#21

Yea I’ve heard of that one. A guy I work with is on it, he has quit smoking successfully.

If I really struggle I’ll consider it but I will give cold turkey a go.

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#22

A friend of mine just quit smoking unsuccessfully (he died within 2 months after being diagnosed with lung cancer). He was 76 and smoked all his adult life - a pack a day.

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#23

Sorry to hear that. It’s crazy to me that people still smoke in this day and age. There are so many alternatives. My mother smokes.

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#24

I smoke about 6-7 cigs a day.

I started late though… very intermittently-low when I was young, and just the last couple years every day.

I don’t know if its my tolerance to be able to stop at a relatively non significant level, but I’m able to stop at 5-7 a day about with no need to go off the deep end

There are several components of it… part of it may be genetic, like drinking, and my grandparents were smokers… I’ve always had a rebellious/alpha persona (I have a deep unkept beard with long hair the chicks dig lol)… and some people just like the taste/action of it, naturally, just like its natural I hate alcohol and dont drink at al…

The hope here is that in addition to starting late and not being a heavy smoker, that the stack is actually countering the reasons why people are dying from smoking in a lot of ways… cancelling out dyslipidemia/hypertension/high blood sugar/ inflammation etc that smoking contributes to the best of ability

#25

Trial chewing nicotine gum. You still get the nicotine hit, but you don’t inhale smoke.

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#26

But don’t forget that Jeanne Calment smoked, so we should too! Obviously I am just kidding.

If they aren’t willing to quit, adding cruciferous veggies to their lifestyle can still make a pretty big difference. This study specifically looked at broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and greens including kale, turnip, collard, and mustard greens.

The authors conclude “Our findings indicate that cruciferous vegetables may play a preventive role in lung cancers that are smoking-related, rather than the more general effect of other vegetables and fruits that may be overshadowed by the strong effect of smoking.” It appears to be due to the isothiocyanate found in cruciferous vegetables.

“Consumptions of both raw and total cruciferous vegetables were also associated inversely with lung cancer risk: those in the highest quintile of consumption had a greater than 40% lower risk compared to those in the lowest quintile.”

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#27

Sigh.

My father quite smoking after his heart attack in his early 40s… died of lung cancer in his early 60s. I freak out that so many young people smoke!

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#28

Used to smoke till about 35(one pack a day). When I tried to (about three times till I quit for good) I would do chain smoking marathons for one day like three packs (usually on a weekend) and the next morning I would feel sick and hate the smell of smoke. this would last for 4-5 days at which time I’d hate the smell of cigarettes and almost feel like vomiting and that was good enough to wean my body off the nicotine so my cravings would subside a bit. It worked every time though I did relapse after about a year (for first two tries) and the third was the charm. Over 20 years haven’t touched it again. Ideally, you want to stop drinking also (in case you drink and smoke) since my relapses were all when I’d go to the bar with friends, and soon enough I’d say ah what the heck I’ll lit one up. LOL

On another note, I remember when growing up there was this old gentleman in our town that used to smoke but he grew his own tobacco (organically in his own back yard). As kids we would pester him to let us smell his tobacco (he used to keep it in a nice shiny metal box) and the smell of it was really nice, (I wouldn’t mind smelling it daily even now, miss it lol) nothing what today’s commercial cigarettes would smell.

Obviously, smoking is bad, but I think most cancer-causing properties of cigarettes are chemicals that they add during the process and not necessarily the smoke nor the nicotine in itself. Sow ones a documentary and before they would process the tobacco into cigarettes, they’d soak it into some chemical solution (I think to make it even more addictive, or whatever the reason) and that can never be healthy.

Btw, the old man lived to 92 years of age. Obviously, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything, could just be a coincidence.

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#29

Congratulations on quitting… I do know it’s extremely hard for most to do.

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#30

I grew up in a major tobacco farming area of the US and started smoking as a teenager in the 80’s. I later became a respiratory therapist and started trying to quit which was very hard. I remember burning incense at home for a while because I missed the comfort of smoke! Hahaha
I had multiple failed attempts including a chantix trial which worked but gave me neuropsychiatric side effects. I vaped for a bit and despite all the negative press it did feel less harmful than smoking. The patch with gum for breakthrough cravings followed by a very slow wean is what ended up finally working for me. I learned in a class that I took for my job that tough cases could use a combination of the gum and patch short term to get through the challenging first few weeks. I also learned that people whose mothers smoked while they were pregnant usually are addicted from the first cigarette they try and mother smoked during her pregnancy with me so there’s that…

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#31

Would you be willing to share a bit more detail about the neuropsychiatric side effects that you experienced with Chantix? There is a bit of changing information about that topic, but I find first hand anecdotes to be highly valuable.

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#32

Certainly. I thought everything was fine/normal until one day I pulled into my garage after work and thought, “ all I’d have to do is keep the car running and shut the garage door.” I found that thought strangely out of character and disturbing so I opted to not take another dose. It really didn’t even feel like my own thought to be honest. I think I might be susceptible to those types of side effects because montelukast gave me disturbing nightmares. I didn’t seek professional help but just stopped the drug and returned to normal.

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