What about smoking,?

[Kit-c]

I was wondering How many smokers we have,and how it affects
Tx,,,
I just was reading how it does make a differance on your liver
..
I am a lite smoker,,,I wish I could just Quit all together....

Thanks,,,

see you,,,,,,,,Gale................kit

[LadyY]

Good question...I'm a bit more than a lite smoker...any info. might help to give up this awfull habit. I actually am smoking more lately...stress related.

[jmjm530]

We've had some threads on this in the past and if memory serves me, some studies suggest that cigarette smoking cuts down your odds of treating successfully. While one might argue that treatment is the worst time to stop smoking, it could also be looked up as the best for two reasons. First, being motivation -- your chances of SVR will improve; and second being that it's often easier to stop smoking when you're sick with a cold or the flu as we often feel on the treatment drugs. Certainly worth a shot to see. BTW if you need help, I couldn't recommend "Smokenders" more. Helped me quit over 20 years ago. http://www.smokenders.com/
It's a series of weekly group sessions that reach beyond just smoking but into the why's, etc. You may find the support the group offers helpful not only to stop smoking but with your treatment for HCV if you care to share that.

-- Jim

[debnevada]

well yikes. I'm slightly overweight and i smoke ...not  lite but not heavy. i figure i'll work on the weight thing first (lost 15 pounds in the last month) and then quit smoking.

[Kit-c]

Hi there,,,

I have read that smoking is quite hard on the liver as well,,,

GGeezz lets see,,,quit smoking,,,loose weight,,,,better the chances on

the treatment working,,,,aargggg,I might not get a chance for my hair to fall out,

I might have already pulled it out,.,.,---

but I want it,(Tx) so much to work,,,I will keep trying,,trying to loose those dang pounds,.,.,.,.,
and cut out all the smokes,,,,so stinkie anyways---

Hang in there,,Gale.............................................

[mauilady]

Personally, I can't imagine smoking while on tx, the way the meds affect my lungs.  I can't even be around anyone who smokes without suffering later on.  At least now I have a good excuse to ask people not to smoke around me... ;-)  BTW, I'm an ex-smoker.  I quit 25 years ago.  I also chewed tobacco.  YUCK!!!  (I even had the tell-tale Copenhagen ring on my right rear Levis pocket...)  Hmmm... now that I've destroyed everyone's impression of me...  I'll probably regret posting this!

[ladybug52]

ML: You have really dissappointed me. Smoke AND chew? LOL. I believe I've given up worse habits in the last 35 years.
Kit-c: I didn't smoke till about 2 years ago. I was smart enough to raise my kids before I picked up this nasty habit. There's a new drug out that has really helped a lot of people I know. I don't want to add something to the mix while on tx. but I keep saying I'm going to quit when I'm thru. I also said I was going to quit several other times, but I'm weak and unmotivated.
As far as smoking, everything I read says it accelerates liver damage, I was und at 3, 4 and12 weeks, I had been worrying about the smoking, that's why I tried to stop.
Good luck,
Bug

[shastri20032003]

third week of tx...made lots of plans to quit smoking before tx...all the plans went out of the window...only managed to reduce a bit.....smoking continues on tx!
But of course if you can stop,nothing like it!

[doxzee]

hi, i've been smoking a long time. 3rd. wk tx. and i feel a little stress now on my breathing. Hopefully i can quit with this tx. I have cut back alot also dr. gave me wellbutrin to help. Good luck and welcome aboard.

[chcnme]

Funny on the chewing and smoking - lol.   I was considering either trying chewing tobacco or dipping some snuff, myself - seriously.   I am a heavy smoker.  Been smoking since I was.... gosh - 12 yrs old??   Stole Lucky Strikes and Pall Malls from my parents and hid behind the barn smoking.  That's when it all started :)  Smoking cigs is BAD for a Hep liver from all I've read and from what my doc says.   My doc at Duke (hepatologist) thinks cig smoking can do as much damage to the liver as alcohol, and in fact I would venture to say he was far more concerned about the effects of cigarette smoke than ETOH on the liver - or - in my case, at least  (since I didn't drink)  he was always asking "how is your smoking coming?"   lol - it's coming along fine, doc.  hmmm.....I bet I'll be like my mom one day - 85 yrs old, demented, and asking over and over  "do you have a cigarette?"   I dole hers out  (she gets 5 a day, poor woman), but she's OK with it.  She has chronic lung disease and shouldn't be smoking ONE,  but what are we do to - make her last few years of life miserable years by taking away her one GREATEST pleasure in life - her cigarettes???  I should dole my own out but... I'm keeper of the cartons and ... have no will power.

I gotta go find a match :)

[OnAPrettyPoison]

I smoked off and on since I was  a teenager (mostly on!) and when I started treatment the NP didn't recommend  quitting because treatment was hard enough.  My SO had already quit smoking and wanted  me to quit too.  Well, about 2 or 3 weeks after I finished treatment I had an appendicitis attack.  I was originally diagnosed with a stomach virus and 3 days later when I was  no better they decided I needed to see a surgeon ASAP.  My appendix had gangrene in them and they took them out before they ruptured.  To make a long story short I was too sick to smoke and I quit smoking during all this with the aid of a morphine drip!   It has been six months now.....and I miss a good cig something awful!   Now I am off to Jim's "I gained weight when I got off of treatment" thread.  Only, I can't make up my mind which thing made me gain weight!

[nygirl7]

I know that smoking is NOT good for my liver - but I do.  I used the rational that well I had quit drinking and that is the worst thing you could do to it so a cig once in a while wasn't THAT BAD.  LOL ok we can talk ourselves into ANYTHING if we want to.


I'm addicted and just could not stop.  
Especially (good excuse) with all the stress of treatment.

I want to stop and I have to stop.

I just couldn't at the time.  Or uh...yet.  In fact now I want one bad.  Might have to run outside and have one!

[missy60051]

I believe us smokers should quit!  I personally smoke even more now in the past month than I ever have.  In my decision making of all the changes I have to undergo I chose to continue my smoking for now, but I know soon I have to quit.
The quitting drinking made me angry.  I love my wine after a hard day after work,to sooth my nerves of my 4 children(21,18,17,15)or anything that gets on my nerves,to even to just relax by the fire watching a movie after cooking a wonderful meal.  **** I'm going to shut up now about that.  So far I'm doing ok.  One step at a time.  Next I'll find the courage and the power to quit the smoking!
We're all trying to get healthy right?  It would only be common sense to quit smoking.  Especially knowing riba causes possible heart attacks.  I've recently been feeling chest pain.  Don't know if it's my husbands cooking, my lungs or my heart.  I've been smoking for 27 years.  It's a hard habit to quit, so for you out there who just picked it up you need to stop now.  I think we're being punished enough with hep c.  I'm trying!  I'm going into my 2nd week tx.  If I can quit drinking you can quit smoking.
former party animal
no drugs though, that is a major no no!

[diver2wu]

I have had hep c since i was inducted in the army and was not aware of it till i decided to donate blood. I have been through two treatments and I have relapsted twice. I  feel that smoking, large amounts of iburphen, milk thistile, and other liver cleaning herbs could have had something to do with the relaps. But no proof. the other factors were, That I have hemochromatois. I could eliminate all but one, the hemochromatois. I will be in one more study hopefully in the next month. So i'm not using any of the stuff above and I'll let everyone know if it worked. I have stoped smoking 6 mo. ago and the rest is a piece of cake. A word of advice for what its worth, "A quiter never wins and a winner never quits". So if you must, STOP SMOKING. It will be the best thing you will do for yourself. I do have one question for anyone. What is the difference between interferion and interfergen?

Thank you