Go ahead!...ask us anything!

[imported_Raging Bulldog]

I'd try to answer your question Res Dog, if only I could figure out what you're on about. What group are you from mate? lolol..
Raging Bulldog

 

[imported_Raidpatch]

Reservoir Dog: I'm not too sure whether you are in search of a fair dinkim answer, but nonetheless, I have found this for you. It kind of explains it in a mudy way--

FACTION- This word has a contentious connotation and organizations often find it threatening. Political groups, for example, wishing to give the impression of unity, may deny it exists and call it a fiction. Or they might acknowledge some division, but minimize it as a fraction.
The word faction comes from the circus. No, not the kind where they have clowns, although my example about politicians might have lead you to guess that. This is the Roman Circus Maximus, and the performers we're interested in were the charioteers. They were grouped by "parties," the Latin word for which was factio. Each wore a different color. In the waning days of the Empire, two of the factios were also organized along political lines. They clashed over their politics, giving rise to the modern word faction and its disputatious sense.
Moral: If you drive a chariot and don't want friction, stick to the action and avoid the faction.

Raidpatch

 

[imported_eels fan...]

Having recently given up smoking why do I now find it harder to train & recover my breath between exercises? Shouldn't my lack of cancer sticks be a good thing?

Ps: Those who think they will try to give up soon, DONT go cold turkey. I've felt like my head has been full of cotton wool ever since & my temper is burning offof about a 2mm wick. I'll be buggered if I can find the silver lining on this little cloud!

 

[Willow]

eels fan...:
I'm just layman but I have overheard experts talking about withdrawals and what happens to the body. I dont know the technical terminology but I think I understand the basics. So excuse me for dumbing it down, this being for my benefit more than anyrthing.

Addictions are very powerful and will do anything to keep going.
When the body gets bombarded with poisons, such as alcohol or nicotine, the first reaction is to reject it. We usually get pretty sick after our first drug experience. But in time, the body begins to take on the drug as being normal. It absorbs the poison and actually becomes dependant on it. No surprises there but try and give it up and things get a little confusing.

Just like the first time you took it up, when you go cold turkey, the body rejects the new regime. You get sick.
People who stop drinking often complain of headaches and feeling run down.They feel worse than when they were drinking. The temptation to drinkremains because the body is going through a chemical upheaval and it could take weeks, months or even yearsto start feeling 'normal' again.
There are some experts who believe thatnicotineiseven more addictive than heroin. I dont know about that but I think we all know that it has its hooks in a fair percentage of the population.

I can only imagine (having never been addicted to ciggies myself) that the reason for theshortness of breathis because your body is still recovering. Not only because of the physical lung damage you have sufferedbut also because of the chemical inbalance that is slowly correcting itself.
You may feel that you have kicked the habit and if that is the case, congratulations because the mental battle is hardest battle to win... but the body is still making you pay.
Its all depends on your age and fitness as to how quickly you will recover...it'll take time.
But the good news is that you willeventually get over it. Its pretty boring but you just have to keep at it.
Good luck.

 

[Vertigo]

Good reply Willow
I was a smoker for too many years before I put the foot down.
I tried the patches and gum for quite awhile, but they did close to nothing for me. I did stop briefly whilst on them, but my cravings reach new heights.They're supposedly to suppress, or substitute, your desire for the nicotine, but I found that contradictive to what my goal was. I ended up chewing the gum just for the sake of chewing gum. The patches were even more silly to me, not to mention dangerous. They claim you were not to smoke a cigarette whilst on the patches because the elevated amounts of nicotine, both from the patches and cigarettes, would up your nicotine levels to toxic amounts.
I decided to try the controversial ant-depressent drug Zyban when I arrived here last year. I had a calander supplied with the drug, and was required to initially ease off the drug, and then eventually set a quit date, at my suiting, and stop. It worked like a dream. Not only have I not touched a ciggy in over 3 months, but the smell (second hand smoke) makes me sick at present. The first couple of months or so withdrawl symptoms were not easy, coughing up all kinds of nasty's, but the rewards and benefits are far more pleasing. It apparently does not work for all. But from mine, and many others I have encountered here, feelings and attitude about Zyban, it's definitely a winner. It's not cheap, but what price on your health?
I most certainly recommend it for the current smoker seriously considering and placing their own health, and those immediately around them, on top of the priority list.
Good luck!
Vertigo.

 

[ozbash]

i stopped 12 mth ago after smoking heavilyfor over 30 yrs. i used the patches and it was a breeze.
before i stopped i was pretty fit and could usually keep up with the younger guys.
i have found since quitting that i get that shortness of breath if im slightly puffed.i breath through my nose and problem solved.if i walk up a steep hill i have no worries now,the real deep breaths come a lot easier...
i now also get a very acidic stomach (reflux) which apparently is common to quitters.there is a pill out called LOSEC which is sposed to fix the problem,,.at the moment i just drink heaps of milk..

 

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[ozbash]

i dont know the mg warlock. i used to smoke winfeild or rothmans and for about the last 5 yrs i used to roll my own.i was smoking 3, 50grm pkts a week $80-90 nz.
the govt in nz decided it was costing way too much to treat sick maoris in hospital for smoking related illness so they launched an initiative called "quitline" in an attempt to get the cuzzies off the backy.i thought "stuff this" so rang up, pretended i was a maori and got my first box of patches sent out..they say that 3 months of patches is usually enough to wean most off but i took 4 months, cos they reckoned i,d been at it so long.
anyway,,,,,i have whats known as an addictive personality-booze,drugs, you name it, ive abused it. tobacco was the same.there terrifiying part of the deal for me was that first morning i woke up and instead of reaching for my pre-rolled ciggie, i stuck a patch on.after that i was sweet.and still am....
i weighed 80kg before the patches, now i weigh 100kg but i,m not fat(well,not much i guess for my age 45)
food is now incredible
i dont wake my kids in the morning coughing my ring out
i have heaps more money and we make sure we spend it on "extras" eg, dvd,s footy etc etc- that way you appreciate it/the effort more.

with the patches i had no physical withdrawal at all. once i convinced my self i was on the right track,my psychological dependance on smoking left as well.

give it a go mate, do it your way and dont feel let down if you dont make it the first-seconed or third time.
persistance will pay and you could end up like me....around for a few extra years to piss people off !

 

[ozbash]

no smoking while on patches.
the outfit i used is this one
http://www.quit.co.nz/

 

[Broncos-fan-baller]

My dad smoked for wellover 40 years and quit about 7years ago now. He tried the patches, gum, easing downand you name it,and even going cold turkey at one stage. He had mum (I remember very clearly as I use to help her) hide the packets so it wouldn't be at his finger tips, but somehow always managed to find them. Nothing seemed to work for dad.
How did he quit? He saw the Yul Bryner commercial on tele many years ago (remember that plea?), and decided that was it. It hit a nerve that no friend or family member of his could.I guess it's different strokes for different folks. What works for one may not necessarily work for another. Whatever it takes I guess, as you just got to find what works for you.
Is it true nicotine is more addictive than any other social drug in the world?
'fan-baller

 

[El Duque]

I haven't had a ciggie in about 2 months but I don't think I've quit as I have about 6 packs left in a carton but for some reason I just don't feel like one even though I know they're there.Even when I have a beer I don't feel like a smoke

??
Don't know if I'll ever have another one as I'm still trying to figure out if I've quit without actually realising it.Quite odd really.

 

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[imported_Raging Bulldog]

I have heard about the Zyban as well. I read or saw somewhere that it was originally produced and okayed by the U.S FDA for anti depressant purposes. But people who took the drug for that purpose, and who were also smokers,realised that it helped them quite smokeing more so than the depression side of things.From there on, the manufacturers (Whitehall Robbins I think) marketed it as a prescription onlydrug to help those quit smoking. I'm sure I remember the article saying that its success rate over there was very high. Specially in comparison to the other methods of quiting.I'm not sure if it ever got the big launch here in Australia though...Didn't the Federal Australian Government can it from the shelves about a year ago because of health problems? Or something like that?

Raging Bulldog

 

[El Duque]

Here's some Zyban info http://healthanswers.telstra.com/drugdata/appco/00070471.asp

 

[imported_Lord Ted]

Zyban,
It is a miracle drug in the fight against nicotine addiction.I used it about this time last year to try and give up smoking and was successful for about three months.( I had smoked for over 30 years).The problems I encountered were ;
a.sleeplessness.A side effect of the drug regime.I could only get a maximum of four hours sleep a night(no matter what time I went to bed).Waking up at three in the morning and impossible to go back to sleep.
b.weight gain.Christ I ate everything in sight.I am not a large framed person and an extra 12 kilos and all congregated around my gut.
c.the killer,overconfidence,this Zyban is such a good drug that I can become a social smoker(what a lot of horseshit that was for an idea)
Anyway,I took up smoking again,you know $10 a day.It took me 9 months to lose 8 kilos of the exta weight.
Zyban,I recommenced a course,but did not adhere to the instructions(basically I took a tablet every day for about 3 months,before being psychologically ready to confront the smoking demon again.)Anyway,it is now 7 weeks sinceI have put nicotine into my system.I have found that whenI am on the turps the craving can be overwhelming and a couple of times I have succumbed to the green baccy,but I don't count that.
With Zyban,the most significant influence I have found is the impact it has on my thinking.One of the great difficulties in all my previous and futile attempts to give up smoking was the fact that when my system was without nicotine,my thinking was different and unenjoyable,however Zyban acts on the neuro transmitters and apparently simulates the effects of nicotine.
Goodluck to my fellow new non-smokers and please keep us informed of how you are going.

 

[Atilla]

A number of people have told my wife (a glass a nightwine drinker) that you should never wash out wine glasses with dishwashing detergent, because it removes some type oflayer or fine coatingon or inside the walls ofthe glass, which deters the wines taste dramatically. In particular when it comes to fine crystal glasses. Basicallythe more expensive the glass, the more you will notice the taste difference if you do use detergent. They say the best method is to briefly rinse it out in cold or warm water only.Has anyone else heard of or know about this? Can someone supply a valid explaination to the reasoning behind the thinking? It has intrigued me for quite some time now.
Thanks all - Atilla (this is a great thread).

 

[imported_Outlaw]

That's a good one Atilla. I've actually heard the same thing on a couple of ocassions mate, but never took much notice of it because I'm not a 'drop' drinker. I'd like to read an honest answer also.

Warlock-What's wrong with the 'herbs' mate?

 

[CanadianSteve]

What a great forum this is - now it has the added feature of providing an ex-smokers' support group. I wonder if the smokers' "faction" is smaller than the non-smokers group here?

 

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[imported_Reservoir Dog]

Damn C-Steve. Not that 'faction' word again mate. Thanks BTW Raidpatch.