Do you smoke

[N Sperlo]

I have a cigar occasionally. I keep small ones sitting around for after a 12 or 16 hour work day. More natural than a cigarette.

 

[MAB]

I smoke. I smoke a lot. After having a seizure, a cigarette helps me make the panic disappear, start talking again, get out of that dark place. It’s not that tobacco does that, it’s just my way to relax.

Once my doctor – who is a little weird but has gained my trust – asked if I smoked. I replied yes reluctantly, expecting a boring doctor speech about the risks. Actually, he just said “that’s OK” and told me that neuros are the only doctors who don’t force people to quit. I am not sure if he was implying that relieving stress helps to control seizures or that nicotine withdrawal may be hard when dealing with them. Maybe he is a smoker himself or was just being funny. But he did say smoking is not affecting my epilepsy.

This is my experience, perhaps for others it can be a trigger. I don’t want to idealize smoking. I admire people who choose to quit and try to be supportive. I just don’t like being told I have to stop because I “have an illness”. That is inaccurate.

Psychiatrists don't usually recommend you stop either, nor should any doctor recommend you quite smoking if you are actually in the process of going through withdraw from any other substance.

Cigarettes calm the neurons in the brain, I think.

 

[MAB]

If you've only smoked for a little while, maybe a year or two but I don't know what you consider your 'little while', then it's easier to quit. If you've smoked for probably 10 years or more it's a good bit harder.

I's just part my daily routine too. I get up and have a cigarette, after I eat I have one, before I take a nap I have one, before I go to bed I have one. I don't even realize I'm doing it, it's just normal. There are other times during the day that I have one too but those are the main times.

If I get really stressed I need one. It helps me calm down, a lot.

When I smoked 3 packs a day I associated everything with a cigarette. Paperwork was almost impossible because I always smoked while doing it. I smoked before a shower, after a shower, if I woke in the middle of the night I smoked. The worst cigarette to give up was the one after sex. Don't miss the cigarettes now.

 

[bighealey]

I smoked for 40 years. I quit just before I had seizures. Humm my trigger? not

 

[SlimBlue]

The worst cigarette to give up was the one after sex

That and the one after dinner, or with a drink, or after a seizure *sigh*

 

[C0urt]

i do smoke,

It is hard not to when you are this hot..........


[ame]http://youtu.be/39YUXIKrOFk[/ame]

 

[Tez_20]

I used to be a heavy chain smoker and it most likely contributed to my seizures also through lack of oxygen to the brain as I used to get a lot of pressure besides feeling light headed but I'm now pleased to say I've been on the e-cigs 9mths now and I need something to puff on being a manic depressive....as I get stressed out quickly but certain doctor's are pleased I've achieved that.

 

[George__]

Joints roughly 70/30 (tobacco/weed)

 

[Cint]

Cigarettes calm the neurons in the brain,

So does exercise, like walking. Much better for you.

 

[valeriedl]

That and the one after dinner, or with a drink, or after a seizure *sigh*

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that needs one after a seizure. That would be the hardest one to give up.

 

[CathyAnn31]

Please don't preach about smoking because this isn't what I'm asking. Don't talk about all of the bad things that smoking causes or does, unless it deals with epilepsy.

Just a gentle reminder from the original post.

 

[George__]

What about e-cigs?

 

[valeriedl]

What about e-cigs?

I don't know if that's considered smoking or not because I've never tried one.

We'll say that it IS considered smoking so if anyone would like to add any comments about them effecting your epilepsy in some way feel free to.

Please state in your post that it is e-cigs that you are referring to and not something that contains actual tobacco.

 

[Fedup]

Please state in your post that it is e-cigs that you are referring to and not something that contains actual tobacco.

Yes e-cigs are considered smoking, they are nicotine free and so you are supposed to be able to give up smoking easier the only thing is you can become addicted to them as well and they are supposed to have there own health warning. I tried one for awhile but it brought on seizures for me and I did not feel well but when I stopped using it I was ok.

 

[George__]

^
Were they flavored?

 

[Fedup]

I tried the flavored (menthol), an American tobacco and ordinary cig.

 

[George__]

I tried the flavored (menthol), an American tobacco and ordinary cig.

Do "normal" cigarettes cause seizures for you as well?

 

[Fedup]

George__

That is the odd thing I find that they help my seizures. If I do not smoke the seizures are 100 times worse.

 

[George__]

George__

That is the odd thing I find that they help my seizures. If I do not smoke the seizures are 100 times worse.

Maybe it's due to the breathing technique used when smoking?

Try some yoga!

 

[SlimBlue]

There are lots of myths surrounding e-cigs. The ones bought over the counter designed as a replacement for normal cigs usually contain 24mg (rare), 18mg, 12mg, 6mg or 0mg nicotine.

They are sold in different strengths as the idea is to wean yourself off the nicotine by slowly reducing the strength of the ones you purchase whilst still feeding the psychological habit of 'smoking' a cig. Whilst this is less traumatic than just going cold turkey, gum, or patches, even if you make it to the end of the process you still end up psychologically addicted to 0mg nicotine e-cigs lol

They work by quickly heating up a liquid inside them containing the nicotine, with a battery as you toke on them so it vaporizes- this simulates the 'draw' of a real cig but it is not tar-laden, carcinogenic smoke- it's literally water vapour. This makes them somewhat healthier than a real cig, as it's not the nicotine that kills you, it's the tar and/or additives in real cigs.

I prefer a slightly larger vaporizer instead of the e-cigs, as they're easier to refill and have very nice flavours of 'e-juice'. Whilst they're very pleasant, everyone I know that's started using a vaporizer just constantly puffs on them (myself included) and they're extremely habit forming.

I'm not sure how I feel about that, but at least it's a cheaper, more pleasant, less harmful, less anti-social habit..

I've found they are no different to normal cigs with regards to inducing seizures (ie they don't).