Quit Smoking Thread

[Shelli]

Nicotine has rewired and desensitized the brains of dependent smokers by causing them to grow millions of nicotinic receptors in at least eleven different brain regions.

The nicotine addict's brain became permanently altered the first day that smoking was no longer a matter of choice and regular nicotine feedings became mandatory. The brain actually grows permanent receptors to process increased levels of nicotine. Not only do your brain's nicotine processing circuits remain ready to return to action, millions of smoking memories (including old habit triggers) stand ready for revival with just one little puff . A recovered nicotine addict can no more take a puff of nicotine than a recovered alcoholic can take one big sip, or a recovered heroin addict just a few cc's from a real small needle!

[Shelli]

My last nicotine lozenge was done yesterday at 9:00 a.m. so I'm now into my 33rd. hour of complete nicotine withdrawel. I'm starving and irritable.

[inland wave]

Hang in there girl, you can do IT!!

[Shelli]

[Artemis Entreri]

I suggest sex.... no wait you'll want to smoke afterward

[Shelli]

[Shelli]

Not all of this was me, but some of it was so me and I think that every smoker and ex-smoker will find something of themselves, past and/or present, in this article.

Tearing Down the Wall

by John R. Polito
Nicotine Cessation Educator

NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

[Shelli]

And day 3 begins.

I just have to remind myself... The sky is not falling, just my dopamine levels.

[Crumb]

Day 3? What happened to Day 7?

[Shelli]

Today is day #10 of no smoking, however, today is day #3 of no nicotine. My last nicotine lozenge ended at 9:00 a.m. this past Tuesday. So, I went through withdrawels when going from a pack a day to the lozenges, but now I'm going through withdrawels from complete nicotine abstinence.

[Shelli]

In just a little over 2 hours, the 72 hours of the worst of the physical withdrawels will be done with.

[Watser?]

[Crumb]

Great job Shelli!

[Shelli]

Fuzzies be damned!

[Crumb]

[Shelli]

"Things to do to fuzzies"

[Shelli]

94 hours nicotine free! I'm kinda edgy but not so fuzzy.

[Dingfod]

:bravo:

[Shelli]

Do you smoke, Dingfod?

[Dingfod]

Do I have to?

[Shelli]

I have no idea what your question means or why you've asked it, Dingfod.

[Dingfod]

I thought you might mean that I must be a smoker or former smoker to meaningfully contribute to this thread.

I'm glad you're quitting smoking. I respect the hell out of anyone that can kick the nicotine monkey off their back, it's a hard thing to do. From what I hear, you'll always be an ex-smoker.

Second hand smoke was probably a contributor to my beloved Grandma Mavis' death by a stroke at age 58 and smoking four packs of unfiltered Camel cigarettes per day almost certainly killed her husband, my Step-Grandad Emery, at age 65 from congestive heart failure. Her first husband, my Grandad Sam, a smoker for more than 40 years, died of emphysema at 61. My mother's brother, my Uncle Bob, a smoker from his early teens until about 7 or 8 years before he died, died at age 60 because of a heart attack. My paternal grandfather, Grandad Ted, a hand-rolled cigarette smoker, also died of emphysema at 58. In fact, my only memory of him is him in bed, on oxygen. Cigarettes are very probably the main source of early death in my family. I can't think of any other cause that rivals it.

[Shelli]

Originally Posted by Dingfod

I thought you might mean that I must be a smoker or former smoker to meaningfully contribute to this thread.

Aha. Nope, not at all. I was just curious.

I'm glad you're quitting smoking. I respect the hell out of anyone that can kick the nicotine monkey off their back, it's a hard thing to do. From what I hear, you'll always be an ex-smoker.

Thank you, and yes, I'll always be an ex-smoker / recovering nicotine addict. Having finally admitted that to myself will hopefully keep me an ex-smoker.

Second hand smoke was probably a contributor to my beloved Grandma Mavis' death by a stroke at age 58 and smoking four packs of unfiltered Camel cigarettes per day almost certainly killed her husband, my Step-Grandad Emery, at age 65 from congestive heart failure. Her first husband, my Grandad Sam, a smoker for more than 40 years, died of emphysema at 61. My mother's brother, my Uncle Bob, a smoker from his early teens until about 7 or 8 years before he died, died at age 60 because of a heart attack. My paternal grandfather, Grandad Ted, a hand-rolled cigarette smoker, also died of emphysema at 58. In fact, my only memory of him is him in bed, on oxygen. Cigarettes are very probably the main source of early death in my family. I can't think of any other cause that rivals it.

All I can say is that I'm sorry to hear of so much unnecessary suffering and premature death in your family and I hope to not meet the same fate.

[Shelli]

A short summary of nicotine's effects on the body:

Not only does nicotine cause the brain's dopamine pathways to generate a prolonged "aaahhh" reward sensation, it stops the killjoy enzyme MAO B from engaging in normal dopamine clean-up. The result is a dopamine high lasting far longer than cocaine's. Nicotine also excites the brain's fight or flight pathways which perks the senses, accelerates heart rate by up to 20 beats per minute, shuts down digestion, pumps stored fats and sugars into the bloodstream thus avoiding hunger pains, and constricts peripheral blood flow which actually drops the temperature of fingers and toes by up to 5 degrees.

[Shelli]

As of 9:00 this morning it has officially been 2 weeks of no smokes and 1 week of no nicotine!