Smoking & Lupus

General
21

Sorry to hear that your sick but congrats on picking a quit date.

I"ll be rooting for you .

purplebutterfly said:

Well since i am home for a couple of days sick Wednesday will be my stop date that's the day i will be out of the ones i have left going to try the e cig for a couple of weeks
22

Hi Flutter,

I tried those e-cigs and got bad headaches when they first came out and two weeks back they was on the tele worning people that the filters are not 100% made pure to what they're surposed to be and can cause side affects besides blowing up so be careful mate or any member using them.

I'm in the same boat mate as you know and can't pack up but below i'll add some info to what Smoking does to Lupus patients.

Terri :)

23

"WHAT SMOKING CAUSES TO LUPUS PATIENTS"

Any small benefit gleaned from cigarette smoking is far outweighed by tobacco's negative effects. The following list pairs what we know about lupus with the known effects of smoking.

  • People with lupus are more susceptible to infections, with respiratory infections among the most common.
  • Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of pneumococcal pneumonia and chronic bronchitis. Researchers report that passive smoking, or regular exposure to secondhand smoke, also raises the risk of having this type of pneumonia. Smoking or hanging around others who do may increase your risk of pneumococcal pneumonia.
  • People with lupus on long-term moderate (11-40mg/day) to high (41-100mg/day) doses of prednisone have been found to develop heart disease (atherosclerosis) 20 to 30 years earlier than the general population. It's not uncommon for angina (heart muscle pain) and even heart attacks to occur in lupus patients as young as 30 or 40 years of age.
  • Smoking increases the risk of coronary artery disease. If you smoke and have lupus you greatly increase the risk of damaging your heart.
  • Lupus can affect the blood vessels and circulation in a variety of ways. Raynaud's disease is common in people with lupus and when active, results in poor circulation to the hands and feet. Lupus vasculitis can cause narrowing of blood vessels and reduced blood flow to tissues and organs. Antiphospholipid antibodies may increase the risk of serious blood clots and stroke.
  • Smoking narrows blood vessels and worsens peripheral vascular disease (poor blood supply).
  • Smoking contributes to blood vessel spasms and can magnify the effect of Raynaud's making a mild case worse, and could result in severe damage to fingers and toes.
    • Smoking increases the risk of stroke.
  • Kidney disease in lupus can result in hypertension.
    • A study at Stanford University of patients with lupus nephritis found that those who smoked progressed to end stage kidney disease far more quickly than did non-smokers (145 months vs. 273 months).
    • Smoking contributes to elevated blood pressure which increases the risk of stroke and worsening kidney disease.
  • People with lupus can also develop diabetes and thereby be prone to poor wound healing.
    • Smoking slows wound healing.
    • Smoking increases the risk of heart attack in diabetics (insulin or non-insulin dependent).
  • Avascular necrosis of bone can develop in lupus and may require surgery.
    • Smoking slows recovery from illness and surgery.
    • Smoking slows bone healing.
  • Heartburn is found in 10 to fifty percent of people with lupus.
    • Smoking has harmful effects on all parts of the digestive system, contributing to such common disorders as heartburn. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease - Smoking and Your Digestive System.
  • Many of the medications used to alleviate symptoms of lupus are broken down by the liver. Lupus can affect the liver.
    • Smoking affects the liver, too, by changing the way it metabolizes drugs and alcohol. In some cases, this may influence the dose of medication necessary to treat an illness.
  • Lupus can cause skin disease, which may be effectively treated with antimalarial medications.
    • Smoking has been shown to interfere with the benefits of hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), chloroquine (Aralen), and quinacrine (Atabrine) for the skin disease of patients with SLE.
    • A study at the University of Minnesota of patients with discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) found that smoking was more prevalent in people with DLE compared to those with other skin diseases and those in the general population. The researchers proposed that smoking may be a risk factor for development of DLE.
    • Studies conducted at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have found lupus skin disease is more active in smokers than non-smokers.
  • Lupus can cause hair loss and other skin symptoms.
    • Smoking has been associated with skin diseases and studies in mice indicate a link may exist between smoking and both hair loss and premature gray hair.
  • Medications used in the treatment of lupus: prednisone, excessive thyroid hormones, anticonvulsants, antacids containing aluminum, and heparin increase the risk for fragile bones or osteoporosis.
    • Smoking magnifies the risk for osteoporosis.

In addition, over the years research has consistently shown that cigarette smoking causes skin wrinkling that could make smokers appear prematurely old.

Make a positive impact on your lupus!

It is clear that smoking complicates and accelerates the ill effects of lupus. We also know that most of the negative effects are reversible when smoking stops. In the Harvard Nurse's Health Study the authors concluded there are immediate benefits to discontinuing smoking and eventually the risk of coronary heart disease returns to the level of non-smokers.

More than any other lifestyle choice you make, quitting cigarettes will have the greatest positive impact on your lupus.

It's never too late to quit

If you've been smoking a long time and think there is no point in quitting, think again! According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute:

"You may be surprised to learn that older smokers are actually more likely to succeed at quitting smoking. Older smokers who stop want to avoid further health problems, take control of their life, get rid of the smell of cigarettes, and save money.

Stopping smoking does help people who have suffered a heart attack. In fact, their chances of having another attack are smaller. In some cases, ex-smokers can cut their risk of another heart attack by half or more.

Smokers, especially those over 50 years old, are much more likely to get tired, feel short of breath, and cough more often. These symptoms can signal the start of bronchitis or emphysema, both of which are suffered more often by older smokers. Stopping smoking will help reduce these symptoms.

Older smokers who try to quit are more likely to stay off cigarettes.

Most smokers would prefer to quit. In fact, in a recent study, 65 percent of older smokers said that they would like to stop. What keeps them from quitting? They are afraid of being irritable, nervous, and tense. Others are concerned about cravings for cigarettes. Most don't want to gain weight. Many think it's too late to quit -- that quitting after so many years of smoking will not help. But this is not true."

http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/new_learnliving.aspx?articleid=2282&zoneid=527

24

I went online and order my e-cig supplies after spending a ton of $ on ones in smoke shops that didn't work. I don't even use ones that taste like a cig anymore and taste like vanilla, strawberry or cinnamon. I, personally, think this has helped me take care of the sweet tooth I developed after quitting. Again, it keeps my hands busy and NO ONE else smells anything. I have dropped the nicotine slowly and am now at the lowest level...next level 0 although I can still use the device to get the "feel" of smoking.

I truly believe this is why I don't have nearly the issues with my lungs that I had before. No pneumonia or bronchitis in 2 1/2 years. Yeah! If someone wants to know what ones I have tried and which seem to be effective, they can PM me.

This group can do it! I have know doubt we are going to see a LOT of successes.

25

Hi DeAnne,

Well achieved mate i can only do it with the smokers patches and then full determination as to be there to do it. :)