Nicotine??? Smoking and seizures???

[ziggidypoo]

Unfortunately, I still smoke. I do take Chantix for it. I seem to "space out" when I am smoking sometimes. Has anyone else experienced this and/or is there any documentation re: the link between smoking and seizure activity?

[Bernard]

Yep. threads about smoking

[skillefer]

Well, I'm in the process of quitting smoking. My doctor told me to wean myself off if I could. I went from 12 cigarettes to 7 cigarettes a day and had a complex partial. Since then, I'm cutting back one smoke at a time with a couple weeks at each cut back. And I don't cut back if I'm sick.

[rudy]

Unfortunately, I still smoke. I do take Chantix for it. I seem to "space out" when I am smoking sometimes. Has anyone else experienced this and/or is there any documentation re: the link between smoking and seizure activity?

I dunno, but maybe absence seizures occur while smoking as the 100's get only 2 puffs from me at times. Better to quit I guess. Easier said than done.

[Nancy]

I was a heavy smoker (at least 3 packs a day -ugh- moving toward 4) for 42 years and I loved every cigaretted I smoked. I did not want to quit.

Then, in 2005, I was going into hospital for video EEG before surgery. I knew the video EEG and surgery would be rocky and would be truly miserable if I thought more about smoking than I did recovery so I used the video EEG time to pray for God's help to stop. And I used those patches for, I think, 37 days - 47 days ?? something.

It worked!! I've never had another cigarette. Not one. I haven't had a cigarette for over three years.

I sincerely hope that you can quit too. It's made a great FINANCIAL difference too - lol

[Nancy]

ooops - Sorry -- I talk too much. And too much off subject.
I noticed no difference in my seizures after quitting ..... the surgery several months later did help.

[ziggidypoo]

ooops - Sorry -- I talk too much. And too much off subject.
I noticed no difference in my seizures after quitting ..... the surgery several months later did help.

I thought it was all relative to the subject at hand - take the off you don't deserve the "corner"!!

Totally off the subject now, if anyone prays, please pray for my daughter's family - her father-in-law died last night - well it is on the subject - he was a heavy heavy smoker - died of lung cancer that spread to brain, liver, kidneys, adrenals - I feel helpless listening to my daughter with son-of-my- heart in the background both crying - and they haven't told the grandchildren yet - not until they can calm down. He had a wife who they just remarried on their original wedding day and just made 1 yr on new marriage to each other. Got to come home from hospital for Thanksgiving. Has other grown children and grandchildren too.

Smoking kills.

I MUST QUIT!! I'm down to butts anyway - just don't buy another pack and be thankful I'm on Chantix. It does help.

Sorry to unload (tears) - it's awful to feel your children's pain and be thousand miles away and can do nothing. At least two of my kids are talking to me again.

I'm going to the corner on my own to have a good cry

[The Smoker]

Unfortunately, I still smoke. I do take Chantix for it. I seem to "space out" when I am smoking sometimes. Has anyone else experienced this and/or is there any documentation re: the link between smoking and seizure activity?

You are not alone: heavy smoking and seizures - that are identical to epilepsy - DO occur. I know; I've had them.
I live in the UK, and many years ago, when I first had these symptoms, I was suspected of suffering from epilepsy. A full body scan proved that I was NOT epileptic. At this point, the so-called 'Medical Profession' lost interest in me and walked away! Unfortunately, the UK 'Medical Profession' specifically deny that there is ANY link AT ALL between excessive smoking of nicotine ('ordinary cigarettes') and seizures. (See 'reference' at end of this Post). I do not wish to sound unduly arrogant, but from personal experience, I know better. When I quit smoking, the seizures stopped. Some years later, I started smoking again. I was ok for quite a long time, until I became unemployed, the wife left me, I lost my house - the stress was unbelievable. And my smoking went 'through the roof' - and yes, the seizures returned. Later, I quit again. This time for good. No more trouble.

The symptoms are very, very clear. Usually, a distinct, sudden loss of concentration and 'focus' (not optical focus) on what you are doing is the first sign. If you are able to make the effort, you will find that you have stopped breathing automatically: you have to make a conscious effort to force air out of and into the lungs. The moment you do stop breathing, a very short burst of unconsciousness hits you, the head drops and consciousness is immediately regained - then it is lost - and the whole cycle repeats. It's all very frightening. It is often frequent at night when lying in bed trying to get to sleep; it may be that a darkened room & relaxing / lying down enhances the attack. The best way to deal with these attacks is to go outside, get plenty of deep breaths of fresh air and stay outside for at least 30 minutes. And do not light up a ciggie thinking that that I really need one now! JUST DON'T DO THIS! You'll be right back to square one!

If you wish to talk further on this with me - e-mail me.

Reference: FS 7e - Leisure & Pleasure - Mar 08

The Smoker.

[LivingFruity]

I quite smoking 6 years ago and it was one of the best things I could have ever done for myself and my family. I applaud those of you who have quit and/or trying to quit

[ziggidypoo]

Confession time:

After being quit for about 4 or 5 mos with using Chantix daily,

with my Mom's passing - EXTREMELY stressful -

I bought a pack of cigarettes. *note* 1/2 pk has lasted almost a wk!! *note*

However, just 2 puffs and I get high as a kite and cannot walk and must wait it out.

I think it is like being weaned from the pacifier for a baby and during stress the baby wants its pacifier or blanket - but doesn't really need it.


Any way, thanks for listening, and sorry - welcome to the newbie "Smoker" or sorry, forgot your name, will check later.

[dfwtexas]

Yeah, I am smoker too...I know, I know...I need to quit.
However...Chantix has gotten some really bad press. There was a terrible case in Dallas that the Chantix is to blame for a young man freaking out and being killed by his neighbor.
Please look into Chantix...it may be the root of your problem

[ziggidypoo]

Yeah, I am smoker too...I know, I know...I need to quit.
However...Chantix has gotten some really bad press. There was a terrible case in Dallas that the Chantix is to blame for a young man freaking out and being killed by his neighbor.
Please look into Chantix...it may be the root of your problem

Will do, thanks.

Mind over matter??? (addictions can be powerful)

Thanks again.

[Nocturnal]

You are not alone: heavy smoking and seizures - that are identical to epilepsy - DO occur. I know; I've had them.

I'm beginning to link smoking as a cause to my seizures, too. I have nocturnal seizures and they almost always occur after nights I have smoked cigarettes. I quit over a year ago but I tend to have a few smokes when playing league pool for a local pub. Time to quit the recreational smoking there, too.

[googly389]

I recently started smoking. I dunno why, I suppose trying to curb my cannabis addiction. Anyhow, I only smoke American Spirits which are claimed to have no additives/fillers and be only tobacco. But who can know.

Maybe that spaced out feeling is a buzz you get? So far *knock on wood* my complex-partials haven't seemed to be affected.

[Nocturnal]

Yea, I started smoking more again lately. I get the Spirit Lights or Ultra Lights. But I'm not banking on the chemicals being the cause...more the lack of oxygen to the brain. But we're all different I guess so one persons trigger could be entirely different from the next...and there is probably a ton of possible triggers in anything that burns.

I recently had an EEG sleep study done without any helpful results. The night before the sleep study I smoked like mad, had plenty of good ol' PDX brew, and stayed up all night in hopes to trigger a seizure during the study, but nada. Now the doc is switching me over to Kepra and weening me off of Dilantin. The side effects of the Kepra was causing me to get snappy with the girlfriend for the first couple days and is probably why I started smoking more. BUT, so far I'm seizure free on the Kepra and the attitude I had the first few days has subsided. I'm not even at full dose yet and smoking more. So....if its smoking...I should be having more nocturnal seizures but that is not the case now. Unless the Kepra is better at suppressing the seizures while I abuse my lungs. In any case, I do need to quit again. Once I'm at the full dosage of the Kepra I'll have to try quitting. Again. Although, if I get attitude like I did the first few days on Kepra I'm not sure what I'll do. As I'm sure you know, quitting smoking is a pain and can make you crabby enough.

[Bernard]

... Although, if I get attitude like I did the first few days on Kepra I'm not sure what I'll do. ...

Try vitamin B6 supplements.

[grateful7677]

Ive never even considered chantix b/c it can cause seizures and depression, two things i already cope with and try to make better in every way. I would be too afraid. (I smoke a pack a day and it is my worst vice.) Has anyone had any adverse side effects from chantix?

[Loopy Lou]

I'm a smoker too. I would normally smoke about ten a day, but with everything that's been going on lately, that's upto nearly 20 a day. Also, when i get cravings for food i quite often have a cig instead. Doesn't help that i often forget i've just had one and light another just cos they're sat in front of me.

I'm working on cutting down again now. I have a strange sort of approach, or so i've been told. Instead of just lighting up whenever i feel like it, i wait and have one on the hour. This means that i cut down from 20 to about 12 at the most in a day. Over time i'm going to increase the time between having each cig.

I'm back down to about 12-15 over these last couple of days, but got a long way to go.

It doesn't affect my epilepsy.

[Inaara]

I'm a smoker and haven't noticed much effect on my seizures, however, I will note that when I'm stressed (like I've been the last coule months), I smoke a lot more. Went from half a pack a day to a full pack a day in the last month or so...honestly, I thkn it's more the stress & ack of sleep (new sleep meds & new anti-seizures arrived yesterday, so we'll see what happens) that causes more seizures for me. But I could be wrong. *shrug*

[lindinig]

I really wish I could find some articles or studies that link second-hand smoke to seizures. My son's father smokes cigars with the kids in the car with him, constantly! My son only has seizures at his house, never at my house. I asked 2 neurologists about this coincidence and they immediately asked if stress was a factor at his house. Even though he is more stressed while over there, I really want to get my ex to quit smoking near my kids!

Obviously, he knows how harmful second-hand smoke is, but if I produced a few seizure-related articles, that may sway him to consider other people in his life, instead of just himself all the time.