I am at my worst where the Lupus symptoms are concerned, the meds I'm on are suppressing my immune system causing chest problems which inevitably add to the feelings of lethargy and crapness. You'd think I would be doing all I can to make myself healthy, which i try with food, sleep etc etc... But, can I stop smoking?? Can I helles like!!
Please could you all give me a kick up the back side. Abuse me, scare me, tell me everything you know about how smoking is going to make my symptoms worse. Of course i know it's bad for me but I need the advise from you Lupies who I respect and admire so much.
Please do your worst, say anything you like, you have my full blessing. HIT ME WHERE IT HURTS!!! Maybe then I'll stop behaving like a total loon and finally kick this bloody habit..
Cheers guys.
Alison
Written by
Acorn1
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Your not an idiot, you know that smoking will only make your lungs worse & will have a roll on effect with your Lupus but I now how hard it is to give up, I used to smoke myself, fortunally gave it up in my early 20s when I had my first Asthma attack!!
So, here goes (wanted to put this in BOLD letters!!
You have my sympathy because I have been told I have to give up due to a recent positive test for Hughes Syndrome and the symptoms I have been having, headache, muddled speech, brain fog and memory problems but have I managed it yet? ......NO!
I have managed to greatly reduce the amount I smoke but not quit all together. Like you I keep asking myself what is wrong with me as surely the risks of having sticky blood and undiagnosed Lupus should have scared me out of it but instead I think it has become my comforter as the worse I feel the more I want to smoke.
If you find a way to kick this bad habit please let me know so I can try it.
Hey i got told i had to give up because i've got raynards and my toes and fingers are purple not good ..... I did for 12 weeks but put a stone and a half on in tho's weeks and started smoking again....I'd love to give up but wit everything else its all i have lol .......
Wish you the best of luck hun big time ...
Try Champpix they work really well .... Hugs an kisses
I smoked for years, I gave up last year just before I was diagnosed with lupus. I got a viral infection and my breathing suffered, I fouind it really difficult but the way to do it is one day at a time, I promise you can do it, I don't think about tomorrow, just today. The first thing I did was have a cigarette, as soon as I woke up, so that was my first hurdle, I drank coffee with it, so I stopped drinking coffee in the morning, I found I didn't want a cigarette. It is nothing but habit, you must break the habit by changing the things you did when you used to smoke. Trust me it works. WILLPOWER is the key. Don't give up. You can do it. Good luck. X
Hi Alison, I too smoke, I know its awful, I also have lung problems, which I think were caused by having lupus. I am trying to stop smoking tobacco, and have discovered electronic cigarettes. Still getting a nicotine kick, feel like I'm having a cigarette, feels exactly like smoking, dont know if its better than cigarettes or not, but think as it doesnt have all the rubbish tobacco has, its got to be better. My cough has more or less gone, as as you can get the nicotine in different strengths, I'm hoping I can reduce the level and get down to nil eventually. I get mine from Totally Wicked, they have a web site. Dont know if it will suit you, but may be worth a look. Take care, and good luck, I know what your'e going through.
Stopped smoking myself six month's ago,best thing I could have done.I have a hyatus hernia and did'nt realise just how much smoking was aggravating it.And of course there is the Lupus.You know the saying'If you don't help yourself,who can'?Really think about this.It may take time to feel better if you stop smoking but,believe me you will feel better.
Years ago I met a woman who smoked loads like I did, she was always coughing. Lost contact with her for a few years. I met her again at the hospital, Iwas standing outside in the smoking area, she came along in a wheel chair with an oxygen cylinder mask over her mouth and a ciggie in her hand, it was one draw of the oxygen one draw of the ciggie. It did not stop me smoking, but I did think that if I ever got that bad I would stop, but I would not know unless it happens, well it did in the form of SLE and COPD, it scared the life out of me I could not breath and I was in Hospital for two week's,I'v a great husband two fab kids and five lovely grandkids, I have not had a ciggie since. I can't walk very far now and the damage has been done. That was two half years ago. I don't know why the woman did not stop smoking. She is dead now.
Hi Acorn ... much as I would love to kick your ass ..... you do realise that stopping smoking quickly can also induce a flare. DO it in your own time when you are ready. You are already half way there, you know that you need to stop ...... addiction is harder than many people think. Have you talked it over with your doctor as patches etc are now available on the NHS. Good luck
Thank you, Thank you, Thankyou for all your supportive words. Since posting yesterday I haven't had a fag. I ran out actually and just didn't go to the shop, I haven't been to the shop today either. Thats how I'm going to view this that I just haven't been to the shop yet! I've taken all your words on board and will take every day as it comes.
Here is how my friend stopped- get to the bank and get yourself each denomonation of paper money and as soon as you want to go buy cigs burn the smallest note yes I did say burn! As let's face it you are burning money by smoking. Make sure you put the notes somewhere you see everyday with a picture of what you are going to treat you or your family to with the money as well as some post it notes with why you want to quit everywhere you look. My friend who did it this way actually started to burn the twenty then realized that he wasn't that desperate. My dad also used this to quit after smoking for 40 plus years at over 40 a day he has been smoke free for 5 years. Good luck hope you manage.
Your post caught my eye as this very day I had a visit with my "No Smoking" lady at my local gp surgery. Now forgive me first for not kicking your butt, or mine for that matter, because I do believe that it is particularly hard for us SLE sufferer's to get ourselves to the "good" place we need to be to get this bain of a bad habit out of our lives. Lets face it, if it feels like a crutch, its as good as one for us luppies !! This leads me to the very argument, polite as it was, that I found myself having with the lady who was doing her best to help me today.
My problem is that, after a few attempts at quiting, I am now hooked on both nicotine gum and cigerettes. I'd heard of champax which, in discussion with my GP seemed like a possible solution. However, the lady at the clinic refused to give me a prescription to try champax because I'd mentioned that my chemist advised me not to take it with nortryptoline. She was anxious that I wouldn't take my nortryptoline. She was quite insistant that I use a nicotine inhailor which I'd already failed with. I explained that I felt totally unmotivated by this method as my arthritic hands struggle to open the dam things, I am currently coming to terms with redundancy, living on next to nothing which is stressfull enough without having to think about or plan how many puffs I'm having a day, and I fear I'll end up adicted to yet another nicotine replacement therapy.
Anyway, I reasoned that it was probably possible for me to go on champax, perhaps at half the dose to lower it's effect slightly and maybe my GP would agree that I could still use nortryptoline as and when I needed it.or we cut it out for a while. (which is how I use it anyway!) In the end she agreed to write the prescription, but only on the proviso that I made another appointment to discuss it again with my GP. She took the added procaution of attaching a little note to the GP offering her concerns, e.g. low mood. anxiety and the effect on my sleep if I withdrew nortryptoline.
I felt slightly insensed as she appeared to be making a clinical judgement on the status of my mental health, but more so, because the locus of control in the use my medication to help with my Lupus symptoms, appeared to have shifted from me and my GP to her and my GP. I also felt like lighting up a cigerette!
Apologies if this is a long rant, but I'm certain you, myself and everyone here who is hooked on this poison will get there, but like everything else it will be in our own sweet time and probably in our own unique way. All the best.
Hi Acorn, so it's been a while since you first posted about smoking. I do hope that you are still fighting the urge, I like the advice mrschewie has given you, I dson't think there are many thing other than "BURNING MONEY", Keep at it hun
I am really thrilled to hear how well youv'e done and it's especially encouraging to this grumbling old smoker. I managed to keep my 9.30 am appointment with my GP this morning. She said the lady from the smoking clinic had come to see her about me with regard to my medications, sleep problems ect. ect.. As I expected, my GP had no problem in writing the prescrption for champax and even said there is no reason why I can't continue to take the nortrypoline along side as usual. As I use it to help regulate my sleep and therefore cope better with daily fatigue this is good news. It did all seem a bit of a waste of time, not to mention my precious energy, but now I can Iook forward to being an ex smoker.
PS My GP was delighted to hear about this forum and said she will be recommending it to other SLE patients.
Best wishes
Val x
in reply to
Yeah - doctors love to prescribe things like Chantix and Champax. They get paid.
AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE. They are linked to suicides.
Try vaping, it's up to 50-60% more effective than pharmaceuticals to quit smoking. Vape to quit, then drop the vape entirely (with autoimmune disorders, I understand wanting to fully control your intake - and until more studies are done, I would not recommend nonsmokers with autoimmune disorders pick it up - however as a method of quitting smoking, which is DEFINITELY harming you - its the best way to go.
Giving up habits can be really hard, but it sounds like you took the biggest step of putting out there that you need to stop. Also, sounds like your intend to put your health first. You got this! Take each day as new.
It may help you to know that plaquenil which is our safest and best medicine does not work when you smoke the same way. You may need much "harsher" medicines simply because you smoke. Remember, before plaquenil lupus patients had drastically reduced life span and with it..we can usually live normal life span. 💚
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