Smoking

[Lugraca]

Hi all is here anyone who smokes a cigarettes even though the thyroid issues/surgery?thanks

[jrbarnes]

I smoked for over twenty years, only quit for good about four years ago. It never had an effect on my thyroid that I know of.

[Josephineinamachine]

Hi I used to smoke. Gave up about 2 years ago. I now vape.

[Starfish123]

I don’t smoke anymore but smoking does increase T3 in the body. There are white papers on it. That’s why there are a lot of cases of hypothyroidism after giving up smoking. It’s still not enough of a reason for me to restart smoking though. It’s also beneficial for Parkinson’s.

[Lotika]

I’ve not had surgery, but I’m hashis.

I am an on and off smoker, by which I mean I smoke 20 a day for a month or so and then stop for a week, a month or 3 and... rinse and repeat. I obviously don’t quite intend this... I’m quite good at quitting and quite good at quitting quitting! Or just a helpless addict!

As far as I understand, smoking might lower TSH a fraction but generally does about as much good for thyroid as it does for everything else I do find that I’m more aware of being inadequately medicated when not smoking, if that makes any sense whatsoever. I mean, if I feel rubbish when I’m on the tabs, then I blame those... Funnily enough I tend to smoke more in winter and quit in summer. I think I am more impacted by the change in seasons than I realise and get down... and reach for the old faithful fags.

I am better at quitting when I take up a new addiction (running, weightlifting, yoga) to replace it with, but I do need to be feeling reasonably well thyroid wise to do those things. I also have a strange idea (which I can’t justify at all, but here goes anyway) that I might need my thyroid meds fractionally higher when not smoking. It might be a coincidence though, because as I have suggested I’m sometimes more active when not smoking and that would mean I’m burning through more fT3. Anyway I am finally getting somewhere with the new medication combo and have enough energy to make it beyond the patio furniture so I am gearing up for another quit attempt either this Monday or next Monday... or... hmm! I could do with a guarantee of good weather to help me set sail and plot the new course!

With the better weather I’m walking more over the last few days but nowhere near as much as I used to and I am achy and tired... And it’s my upper back and shoulders and hips more than the obvious walking bits of me... Which suggests T3 issues possibly, given past experiences. I plan to carry on with that because I like being in the fresh air and I am also thinking that the nearer I can get to my normal life whilst experimenting with dosages, the more worthwhile the experiment. Sitting on my arse isn’t normal for me!

I’m definitely planning on being very active before my next NHS test just to see if I really can banjax my fT3 with activity now that I am taking T3! Early morning jog then test!!!!!

[tattybogle in reply to Lotika]

Hi Lokita, Re. ~ jogging before testing T3 levels .. you might find this interesting healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

I can't remember what it told me now, (and i'm not reading it on a sunday ).. but i remember it was interesting

[Lotika in reply to tattybogle]

Ha ha! I had a quick look and thought “??”, so I shall have to try again when I can manage more than a skim read!! Couldn’t take in anything from the news I read this morning either!

I think there are about 3 variables with the exercise thing right now, if not 4...

1. Change in levo brand (long story, but can switch back easily enough)

2. Lower fT4

3. 2 months of dose change/ lockdown inactivity catching up with me

4. I’ve forgotten!!

Thank you though - I will have a look. Exercise and T3 is a big part of my experience - in the profile of you haven’t seen it! Basically it’s exercise which got me a T3 trial... because I couldn’t deny there was a serious issue anymore and nor could GP!

[tattybogle]

What i 've learned about fags and thyroids...

If you already smoke and then you stop . it is quite commonly reported on here for that to be the time that hypothyroidism is diagnosed , or worsens .

I have seen studies showing a protective association of smoking history with time of diagnosis of hypothyroidism , but will have to find this paper to be sure i'm correct about the detail. it was a bit complicated.

I've never seen any papers such as mentioned by starfish123 showing T3 is increased by smoking . but.... i do think it's likely that the stimulatory effect of nicotine may well mask the effects of hypothyroid, and may well be why some of us smoked even though stopping would be better. I know i used to have to have a fag if i was knackered and needed to hold a focussed conversation about work,

However....

If you smoke and are diagnosed with Graves disease, it is important that you do stop because smoking is associated with graves worsening , (and ? i think, with TED thyroid eye disease)

And there's no way round how bad it is for your overall health ., or your teeth.

I've given up 'giving up' , but i'm very abstemious.

[tattybogle in reply to tattybogle]

Here is a link to one paper which has information buried (deep !) within it on the subject of smoking ..healthunlocked.com/thyroidu.... I have had better ones , but have apparently lost them .

[humanbean]

I used to smoke. I smoked for a very long time and I smoked a lot every day.

I stopped 11 years ago with the help of the NHS and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) of a type that suited me, and my husband stopping at the same time also helped. I haven't smoked since.

I had less energy after stopping smoking, but at the time I didn't connect the two things. I had at least three other health problems going on at the same time I stopped smoking and working out cause and effect was impossible.

I got my first prescription for Levo about three years after I stopped smoking (and I had to beg).

[Alexkjones]

I have graves and still smoke. Bad I know but helps me get through. I’ll manage to quit one of these days.

[Lugraca in reply to Alexkjones]

I had total thyroid removed and it’s so difficult for me to give up 😟 smoking make feel so relax I definitely reduce from 5 to 3 a day always after meals I know it’s still bad but is so hard 😔

[Lotika in reply to Lugraca]

Do you know what your labs are (TSH, fT4, fT3). I’m just thinking it’s likely so much easier not to smoke when optimally medicated... If you do have the last ones to hand, you could start a separate thread and see what people think...If you’ve been there and done that before, then please ignore me! I haven’t checked your previous posts.

[Xheila]

Wow! Thank you for asking this question, I never knew about any of those links between cigarettes and hypothyroidism. Like many, I became hypo soon after quitting smoking, but I wasn't medicated for years bc I didn't know what was going on. I had no idea smoking was keeping me ~healthy~ or at least keeping me asymptomatic.Fortunately for me, being pregnant made cigarettes repulsive and they remained that way after my child was born 8 years ago. But, until my hypo was properly treated (T3 higher in the range and T4 mid-range) I continued my years-long addiction to marijuana. Yes, I was very addicted, even after months without mj, I thought about it every day, probably every hour to be honest. It was the only thing I found that could make me sleep and give me appetite. Despite always being hungry, food was repulsive to me for years because I was in such an anxious state. Now I can finally sleep and eat like a 'regular' person and I appreciate the mental clarity without pot. I'm proud I am finally not addicted. I was certainly self-medicating bc quitting was seamless when I was finally treated properly. I imagine the case would be similar for nicotine and it should be easier to quit when we see it doesn't cause the hypo symptoms to emerge.