Smoking!

[Eddy Edson]

So my NY resolution is to quit smoking. Having gotten BG, lipids and BP under better control, I assume this will lead to immortality, barring accidents & mayhem, and hopefully in time I will come to believe that non-smoking immortality is worthwhile 🙂

Meanwhile, I'm grumpy & missing cigarettes.

Is there any clear data on smoking cessation and BG? I see some studies saying it reduces insulin resistance, some that it has no effect, some that it actually increases IR (but maybe because of weight gain). Of course, all of the quit-smoking sites say it reduces IR, but is that just propaganda?

This afternoon I had my lowest BG reading since DX - 4.1. Just a coincidence, surely, and BG isn't the driver - but I'll take it as a hopeful sign.

 

[Carolg]

Good luck with stopping smoking. Can’t help you, but stay strong

 

[Kaylz]

Well done on wanting to give up smoking!

Have you just gone cold turkey?

I had my last fag on the 18th November 2017 but I still get my nicotine fix as I vape, I feel so much better for making the switch though 🙂 xx

 

[Madeline]

Good luck!

As someone with lung disease all I can say is, it will be worth it, breathing really is very underrated 🙂

 

[mikeyB]

It rather depends on whether you can wear the withdrawal symptoms. The easiest way to give up is by vaping, starting with a high strength, and moving down the strengths till you are vaping no nicotine at all. Don’t use any flavours other than tobacco, that’s what you are addicted to, not vaporised strawberry sundae. Any smokers cough will disappear rapidly - it’s only steam you will be inhaling.

I don’t know of any reliable evidence that giving up nicotine helps BG, because it often gets bundled with other health improvement plans.

I haven’t given up vaping, because I have ulcerative colitis. Flare ups are commoner in folk who give up smoking. Or, indeed, vaping nicotine. I’m just not equipped to rush to the loo.

 

[chaoticcar]

I gave up smoking many years ago .cold turkey was the only way then You have to want to stop ,its not easy but if I can do it I am sure you can ! Stand up to it !!! Don't let that little white stick (or other form of the evil weed ) beat you
Carol
PS I wish I had saved the money that I would have saved on fags

 

[Madeline]

Could you find a displacement activity? As a reformed nail biter, that was all that really helped me, obviously I didn’t have the addiction side to deal with, but you can’t put your fingers out of temptation’s reach either.

 

[Ljc]

Good luck. I eventually gave up 8 yrs ago just through plain stubbornness, I flatly refused to go out and buy any .
What ever method you choose, I promise you it does get easier.

 

[Eddy Edson]

Cold turkey's the only way for me, at least it's the only way I've managed to give up in the past.

It'd be neat if there were some easily measured bio-marker nicotine thing you could monitor, to give you some quick I'm-in-control feedback, like with BG.

 

[Madeline]

It'd be neat if there were some easily measured bio-marker nicotine thing you could monitor, to give you some quick I'm-in-control feedback, like with BG.

A friend was on Champix (?) and used to have a weekly appointment at the Drs where they measured her CO2 to see the change.

 

[trophywench]

I was just going to say that Madeline - I packed in once by having weekly appointments at an NHS no smoking clinic, where they tested your CO2 level each time you went - and yes, I could see an improvement each week, which yes did give me impetus. (then 12 months later something happened that made me, stupidly, start again.) I did try again, there's no longer a central clinic round here, just at your own GP surgery where yeas OK they prescribe another week's patches and talk motivationally to you - but no measure of CO2 either before or during the process. It didn't work.

When I had a quick op the week before Xmas with a general, I did have it tested before that - I've had to have a few GAs before, before this the latest was Oct 2017 - but NEVER had it tested before any of them in the past. I wonder if you can buy them - the monitors I mean?

 

[Sharron1]

So my NY resolution is to quit smoking. Having gotten BG, lipids and BP under better control, I assume this will lead to immortality, barring accidents & mayhem, and hopefully in time I will come to believe that non-smoking immortality is worthwhile 🙂

Meanwhile, I'm grumpy & missing cigarettes.

Is there any clear data on smoking cessation and BG? I see some studies saying it reduces insulin resistance, some that it has no effect, some that it actually increases IR (but maybe because of weight gain). Of course, all of the quit-smoking sites say it reduces IR, but is that just propaganda?

This afternoon I had my lowest BG reading since DX - 4.1. Just a coincidence, surely, and BG isn't the driver - but I'll take it as a hopeful sign.

Good Luck and gold star fot the 4.1...!

 

[Eddy Edson]

Do you mean carbon monoxide? Apparently there are some portable CO monitors around - will dig further & post what I find out. Thanks for the tip, M and TW.

 

[Eddy Edson]

Good Luck and gold star fot the 4.1...!

Thanks! Pleasant surprise. It also came on the day I hit my revised weight target: 67kg, reduction of 15kg since DX last March. This had an assist from diarrhoea induced by disgusting Nicorette gum, showing that all the silver linings from all of the clouds weave a web of wonderfulness. Kill for a fag, tho.

 

[Madeline]

Do you mean carbon monoxide? Apparently there are some portable CO monitors around - will dig further & post what I find out. Thanks for the tip, M and TW.

Probably

 

[Madeline]

@trophywench the house would be bristling with gadgets and gizmos if I had my way, I’m insanely curious

 

[chaoticcar]

Thanks! Pleasant surprise. It also came on the day I hit my revised weight target: 67kg, reduction of 15kg since DX last March. This had an assist from diarrhoea induced by disgusting Nicorette gum, showing that all the silver linings from all of the clouds weave a web of wonderfulness. Kill for a fag, tho.

When I had smoked every thing in the house including half a cigar that had been in my husband s drawer for years I was determined not to buy anything smokeable but I daren't look at any one who was smoking in case !!!!
Carol non smoker for 44 years
You can do it !!

 

[mikeyB]

If you’d kill for a fag, Eddy, get some vaping kit. We don’t want you going round Oz in a grump. It’s unseemly. See my earlier post for advice on how to do it. An easy peasy withdrawal from nicotine, tar and cyanide free. Win win. And relax.

Nicotine gum is the seed of the devil - it bears no resemblance to smoking, and just gives you gut ache.

 

[Eddy Edson]

If you’d kill for a fag, Eddy, get some vaping kit. We don’t want you going round Oz in a grump. It’s unseemly. See my earlier post for advice on how to do it. An easy peasy withdrawal from nicotine, tar and cyanide free. Win win. And relax.

Nicotine gum is the seed of the devil - it bears no resemblance to smoking, and just gives you gut ache.

OK, so I've taken your advice and joined Team Vape. It's a bit of a hassle since vape shops aren't allowed to sell nicotine here so you have to order it on-line from China, but the guy let me have some under the counter. Kind of reminded me of the olden days except he didn't actually say, "I know it's small but it's really powerful, man - pure Numgajunga" etc etc.

Opinion so far: Much less disgusting than Nicorettes. Seems to deal with cravings OK. Dunno how weaning off will go but a good step in the right direction. Thanks!

 

[Carolg]

Good luck with this Eddie. I stopped cold turkey more than 38 years ago, but have had spells if having too much alcohol where I cadged a fag. Stopped when at asthma check I told the nurse this. She was quite snitty (but honest) and said I couldn’t then class myself as a non smoker