Poll... curious about how many CPAP users smoke.

[Reine]

Opps forgot to sign in I'm the guess above

[Rustyolddude]

Should have had another ballot option for smokeless tobacco users. I've used Snus (snuff pouches) and chewed off & on over the years primarily to try & stay awake & alert, especially on long road trips. But here lately I've been chewing quite a bit to to deal with stress. Been having difficulty falling asleep (insomnia) as indicated in other posts, I figure the nicotine was a contributing factor since I cut my caffeine intake by %75 over a month ago.

Decided on a new plan yesterday, since I feel so good the following day after I take an Ambien and sleep with CPAP, that I'll give up the chew, counter the withdrawl effects for the next few days by getting good sleep with the Ambien, and hopefully not be a bear from withdrawl. And maybe by the weekend, I can try sleeping without the Ambien. It's not the CPAP keeping me awake, it's my own racing mind. Bought some Melatonin and Valerian as an Ambien substitute to try as well.

[Snorebert]

I smoked for over 35 years and finally quit a year before going to CPAP. Funny, I suspect that it was the smoking that "helped" me deal with the effects of sleep apnea. I would be getting up from my desk and getting out to smoke quite regularly and that would help to keep me awake. Once I quit smoking, i began feeling like cr*p and finally went in for sleep study.

-Clark

[rested gal]

Rested gal you smoke? I did not expect that.

Yes. At least two packs a day since I was 20. Am 64 now.

Well, I should qualify that with, "Yes, I used to smoke." I quit two months ago. Cold turkey. No nicotine patch or nicotine gum. No smoking cessation class or support group. No smoker's cough, no difficulty breathing, nor any health problems to make me decide to quit.

The one and only reason I quit -- $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

It was that most recent jump in cigarette prices which made me say, "That's it. Not a penny more."
The idea of burning up TWO twenty dollar bills every time I bought ONE carton -- which was at least once a week -- ridiculous.

Oh, I did spend a couple of dollars for one little quittin'-crutch. I bought a package of those plain white Bic ballpoint pens, cut them to the length of a Doral Ultra Light 100. Pulled out the ballpoint pen innards. Scattered the little white mock-cigarettes around the house and even put one in the car. So, whenever I felt the urge, I just went through all the "smoking" motions (except for using a lighter!!) with one of the Bic pens. Miraculously, the urge always subsided within a few seconds of acting like I was smoking it.

It doesn't bother me at all to be around other people who smoke. Doesn't bring on a craving or make me want to bum "just one", or make me wish I still smoked. I'm through with them myself, but I don't mind smelling smoke. Maybe my tolerance for the smell of smoke will change later, but I doubt it.

My next little project -- exercising off the ten extra pounds that appeared like magic when I quit smoking, even though my eating had not changed one whit. Well, mayyyyyybe there was a little extra chocolate sampling going on....

[Paul56]

When I was a kid my uncle would come over to the house on Sunday's and would smoke away... I always thought that was cool but of course I always thought my uncle was cool so anything he did was automatically cool by default. The smell did not bother me... on the contrary I enjoyed it and would sit beside my uncle inhaling away.

I smoked for 4 months in high school and hated every minute of it. Finally woke up after 4 months and asked myself why I was doing this... and subsequently stopped.

I'm a smoke free zone and find now that I cannot stand the smell. I could not even stand the lingering cigarette smoke from co-workers who had just returned from the smoking area. I cannot even stand being outside and downwind from a smoker. I don't complain... I just move.

[SaltLakeJan]

My father started smoking when he was 13, and turned into a 3 pack a day guy. He spent the rest of his life trying to quit. He died at age 61. He had many relatives who lived to almost 100 years of age..

I never started smoking because I watched my father caugh, strangle, gag and caugh for about 45 minutes each morning. It looked and sounded like a horrible way to begin each day.

Congratulations to anyone who has given up smoking. Just deciding to quit takes courage.

Jan

[sleepless4boymom]

I am a non-smoker. My only problem is 2 of my boys have severe asthma and people smoking in a small area when they are around puts them in an attack. They are then sick for a week to a month, on steroids and inhalers several times a day, nebulizer treatments. I don't care of someone smokes, I just care if they are doing it in a public place that is not designated for smoking, then it effects those of us that do not want to inhale second hand smoke. My father has had to quit smoking around my children, he has to go outside and wash his hands and change his shirt when they were babies. He no longer smokes in my parents house either but if my children are outside while he smokes it still effects them. I think people who smoke love it and they do not realize the effect it has on people who can not tolerate it due to asthma etc...

[twokatmew]

I do not smoke, never have. I grew up with a chain-smoking father who rotated among cigarettes, cigars and various pipes. He quit many times over the years, but he quit for the final time in the early '80s, he tells me after his cigarette pack fell from his shirt pocket into the toilet, and he caught himself reaching for those cigs! He has asymptomatic COPD now (and somehow survived acute interstial lung disease a year ago), but I have severe asthma and can't set foot in a restaurant where they have a smoking section, no matter how far I am from it. I take daily Prednisone (for Crohn's & asthma), but even a few minutes around smoke, and I spend the next few days or weeks on my nebulizer if not in the ER. When I have to pass through a group of smokers huddling outside a building, I hold my breath. Still, it doesn't help much, and I suffer for it.

[Slinky]

RestedGal!!!! 10 extra pounds??? How about 18 lbs w/not only no change in eating habits, but actually eating LESS?? *sigh* I HATE IT! It all went on in the shoulder to hip area. *sigh* *sob* I'd RATHER smoke!! But .....

[Spirit]

My story is crazy !!!! Smoked a pack a day for 30 years, decided to quit cold turkey. Prior to quitting, physical exams, stated I was in perfect health.

After I quit, I began to slowly develop health problems, thyroid enlarged, prediabetes, etc..... Apnea was beginning stages. This all happened 3 years ago.

After i quit smoking, I had a sleep study done, 7 events per hour. Rather then getting a cpap, I was prescribed Klonopin. Took the med on/off for 8 months, .5mg,. Went through withdrawal hell for 2 years, severly fatigue. Fatigued kept persisting, every test performed returned normal, I had the million dollar work up. Cardiologist suggested sleep study, finally my pcp agreed.

Sleep doc shared, Klonopin did more damage, contributing to apnea, so now my events are 33 per hour and 50 per hour REM RDI, in 3 years time.

I started smoking again, after quitting for 1.5 years, from health stress !!!! Since I've been on cpap, thyroid is reducing in size. So, I guess some positive has arisen, from all the negatives.

That's my story, I feel better now.

[no_more_headaches]

I tried to get my dad to quit for years. He would of course ignore it. When I moved to California and my wife started working for Apple, I got my dad a Macintosh and one of the programs I got him was Quicken.
He started entering everything as he was pretty cheap. As soon as he saw how much he was spending on Tobacco, he quit cold turkey. His cheapness outmanned his addiction.

He passed away a hew years ago from a number of things but one of them was bladder cancer which really messed with his quality of life. I believe smoking in all the various forms he did was a strong contributor to his bladder cancer.

[OceanGoingGal]

I smoked for many years...........too many. Time afer time I tried to quit and failed. July 29 1992 I went to one of those hypnotherapy sessions they held at a local hotel. I was sure that would not work either, I was aware of everything going on around me while we were "under". Amazingly when I left there I did not reach for the cigarettes that were in the car. I went to work and never even tought about smoking again. At the time the company I worked for offered reimbursement for the cost if you were still smoke free after 90 days.So after 90 days I produced my receipt and got a check. I felt better within 24 hours of quitting from there it got better by the days. Funny but I had not known that I felt lousy until I began feeling good. Life is good!!

Laura

[DreamStalker]

Rested gal you smoke? I did not expect that.

Yes. At least two packs a day since I was 20. Am 64 now.

Well, I should qualify that with, "Yes, I used to smoke." I quit two months ago. Cold turkey. No nicotine patch or nicotine gum. No smoking cessation class or support group. No smoker's cough, no difficulty breathing, nor any health problems to make me decide to quit.

The one and only reason I quit -- $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

It was that most recent jump in cigarette prices which made me say, "That's it. Not a penny more."
The idea of burning up TWO twenty dollar bills every time I bought ONE carton -- which was at least once a week -- ridiculous.

Oh, I did spend a couple of dollars for one little quittin'-crutch. I bought a package of those plain white Bic ballpoint pens, cut them to the length of a Doral Ultra Light 100. Pulled out the ballpoint pen innards. Scattered the little white mock-cigarettes around the house and even put one in the car. So, whenever I felt the urge, I just went through all the "smoking" motions (except for using a lighter!!) with one of the Bic pens. Miraculously, the urge always subsided within a few seconds of acting like I was smoking it.

It doesn't bother me at all to be around other people who smoke. Doesn't bring on a craving or make me want to bum "just one", or make me wish I still smoked. I'm through with them myself, but I don't mind smelling smoke. Maybe my tolerance for the smell of smoke will change later, but I doubt it.

My next little project -- exercising off the ten extra pounds that appeared like magic when I quit smoking, even though my eating had not changed one whit. Well, mayyyyyybe there was a little extra chocolate sampling going on....

Hope you made your anniversary RG.

[Uncle_Bob]

I smoked a pack a day since i was about 10 years old

I quit cold turkey the day my first son was born. It was a surprisingly easy thing to do and think its down to the fact i finally decided i wanted to quit.

Now 5 years later without smoking and 1 year with CPAP my new addiction is breathing

I found i have come to not like the smell of smoke and am glad they banned it in all public places recently in Arizona

[Stormynights]

I thought I would never be able to quit smoking. I smoked for over 40 years. I tried everything then I started using a personal vaporizer. It was so easy I was amazed. I have gone a year without smoking.