Cigarette smoking

[Josie Beth]

I’m putting this topic here because it doesn’t really fit anywhere else. I have been smoking on and off since I was maybe 12 or 13 and I really want to quit. Part of it is due to my preparation for going back on HRT, but I am also concerned about long term health and especially my teeth. In the last 3 years I’ve neglected to take care of my dental health and I know part of it has to do with smoking. I looked in the mirror one day several months ago and was really shocked at how my teeth looked compared to even a couple of years ago. It’s not that I need to smoke but it’s more of a habit that I just do. It’s less expensive for me because I make my own filter cigarettes with a machine, and I’m almost out of supplies for them. It’s almost like I’m hurrying to get them used up so I can quit. 

 

Once I do quit then comes repairing the damage done to my teeth because I really want a healthy smile. The stains are noticeable. Does anyone recommend a whitening product that works? I’ve got something I tried but it didn’t really work that well. I suppose I need a good cleaning and some other work done too. It’s sad because I had a perfect smile and now it’s just not the same.

 

I was under a lot of stress for 3 years but now I’m mostly in a calmer place so that excuse is gone. It’s not a matter of if, but when. I think that in my mind I associate clean teeth with transitioning, and I want to be beautiful.

[Linde]

Quitting smoking for good works only if you are mentally ready for it.  I don't know whether stained teeth count for this, but who knows?  I smoked 3 packs a day, and stopped cold turkey 36 years ago.  My mental trigger was the pregnancy of my wife, and I did not want my pregnant wife nor later our child be exposed to secondary smoke.  I stopped out of concern for their health, not of mine!  I never touched anything smoke or tobacco related since!

When our labs set out to originally develop the bleach stuff (we are globally by far the largest supplier of restorative dental products, and if you had any filling done, a crown or bridge made in the last 20 years, it was for 99% something that was developed by us - I worked on some of the stuff, because it overlaps with other medial sectors), it was meant to help dentists to blend existing teeth with new restored prostheses. The natural color of teeth is not white, but rather yellowish (similar color to bones),  The whitening came up because dentists wanted to create another stream of revenue, and the cosmetic industry followed,  The whitening is achieved by bleaching the top surface of your teeth, and this bleaching can be achieved reliably by dentists only.  Once your teeth have been bleached, you may be able to maintain the bleached appearance with over the counter products.

 

I don't think that any insurance would pay for this process, and you may want to shop around with different dentists what they charge for bleaching.  

I am pretty happy with my natural colored, slightly yellow looking teeth, but I don't plan to go out clubbing anymore, and don't have to impress anybody anymore with a smile sporting white teeth!

 

I wish you good luck with stopping to smoke for good, and finding a treatment that fits your pocket book!

[Kirsten]

Quitting the butts is a must for everyone everywhere! They are smelly dirty and disgusting!!! 

 I smoked for a long time. But transition is why I quit. I am not a frequent dental patient, but I take care of my teeth. We just use a crest whitening toothpaste and I think my teeth are pretty white. People tell me I have white teeth at least. ? I have also used the crest whitening strips. It’s been a while but they worked well. But they hurt my teeth after a while. 

not great but not bad. That’s just whitening toothpaste 2x a day. 

[Charlize]

You are certainly in the correct forum.  The use of tobacco is highly addictive.  I know it was for me.  I am not smoking today and if i remember where i was in that addiction when the urge strikes i can make it through.  I have learned the hard way that a single drag will bring back the "need" and i'll be buying cartons within the week.  I asked for help and having found sobriety knew that despite the pain at first i would eventually be free.  It is indeed rare the the urge comes to me now.  

As to teeth........stop smoking first.  It could easily be the best thing you ever due for your overall health.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Josie Beth]

I have been off cigarettes for about 2 months, maybe more. Lost count actually. However I vape instead and it’s surprisingly less a part of my day than I expected. I don’t feel that urge to do it every time I turn around. I’m even considering just ditching the nicotine and going to 0% nicotine. It’s the throat hit I’m really after and not so much the nicotine. I can’t even stand cigarette smoke anymore. I think if I could just find a job that has no smokers then I’d be better off. 

[Jani]

Josie, check the news.  Vaping is no safer than smoking so please work at stopping that too!  I have trouble breathing at times as I have a chronic lung condition, despite never smoking.  You've gotten this far and two months is a very good achievement.  Keep going! 

 

Also think of the savings you'll have from not spending on vaping and smoking items. More for clothes and makeup!  

 

Jani

[Susan]

hiya all. So i am going to weigh in on what i know about ecigarettes. I have been vaping since 2012 and yes i can agree with kirsten and  anyone else that cigarettes are sick and disgusting!!!! i can smell them a few hundred yards away.  Yuk!!!But I have not had any real side effects from vaping. Anyways, There is alot of misconception about vaping. Like vaping produces Formaldehyde from the pg or pro;ylene glycol is kinda false unless it is heated to about 600 degrees and no it is not antifreeze either!!!! The other thing is these juul devices and the ejuices that are available now are much higher in nicotine. The kind called salt nic, is as high as 50mg nicotine strength. I wouldn't ever go that high. Now i am not saying ecigarettes are safe, but they are alittle safer than cig smoking. Now to Josie's thing. I was told by my doctor when i started HRT that i need to get off the nicotine that was in my vape fluid which i did. It did make a difference to however, when i move to  a different state next year. I am just going to get rid of all my stuff that i used for vaping. I don't want to spend the money on it anymore.  Well Thats just my 2 cents for what it is worth. Thanks and HUGS all.

[Jani]

There have been a number of recent cases in the news of death from vaping.  A lot of unknowns still, as admitted by one of the largest manufacturers.   

[Rachel34]

On 1/17/2019 at 5:07 AM, Josie Beth said:

but I am also concerned about long term health and especially my teeth. In the last 3 years I’ve neglected to take care of my dental health and I know part of it has to do with smoking.

Honestly if you're getting worried quit and focus on your dental health. I was in the same boat and now I'm going to lose all of my teeth before I'm 30. It's such a massive hit on your self esteem that id urge anyone smoking to go and throw their cigarettes away immediately. I've smoked since about 10-11 and I'm now 25. It really isn't worth it any way you spin it it's just another bad coping mechanism. Anyways good luck quitting, if you ever feel like you're going to go back just remind yourself that it's hurting you both physically and emotionally with the damage it's doing and you're going to be better and happier if you push through it.

[Josie Beth]

My dental health has greatly improved simply because I switched to vaping. I’ve done some research on the side effects of it and the one that effects me the most is my throat dries out a little. There’s also a bit of heartburn but nothing too terrible. What causes it is the nic salts. The thing that I don’t like about juul pods is the high nicotine content and that they use benzoic acid. So I’ve found some that has less nicotine and I’m looking for a brand of compatible pods that use citric acid instead. Ideally I would like to ween off of the nicotine soon and just use a more natural vape juice. I was looking at a different system but I found a brand that makes juul compatible pods that are empty and refillable so I can use my own juice in them. That’s going to increase the savings several fold. Now I just have to find a really healthy juice brand that has low nicotine or 0%.

[Dev]

Just now, Josie Beth said:

my throat dries out a little. There’s also a bit of heartburn

 

I've noticed this too, and had to jump in.  I've found the extent of these problems really depends on the juice I use.  I'd never go back to cigarettes, so I started trying different things.  Strangely, my go-to juice that doesn't give me dry throat or heartburn at all is the bargain basement cheap stuff.  Had to buy a bottle of premium the other day to tide me over until my cheap stuff gets here, and since I started using it I've had a permanent frog in my throat. 

 

Of course, YMMV as with all things.

[Susan]

I just wanted to say cause i didnt say it bbefore. I am on 0 nicitine and there is a company here in idaho that makes the best and cleanest ejuice around. I actually know the owner and he does extensive testing on his products. The lab is called crescent moon labs. The brand name is quantum sauce. Tc all. HUGS Susan

 

[Dev]

1 hour ago, Susan said:

The brand name is quantum sauce.

 

It always surprises me when I see references to local things anywhere online.  I remember back in the day someone actually published a book called Is Idaho in Iowa? because nobody on Earth knew what or where we are.  ?

[Michelle F]

I quit back in the 80s. I just quit! I stopped buying them and just quit...

[Josie Beth]

Yes I’ve heard of quantum sauce. I’m also curious about virgin vapor. Either one seems like a good option. They both have listed test results that show the absence of the questionable ingredients. The thing about those ingredients that people are debating about is that they are not intentionally added to the juice by the companies that make the vaping juices, instead it’s already present in their flavoring and wasn’t even really paid attention to until people started looking for cleaner alternatives. So that’s given rise to companies that do focus on product purity, including some that only use kosher, organic & non GMO ingredients. The 8 cases of popcorn lung are not from vaping but from people who were exposed to large quantities of the chemical in the flavoring for popcorn, which is where they get the name. The trace amounts in vaping products is so minuscule by comparison it’s unlikely to produce the same effect. I have not even heard of anyone dying from vaping but even if they did it is more likely that they had a pre-existing condition or were allergic to something in the juice and vaping was not going to help them recover from the condition. I’m very allergic to pork products so I’m very interested in the kosher vaping stuff.

[Debra Michelle]

My husband and I are both very allergic to cigarette smoke.My oldest brother had a heart attack last week,his smoking is part of it.He even got me sick twice.

[Ellora]

Anytime anyone can stop smoking is great! The carcinogens produced from the combustion will kill or do irreparable damage, so that should be enough right there to quit. It ruins outside and inside the body. It can also kill anyone around you too. The nicotine is a horrible addictive drug that should be outlawed just as any other harmfully addictive drug should be. 

Vaping can be just as harmful if you do not know where and how it was made. Many off brand vaping liquids are virtually poison, especially the cheap ones made in China and other countries without proper industry standards. 

If you vape, know what’s in the liquid. It doesn’t have to be harmful, so be safe. Don’t buy something just because it is sold at a store, or because it’s cheap and convenient 

I vape and will not buy cheap unknown crap that is sold out there.  

There are plenty of legit companies out there that make safe products, do your research. 

[Susan]

I couldn't agree with you more ellora!!. Hey Josie. Quatnium does make 0 mg nicotine but the store that you get it from might have to.special order it. And a side note. The far does do regular checks on labs for compliance as crescent moon just got checked a few weeks ago. 

[Josie Beth]

The store I usually buy from has a good selection of products but they cater to the ready made vaping pen style users mainly. They have a lot of pod systems. Even some disposable vaping pens. I tried one really cheap pod a week ago and though it lasted longer, it was so harsh that I decided to never buy one again. 

 

So I’m going to hunt down the local shop that got me interested in the first place. Believe it or not there was a vape store owner at my old job, who not only backed me up when a subordinate was rude in front of everyone, but they asked me if I would consider quitting cigarettes for my health. They didn’t even need me to go to their store, they just wanted me to think of vaping as a way to possibly quit and that planted the seed. Since I’ve definitely got to change my approach to vaping, it wouldn’t hurt to go check them out and see if they carry the juice products that I’ve been interested in. And I can personally thank them for helping me quit smoking, even though I didn’t purchase anything from them. Their website has a lot of information for people trying to quit and even strategies to work through the psychological stuff. Most vaping shops won’t even touch the subject. They just want you to be a customer. 

[Ellora]

We have more vaping stores and places in San Diego , than star bucks. ?. I use cartridges, and custom vape pens. I love my custom one, it has a dragon head on the tip. I buy liquid that doesn’t have any of the harmful chemicals that other companies make. Most of the liquids are local, or have a long standing reputation. The liquid shouldn’t be harsh. Alcohol and other crap will cause the harshness. It should be a smooth vape. 

Using too high of a temperature can be bad too. Too high and it will go from vapor to smoke. 

[Susan]

You are right ellora. Alot of vapor manufactures do use alcohol and yes it is harsh. Thats why i buy the kind i do. I also think that's what made these people sick and in the hospital. Btw. Michigan is banning all ecigs and juices. I honestly don't think it will fly but i could be wrong to. Also what states are next? The bad thing is alot of shops will close and lots of money will be lost revenue.

[Ellora]

@Susan, I was just reading about the illnesses in NY and other places, and some are saying it might be vitamin E they found in some e cigarettes that are causing hospitalizations. After interviewing a lot of people, they also found a lot of the bad product was bought on the street. There is also a lot of black market crap out there. There should be guidelines and oversight on anything that’s being sold in stores. A lot of that bad stuff is being sold at convenience stores that hasn’t been monitored. Including the exploding vape pen batteries. 

[Julielynn]

I quit recently since I made a little promise to never smoke around the GF.   When we started seeing each other more often, I just smoked less.   When we took a 3 day trip to New York, it was rough, but I kept that promise.  It helped we were having fun.  I switched over to those cheapy little vape pens, but I hear in 30 days they are getting banned in Michigan so that's out. 

 

My GF convinced me the hardest.  She's a doctor and she has been pushing at me to quit.  She finally told me that pulmonary embolisms are such a risk in transitioning people that some doctors will refuse to do FFS if you smoke.  Hmm, that's a pretty good reason if I ever heard one.  Play to the most wanted things.