Post by judyb on Oct 6, 2004 11:10:38 GMT -5
Repost - especially for newbies
From lastchance on 7/6/99 11:32:06 AM
This is only a little tongue in cheek.
It is for all the people who are just starting...roughly adapted from something my Dr. gave
me...but MUCH better now that I have fixed it up. Read, study! There may be pop quizzes!.
What you might/will experience when you quit:
Hunger- an increase in appetite is normal. Why do you think all those skinny models smoke?
Because smoking DOES affect the appetite--ergo, so does not-smoking. Drink lots of water.
Remember when you started smoking and it made you feel a little nauseous? So you know that it
affected your stomach, right? Well, quitting will affect it, too--trick it into thinking it's hungry.
Deal with it any way you can...or not. You won't keep on gaining forever. Gaining 10 pounds is
not on a scale with the Rape of Nanking. (pun intended...I can't help myself)
Constipation and Gas: Intestinal motility (action to you non medical types) may decrease. East
lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you have to, eat prunes and drink prune juice. We don't want
to talk too much about this. Be careful it doesn't make you a walking time bomb! By the way,
sometimes the gas is just because you're eating a lot more, and your poor intestines aren't sure
how to handle it! Be kind to your 'tines. Tolerance is a virtue. Don't stand in front of people.
Perspiration: Your body is clearing away years of pollution with hundreds of dangerous and
poinsonous chemicals. This is one of its ways of cleaning up. Drink lots of water and juices. That
speeds up the process. Use pit stick. This is one of the reason we are always telling people to
take baths! heheh.
Bad breath: See above. The chemistry in your mouth is different. You may experience all kinds of
things from sores to teeth clenching (from tension) to infected gums. See your dentist. He/she
will applaud your decision to quit even while treating the effects, because in the end, your teeth
and gums will benefit! Brush, floss and rinse often. Can't hurt. Smile.
Dizziness - accompanied with tremors and headaches--could be carbon monoxide withdrawal.
Experienced very early in the quit. Breath deeply, go for a walk. Laugh. That's why we tell jokes
on the "Q"--because laughing out loud is very good for you.
Honest.
Sore scalp, itchy hands and feet: Circulation is improving and very early in the quit can be
interpreted as itching or soreness. It will go away very quickly.
BONUSTIME: Your fingernails and toenails will begin to look MUCH better in a few months when
you start to see the results of this improved circulation. You may, if you wish, treat yourself to a
manicure and pedicure with some of th money you will save. Also, when you feel like scratching
someone's eyes out, (and you will) you will have better weapons. We are ALWAYS looking out for
you!
Coughing, hacking and bringing up unmentionable stuff:
Over a period of years of smoking the lungs produce large amounts of phlegm in an attempt to
protect themselves from what you are doing to them by smoking. After you stop smoking, this
material loosens and is removed from the lungs by coughing. Occasionally, mucus will be
coughed up for weeks or months, particularly in people who have smoked for a long time.
This is your lungs having their revenge on you. You did something disgusting to them for years,
now they will do something disgusting to you. Live with it.
No, no...I didn't mean that....think of it as them gradually turning from phlegm-filled bags of
gunk, into lovely healthy baby pink organs that will serve you well into your 90's now that you
have stopped abusing them.
Insomnia: can be part of the quitting process, some would say is USUALLY part of the process.
Caused by the withdrawal from nicotine, I think. It WILL go away in a few weeks. If you are taking
Zyban, it may take a little longer. If you are on the patch, try not wearing it at night. See if your
Doctor will prescribe you something that will make you drowsy at appropriate times. After all,
he/she has been bi*ching and nagging about the smoking for years, right? So now that you are
doing something about it, the least they can do is open up the prescription pad, so to speak. A
little help from the pharmaceutical folks is not going to compromise the quit. Use every weapon
you have, or can get~!!!!!!
Sleepiness and fatigue: I know, this is the opposite of the above. This is a paradox or something,
but it DOES happen. It is much easier to deal with than insomnia, because the cure is simple.
SLEEP!
If you can sleep through the first week it is much easier anyway...
Did you get all that? I haven't even BEGUN to talk about irritability--that is a whole post in itself.
quitnet (I think....) - Lastchance
From lastchance on 7/6/99 11:32:06 AM
This is only a little tongue in cheek.
It is for all the people who are just starting...roughly adapted from something my Dr. gave
me...but MUCH better now that I have fixed it up. Read, study! There may be pop quizzes!.
What you might/will experience when you quit:
Hunger- an increase in appetite is normal. Why do you think all those skinny models smoke?
Because smoking DOES affect the appetite--ergo, so does not-smoking. Drink lots of water.
Remember when you started smoking and it made you feel a little nauseous? So you know that it
affected your stomach, right? Well, quitting will affect it, too--trick it into thinking it's hungry.
Deal with it any way you can...or not. You won't keep on gaining forever. Gaining 10 pounds is
not on a scale with the Rape of Nanking. (pun intended...I can't help myself)
Constipation and Gas: Intestinal motility (action to you non medical types) may decrease. East
lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you have to, eat prunes and drink prune juice. We don't want
to talk too much about this. Be careful it doesn't make you a walking time bomb! By the way,
sometimes the gas is just because you're eating a lot more, and your poor intestines aren't sure
how to handle it! Be kind to your 'tines. Tolerance is a virtue. Don't stand in front of people.
Perspiration: Your body is clearing away years of pollution with hundreds of dangerous and
poinsonous chemicals. This is one of its ways of cleaning up. Drink lots of water and juices. That
speeds up the process. Use pit stick. This is one of the reason we are always telling people to
take baths! heheh.
Bad breath: See above. The chemistry in your mouth is different. You may experience all kinds of
things from sores to teeth clenching (from tension) to infected gums. See your dentist. He/she
will applaud your decision to quit even while treating the effects, because in the end, your teeth
and gums will benefit! Brush, floss and rinse often. Can't hurt. Smile.
Dizziness - accompanied with tremors and headaches--could be carbon monoxide withdrawal.
Experienced very early in the quit. Breath deeply, go for a walk. Laugh. That's why we tell jokes
on the "Q"--because laughing out loud is very good for you.
Honest.
Sore scalp, itchy hands and feet: Circulation is improving and very early in the quit can be
interpreted as itching or soreness. It will go away very quickly.
BONUSTIME: Your fingernails and toenails will begin to look MUCH better in a few months when
you start to see the results of this improved circulation. You may, if you wish, treat yourself to a
manicure and pedicure with some of th money you will save. Also, when you feel like scratching
someone's eyes out, (and you will) you will have better weapons. We are ALWAYS looking out for
you!
Coughing, hacking and bringing up unmentionable stuff:
Over a period of years of smoking the lungs produce large amounts of phlegm in an attempt to
protect themselves from what you are doing to them by smoking. After you stop smoking, this
material loosens and is removed from the lungs by coughing. Occasionally, mucus will be
coughed up for weeks or months, particularly in people who have smoked for a long time.
This is your lungs having their revenge on you. You did something disgusting to them for years,
now they will do something disgusting to you. Live with it.
No, no...I didn't mean that....think of it as them gradually turning from phlegm-filled bags of
gunk, into lovely healthy baby pink organs that will serve you well into your 90's now that you
have stopped abusing them.
Insomnia: can be part of the quitting process, some would say is USUALLY part of the process.
Caused by the withdrawal from nicotine, I think. It WILL go away in a few weeks. If you are taking
Zyban, it may take a little longer. If you are on the patch, try not wearing it at night. See if your
Doctor will prescribe you something that will make you drowsy at appropriate times. After all,
he/she has been bi*ching and nagging about the smoking for years, right? So now that you are
doing something about it, the least they can do is open up the prescription pad, so to speak. A
little help from the pharmaceutical folks is not going to compromise the quit. Use every weapon
you have, or can get~!!!!!!
Sleepiness and fatigue: I know, this is the opposite of the above. This is a paradox or something,
but it DOES happen. It is much easier to deal with than insomnia, because the cure is simple.
SLEEP!
If you can sleep through the first week it is much easier anyway...
Did you get all that? I haven't even BEGUN to talk about irritability--that is a whole post in itself.
quitnet (I think....) - Lastchance