Dear Dr. Stoll,
After quitting smoking almost seven years ago, I have unfortunately found myself back in the addictive cycle. I only smoke approx 3-4 cigarettes a day, but feel strongly that I need to quit. How do you recommend I do so? I don't think I smoke enough for the "patch" but I might try the gum. Any suggestions?
The skin on my co-worker's fingertips is cracked. Despite trying many, many salves and creams he can't seem to cure it. On his behalf, I thought I'd ask a few questions:
- could this condition be due to side effects/interactions from heart medication (lipitor, verapamil, lisinopril)?
- what else could cause it?
- what can he do to get better?
- where can he get more information?
In Reply to: smoking cessation posted by julie on May 06, 1998 at 11:26:50:
I STRONGLY recommend ZYBAN for smoking cessation. I smoked for 40 YEARS and this stuff got me out of the habit in 3 weeks!! You don't have to quit smoking to take the medication. You just try to start cutting down. Soon, you realize you aren't thinking about smoking as much, then, not at all.
I don't work for these people, but they ought to pay me for all the people I've gotten on it. No one, including me, ever thought I could or would stop. Try it, your'll like it!!
In Reply to: smoking cessation posted by julie on May 06, 1998 at 11:26:50:
Dear Julie,
Read a copy of Dr Pelletier's classic "Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer". THEN, when you understand more about why this has been so difficult for YOU, find the closest instructor in self-hypnosis and put this all behind you.
As you learn how to do this, please share your experiences with this bb. Others deserve to understand this in ways that do not produce income for the conventional medical monopoly.
Walt
In Reply to: cracked fingertips posted by Michele on May 06, 1998 at 15:27:51:
Dear Michele,
Does he smoke? If so, nothing will work till he quits.
If he does not smoke, or is willing to quit (totally). I would be willing to help him learn what this is & what to do about it. Otherwise, we both are wasting our time.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: smoking cessation posted by D. B. Jones on May 07, 1998 at 08:47:05:
My experience with Zyban was much the same as the above post. However I found tyhat my insurance wouldn't pay for it BUT if your Dr, would prescribe Wellbutrum..which is the same drug and works just as well...the insurance will cover it. Good Luck
I stopped smoking April 15, 1998, and I started on the patch the next day and continued for six weeks. The first week and a half was rough, but with a little hard candy I made it through the part of giving up the cigarettes. Then I started having the same problems I have ever time I try to stop smoking. I started getting fluid in my legs. My arms and legs aching and feeling tired all the time. Then I start feeling bloated, like my body is filling up and I have a lot of pressure in abdomen and chest. It gets to the point that when I turn and twist my body or bend over it takes my breath. I seem to run out of air when I am talking. At times I get light headed and feel like I am going to faint. If I put the least amount of stress on any muscle they will cramp. I get real tired with out doing much of anything. These problems just continue to get worse until I can not do any thing. I am getting close to that point now. I am seeing a local doctor now. He has perscribed lasix, potassium, and calcium, but they are not helping. This is my sixth attempt at discontinuing smoking in the last eight years. I have been given complete medical workups three times, but no one has been able give me any answers and I have started smoking again each time and the problems go away, except for the big one I am still smoking.
Any suggestions?
In Reply to: smoking cessation posted by julie on May 06, 1998 at 11:26:50:
Here's a great online support place for smoking cessation http://www.i-depth.com/P/r/rs01161.frm.Smoking.html with in-depth discussions on zyban or welbutrin (the plusses and the minuses - there are both)and St. John's Wort. I need to quit myself but think I'll follow Walt Stoll's suggestions the next time I try.
In Reply to: symptoms from stopping smoking posted by John White on May 11, 1998 at 22:55:24:
Dear John,
I applaud your persistance. If they had told you that this could happen when you started, would you have?
If I were you, I would go back to smoking til you can discharge the hypothalamic overlosd that is causing this. This will take about 6-12 months of the regular practice of effective skilled relaxation at least twice a day for 20 minutes (not counting any done within 2 hours of retiring).
This has been discussed so many times on this BB that I will not do it again. If youknow nothing about what I am talking about, go to the home page & read about skilled relaxation.
If you need more help, write again.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: symptoms from stopping smoking posted by Walt Stoll on May 13, 1998 at 13:46:16:
Dear John,
By the way, you can speed up the discharge of your hypothalamic overload by adding the rest of the standard wellness approaches to the skilled relaxation. Until this has been discharged (6-12 months) I would not even try to stop smoking.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: symptoms from stopping smoking posted by Walt Stoll on May 15, 1998 at 10:07:28:
Hi!
I've been struggling with chest pain-diagnosed angina-Adalat 40mg+Atenolol 50mg+Isosorbide 40mg daily (?!)but today GERD has been hinted at -I get great relief from Burping out of the chest pain(no acid-just pain and wind)-I gave up smoking around 5 wks ago but I'm pretty twitchy now and I cant seem to lose any more weight (5'7" 220 lbs) would strictly limited (home rolled) smoking be out of the question ??
BillX
In Reply to: Re: symptoms from stopping smoking/GERD posted by BillX on May 15, 1998 at 12:05:14:
Dear BillX,
Just the fact that you are asking tells me that you are still not committed to wellness and that that has to change before resolution of your GERD misery AND your life-threatening diagnosis (angina) is resolved.
I know that I am not going to endear myself to you by telling it like it is but I am not going to waste my time telling you less. The time for beating around the bush in your life is long gone.
If you have EVER tried to stop smoking, and went for at least several days without a cigarette, you KNOW that that first cigarette effected you a LOT more than any single cigarette did while you smoked a pack or more a day. RIGHT? That means that you would be better off smoking a pack (or more) a day than only having a few smokes a day. Each cigarette gives you a REAL chance of precipitating a coronary from your angina (once you have cut down to a few cigarettes a day). Either one sounds the death-knell of your resolving these problems in THIS life.
Use the ginger root juice to get rid of the reflux symptoms and learn about ChelationTherapy to give you more time before your coronary to get your act together. Both are described on the home page of this website (link on this page).
THEN, when you are ready to get serious about getting well please do not hesitate to write again.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: smoking cessation posted by D. B. Jones on May 07, 1998 at 08:47:05:
I've read detailed accounts of the side effects from both Zyban and Wellbutrin. Even the nurse said that here definitely are side effects that disappear after about 3 weeks. Nobody here has mentioned those...
In Reply to: Re: symptoms from stopping smoking posted by Walt Stoll on May 15, 1998 at 10:07:28:
Dr. Stoll, sense my last communication with you; I have had follow up appointment with my local Doctor. He checked me and said, I still had fluid in my legs and body. He doubled my prescriptions of potassium and lasix and told me to come back in two to three weeks. By the time I read your, response: 5/13, I had gotten to the point, that I had made up my mind to stop and get a pack of cigarettes on my way home. All that day at work every time I walked any distance at all or looked up I would get real dizzy and would have to find some thing to lean on. So I started smoking again 05/13/98 and in a few days my symptoms started going away. I finished taking the first prescription of potassium and lasix this weekend and had not planed to fill the new prescription of the doubled doseage. My legs were starting to get sore spots ( to touch) on then I could feel when washing them. I called and cancelled my next appointment and expland that had started smoking again and that I was no longer having the problems I was seeing him for. As of to day most of my symptoms are gone. My lower legs still feel a little tired and my stamina is still not up fully, but seems to be getting better each day.
I have purchased a copy of your book and a copy of "The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook" plan to read both book. I start the wookbook this weekend, I finished the introduction and chapter 1.
I read your last response dated May 15th this morning. Idid not understand what you ment when you said, add the rest of the standard wellness approaches to the skilled relaxation.
In Reply to: Bad Side Effects, however posted by rose99 on May 18, 1998 at 09:08:18:
Dear D.B.,
Of course, you are right. People who have side effects tend not to advertize the fact. Just like people for whom a drug does not work tend not to advertize that either. Perhaps we think that both outcomes reflect on our decision to try them? Anyhow, positive results without side-effects are MUCH more likely to be reported than the other end of the stick.
It becomes the responsibility of the "taker" to learn everything they can about ANYTHING they do or take before doing it. That is why I am so insistent on people questioning their docs, reading the package insert AND learning (unfortunately, probably on their own--since the conventional medical monopoly is not likely to help them) all they can about ALL of their options.
Everyone should read page 122 of the June 1998 issue of "The Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients". People must stop being sheep led to the slaughter and learn what they do not want to know: The conventional medical monopoly is actively trying to keep any information about alternatives not only from them but from all physicians.
Thanks, Walt
In Reply to: Re: symptoms from stopping smoking posted by John White on May 18, 1998 at 14:21:49:
Dear John,
The wellness protocols are in the back of my book in the resources section--along with references.
I just didn't want to overwhelm you with too much stuff to do till you were feeling a lot better. Give yourself a year to get your whole program together. You are going to find yourself dropping off the cigarettes without effort OR these withdrawal symptoms.
Walt