Smoking ............... No more.

[e-rider]

Thats it.....
Woke up this morning and thought, F**k It! I'm not doing this anymore.

So after 23 years of smoking roll-ups I've quit as from today.

Anyone else done this as I feel like crap

Feeling like crap for a few weeks/months is better than going to your GP in a few years time (and it might only be a few) and being told you've got cancer (of something, probably lungs) and 6 months to live! It will be a painful and ugly 6 months too! Stick with it - you really need to.

 

[e-rider]

I'm just over 5 years quit after smoking for 45 years and many attempts to stop.
There is a lot of help available via the NHS (or was when I quit).
I found a lot of help from the following website where I still visit regularly
http://www.as3-web.org/

It is good being free from tobacco so congratulations on your quit start.

45 years! There are loads of people that die from smoking after 20 years of fags - you must be seriously hardcore; or were you on 3 per day?

 

[mickle]

I once read that smoking takes an average of 40 years to kill you....

 

[e-rider]

yes mate you?
think my lungs are having a clear out

I felt pretty good after about 4 weeks
After 3 months life was fairly normal
and after 2 years I felt the same as before starting smoking

you can do it

 

[mickle]

Does anyone know where to find information about how long after giving up your body returns to normal? I looked but I cant find it. Lung function, chances of contracting lung cancer, that sort of thing.

 

[e-rider]

I once read that smoking takes an average of 40 years to kill you....

sounds about right - most people seem to fit in the 20-60 years bracket I think

 

[e-rider]

Does anyone know where to find information about how long after giving up your body returns to normal? I looked but I cant find it. Lung function, chances of contracting lung cancer, that sort of thing.

if you've smoked for any decent length of time, you will never return to 'normal'. The damage is there forever. However, many things do start to improve, and the chemicals slowly begin to leave the body, reducing your chances of further damage. It can take a decade for some of the shoot to drop to normal levels.

 

[Peteaud]

Does anyone know where to find information about how long after giving up your body returns to normal? I looked but I cant find it. Lung function, chances of contracting lung cancer, that sort of thing.

http://whyquit.com/whyquit/a_benefits_time_table.html




Within ...
• 20 minutes
Your blood pressure, pulse rate and the temperature of your hands and feet have returned to normal.
• 8 hours
Remaining nicotine in your bloodstream will have fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, a 93.75% reduction.
• 12 hours
Your blood oxygen level will have increased to normal and carbon monoxide levels will have dropped to normal.
• 24 hours
Anxieties have peaked in intensity and within two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.
• 48 hours
Damaged nerve endings have started to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to normal. Cessation anger and irritability will have peaked.
• 72 hours
Your entire body will test 100% nicotine-free and over 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals it breaks down into) will now have passed from your body via your urine. Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness. The number of cue induced crave episodes experienced during any quitting day will peak for the "average" ex-user. Lung bronchial tubes leading to air sacs (alveoli) are beginning to relax in recovering smokers. Breathing is becoming easier and the lung's functional abilities are starting to increase.
• 5 - 8 days
The "average" ex-smoker will encounter an "average" of three cue induced crave episodes per day. Although we may not be "average" and although serious cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours, it is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes. Keep a clock handy and time them.
• 10 days
10 days - The "average" ex-user is down to encountering less than two crave episodes per day, each less than 3 minutes.
• 10 days to 2 weeks
Recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in your gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user.
• 2 to 4 weeks
Cessation related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness and depression have ended. If still experiencing any of these symptoms get seen and evaluated by your physician.
• 21 days
Brain acetylcholine receptor counts that were up-regulated in response to nicotine's presence have now down-regulated and receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers.
• 2 weeks to 3 months
Your heart attack risk has started to drop. Your lung function is beginning to improve.
• 3 weeks to 3 months
Your circulation has substantially improved. Walking has become easier. Your chronic cough, if any, has likely disappeared. If not, get seen by a doctor, and sooner if at all concerned, as a chronic cough can be a sign of lung cancer.
• 8 weeks
Insulin resistance in smokers has normalized despite average weight gain of 2.7 kg (1997 study).
• 1 to 9 months
Any smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath have decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs, thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your lungs clean and reduce infections. Your body's overall energy has increased.
• 1 year
Your excess risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke have dropped to less than half that of a smoker.
• 5 years
Your risk of a subarachnoid haemorrhage has declined to 59% of your risk while still smoking (2012 study). If a female ex-smoker, your risk of developing diabetes is now that of a non-smoker (2001 study).
• 5 to 15 years
Your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker.
• 10 years
Your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is between 30% and 50% of that for a continuing smoker (2005 study). Risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack per day). Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and pancreas have declined. Risk of developing diabetes for both men and women is now similar to that of a never-smoker (2001 study and2012 study).
• 13 years
The average smoker able to live to age 75 has 5.8 fewer teeth than a non-smoker (1998 study). But by year 13 after quitting, your risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never-smoker (2006 study).
• 15 years
Your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked. Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker (2011 study - but note 2nd pancreatic making identical finding at 20 years).
• 20 years
Female excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has now reduced to that of a never-smoker (2008 study). Risk of pancreatic cancer reduced to that of a never-smoker (2011 study).

 

[mickle]

Nice one, thanks.

 

[Peteaud]

Im sure Ive seen it wrote that 15 years after giving up your chances of contracting lung cancer to match that of the general population.

I think i have seen that as well.

On my diary of a smoker post i think i quoted it.

 

[compo]

45 years! There are loads of people that die from smoking after 20 years of fags - you must be seriously hardcore; or were you on 3 per day?

In the military I smoked Gauloises but only because we were given 20 a day. Later back in civil I started to roll my own and went through 4oz of Golden Virginia a week. Most of my life I have been very fit even though a smoker, regularly cycling and running and long distance hiking. I guess that the active lifestyle offset some of the bad effects of smoking, or I just wasn't marked out to die early from smoking related diseases. I had a few years of very ill health, not smoking related, I bashed up my spine, and I lost my fitness and piled on loads of weight. After some operations that got me mobile again I restarted cycling, quit the weed, and am now on a desperate weight loss kick.

 

[monkeylc]

In the military I smoked Gauloises but only because we were given 20 a day.

the military gave you fags? that just wrong man!

good luck with the weight loss mate

 

[Panter]

yes mate you?
think my lungs are having a clear out

Good man
Yup, I'm still off them, 15 days now
To quote cubist in the other thread, I think I coughed up a tabby cat in small chunks on day 10!

 

[monkeylc]

seven,cough,days,cough!

Woocoughhoo

 

[Robxxx7]

Currently on day 3 of giving up smoking ... had been smoking about 10-12 cigarettes a day for the last 20 years ...
Decided that it was time to kick the habit with the aid of some Niquitin Mini's .... and so far going quite well