How can smoking interfere with lyme treatment? My colleague has lyme and is pretty well verse in treatments and medications for lyme (thanks to this site), but she smokes daily. Dr. B's Treatment Guidelines - September 2005, recommends a smoke-free healing program. I think this is one thing she will not commit to.
How will smoking affect the healing process?
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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It is very sweet that you are concerned.
She won't have much of a chance if she is not committed to a toxic-free lifestyle.
Sad to say, but cigarettes are highly toxic. Hot smoke and the chemicals are very damaging to the lungs, heart, liver, brain, etc. Emphysema, one result of smoking, can also add to the complications.
Lyme is also very toxic.
It is hard on every body system and function. Even in the best circumstances, with all the money and support in the world, this is a very long and difficult road.
To help success have a chance, the very best of help habits are required.
All that said, the chemical addition is very strong and it can require medical help to quit. It's not easy and the body - and spirit - needs much support during the process.
Acupuncture and certain herbs can help - or other methods. Massage, once or twice a week, can really help in many ways to calm nerve fibers and to help the liver to detox.
But you can't beat someone up if they don't quite smoking. You can't look down on them but it is hard to see that, in effect, their chances for recovery are greatly reduced.
Still, try to be non-judgmental and understanding. It's an addiction and that is very, very real. It's a medical thing and not always just personal choice. Most smokers had no clue all that was in the cigarettes when they started. Most likely, many began trying to calm a nervous system that was on overdrive.
AND I think that they also may be treating themselves, medically, just they've not found a better method that is safer.
Cat's claw (an herbal tincture) may actually be one. I find it very grounding - it helps me handle the stress of noise. I've never been a smoker, though, so I'm out of my field. Many naturopathic doctors or acupuncturists are very good in this.
I do hope your friend can commit to a toxin-free air supply so that the lyme treatment has a chance.
I'd also encourage her to talk with her doctor as a plan with the doctor in on it is vital - either way.
Good luck - and understanding - to both of you in this regard.
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[ 27. August 2008, 08:49 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
. . . To reduce craving during withdrawal, and to handle situations of post-smoking stress, use calming nervines like milky oat seed, kava root and skullcap tincture.
Lobelia herb (Lobelia inflata) contains an alkaloid called lobeline, which has a chemical structure similar to nicotine (Flammia et. al., 1999), and has been reported by some practitioners to mask the withdrawal symptoms of nicotine addiction.
Consult a professional before using this herb.
To repair damage to the lungs from smoking, if it is not too late, use the same herbs and methods of differentiation mentioned directly below for chronic respiratory problems.
Emphasize herbs that reduce lung inflammation combined with herbs that soothe and nourish.
Using about 1,500 mg of turmeric root per day can help prevent damage, and one company has created a product based on this idea.
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Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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I think that smoking may be used to regulate a dysfunction endocrine / adrenal system to handle stress.
This book focuses on the problems that lyme brings to the adrenal system and how to best work with that.
By working with the endocrine system, it may eliminate the need to use more toxic methods, like smoking.
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This book, by an ILADS member LLMD, has a lot of good information:
Acupuncture Assistance for Withdrawal from Tobacco Smoking
The effectiveness of acupuncture for drug withdrawal, including smoking cessation, has been proclaimed by acupuncturists in the U.S. since the early 1980's. ...
Cigarettes are smoked to feel refreshed-invigorated or calmed-and it is difficult to stop smoking because of the urge to attain the mental and physical ...
Neuroprotective Herbs and Active Constituents: Approaches to ...
OBJECTIVE: We undertook a case control study to examine the relationship between coffee and tea drinking, cigarette smoking, and other environmental factors ...
Thanks Keebler from the magic forest. She'll probably read this post tomorrow.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
raymond,
someone else recently posted about lyme and smoking; try SEARCH at top of page, click it and type that in for what you are looking for
medical subject any date leave membership no. blank; hit send
read all posts/replies for their input...best wishes and glad your co-worker has you to help her along lyme pathway. Posted by Angelica (Member # 15601) on :
My friend had lyme and was a smoker and did get better so never say never. Not that smoking is good for you.
Posted by lymecaregiverNY (Member # 13287) on :
Smoking decreases oxygen levels in the blood and increases carbon dioxide levels.
Higher carbon dioxide levels stimulates the Borrelia pathogen to manufacture a key protein called Osp C. Osp C protein is utilized by the pathogen to help it invade, colonize, and destroy more and more tissue in the body.
Smoking and Lyme infection are incompatible.
Godspeed.
Posted by wrotek (Member # 5354) on :
Hmmm i quit smoking without big problems, cause it made me sicker while having lyme. The bigger problem for me to quit is caffeine, cause fatigue from this disease is crushing and caffeine alleviates it.
Posted by lymemomtooo (Member # 5396) on :
I know of two Lymies that can't or won't stop smoking. Neither of them is well. lmt
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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wrotek - fatigue sure is a crushing force.
I wonder if you've tried any adrenal support herbs. Some that have helped me are ashwagandha, Siberian Ginseng, cordyceps or rhodiola.
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Posted by Peacesoul (Member # 13709) on :
I smoked since I was 13 (am now 41), I was dx with lyme Aug 2007.
I quit smoking close to 5 months ago and I felt better w/in 2 months.
I'll never go back to smoking.
Posted by xrx250 (Member # 16997) on :
"Higher carbon dioxide levels stimulate the Borrelia pathogen" is visually stimulating - a graphic reminder with each puff. It sounds like smoking cessation is crucial to her healing. Thanks everyone for your input.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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While I can certainly understand some of the chemical holds the addition has and understand that, for every smoker, some have a much harder time, even without lyme, smoking is still very destructive to all cells of the body.
A graphic reminder would also be blackened lungs, decreased circulation.
Back in high school (around 1970) someone in my speech class brought in a set of "lungs" from the American Lung Association.
The "lungs" smoked a cigarette or two and the white filtered lining turned to a charcoal yellow color. If I ever needed a visual clue as to just one reason not to smoke that sure helped.
Smoking can also increase pain and lead to neuropathy. Lyme produces enough pain of its own and with cigarettes added I would imagine the pain could be much more severe because of decreased circulation all around.
The American Lung Association will have more information for your friend - and ways to help in a understanding manner.
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Posted by kylasrain (Member # 12031) on :
I just quit smoking two weeks ago.
My new LLMD gently explained that it's not the nicotine or even the suppression of the immune system (which is definitely counter-productive to healing) that is the biggest problem with lyme...
instead he explained that Lyme specifically binds to TAR in the lungs much like a fly sticks to sticky fly paper.
It hard to quit your 'best friend', as I called it, especially after all that you're going through. The trick that has worked for me this time is a medication called "CHANTIX"'.
Its a miracle drug, as far as I'm concerned. The doc said it was ok to try and it does not put nicotine into your system. You can even smoke when on it without doing harm to your heart....but you wont want to!
It blocks the receptors in the brain that bind to nicotine to produce dopamine (the chemical that makes you feel good after smoking). Its like an appetite suppressant. You just wont feel like smoking anymore. (Effort does have to play some sort of factor for long term results, of course.)
Good luck...you're a good friend.
Posted by METALLlC BLUE (Member # 6628) on :
Smoking impairs the immune system. You will not -- let me repeat that -- will not see most Lyme patients who smoke recover, unless they quit smoking.
It's not a theory, it's not a guess, it's not to scare someone into stopping. It's a fact.
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