<<<<<<>>>>>>Do you smoke?

[stella5349]

I am trying to piece a bit of information together on the effects of smoking and thyroid issues.  If anyone is willing to add to this poll - I would appreciate it.

I do smoke about 5 - to 10 a day. I was a much heavier smoker in my past but working at the schools I was forced to slow way down.  With all the natural things and CHinese medicine I am into - I am upset with my bad habit of smoking still.

I know it is a personal thing to ask - and if you are like me - you feel embarrassed to answer this - but if it helps us out - please answer as honest as you can.

There is a connection to smoking and thryoid issues - I am just trying to indicate to what degree.

Thanks

[Christy1950]

I might add to second hand smoke I worked for 5 years trapped in an office with 2 chain smokers and 3 with habits of 25 to 50 (must have been the only worker???). I was the only one who didn't smoke. (maybe I didn't have too I was getting enough from everyone else) You would come upstairs into the enclosed office space and it was like walking up through a cloud. One lady would have a cigarette in her hand and another alight in the tray. I think it brought on my panic attacks as they started a month after I started and stopped when I left but I used to race around with this terror inside me that i was going to die and would race around the office trying to find a place to die that would be on the one hand out of site on the other hand I wanted someone to find me if I did die....horrible time of my life.
My husband was also up to 50 a day but always smoked outside (so never saw him most nights) but gave up cold turkey after trying every gizmo and patch on the market.

[drick008]

I quit smoking for a year now after two emergency room visits and $14,000 worth of medical bills...not realy the way I want to quit, but i did it.

Rick

[dai3symae]

I smoked from my early teens until my late 20's.  I quit 24 years agp when I met my husband who had never smoked.  I do have plenty of other "addictions"...such as chocolate and any salty food.

[nissah46]

Congratulations to all of you who have quit or cut back. I know it's hard because my husband quit 23 years ago.
Trish

[DLA]

I smoked for around 20 years and quit on Feb. 1, 2007, big day for me as you can tell!  Took me many many years of trying and Chantix and determination finally did it for me.

Started smoking in high school to "look cool".  How stupid was that?  My parents also smoked when I was a child, heck, my whole family smoked until in recent years.  

Someone suggested to me that the gall bladder surgery within weeks of giving birth was also related to my smoking.

Oh, at the time I quit smoked less than 1/2 a pack per day, but had been a really heavy smoker and at times in my life smoked 2 packs a day.  Yowee!

[Carolyn1128]

I do not smoke but do drink 2-3 cups of coffee per day. Diagnosed with Hashi's 4 months ago.

Just a little FYI...my mom stopped smoking 13 years ago after a lifetime of lighten up. She was just recently diagnosed with COPD and is now on full time O2 and will be for life. The onset was very sudden.
COPD is the 4th leading cause of death in the US. Take your drs seriously!! Sorry to be such a downer I just worry about all you smokers!

C

[ChitChatNine]

Ok .. second hand smoke .. both my parents smoked the first 5yrs of my life until my mom got double pneumonia and almost died .. this was late 60's ... she stopped cold turkey in the oxygen tent and my Dad stopped then, too ....  that was a good 35 yrs ago .. but who knows what that smoke did to us kiddies back then?

C~

[redheadaussie]

Good Grief Charlie Brown! I didn't realise so many of my fellow thyroidians were smokers! Cough cough cough......
   As for your question, No I do not smoke. I tried it as a teenager and hated it. ( I never inhaled, just pretended to, to look cool!) BUT my father smoked heavily for the first few tender years of my life. I am convinced that breathing in all that disgusting vapour has given me some health issues as an adult. In Australia they are now banning smoking in a car with children under the age of 15...$150 on the spot fine....yay!
  Give it up guys! I know it is very difficult but at least try to cut back.....

[thyroidbride]

I did smoke for 12 yrs, btwn 1/4 pack a day to a pack a day.  I quit 2 years ago, before my thyroid cancer dx.  It took me about a year of being on and off the patch to stay quit, and I was thinking about it recently because "quiting" my synthroid to become hypo and get RAI is the only thing I have gone through that was harder than quiting smoking!

[utahmomma]

Wow - it's like confessional here.  Yeah, I smoke, about 10 a day.  I've been on Chantix for a year and am able to taper down to about 5 a day but when I quit Chantix I go up to a pack a day.  Blame it on the heavy stress.

Oh, AR-10 . . . Advair has been my best friend for a few years now.  :-(

Might just go up to a pack or two a day soon. :-)   Between feeling like garbage, possibility of a recurrence, and finding out that by bipolar daughter (who refused to take her thyroid meds after her TT) is pregnant . . . argh!   Yeah, it's my coping mechanism (which is probably why so many people in my life are still alive an well)

Okay, I digress.  Of the 7 in my family with thyroid problems (counting my mother) two of us were/are smokers.

[ChitChatNine]

It was released just Monday  .. brand new ... and is suggested to use for smoking as it is "addictive" !

Five were recently added ... pretty exciting stuff!

C~

[stella5349]

I didn't know there was a tracker for that too.

[ChitChatNine]

A new tracker for addiction was recently added . if you go into my profile you can see what it looks like .. you can go into your own profile and add this tracker to your profile and track the # of Smoke-Free days!!!!

Cheryl

[Squirley777]

I smoke 10-12 a day. I used to only smoke maybe 5 a day until all this thyroid stuff started.  I did quit for 3 months and found it didn't matter one way or the other.  My only other vice is 2 cups of weak tea per day.

[Liz94]

I don't smoke, have never even tried it. My big vice is my one cup of highly caffienated coffee in the morning. Without it there could be issues!

[Rite760]

I smoke a pack a day like AR unfortunately. I'm so stressed out with everything that's happened to my body this past year that I can't cut down at the moment.
But I know I should because there is a definite link between smoking and hyperthyroidism. Apparently smoking increases the symptoms of hyperthyroidism, but is not too much of a bother to hypothyroidism.

[Suzie3471]

I don't smoke... and was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.

I do drink coffee (2 cups a day), but try to avoid any other caffienated drinks.

And I eat too much sugar and chocolate, I'm sure.

[jax190]

im an ex smoker gave up 10 years ago thyroid problems started 2 1/2 years ago

[nissah46]

I'm a non-smoker. My vice is chocolate!

[kitty9309]

Smoking does impair thyroid function.

Nyxie also posted the following site:

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/333/15/964

"Conclusions Smoking increases the metabolic effects of hypothyroidism in a dose-dependent way. This may be explained by alteration of both thyroid function and hormone action. "

[mommy2two2008]

I smoke 5-10 a day too.  Tried to "quit" using CHANTIX right when they found the goiter (stupid thyroid) and so I started taking Chantix and Levothyroxine at the same (an hour apart) and then came the numbness and tingles in my chin.  I stopped both and the numbness and tingles stopped.  Now I am smoking and taking the Levo and no tingles (guess Chantix is not good for thyroid huh - they should say that on the box!!!)

Smoking for about way too long, I think like 12 years.  Lots of Diet Dr. Pepper too.

working on those....... this is interesting would like to see what you find on smoking and thyroid!

[AR-10]

I smoke, and I know it's not good for me.

I was told a year ago I have COPD, and I'll believe it when they hand me an inhaler. Until then I'm in denial.

But yes, I have been a pack-a-dayer for thirty some years. My wife has quit, and I plan to quit...later. I talked it over with my GP last year, and he thought maybe this Summer would be a better time to try. So I am smoking under doctor's orders.

How's that for rationalization and jusification?

[Nyxie63]

I smoke.  Working on quitting.  Have to or my doc's going to hang me by my toes soon.

Here's a few articles/papers on the smoking/thyroid connection:

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/333/15/964

http://thyroid.about.com/cs/latestresearch/a/smoking.htm

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/496223_3

http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20000321/smoking-risk-thyroid-disease

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/160/5/661

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/167/13/1428

http://www.eje-online.org/cgi/content/full/154/6/777

http://www.eje-online.org/cgi/content/full/152/4/491

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/reprint/333/15/964.pdf

http://www.wddty.com/03363800371383965926/thyroid-problems-smoking-link.html

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1771717

That's just to get you started... let me know if you want more. :D

[ChitChatNine]

I wonder as it is a stimulant and we know that caffeine does a # on the meds according to the research in the Health Pages.

I don't smoke.

Sugar and Cream in my coffee and non-diet soft drinks are my bad things.

Cheryl