smoking and tx ? any damages?

[HappyDeb]

I havn't stopped my 3 cigerettes a day yet. Please tell me any info on this matter and if bad TELL TO STOP, PLEASE.

                            Debbie

[neptune235]

Smoking tobacco cigarettes causes lung cancer and death.  Stop, please.

[HappyDeb]

I say to myself that that's my only vice, but who am I kidding. I know not to do it, other then that I'm, a health fanatic.What a contradiction on my part lol. I wil will myself to stop altogether thanks for your words and encouragment. Every little bit helps. Yes we are all adults but we need to hear some wisdom too, we never stop learning or trying. god bless

                                                  Debbie

[purplecat]

Nicotine causes small blood vessels and capillaries to constrict, which decreases the blood circulation to the skin and deprives it of essential nutrients and oxygen. It also draws water out of the tissue and causes dehydration.  

TX is causing major dehydration with skin problems and terrible dryness.  Nicotine just intensifies the problem.  Try to stop.

[Catll]

"Smoking causes a variety of adverse effects on organs
that have no direct contact with the smoke itself such
as the liver. It induces three major adverse effects on
the liver: direct or indirect toxic effects, immunological
effects and oncogenic effects. Smoking yields chemical
substances with cytotoxic potential which increase
necroinflammation and fibrosis. In addition, smoking
increases the production of pro-infl ammatory cytokines
(IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-a) that would be involved in
liver cell injury. It contributes to the development of
secondary polycythemia and in turn to increased red
cell mass and turnover which might be a contributing
factor to secondary iron overload disease promoting
oxidative stress of hepatocytes. Increased red cell mass
and turnover are associated with increased purine
catabolism which promotes excessive production of
uric acid. Smoking affects both cell-mediated and
humoral immune responses by blocking lymphocyte
proliferation and inducing apoptosis of lymphocytes.
Smoking also increases serum and hepatic iron which
induce oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation that lead
to activation of stellate cells and development of fi brosis.
Smoking yields chemicals with oncogenic potential that
increase the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
in patients with viral hepatitis and are independent
of viral infection as well. Tobacco smoking has been
associated with supression of p53 (tumour suppressor
gene). In addition, smoking causes suppression of T-cell
responses and is associated with decreased surveillance
for tumour cells. Moreover, it has been reported that
heavy smoking affects the sustained virological response
to interferon (IFN) therapy in hepatitis C patients which
can be improved by repeated phlebotomy. Smoker’s
syndrome is a clinico-pathological condition where
patients complain of episodes of facial fl ushing, warmth
of the palms and soles of feet, throbbing headache,
fullness in the head, dizziness, lethargy, prickling
sensation, pruritus and arthralgia."

[HappyDeb]

HOLY COW. I WAS AMAZED AT THE IFORMATION GIVEN TO ME ABOUT SMOKING AND VIRUS. THAT OPENED MY EYES AND ANYONE OUT THERE THAT NEEDS TO KNOW IT TOO. THANKS AGAIN, YOU ROCK

                       DEBBIE

[GrandmaA]

I was down to 4 cigarettes a day when I quit when I was almost 24 years old. It is very addictive, but you can do it. Others have succeeded and you can also.

[l-horn]

4 cigarettes per day ? That's like not smoking.

Smoking is a hit miss proposition. Beyond going into how it makes you feel, some people it bites em' in the asss, some people it doesn't. My moms dad smoked 4 packs of Marlboro Reds a day from the time he was 14 and died at 74 of emphysema. ( Not a pretty death ). My dads dad smoked a few cigarettes a day and an occassional cigar for 75 years and died of prostate cancer when he was 92. 75 YEARS the man smoked and it still didn't kill him or even make him sick but he didn't smoke 2,3,4 packs per day. Every afternoon he kicked back and had a couple of scotches and few smokes. My moms dad ALWAYS had a lit cigarette in his face. ALWAYS.

So the lesson there, and most of the anti-smokers don't want to acknowledge this, is not all smoking is the same. Same as not all drinking is the same, or all eating.

[antman]

i would have to agree with you I-horn. i wouldn't think moderation in any form will kill you. my problem, and this is me, is that i can't seem to control anything that i "like". if i like boozing i want to booze all the time, if i like smoking or drugs, give it to me all the time. it seems like it took a long time to cross over from vices to addictions. but once i crossed that line, there was no turning back.

[l-horn]

The older I've become the more I value quality over quantity.

[HappyDeb]

quality over quantity that's right. It starts to get easier as we get wiser.


                                                             Debbie

[stacyb321]

Deb - Im on the patch to quit smoking...i smoked about 7 cigs a day.  But everything you ingest and inhale goes thru the liver...not good.  Good luck to you.

[meki]

I can't be a hypocrite deb...

I smoke - smoked all the way through TX...

Could be why some sides were there... LOL!

But --- I couldn't stop (not necessarily addicted... Just ADDICTED... LMAO!)

Truthfully, I do want to stop - and have a plan to do so when I go in for my hysterectomy in a few months. (I have to have some major surgery besides the hysterectomy also - which will keep me in the hospital for about a week --- which will give me that break --- while I'm on morphine and won't notice the withdrawal. LOL!)

So - I have it allllllllllll planned out.

I won't promise that it will work -- but I will promise that while I'm in the hospital - I won't even be thinking about smoking the first couple of days.

LOL!

So - hey - wishing you great luck on not smoking.

Meki

[bobbyullc]

i quit 32 years ago when my wife told me i smelled like a filthy ashtray. we do not even allow people who smoke in our house as they smell so bad. we find friends who have a little self control.

sorry BUT,
that is the way we feel.
never mind tx. how about your self image?

bobby

[HappyDeb]

Dear Meki,

I had a partial hysterectomy seven years ago. Oh yes you have that little button of morphine right there to push anytime you feel pain. Yes that will help you on your way to stop. I've stopped so many times, for long period of times, thats why I can do the only one to three aday. But not any more. Makes damn good sense that yes it goes right through your liver with evil toxins and hear we are chatting about side effects and cure all ideas and we are still damaging the one thing we are trying to fix. DAH!!! that's pretty dumb, don't you think? cold turkey baby !!!! I mean for me, and it's not hard for me because my fianxe does not know I cheat with cigs. and he never smoked ( yes, I'm a closet smoker)The only thing was when my parents visit and my older daughter, they all puff . Just got to stay positive, Yeah!!! When you go for your surgery, please after you go home from the hospital,totally rest, no stress at all. I had stress with my old boyfriends snotty daughter and pulled my inside stiches trying to go down a flight of stairs to talk to her.No good , take care of your self and you will be fine. Anyway , after that I never had to worry about getting pregnent LOL.It is great, and also I can plan a holiday anytime now, NO PERIOD!!!!!! so you see it diffenitly has it's up sides. And bull s**t about gaining weight, that will be all up to you and how you eat and stay active.Just like anything. Well Meki you have a great day and speak to you soon.

                                                                  Debbie