Top Questions on Quitting Smoking

Dr. Nash KamdinMBBSGeneral Physician

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Dear lybrateuser, - It is a very good decision that you have taken to quit smoking which will be very beneficial for your health & well being - decide a firm date & quit completely on that day - remove all the articles associated with it like cigarettes, lighter, ash tray from your house or wherever else you keep them so that they are out of your reach when the urge is there - inform your friends about your decision so that they don't coax you to have one - divert & keep your mind busy in studies or regular exercise, play a game or follow a hobby so that the urge is lessened - chew a sugarless gum when urge is thereof talk to a friend, have a glass of water or go out for a walk when you feel that the urge is there - if still not controllable then have a nicotine gum or lozenges, see the prescribing instructions on the wrapper - can seek help from a medical professional or an NGO or an organisation which helps a person quit smoking. 

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Dr. Sajeev KumarC.S.C, D.C.H, M.B.B.SCardiologist

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Best age to stop smoking is before 40 ,In fact do not start all Only by using strong will power and avoiding all situations where you feel like smoking, chewing tobacco/ or drugs or drinking or using drugs/ weed, avoiding friends who smoke and diverting mind by reading or chewing a gum, like NICORETTE and taking a walk when you crave for a smoke can all help. You can chew Nicorette gum which is nicotine replacement. There are medicines available. Which can be prescribed if asked personally by coming to private consultation with me in this site. 

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Dr. Jagadeesan M.S.MD - PsychiatryPsychiatrist

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Nicotine is the active ingredient in cigarette and chewable tobacco. But there are hundreds of other carcinogens and psycho-active substances and they are highly dangerous to the physical and psychological health a person. People can smoke as unhealthy way of coping stress, part of nicotine withdrawal, to overcome short term depression and anxiety (which it worsens over a longer term). To overcome this the withdrawal needs to be addressed and anti craving medications started and comorbid anxiety, etc like psychological and constipation, etc like physical symptoms needs to be treated. So you kindly consult a psychiatrist to stop smoking. All the best. 

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Dr. Jayvirsinh ChauhanMD - Homeopathy, BHMSHomeopathy Doctor

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He is not ill. He is just a bad boy. You can't help him. Because he doesnt want to be helped. 

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Dr. Saranya DevanathanMBBS, DPMPsychiatrist

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Dear lybrate-user, Congratulations for deciding to stop smoking. When you stop suddenly, you may get withdrawal symptoms like restlessness, irritability, lack of concentration, increased hunger, sleep disturbance, headache, impatience, anxiety, depression, etc. If you have them please don’t get back to smoking, take nicotine gum or lozenge or patch. They are available in all medical shops. You don’t need a prescription from doctors. Use 2 mg gum if you smoke less than 25 cigarettes/day. Use 4 mg gum if you smoke more than 25 cigarettes/day. First 6 weeks, use 1 gum every 1 – 2 hours. Reduce it in week 7 – 9 to one gum every 2 – 4 hours. In week 10 – 12, reduce it further to 1 gum every 4 -8 hours. By 3 months, you will be able to stop both cigarettes and gum fully without any withdrawal symptoms. Please feel confident that you can do it and give yourself some gift for doing it like vacation or books or new mobile. Smoking is a chronic relapsing condition like diabetes and B.P. So please don’t worry if you restart smoking. Start all over again to stop. You will learn the situations that make you smoke and avoid them. Please think of health benefits and money saved often. Plan how to avoid relapsing situations, like smoking friends, use of alcohol, stressful feeling or depression. Delay, drink, deep breathe, distract and discuss are the helpful tips. Increase of non smoking zones, gift yourself for stopping smoking. Even chewing cinnamon may delay. Please remember that the urge to smoke comes and goes like waves. Delay and see whether it goes away. It will be like a passing cloud. 

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Dr. K V AnandBASM, MD, MS (Counseling & Psychotherapy), MSc - Psychology, Certificate in Clinical psychology of children and Young People, Certificate in Psychological First Aid, Certificate in Positive Psychology, Positive Psychiatry and Mental HealthPsychologist

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Dear user. Many people think that they are ADDICTED to masturbation / sex, where as they are actually just used to masturbate / have sex regularly and can’t quit easily. Addiction is problematic and being used to is not, though there is only a thin line separating both. Masturbation / sex is not harmful as long as it is not an addiction. We need to determine if you are addicted or just used to. Sex thoughts, Sex addiction, masturbation addiction, porn films addiction etc comes under behavior addiction. Behavioral addiction is a form of addiction that involves a compulsion to engage in a rewarding non-drug-related behavior – sometimes called a natural reward – despite any negative consequences to the person's physical, mental, social or financial well-being. Behavior addiction needs to be curbed or controlled using your own self will power. Diverting your mind and body away from the circumstances which compels you for the addictive habit, with the help of physical exercises, games, entertainment etc can help you. Never sleep alone. Be always with your family even at night etc are some other tips. Willpower is the key always. Behavioral therapy also works well. Take care. 

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Dr. Sathish ErraBHMS, Diploma in DermatologyHomeopath

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That's because maintaining an erection requires a healthy blood supply, and nicotine causes your blood vessels to contract (which causes the penis to shrink). The longer you're a smoker, the more difficult it is to treat or reverse erectile dysfunction. 

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Dr. Saranya DevanathanMBBS, DPMPsychiatrist

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Dear lybrate-user, Congratulations for stopping smoking. It you stop smoking, you feel more hungry. You may put on weight in due course. Please try to stop smoking at the earliest. It has many health benefits in the long run. When you stop suddenly, you may get withdrawal symptoms like restlessness, irritability, lack of concentration, increased hunger, sleep disturbance, headache, impatience, anxiety, depression, etc. If you have them please don’t get back to smoking, take nicotine gum or lozenge or patch. They are available in all medical shops. You don’t need a prescription from doctors. Use 2 mg gum if you smoke less than 25 cigarettes/day. Use 4 mg gum if you smoke more than 25 cigarettes/day. First 6 weeks, use 1 gum every 1 – 2 hours. Reduce it in week 7 – 9 to one gum every 2 – 4 hours. In week 10 – 12, reduce it further to 1 gum every 4 -8 hours. By 3 months, you will be able to stop both cigarettes and gum fully without any withdrawal symptoms. Please feel confident that you can do it and give yourself some gift for doing it like vacation or books or new mobile. Smoking is a chronic relapsing condition like diabetes and B.P. So please don’t worry if you restart smoking. Start all over again to stop. You will learn the situations that make you smoke and avoid them. Please think of health benefits and money saved often. Plan how to avoid relapsing situations, like smoking friends, use of alcohol, stressful feeling or depression. Delay, drink, deep breathe, distract and discuss are the helpful tips. Increase of non smoking zones, gift yourself for stopping smoking. Even chewing cinnamon may delay. Please remember that the urge to smoke comes and goes like waves. Delay and see whether it goes away. It will be like a passing cloud. 

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Dr. Vandana PatidarM.D.PSYCHIATRY, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.), MedicinePsychiatrist

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Hello lybrate-user. Yes this is normal to have withdrawal symptoms passive smoking is almost equivalent to active smoking and causes same harm to your lungs as active smoking would do. But with time withdrawal symptoms will settle if they donot you can choose to have pharmacological intervention i.e. Medicine for it. 

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Dr. Sajeev KumarC.S.C, D.C.H, M.B.B.SCardiologist

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You must stop smoking .Best age to stop smoking is before 40 ,In fact do not start all Only by using strong will power and avoiding all situations where you feel like smoking, chewing tobacco/ or drugs or drinking or using drugs/ weed, avoiding friends who smoke and diverting mind by reading or chewing a gum, like NICORETTE and taking a walk when you crave for a smoke can all help. You can chew Nicorette gum which is nicotine replacement. There are medicines available. Which can be prescribed if asked personally Cigarette smoking is a leading preventable cause of mortality. It kills more than 60 lakh people worldwide every year. More than 50% of regular smokers would invariably die from tobacco-related illnesses which includes heart attack, cancer or asthmatic lung diseases. Best age to stop smoking is before 40 31st May is “World No Tobacco Day” Quitting smoking before the age of 40 is associated with larger decline in premature death than stopping it at a later date. Best age therefore to stop smoking is before 40. However, stopping smoking even after the age of 50 is still associated with lower risk of death as compared to those who continue to smoke. Even in smokers aged 80 years or more, quitting smoking appears to reduce some mortality. 

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