Phil71 wrote:I smoked over 20 a day from 1981 until 2010. Then I was diagnosed with a narrowed artery. It was by accident. I was in hospital for something else and they found it.
It was pretty surreal sitting across from my cardiologist while he laid it all out. I had coronary artery disease at 45, and he was considering all options, including a bypass. Was this really happening to me? Really?
Eventually he decided on coronary angioplasty. A small titanium tube is inserted into the artery to widen it.
He didn’t need to tell me twice that I had to stop smoking. He said he could give me drugs to regulate my blood pressure, and drugs to thin my blood, and more drugs to reduce my cholesterol, but the simple act of giving up smoking would do me more favours than all of those drugs combined.
I went to my GP, who referred me to the practice nurse (she was great by the way), and it was decided I should try a drug called Champix. You start on a low dose for a week, then it gets upped. For the first month you continue to smoke as normal, with weekly checks at the surgery. After a few weeks, my fags started to taste disgusting. Just rancid. All I was getting was a rancid, acrid taste in my mouth with each one. Naturally I was less inclined to smoke, and my intake slowed to about 25%.
On my next visit to the surgery, I asked the nurse if the drugs made cigarettes taste nasty. She laughed, and replied, “No Phil, cigarettes just taste nasty... you’ve only just realised.”
The Champix works to identify the receptors in the brain that are stimulated by nicotine. They put a screen over those receptors, and block the nicotine from reaching them. By the time you’ve been taking them for a month you could smoke 100 fags, pull on 10 litres of vape liquid, or attach 500 patches to your skin, and you ain’t getting no nicotine hit.
The next step is that you completely stop. You chuck away your fags, lighters, ashtrays, and any other smoking paraphernalia you may have. Bin it all. You continue to take the drug for another 2 months, all the while being tested every week at the surgery to make sure you’re not smoking.
The hardest part is changing your habits. Having smoked for nigh on 30 years, it wasn’t easy. I recall a few days after I had stopped, I was having a nice meal one evening, when suddenly a thought shot from the back of my mind right to the front. ‘You’re not going to smoke a fag after this.’. I was overcome with what could only be described as panic. My stomach knotted, and I started to sweat. I had a few episodes like that in the weeks that followed. I guess if you beat the same path for 30 years, then suddenly change, it can f**k with your head.
The reason I came to this thread this evening is because I was reminded earlier that it has never left me. I was sat in my armchair drinking a beer, and reached to my right hand side for my fag box. I had always kept it there. How hard it is sometimes to completely remove a learned and well practiced pattern of behaviour. You do it without thinking.
I have been fag free since October 2010. My health is good, and I’m so glad I did it.
Sincere best wishes to everyone who wants to give up. You can do it if you really want to.
Glad you're fine and could quit.
It's impossible for some, I've seen.
Va-Va-Voom wrote:Can't believe people still smoke in 2018.
You'll be surprised that it's an increasing trend in many parts of the world, especially East European and some Asian countries.
It's part of the culture in many countries and, brace yourself, not smoking can sometimes be passed off as antisocial in some circles!
Ach wrote:Never smoked
2nd greatest evil in the world
What's #1?
UFGN wrote:Bloke I work with has throat cancer from smoking
Also has horrific ulcers on his legs caused by poor circulation caused by smoking
They can't operate on this legs because his chemo has to take priority
He's lost four stone and most of his hair. Lost his voice for six months
He still smokes
Some people can't quit. I've noticed it among my friends. They'll quit for a week or two before relapsing.