In what ways has your health personally improved since you quit smoking?

[chuck03104]

I've been smoke free for over 150 days but, I haven't noticed any positive changes. I never coughed up brown or black flem. I always ran and smoked while in the Air Force for 20 years. I only change I experienced is my daily glucose numbers rose after I quit and they should remain higher than normal for up to three years from what I have read. I have had to inject more insulin and have gained 40 pounds in six weeks due to the increase of insulin at each meal and when I inject the long acting insulin twice a day. I do not see a valid benefit to quitting after being smoke free over 150 days.

[Thomas3.20.2010]

Hello Chuck,

Diabetes is no picnic for sure and I don't blame you for your concern. Have you spoken to your Doctor about this?

Honestly after quitting smoking for 7 Years plus in most ways I feel much, much better and in  some ways I feel a bit worse - Because I have a smoking-related illness!

It's not a quitting-related illness - it is a smoking related illness. But I'm still sick and my illness is progressive.

Diabetes is also a smoking related illness. It wasn't caused or worsened because you quit smoking. It was caused because you smoked and it worsened because it is progressive.

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/50th-anniversary/pdfs/fs_smoking_diabetes_508.pdf

Do you blame the firefighters for water damage when your house was on fire?

We sometimes can do that with smoking related illnesses.

Something to think about and I encourage you to read the article and discuss this with your Physician!

You really did make a very good decision and I did too!

Stick around. We can help each other and other folks to find the path to the healthiest possible daily living!

[Alice23]

I cannot speak to your situation.  I can only tell you this. No matter which way you turn it over in your head - nothing good comes from smoking.  There are no health benefits from smoking.  I'm not going to list all the negative things that come from smoking.  I'm going to agree with you , that it sucks when you do this for your health and wind up gaining weight and in your case throw your sugar out of whack. Those issues can be addressed and answered with a health professional.  I'm guessing - no, I'm going to say - that no health professional is going to prescribe cigarettes as a remedy to the weight/insulin issue.

150 days is a great quit.  151 is an even better quit.  Don't stop quitting - stop believing that cigarettes are a better option for you.

Best wishes ...keep it going

Alice

[molzep]

I can sing loudly and not cough. My dentist yells at me less. I have almost 0 headaches. I've had about 4 colds in the past 7.5 years instead of 14 colds. I'm sure there's a lot more!

BUT - when I first quit I also did not realize the health benefits. I considered myself to be pretty healthy when I was a smoker. I could climb stairs and mountains... I didn't truly feel the benefits deep down. I had to pay attention to realize them sometimes. Like - hey I can wear mittens when it's cold out! or Wow, I'm not anxious/desperate to leave the basketball game to have a cigarette. or It's raining out and I don't need to go out for my break!

I'm sure you can find the benefits if you look in the right places.

Breathe deep and stay strong!

MOlly 11/20/2009

[pongaselo]

It has only been 3 weeks , maybe not even. I don't count days like after this many the job is over and I can go back to whatever I was doing before. Anyhow, at 69, after quitting my sense of taste and smell are vastly improved. Once I got over the oxygen rushes, it has mellowed into a higher energy level in some very pleasing ways. My stamina has improved. I see this most at the end of the day or when there is a lot of climbing at a job site.  These are not the huge changes that you might see in a younger man but the feeling of being  clean is quite profound. People describe withdrawal as an empty feeling and I have felt that also but the overriding sensation of clearness as I breath is like a tonic and I have sort of sold myself on the empty feeling being the beginning of this clean and clear breeze that my breathing has become. Its sort of intoxicating and I have encouraged myself to become addicted to it. AS a note, I quit smoking American Spirits which were all that I smoked. The absence of the chemicals which the tobacco companies put in the other cigarettes made it easier for me to quit. I am convinced that those scumbags have a carefully designed cocktail added to the other brands that may make withdrawal and quitting much more difficult.  Just my general lack of trust for this industry or criminal consortium if you will. 

[dwwms]

Just food for thought - I smoked American Spirits exclusively since about 2002. I tried to quit twice before this time and never made it past 2+ months. Even though I knew that they were bad for me, I told myself they weren't as bad as others, because they didn't contain any additives. I also told myself that they weren't like the big tobacco companies, they were made by Sante Fe Tobacco Company and I liked how they seemed to be environmentally conscious (planting trees, small farmers, concern about butt litter). And I will admit, I liked the taste and the fact that they lasted longer than most cigs. Well, after I quit this time, I was checking out the Truth Initiative (you'll fine it at the bottom of the webpage - they are partially responsible for this community). Seems they had a lawsuit asking the FDA to make RJ Reynolds (who OWNS Sante Fe Tobacco) stop using the term "Natural", that it was misleading, making people think that these cigarettes were not bad for them. Unfortunately, the FDA did not decide to do that. So I kind of came away with the conclusion that this is all a marketing strategy by RJ Reynolds (the 2nd largest cigarette manufacturer) to appeal to the "conscientious" smoker and make them think that even though they know they shouldn't be smoking, this is a "good" alternative.

[gardenancy8]

I love that I am no longer looking silly having smoke come out of my mouth and nose like a chimney!   So un natural, that right there is a huge health benefit for all us ex smokers! 

[maryfreecig]

I'm no longer addicted to cigarettes. I'm free from the obsession/addiction/compulsion to smoke. I no longer must fix my day to meet a nicotine addiction. I no longer smoke a cigarette in the middle of the night, no longer smoke every 20 minutes, no longer smoke every time I feel something unpleasant. I no longer have to reward myself every time I get something done. I get to say no without falling apart. This freedom means a lot to me. But I had to work through a great deal of upset for a while. 150 days and you are disappointed?  I was too, at first--you are not alone, plenty of folks find that adjusting to not smoking is unpleasant for a while. This will pass.

Nicotine addiction changes everything--it takes a while to break the dependency. If you keep working this one day at a time, your addiction will fade, and you will not have to ask for proof. Thanks for speaking up and two high fives for working at not smoking for 150 days!