Thread: Giving up smoking medical quesiton

Whenever I try to give up smoking I experience strange side-effects.
I feel dizzy, cant focus very well, my concentration is poor, judgment of speed and distance becomes strange. I feel an "itch" inside my head, a mild headache, pressure behind my eyes.

What causes these effects ?

I tried giving up smoking yesterday. It lasted less than 24 hours. (as have all of my attempts)

Originally Posted by leohopkins

Whenever I try to give up smoking I experience strange side-effects.
I feel dizzy, cant focus very well, my concentration is poor, judgment of speed and distance becomes strange. I feel an "itch" inside my head, a mild headache, pressure behind my eyes.

What causes these effects ?

I tried giving up smoking yesterday. It lasted less than 24 hours. (as have all of my attempts)

It's simple, your body is addicted to the drug that smoking gives it. Some are more addicted, some less, and it appears you're one of the types who are seriously addicted. I'd advise having someone lock you in a room, without any, for a few days. That's one way to definitely stop the craving >.>.

Aside from that, quit slowly, just cut down. This could take weeks or months. Quitting cold is something which few can do, since few have a strong enough will power to do so. And, apparently, you don't.

And one last thing: Wise man once say; "If man want bad enough, man get it." - the secret to will power .

Originally Posted by Jeremyhfht

Originally Posted by leohopkins

Whenever I try to give up smoking I experience strange side-effects.
I feel dizzy, cant focus very well, my concentration is poor, judgment of speed and distance becomes strange. I feel an "itch" inside my head, a mild headache, pressure behind my eyes.

What causes these effects ?

I tried giving up smoking yesterday. It lasted less than 24 hours. (as have all of my attempts)

It's simple, your body is addicted to the drug that smoking gives it. Some are more addicted, some less, and it appears you're one of the types who are seriously addicted. I'd advise having someone lock you in a room, without any, for a few days. That's one way to definitely stop the craving >.>.

Aside from that, quit slowly, just cut down. This could take weeks or months. Quitting cold is something which few can do, since few have a strong enough will power to do so. And, apparently, you don't.

And one last thing: Wise man once say; "If man want bad enough, man get it." - the secret to will power .

or use nicotine replacements :wink:

Originally Posted by captaincaveman

or use nicotine replacements :wink:

Or just keep smoking? Nicotine replacements are retarded. Especially since they apply it directly to one area, rather than smoking which applies it to a wider area of effect. nicotine replacements are also much more dangerous.

All in all, it's best to just cut back.

Hi Leo,
There are three things I'll suggest to help you quit smoking - the first two are guaranteed to work if done in conjunction, the third is just a pacifier.

1. Refuse to buy cigarettes.
2. Refuse to "bum" cigarettes.
3. Toothpicks.


Of course, this is the "cold turkey" method. 1 & 2 can be difficult, but you only have to uphold #1 when you are at a store, and to uphold #2, it helps if you don't hang around others that smoke. If your spouse/mate smokes, and they aren't interested in quitting, then that makes #2 almost impossible. #3 is just grab a toothpick when you feel the urge to smoke. It helps with the oral fixation.

The urges to smoke quiesce in about two weeks after you quit cold turkey (except in times of stress - in which case the urges last a lifetime).

If you choose the "cut back" method, then I'd suggest that you don't smoke during the times you usually do. For example, if you smoke when driving, or one last cig before bed. When you quit, that's when you'll miss it the most. You probably won't miss it as much, however, during the times when it was random.

Good luck,
william

One word - zyban

What is zyban ?

Originally Posted by leohopkins

What is zyban ?

Prescription medicine that stops the nicotine effects on the brain, so if you take a drag on a cigarette you get no "hit"

Okay, would a doctor presribe me with that ?

Zyban? Cant find that in my pharmacology book! Isnt that an antidepressant which by coincidence has that effect.

If it is, Im not sure docotrs would usually prescribe it for that reason because of its side effects.

Truthfully though,

when i tried giving up smoking the other day, i felt just like a zombie, i was very light headed. I infact went to bed at 8pm that evening, because without smoking, there seemed little point in staying awake, even living i suppose. But I am desperate to give up; not only for myself but for my wife (who doesnt smoke) AND I want to save the extra money. I am 27, already have a chronic cough, smoke around 50 roll-ups a day and am killing myself.

you'll have to deal with that zombie feeling until your body kicks the habit. That's all there is to it. Have some stinking will power! Motivate yourself.

Originally Posted by leohopkins

Truthfully though,

when i tried giving up smoking the other day, i felt just like a zombie, i was very light headed. I infact went to bed at 8pm that evening, because without smoking, there seemed little point in staying awake, even living i suppose. But I am desperate to give up; not only for myself but for my wife (who doesnt smoke) AND I want to save the extra money. I am 27, already have a chronic cough, smoke around 50 roll-ups a day and am killing myself.

I feel quite bad for you. Tobacco is so terribly addictive. I am not sure that you can beat that addition, once it is fully set in. It is my opinion that your best hope is forcing yourself into habits of moderation, whereby you roll say 5 ciragettes a day at appointed times to give youself at least a little of what your brain is craving. When you say you went to bed at 8pm because staying up was pointless without smoking, you sound depressed. That's not good. I wish you good luck with your challenge. It's not an easy one.

—Crabby

Originally Posted by Crabby

I feel quite bad for you. Tobacco is so terribly addictive. I am not sure that you can beat that addition, once it is fully set in. It is my opinion that your best hope is forcing yourself into habits of moderation, whereby you roll say 5 ciragettes a day at appointed times to give youself at least a little of what your brain is craving. When you say you went to bed at 8pm because staying up was pointless without smoking, you sound depressed. That's not good. I wish you good luck with your challenge. It's not an easy one.

—Crabby

that's utter bullshit. I've seen people smoke that much for years and quit the next day. It depends on how badly you want it, and since it's *YOUR* body, you can do it. Telling him he can't wont help his motivation at all, and all it does is *LOWER* the chances of success.

Try and study some psychology before you offer "advice"

Depression is another feeling that will definitely set in, but after a few days it'll get less.

Edit: However, if your entire life revolves around smoking and nothing else, pick up a damn hobby.

Hi Jeremy, I think crabby was doing is best to give me advice, as were you; and thanks to both of you, because I gladly appreciate it !

As soon as this pack has gone I will be buying no-more. I am preparing myself for the "cold-turkey".

My mother once told me "Giving up smoking is easy, I've done it hundreds of times". Thats the whole point though.

I started smoking when I was 14, and my mother when finding out used to give me a cigarette every time she smoked one, so essentially I was smoking 20 a day (roughly) from 14. MY dad said he was dissappointed but that was that. Even at 19 when I was living on my own, I can remember having no money and no cigarettes, I tried smoking the dried herb, thyme which I had. Thats how desperate I was. I have even been known to smoke pages of the gideons bible i was given at school when I ran out or rizzla rolling papers.

I gave up smoking once (for 2 weeks!) when I was 15, but then started again after an argument with my father, I remember actually selling my school dinner token just to get one cigarette.

I have tried nicotine patches, but all they do is delay the inevitable, which is nicotine withdrawal and even on those the most I have managed to give up is about 3 days.

This time im ready to kick the habit. For good. Failure isnt an option. Even if I give up for 5 years then start smoking again. that will mean that I never truly gave up. But I want to. As soon as this pack of tobacco is finished, I want dont want another cigarette to touch my lips, for the rest of my life. Its going to be hard. I know.

A new drug has been approved by the FDA called Chantix that works similar to Zyban by blocking the brain's nicotine receptors, but at the same time partially activates them to stop you going completely nuts. The quitting success rate is still pretty low though.

I'm a heavy smoker. I hate it. And it's stupid that I'm studying to get into cancer research.

Also, there's reasons why some people find it harder to quit than others. One is that regular smoking can cause brain cells to express more nicotine receptors, and this varies from person to person. Having a large amount of nicotine receptors can cause stronger withdrawal symptoms and thus a lower likelyhood of success.

That said, I'm not using this as an excuse for my habit.

Originally Posted by leohopkins

Whenever I try to give up smoking I experience strange side-effects.
I feel dizzy, cant focus very well, my concentration is poor, judgment of speed and distance becomes strange. I feel an "itch" inside my head, a mild headache, pressure behind my eyes.

What causes these effects ?

I tried giving up smoking yesterday. It lasted less than 24 hours. (as have all of my attempts)

I have the view point that leaving smoking without any deep understanding is useless as you can leave it now but what after 4 yrs... Who knows you can start it again.

So, Please leave the smoking with correct understanding such as what are it's disadvantages and adverse effects on body..

And smoking doesn't give us money or any happiness. It just makes us foolish.. So, please take steps to leave smoking.. and decide will not take it in future too waht ever happens.... Best of Luck !!!!

i also am a long time smoker and come from a family that was, with lively hoods made from the product. my personal feeling is more a sense of relaxation and a mind clearing effect. some people enjoys a good dinner, glass of wine or a beer. others have more exotic desires and all this is fine, but to me many time a day i can get lost in thought and enjoy my personal vice.

the habit (i guess) may be addictive and no doubt is to most. it is a dirty thing and my cloths, home and car are repulsive to most, but Ive never known another smell. i won't advise any one to begin and have suggest most should not. but i will give causes other then bad for you or that it will cause anything. drive behind a trailer hauling cattle or live in a truck that keeps your air well polluted, be a painter, make insulation or be a farmer. these things are all just as bad and you never hear of them.

people are going to die. get fat, eat to much of this or that, do or don't drink to much or to little water, meat or salt. heck, every body that ate beef in the Spanish American war has died. even those that ate beef in the first WW, have died or look very old, live in wheel chairs and may not last that long. we will die, maybe a week or two before those that don't eat beef or smoke, but we will die....

Man....I am sooooo ready to quit smoking. Here in Texas, they just passed a $1 a pack tax that went into effect in January. Smokes went from $3.18 a pack to $5.00 at my local store. That's just too much. I'm sick of being addicted to nicotine. I used to be able to go hours without cravings, now, I can't go an hour without feeling the craving in my chest. It stinks.
What I need to do is get another girlfriend that's a nurse. I dated this nurse once and she refused to kiss me if I had been smoking....I came so close to quitting, then we broke up, and I was a chimney again.

oh well

by all means quit, hope you did so yesterday. the following is not to encourage a lifetime of doing something, which you have clearly displayed as addictive.

a pack of cigarettes cost about .25 cent to produce. most retailers try to earn up to 10% on a sale of this to cover the cost of doing business. ALL else are taxes. federal taxes are .35 cents per pack. now we have to add hidden taxes via mandates directed to legal companies for manufacturing products in the past. these companies pass along these mandated funds to most all states and are no less than taxes. companies that manufacture the same products are exempt from this mandate. there are many that produce and distribute their products for less than 8 or 9.00 a carton.

it cost a beer company about .20 cents per 12 oz can or bottle and the can or bottle cost about .05 cents per. the six pack cost is 1.20, with all the rest being taxes or profit. taxes here are sometimes based on package and not per can. a 30 pack and six pack have the same tax base.

my point; if you buy a 6 pack of Bud and a pack of smokes, in California, you will pay 15.00. if you buy a 30 pack of Busch (same beer) and buy a your smokes by the case over the web, that 6 pack and pack will cost you 4.00. you are liable, when you pay taxes at years end to pay the state taxes for anything purchased over the web.

I think I experienced similar side effects when I was on vacation with no Internet connection for an entire week... but anyway.

I've heard that nicotine is chemically addictive. However, I am a firm believer in our brain's capability to manipulate ourselves. When there's a will, there's a way. If you are determined to quit, you can do it no in spite of the side effects you're getting. And your body will eventually develop some sort of tolerance to those nasty physiological effects, no? Believe me, nothing is addictive unless you consent! Except when it comes to the Internet, of course. It is addictive no matter how much willpower or determination to quit you have.

Originally Posted by MacGyver1968

Man....I am sooooo ready to quit smoking. Here in Texas, they just passed a $1 a pack tax that went into effect in January. Smokes went from $3.18 a pack to $5.00 at my local store. That's just too much. I'm sick of being addicted to nicotine. I used to be able to go hours without cravings, now, I can't go an hour without feeling the craving in my chest. It stinks.
What I need to do is get another girlfriend that's a nurse. I dated this nurse once and she refused to kiss me if I had been smoking....I came so close to quitting, then we broke up, and I was a chimney again.

oh well

Only $5.00 a pack !!!!

They are £6.00 a pack here. That is $12.00 US Dollars to you.

Yeah, an we don't get the poppy seed flavoured 'afghan' jobbies... - I think thats the real reason bush is in afghanistan, for the funny cigarettes.

You know too much !

Originally Posted by leohopkins

Originally Posted by MacGyver1968

Man....I am sooooo ready to quit smoking. Here in Texas, they just passed a $1 a pack tax that went into effect in January. Smokes went from $3.18 a pack to $5.00 at my local store. That's just too much. I'm sick of being addicted to nicotine. I used to be able to go hours without cravings, now, I can't go an hour without feeling the craving in my chest. It stinks.
What I need to do is get another girlfriend that's a nurse. I dated this nurse once and she refused to kiss me if I had been smoking....I came so close to quitting, then we broke up, and I was a chimney again.

oh well

Only $5.00 a pack !!!!

They are £6.00 a pack here. That is $12.00 US Dollars to you.

WTF? Who's getting rich off of these?

Sheesh! I think you have a good reason to quit Leo!

(I buy $1.14 "Indian" (Native American) smokes. The U.S. government lets the Native Americans do things like sell smokes without tax, and opening casinos (which is generally illegal except in Vegas). It has something to do with the Native Americans being the original Americans and the "settlers" encroaching the land....)

Cheers,
william

leohopkins, i also smoke roll-ups, about 1/2 ounce a day (12.5 Grams to the French) but i don't, (at the moment anyway) wish to quit. The only help i can give is to tell you about the four way's i have known people to quit by.....

1) Nicorette patches and self help quiting book's.

2) Work in a smokey environment, people that work behind the bar at pubs are subjected to a lot of cigarette smoke and have there hands occupied. I know that might sound stupid but i know two people that just stopped smoking right out of the blue, with no need for will power, they just didn't fell like a fag anymore.

3) Hypnosis, i have heard that this does not work for everyone, but for fifty odd pounds it's worth a go if nothing else works.

4) Cold turkey, a friend of mine did this in France. Go camping. Find a place that is quite remote and go camping for a couple of days, only take enough tobacco for two days, if you have any tobacco left when you get to where you need to be, destroy it, then you will need to cope without smoking for a couple of day's until you get back. If i remember correctly (in a different post) you said you were in the TA, so this would not be a problem for you.

Good luck