Myasthenia Gravis - The Resource

So, you still smoke cigarettes?

Why Quit?
Chronic obstructive lung disease (including chronic bronchitis and emphysema) is a progressively disabling disease. It can cause prolonged suffering due to difficulty in breathing because of the obstruction or narrowing of the small airways in the lung and the destruction of the air sacs in the lung due to smoking.  These are essential for the exchange of oxygen in the blood: when they break down, the lung loses its elasticity and there is less surface in the lung to absorb oxygen.  The onset of the disease is very gradual and rarely reversible once established.

Not a pretty picture? We haven't even gotten to the cardiovascular effects of smoking. Smoking is one of the major causes of heart attacks, strokes, limb amputations and sudden unexpected death without warning in the United States.

I'm sure you are thinking that you've heard all this before; you may have. Reinforcing the negatives, for some, increases the desire to quit. If reminding yourself of the common dangers doesn't affect you anymore, consider this: myasthenia gravis patients have a 1 in 10 chance of having a crisis during the course of their illness. The MG factor is weakness of breathing muscles and smoking decreases lung capacity. Decreased lung capacity means we have to breathe in and out harder for that breath, using our muscles more than that of a non smoker.

Fortunately, the risk of all these terrible things decreases once you quit smoking. The benefits of smoking cessation begin early and after about 10 years, the risk of developing the diseases mentioned above is not much different from that of the nonsmoking population! For smokers who have had a heart attack, the risk of a recurrent heart attack decreases to that of nonsmokers by 3 years after they quit smoking. People of all ages-from the very young to the very old-will benefit. Very soon after quitting smoking food will taste better, coughing in the morning will stop and strength and endurance will improve (endurance....all of us MG'ers could use more of that!). As a matter of fact, blood pressure rises when you smoke but starts to return to normal after only 20 minutes.

How Can I Stop?
The first thing required to stop smoking is desire. Smoking cessation is most effective if one goes "cold turkey" rather than gradually cutting down. This isn't to say that cessation aids don't work. They can if used correctly. Throw away the cigarettes, ashtrays and lighters. Identify and try to avoid activities that trigger smoking. Keeping a diary is a good idea to learn what the triggers are that make you reach for that cigarette. When the urge to smoke happens, try to postpone it as long as possible.

There are some good software programs that can help, such as No Smoke. No Smoke is a free program combining a diary type application, plus tips and other handy tools. Quit Time is another freeware utility that shows you how long you've been smoke-free, how many cigarettes you haven't smoked, how much money you've saved and how much longer you might live by not smoking.

Enrollment in an ongoing counseling program helps tremendously in the effort to quit. Social support is also very important. You should let your family, friends and co-workers know you are quitting. Quit Net is an excellent site that offers a customized quit plan, internet community support, tips, news and other information. Committed Quitters, sponsored by the makers of Nicorette/Nicoderm/Commit Lozenge, focuses on handling the psychological part of your quit attempt. Not to be left out, Nicotrol manufacturer Pfizer has their personalized Helping Hands program and The American Lung Association features Freedom From Smoking Online, which answers questions, gives tips and other assistance in quitting.

Cessation Aids
Nicotine replacement therapy has been available for several years now, first in the form of nicotine gum and later as the more effective nicotine patches. Nicotine replacement therapy is also available as an inhaler a lozenge and a nasal spray. These products satisfy the bodies' craving for nicotine while getting out of the habit of smoking cigarettes and avoiding irritation to the lungs and carcinogens. The dose of nicotine is then gradually tapered down over several weeks until are finally off nicotine altogether. 

There are herbal supplements that claim they can help you quit smoking within 7 days. Some of these are touted to be highly successful. Click here for more information.

Another available medicine is called buproprion (Zyban, Wellbutrin). This acts on the "addiction center" of the brain to reduce the craving for nicotine. The medication is started 2 weeks before the scheduled stop smoking date and continued during the withdrawal period. It can be combined with the nicotine replacement therapy as well. Other second line therapies for smoking cessation include clonidine and nortriptyline.

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