agree.

I also wonder if I would feel better.  I was taking Champix to quit, but then the doc changed my meds and they react with the Champix, so I had to quit taking it.  Too Bad too.

Someday....

Nikki

Posted 7/23/2008 12:58 PM (GMT 0)
I tried the chantix and think if I would of tried harder in the beginning that it would have helped. But I relied on the pill and didn't try hard enough.

Thinking about trying it again, it did make me a little nauseus, but that went away after about 30 min.

hugs, Karen
Posted 7/23/2008 1:03 PM (GMT 0)
I'm a smoker. And I do want to quit, but the more pain I am in, the more that I smoke. I read in a book that smoking can make the symptoms of Fibro worse. It's so hard to quit. Even when you get past the nicotine addiction, there is still the psychological addiction.

A lot of people smoke because they want to deal with stress, or pain, or other things. And then when they get past that physical addiction, they have to get past the psychological addiction, which is very hard to get past.

Posted 7/23/2008 1:20 PM (GMT 0)

Yeah, I'm addicted to the cancer sticks, too.  I am trying desperately to quit, but I find that with more & more stress, I smoke more. sad   *SIGH*  about 6 weeks ago, I was down to 4 cigarettes a day, then with added pain and stress, I'm back up to half a pack again.  LOL-I could try and use the excuse, "But they are ultra lights," but all that really means is that I'm using a smaller caliber bullet. eyes

 

I've tried and succeeded with the patch before, so I know it's possible.  But, I tried the patch again, and it made me so nauseated-just the smell of the patch makes me want to hurl.  I wonder if it has anything to do with the other meds I'm on.

 

Anyway, yes, I smoke, and I hate it.  BTW-I realize that those of you who may have never smoked (or had any other addiction) just want to scream, "STOP!"  Believe us, if it were that easy, no one would smoke.  Just a little addiction FYI. :-)

Posted 7/23/2008 2:54 PM (GMT 0)
We keep talking about this Karen but we are neither one doing anything about it. sad The summer is half over and this was one of my summer projects. Okay it has been a rough summer for me so far, sure didn't expect to lose my baby girl. I have one more grandchild to spend some time with and then it is concentrating on me time.

 

So how are we going to go about it??? I would like to try hypnosis and the patch. Hypnosis worked for me one time but I didn't use a patch or anything and it wore off after a month. I gained a lot of weight during that month which none of us need.

 

Why do we crave cigarettes more when we are in pain???

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 7/23/2008 3:01 PM (GMT 0)
I smoke. Not regularly though. sometimes i can go days without smoking.
Posted 7/23/2008 3:16 PM (GMT 0)
Man and Woman at the end of their second date

He asks " Do you smoke after sex?"

She says  "I dont know, I have never looked" tongue tongue

Yeppers, I am a smoker too.  I take wellbutrin, and apparently it is quite popular for smoke cessation...and yet ...here I am  puff puff, cough cough

Posted 7/23/2008 3:56 PM (GMT 0)

OK, I guess I will confess too.  Like so many of you I smoke more the worse the symptoms get.  I did quit for 6 months about 17 yrs. ago and found that my favorite foods no longer tasted good.

Have any of you had this happen?

Posted 7/23/2008 6:42 PM (GMT 0)

I have never smoked but I lived in a house where both parents smoked and I was always sick as a child. My mother quite 40 yrs ago, but my father smoked till he was dx w/ lung cancer. My DH smoked when we met and married. He continued to smoke away from the house or car, until 3 yrs ago. He is type 1 diabetic for 24 yrs in 2005 he had a serious infection in his foot, requiring surgery. He almost lost the big toe. As he recovered from surgery at home, we had nurse visits, she found his bp was UP. He finally quit, now he can't stand the smell of cigs at all.

13 yrs ago I worked in a closed building and everyone there smoked, but me. It was horrible!! It was while I was working there that I started to get very sick AGAIN. I had to leave (I made some wonderful friends there) I just couldn't breathe. I have permanent damage from the smoke. When my friends and I do get together, they have to go somewhere else to smoke. I can still smell it when they are near me. Both my sisters smoke and it is hard to be around them sometimes. No one smokes in my house, I would end up in the ER again.

I'm not trying to give anyone a hard time, that's not my reason for posting this. It's just that I noticed how I felt worse when I was in the smoking environment. After visits to sibs, I have a hard time. My body goes into a major flare.

God bless.  Alice.

Posted 7/23/2008 9:09 PM (GMT 0)
I smoke as well and like the rest of you would love to quit. It is just so darn hard to do. I also wonder if I would feel better if I didn't smoke. Maybe one day I will get to a point like my dad and just lay them down. I am so proud of him!! He has been smoke free since 1-1-08!!! Yay!! Dad!!
Posted 7/23/2008 9:31 PM (GMT 0)
Just wanted to put in my thoughts...No, I don't smoke...never have but we all have our 'crutch' that helps sooth, rejoice, calm...you name it. Mine is food. Any stress..happy or sad...will send me to the fridge. I can hear chocolate right thru the freezer door. So there's no way I can rank on smokers.

My mother died from heart failure caused by smoking. Did you know that on death certificates, in our state at least, there there is a line that asks..."is this death related to smoking?" Never knew that til mom passed away 2 years ago. As a family we decided not to get on her about it. She knew she shouldn't smoke but the one time she tried to quit her blood pressure went up. That was just mom tho.

When dad died, about 3 years her, she had a massive heart attack about 3 weeks later. Yep, it was the cigs. But at her age none of us was going to tell her to stop. She told the doc that it was her comfort...and it was. That stupid doc said..."you know it's not going to bring him back and you really should quit". What an idiot. We loved mom til the day she died. Smoking had nothing to do with how we felt about her. She was a wonderful, loving and giving woman.

I do have compassion for anyone who is addicted to tobacco. The history of the tobacco companies is shocking. But then it's not any better for food companies advertising very unhealthy food for young kids.

I have no idea why I got off on this only to say I do have compassion for those of you who smoke and if there were anything I could do to help you stop, I would. I watched my mother fight for every breath from emphysema. It was a horrid thing for us to watch.

Maybe you could all check in here daily if you want to quit. This isn't really a support group for quitting but we have our daily Check-In. Or maybe all get on IM of some brand and band together. Us who need to lose weight should probably do the same. Many of us fibro's might reduce come of the pain with less pounds to carry around.

OK...I'm done. Shut up, CHutzie!...lol
Posted 7/23/2008 9:44 PM (GMT 0)
Chutzie,

You are such a wonderful person. If we can't quit, maybe we could atleast slow down and report on it everyday. Something like that. I saw a thing on the news a while back and it said that tabacco companies have raised the nicotine levels in some cigarettes and that they have added adictive chemicals. How do you fight that? It is going to be hard, but we would all probably feel better. What about tabacco and food, I need to stop both. But if I could quit smoking, I would have more energy to exercise maybe. That would help.

hugs, Karen...
Posted 7/23/2008 10:28 PM (GMT 0)
I was a 2 1/2 pack a day smoker for 13 years but developed chronic bronchitis and would get walking pneumonia about twice a year.  Once, while recouperating from walking pneumonia, I reached for a cigarette because my lungs were clear enough to smoke again.  I then saw my children, ages 10 months, 2 years, and 4 1/2 years, and I knew that if I didn't quit, I wouldn't live to see them grow up.  I threw the cigarettes away.  I was great for about two hours!  tongue    But, when I would get that urge to smoke, I would pray and ask God to take that feeling away and He did.  I know I had to make the effort, though.  Pretty soon, I found I wasn't automatically reaching for one.  I quit January 16, 1979.  It's funny how ex-smokers always remember when they quit!  It is that difficult of a problem.  My heart goes out to all of you but never give up!  I really never thought, at the time, that I could ever quit.  My husband also quit and he smoked more than I did!  So, keep trying.  With perceverance, you just might overcome the "monster"!

 

Chutz, move over.  I don't smoke now but I think I need to have my mouth sown shut to stop eating!  tongue    Marlee...Don't you dare!  mad

 

Sherrine

Posted 7/24/2008 3:17 AM (GMT 0)

I smoke. I used to say that I liked to smoke and I really think that I did. I have made some progress, (baby steps) and have reached the conclusion that I don't like it anymore however I am addicted. I got terribly ill in March of this year. I started with the flu that lasted for nearly 2 weeks. That turned into a nasty sinus infection, then bronchitis and finally laryngitis. I was sick straight through till sometime in May.

During that time when the flu was so terribly bad, I was delirious with fever.....I couldn't smoke. When I started to break the fever I had (I am certain), made it through the withdrawl faze and didn't even want one. I went a few days without one. That was a MAJOR hurdle for me since I have been smoking 2 packs a day for as long as I can remember. I started when I was 14. I just turned 41 this week. hum. Maybe that is a sign for me to stop....I have now flipped those numbers!

Anyhow, when I recovered from the flu and the other ailments started in on me I picked the ciggs up again BUT I didn't keep them near me (like usual). I kept them in my purse in the kitchen and I was spending most of my time "dying" on the couch. I smoked considerably LESS when they were not right by my side and one was available without me even thinking about them. I stopped buying 4 packs at a time and for a while I wasn't even smoking 1 pack a day.

I am back to my "normal" routine and hating myself for it. On a positive note, I just bought a new Jeep and have YET to smoke in it. I swear there is no smoking allowed in it EVER. I have also decided that when we get new carpet (early fall) that my house will be a smoke-free zone as well.

DH also smokes and wants to quit too. He did years ago for about 8 months and life with him was HELL. I can't be around *some* reformed smokers.

I guess I am going to start out slowly and give myself time limits. No smoking before 9am (or similar) and keep taking those baby steps. I have to have a plan to follow. I can't ever see myself just stopping cold turkey or by taking meds. I know me and that isn't something that I would have any success with. I need GOALS to work towards. Sort of like trying to test myself. It's that type-A personality rearing it's ugly head!

Posted 7/24/2008 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
I've never smoked except as a teenager. I tried because the other girls were smoking and I coughed and gagged and never tried it again. But girls, I really feel for you that smoke, because my dh smoked for 40 years and I know how hard it was for him.  He was like Sherrine.  He finally couldn't do it on his own and he started praying to God to help him quit.  The thing that made him decide to quit was that everytime he got up on Sunday to preach, he would start coughing.  He had to do something about it. 

 

I never smoked but I can indentify with Chutz.  I do have an addiction to food.  If it's as hard to give up cigarettes as it is to diet I can really sympathize with you.  My heart goes out to you all and I don't know if it makes our Fibro worse, but if it helps you I can understand how hard it would be to give them up. 

 

God Bless!

Shannon

Posted 7/24/2008 4:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi
I quit smoking almost 5 years ago due to a REAL health scare that landed me in the hospital for almost 5 days, on oxygen. There is a great websit that is a support group. It is www.quitnet.com As all of you are wonderful, these people are too.
It gives hundred of ideas how to quit, and keeps you accountable to yourself. Every month they send you a congratulatory email saying "YOU CAN DO IT". It is really a great place for those who might be interested in it.
Hope some of you check it out
Hugs
Posted 7/24/2008 5:49 PM (GMT 0)
Tootie, I sent that site to my two daughters that smoke.  They are in the same predicament as some of you.  I know it's hard to quit.  I tried many times before I finally succeeded.  I would throw out the cigarettes but then go out to the car and smoke old cigarette butts...anyone's cigarette butts!  It's such a nasty addiction.  I really hope you all are able to succeed in kicking the butts to the curb!

 

Sherrine

Posted 7/24/2008 6:07 PM (GMT 0)

I have not wanted to comment on this subject because it really has impacted my life but I just have too.  I have no idea how smoking affects fibro but I do know what it can do to a family; I have lost both of my parents to the habit.  My father died at 55 years of age from Lung Cancer and my mother was just 60 when she had a fatal heart attack.  I know that it must be hard to stop smoking, but for your loved ones, please try.  I miss my parents very much sad   and was robbed of some important years because of their addiction. 

Don't give up, keep trying, you can do it!!!!!

Meggie

Posted 7/24/2008 6:42 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Meggie,

We sure can use the words of encouragement.

I am sorry for the loss of your mother and father, they were very young when they died.

I lost my first husband to lung cancer at the age of 59. So I know how stupid it is for me to smoke. You would think that that alone would have scared me straight. But my nerves were bad and that seemed (seemed is the opertune word here) to help me at the time. Previously I had quit for four years. How dumb is that.

I think that with encouragement we can all beat this. I am trying to be conscious of the smoking, instead of lighting up without thinking about it. Also when I smoke, I try to just sit and smoke instead of doing other things and not pay attention. I find that doing that makes me want to butt it and go back to what I was doing. So that helps.

I hope that you have a wonderful day.
thanks again
hugs, Karen...
Posted 7/24/2008 7:24 PM (GMT 0)

Karen,

I remember what my mother went through after my father died.  She had a very hard time and smoking calmed her nerves.  She wanted to quit but just was not successful.  It's not stupid that you are smoking, we all turn to things that comfort us when we are hurting.  So don't feel bad just keep trying and know that I am rooting for all of you!

Meggie

Posted 7/24/2008 9:29 PM (GMT 0)
I'm glad the medical community has seen smoking as a real addiction and the "just quit thing" is over. I have not tried any of the meds that are suppose to work and really don't want to since I'm already on so many. I know people that have tried them and are still smoking.

 

My DH quit for 17 yrs and started again on a bet thinking there was no way he could get addicted. He had a heck of a time quitting again. He will tell you how much harder it is now.

 

We all know we really need to do this for ourselves and our loved ones.

 

So lets get a plan.

 

Sherrine, you know what is as hard as quitting smoking??? Keeping my fingers from typing when you leave yourself wide open. I  c-a-n   d-o   t-h-i-s, boy that was hard. devil You like the blanket stitch or blind stitch.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 7/25/2008 5:30 AM (GMT 0)
i have been smoking for 18 years! my god, that is so scary. i did quit once for two years with the help of wellbutrin...it is similar to zyban....two weeks after i started taking it, cigarettes tasted so nasty!!! honestly....i thought i wanted a smoke, but as soon as i took a drag, it was disgusting.....well, about a year after i stopped, i went to a bar and thought "just one"....that started the downward spiral.....it's like how an alcoholic cannot even have a sip of alcohol without being hooked again....

i hope to get on the patch soon....i just had a baby (7 months old today!) and i do not want for her to think that smoking is okay....
Posted 7/25/2008 3:34 PM (GMT 0)
I smoked for 25 years and quit 16 years ago. Don't know if this will help but here's what I did. I bought radishes and cinnamon gum. Whenever I wanted a cig I would eat 10 radishes. The aftertaste of radishes is much the same as the flavor of cigs. I also found that since I smoked menthols, popping a mentholyptus cough drop helped with that addiction. When it was socially unacceptable to eat radishes, I chewed cinnamon gum until the sweet flavor was gone and only the burning taste remained.

I REALLY WANTED TO QUIT so this substitution method worked for me. For a while it was difficult to think straight when getting organized and trying to plan because I was used to that "pause" for a smoke. I also found that because my circulation improved I was getting more good out of the food I ate and that's where the extra pounds showed up, even without eating more calories.

So I quit, cold turkey. Of course I now have a pound a day radish habit, but that's only 99ยข vs. $5.00 a pack! tongue
Posted 7/25/2008 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
I started smoking cigarettes at the age of 13...I am now 25. I'm just not ready to give up the habit I guess. I have so much stress on my plate right now that I cant even fathom adding more. I really should quit because money is tight right now but I lack the motivation and strength it will require of me. Someday I hope to quit...but I feel now is just not the time for me.
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