Thursday, May 31, 2012

I have another concern

By dryeyes2 Monday, June 08, 2009

Hi,  I have another concern that i have been trying to not think about...and that is that i am a smoker...cigerrette's that is! And i wonder if anyone else out there is on the biologic's and smoking? Can you smoke right away after the biologic-Remicade? Or do you have to wait a while or what?

Fingers only please!
6/ 8/09 3:37pm

I"m not sure about the answer to your question, but did you know that rare side effects with all biologics are risks of some types of cancer.  No matter what cancer you get or are at risk of getting smoking increases your chance of getting said cancer.  I am not preaching and am an ex-smoker myself but living with what we have we don't need anymore complications.

6/ 8/09 7:24pm

Yes...i do know about all the risks with the biologic's-which is why i am so worried! I have been dealing with a whole lot here in the last several years. And i have been using all of it as an excuse to not quit smoking, but now i am at a point where i need to be real about the dangers of smoking-i'm not getting any younger & that is a realality. The biggest reason i need to quit is...my husband...he was just 42 at the time, and had qaudruple bypass surgery and an anuressum on his heart removed- just 2 years ago-and we have been told by everyone how much we need to quit.

 

While we were in the hospitol-that is all we heard over & over every minute, and all it did is make me want to smoke and i got more and more stressed out and more rebelious...it was already unbelieveable stress with what all my husband was going through! Then there was my grandfather with AD. Then my mom passing away. Not all in this order, but bad things just kept happening.

 

I have been smoking for 30 years-wow that even shocks me to think it has been that long.

 

Now i am ready to give it a big try...for my husband!

 

Congrads to you on being an EX smoker-good job

Lene Andersen, Health Guide
6/18/09 12:48pm

I quit smoking five years ago and it's hard. And you're right - people nagging you to quit been telling you about the horrible things that can happen, just makes you anxious and that makes you need a cigarette.  I literally took it one day at a time, sometimes an hour at a time or 30 minutes at a time and once I'd gotten through 30 minutes, tried another 30 minutes. The first three days are hard, but you can do it for three days. The next three weeks are in a way harder, because you have to keep going, have to keep reminding yourself why you're doing this and I remember being a bit of a bitch for about three months.  What really helped me was to separate what I wanted from what my addiction to cigarettes wanted.  When I thought that I wanted a cigarette, I couldn't quit, but when I realized that the craving was my addiction  clamoring for nicotine, I could say that is not what I want. I want to quit. It helped.

 

You have to find your reason to quit - it will only work when you're ready to quit and when you do so for yourself, not for other people. You may get some help on our stop smoking site and a friend of mine found Quitnet very helpful, as well.

 

6/18/09 1:15pm

 Thank you so much Lene-you are so cool! It is so nice to read those words. I am still struggling with this thing. That is so true, i have to want to quit. It's a huge battle. I feel like i am at war with myself all the time.

 

Thank you for those webb sites too-very helpful!

 

Cheryl

6/18/09 2:02pm
Hey Lene Congrads to you too...5 years smoke free-that is fantastic girl!!!
Lene Andersen, Health Guide
6/18/09 2:13pm

Remember - you're not at war with yourself. You're fighting the addiction. You are not the addiction.  Realizing that meant I could quit (had tried for months without success and then - whammo!).  Sure, it'll be hard, but once you separate the craving from you, it's totally possible.

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By dryeyes2— Last Modified: 09/21/10, First Published: 06/08/09