missdi42
08-07-2005, 08:03 PM
I was just wondering if anyone out there knows how long nicotine stays in the bloodstream. I will be having surgery sometime the end of September, & quit over a week ago using the 21 mg patch. I then stopped the patch altogether after one week, and have been fine without it. I've read that you should quit 4-8 weeks before any type of surgery, and was wondering how long it stays in your system. If I have any bloodwork done within the next few weeks, I don't want it showing up or they will cancel my surgery. I've quit before for 18 months, encountered an extremely stressful month, started smoking again, smoked for 3 months, and have just now quit again. I've also quit before for over 2 years, then started again, how stupid!!! I've had great success with Wellbutrin, Zyban, and/or the patches, Nicoderm CQ.
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Tobias
08-07-2005, 10:01 PM
You're correct, quitting smoking 8 weeks before surgery is optimum. The reason has as much to do with your lung function as anything else. A current smoker is probably one of an anesthesiologist's nightmares. Smokers under anesthesia simply don't do as well as nonsmokers and quitting 8 weeks before helps a lot. Using the patch is not the same as inhaling smoke and it's the smoke and all that CO1 that complicate matters. The remaining nicotine in your blood from using the patch will probably be mostly gone three days after you stop the patch.
Zvezdas
08-09-2005, 02:34 AM
I've had great success with Wellbutrin, Zyban, and/or the patches, Nicoderm CQ.
mind if i ask, but how can you be so successful when 1. Youve started again and again 2. youve used 5 different products
mind if i ask, but how can you be so successful when 1. Youve started again and again 2. youve used 5 different products
missdi42
08-09-2005, 09:36 PM
Zvezdas- In response to your "mind if I ask" question, what I meant by "I've had great success using Wellbutrin, Zyban, and/or the patch Nicoderm CQ" is this: I was successful in quitting twice, the first time using Wellbutrin only, quitting over 2 years. The second time I used Zyban and Nicoderm CQ patch together, and quit for 18 months, before relapsing back into smoking. Both times I relapsed was because of emotional personal stress in my life, certain events out of my control (which I need to learn to cope with without smoking). What I meant by great success was that it helped me to quit without the horrible withdrawal symptoms for a long period of time. It sometimes takes some smokers many tries of quitting before they quit permanently. Others are lucky (and darn good) at being able to quit forever on the first try. I never said I was perfect, just successful at quitting for at least a long time, even if not forever. I did not use 5 different products at once, and even if I did, at least I'm willing to try what I need to, to help me quit. On my current attempt I used the patch for less than one week, then went cold turkey, and am doing fine, and I plan on making this my third and FINAL attempt on becoming PERMANENTLY smoke free. Even though I relapsed back into only 3 months of smoking again, my upcoming surgery is just the push I needed to quit for the last time.
And Tobias2- Thank you for your feedback!!
And Tobias2- Thank you for your feedback!!
JeanneLynn
09-29-2005, 03:24 AM
I haven't had a surgery in 10 years, but I smoked beforehand. They asked if I was a smoker, but didn't make too much of it. Do doctors refuse to perform surgery now if you have smoked in the last 8 weeks? I'm curious as to why they won't perform the surgery if you smoke. I need to quit too, I have to get a tooth inplant and the dentist said that it has poor results if you smoke afterwards.
ta99
11-01-2005, 02:23 AM
I had surgery and got put under anaesthesia while i was a smoker and was not fun. Heck i smoked a cigarette in the parking lot of the hospital before i went in for surgery. Truthfully it was one of the worst experiences of my life. As soon as the doc injected the anaesthesia i had extreme trouble breathing. As i tried to tell him i couldn't breathe i saw him reaching for those tube things they put down your throat then quickly passed out from the medicine. Thought i died. Next thing i knew i was waking up in recovery room gasping for breathe again but then regained normal breathing. Nurse said they had probs with me in surgery room but everything turned out alright. Ive been put under awhile ago also for a different surgery when i didnt smoke and never had that problem so im guessing it was directly related to the smoking. wasnt fun at all.