Sazerac

Hello Peter, welcome to the QTrain, you may see familiar names from QSMB. We are lucky to have them. Glad you are here and congratulations on your Sixteen Years of Freedom ! Please jump in whenever you have time, your experience is invaluable. S

This is from Red Orbit How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your Blood and Body Arch January 21, 2019 Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances, which makes smoking a habit that’s notoriously hard to shake. And even if one manages to quit, traces of the substance will still be present in one’s system days after going cold turkey. E-cigarettes are considered a less harmful alternative to conventional cigarettes. However, e-cigarette cartridges contain as much as 21 to 85% nicotine. The body won’t know the difference so it will absorb the nicotine just the same. So, how long does nicotine stay in your blood and body? To get the answer, you should take a closer look at the way and rate the human body absorbs this dangerous toxin. SMOKING AND NICOTINE INGESTION Tobacco companies make sure to provide a variety of cigarettes to suit individual nicotine addicts. On average, a single cigarette has 12 milligrams of nicotine, about 1 milligram of which reaches the bloodstream. Once inside the bloodstream, nicotine tests measure nicotine concentration in nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml). This depends on individual smoking habits. For example, the average smoker may have up to 50ng/ml of cotinine – one of the nicotine metabolites – in their blood. But for heavy smokers, the levels can reach a staggering 500ng/ml. HOW LONG DOES NICOTINE STAY IN YOUR BLOOD? It’ll take about a couple of hours after smoking for your body to remove 50% of the ingested nicotine. On average, it can still be detected in the bloodstream for one to three days after you stopped smoking. The primary nicotine metabolite, cotinine, can show up in blood tests even after 10 days. The time it takes to fully purge either nicotine or cotinine from the blood may depend on the severity of the smoking habit and individual metabolism. As for the tests, they can be divided into two categories: quantitative test for the amount of nicotine and qualitative test for the presence of the substance. But you are not out of the woods after three days. Most of the tests also look for the major nicotine metabolites, cotinine and anabasine, which are both alkaloids that stay in the blood for much longer than nicotine. There is also a strong possibility of a false positive. The culprit for this is the chemical called thiocyanate, which appears in the bloodstream as a result of smoking but is also common in some medications and foods like cabbage and broccoli. HOW LONG DOES NICOTINE STAY IN YOUR URINE? Things are a bit different with nicotine urine tests. For casual smokers, detectable cotinine levels can be present in urine for up to four days. This might go up to three weeks for heavy smokers. The amount of cotinine or nicotine detected depends on the timing of the urine sample. For example, those who haven’t quit smoking may have up to 1,000 ng/mL of the substance in their urine. But a couple of weeks after quitting, the levels usually drop precipitously but may stay above 30 ng/mL, the threshold for a positive result. The labs use different reference ranges to interpret nicotine tests. So, if need be, you might need to go over the results with your physician. HAIR FOLLICLE AND SALIVA TEST Besides blood and urine, trace amounts of nicotine stay in your saliva and hair follicles. In fact, certain hair follicle tests might show positive results up to a year after the last nicotine exposure. But generally, traces of nicotine usually stay in hair follicles for about three months. When it comes to saliva, it takes your body about four days to purge the saliva of nicotine and cotinine. Unlike hair follicle tests, saliva is commonly used to test for nicotine. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE NICOTINE LEVELS Some common rules are applicable here. As previously stated, certain individual factors also apply and may be responsible for a prolonged presence of the substance. Smokers can be divided into three categories. Those who smoke once a week are considered light users. Their body generally gets rid of traceable nicotine in about three days after the last exposure. Moderate users are those who smoke a few times a week and they may expect to test positive for a couple of weeks after quitting. People who smoke on a daily basis fall under the heavy user category. The nicotine in their blood, urine, and saliva might linger for up to twelve months. But there are other factors that come into play. With age, it becomes more difficult for the body to deal with nicotine. And the genetic makeup may also play a significant role. Certain studies indicate that Caucasian and Hispanic people metabolize the substance quicker than African and Asian people. Hormones and liver enzymes may influence the amount of nicotine in the body as well. For example, women who take estrogen or are pregnant might get rid of nicotine faster than men. HOW TO PURGE NICOTINE FROM YOUR BLOOD AND BODY Abstaining from cigarettes and other products that contain nicotine is the best way to get the toxin out of your system. During abstinence, the cells work hard to remove traces of nicotine from your body. In addition, there are a few things that you can do to expedite this process. The first line of defense is being well-hydrated. In other words, the more water you drink, the faster the nicotine leaves via your urine. An antioxidant-rich diet helps as well. Some of the foods you should go for include carrots and oranges. They contain immunity-boosting antioxidants and fibers which may accelerate nicotine removal. Another way to boost your metabolism is to take up exercise. Nicotine and all of its metabolites are released through sweat when exercising. THE FINAL PUFF If you haven’t stopped smoking, now is as good a time as any to start. After abstaining from nicotine for a few months, there’ll be no need to wonder how long does nicotine stay in your blood. REFERENCES: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2946180/ https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/3/176 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0091743579900124 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Anabasine#section=Top https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/15D8BBF6393C6093C2076546E6515457/S1834261214000279a.pdf/nicotine_pharmacology_toxicity_and_therapeutic_use.pdf https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/23/suppl_2/ii30 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/electronic-cigarettes-good-news-bad-news-2016072510010

I know adults who vape and talking to them about addiction goes as well as to be expected. Thank you for consolidating vaping information. I can send people here. @MarylandQuitter, may we have a place in that part of the forum to add our own research links and experiences dealing with vaping ? It isn't just children, which is particularly heinous, it is adult addicts that are blissfully unaware or in full addiction denial.

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Tomatoes may restore lung damage caused by smoking Published Medical News Today Friday 29 December 2017 From cutting skin cancer risk in half to supporting the immune system, a diet rich in tomatoes and fruits imparts many health benefits. Now, researchers have found that these foods may restore lung function in ex-smokers and slow lung function decline in all adults. A tomato-rich diet may slow smoking- and age-related lung function decline. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD, conducted the study. The findings were published in the European Respiratory Journal. The lungs begin to heal as soon as smoking is ceased. While the response is quick to start, lung improvement is incremental and can take many years. Furthermore, quitting smoking alone does not entirely erase the risk of developing a smoking-related lung disease. Another factor to consider is that the lungs are fully mature by 20–25 years of age. After 35 years old, lung function begins to decline, and breathing becomes gradually more difficult. In a nutshell: the diaphragm weakens, which decreases the ability to breathe in and out; muscles that keep airways open lose elasticity; alveoli lose their shape; and the area of the brain that regulates breathing sends weaker signals to the lungs. Previous research published by The BMJ has demonstrated that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of COPD in current and former smokers. In fact, each extra daily serving was linked to a 4–8 percent lower risk. The new study goes one step further to suggest that consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables — particularly tomatoes and apples — slows down the decline in lung function among ex-smokers over the duration of 10 years. Slower lung deterioration among all adults Compared with adults who consumed fewer than one serving of fruit or one tomato per day, those who ate more than three portions of fruit or more than two tomatoes experienced slower lung function decline. The scientists asked questions about other dietary and processed sources of fruits and vegetables, such as tomato sauce, but the protective effect was only apparent among those who ate fresh fruits and vegetables. This finding suggests that there may be particular components in fresh tomatoes and apples that help to repair the lung damage that results from smoking. What is more, a slower deterioration in lung function was observed in all adults in the study who ate a tomato-rich diet — including those who had never smoked. "This study," says lead study author Vanessa Garcia-Larsen, assistant professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of International Health, "shows that diet might help repair lung damage in people who have stopped smoking. It also suggests that a diet rich in fruits can slow down the lung's natural aging process even if you have never smoked." "The findings," she adds, "support the need for dietary recommendations, especially for people at risk of developing respiratory diseases such as COPD." Diet could help to combat COPD Garcia-Larsen and her team evaluated diet and performed lung function tests, including spirometry, among more than 650 adults from Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom in 2002 and again 10 years later. The connection between diet and lung function was most pronounced among ex-smokers. When the volume of air they could inhale was measured, former smokers who consumed a tomato- and fruit-rich diet had around 80 milliliter slower decline in lung function over 10 years. This indicates that specific nutrients could be playing a role in healing the damage caused by smoking. "Our study suggests that eating more fruits on a regular basis can help attenuate the decline as people age, and might even help repair damage caused by smoking. Diet could become one way of combating rising diagnosis of COPD around the world."

Congratulations, Opah on your FREEDOM ! and thank you so much for all you give to us.

My sanctuary is definitely inside myself. I get there at my house, cooking up something delectable, working in the garden, listening to favorite music, sewing beautiful fabric, watching the Sun and the Moon pass over my little square of sky, a scolding from resident crows. Sitting on the tarmac flying to a new adventure. My nourishment is my work, painting/writing and appreciating the beautiful natural world.

Congratulations, Parsley ! You have FIVE months of Freedom under your belt. Everything will get easier and easier by and by.

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I am so glad to hear your family are circling the wagons, Linda. Please take care of yourself, friend. Take more Vit C and Zinc to ward off flu/cold or just plain collapse. Eat well, water water water. You are under tremendous stress and must take extra care you don't get sick (especially since you are in and out of germ factories). Your quit is strong. You are powerful. We love having you in our corner, that's for sure.

We pretty much have an anti-vaping train. You can see all the information about vaping in the new category that MQuitter set up HERE I think one person quit by using vape a few years ago. But, she quit smoking AND vaping. For me, quitting smoking meant dealing successfully with my nicotine addiction and not just a delivery system. Addicts are addicts are addicts and full of denial. I know, I was for forty something years !

You are not foolish, Linda. You are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. I am sorry I was four hours too late ! There is no understanding or logic to your parent's behaviour towards you, it is abominably wrong wrong wrong. Your Mom can scoop up your dad's belongings and get a jitney to the hospital. But, I bet you are there already, poor thing. OK, tomorrow is a new day. Take The Day OFF. Nurture yourself. Get a plan together if you can. Draw the line in the sand. "If you continue to abuse me, I will no longer drive you anywhere or help you in any way" Remember we are on your side and remember that you are loved.

Dear friend, Please do not pick up your mother at the hospital. If she is capable of signing herself out, she is capable of finding a ride home. You are not responsible. I am so glad you are keeping your quit, protecting your quit. I hope you start protecting yourself too.

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Great news, Opah ! Facing lots of triggers and patterns and staying smoke free is a great accomplishment ! Very happy about your successes, quit and hunt !

Congratulations on your SEVEN YEARS of Freedom !

Guinness, Bass or Stella for moi and slap that meat all over me ! lol. YUM.

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Congratulations M'Life on your FIVE months of Freedom ! Celebrate wildly and heap rewards on yourself. You are building a successful quit, keep your focus and drink deep from the well of NOPE. Thank you for all your support.

Congratulations Tammy on your SEVEN months of Freedom ! You have built a super fine quit, strong and impervious. It has been a pleasure to have you here with us, your encouragement and support is really appreciated. Please reward yourself !

It is amazing the inner trust we build within ourselves by quitting smoking and the confidence we acquire to slay our demons. This trust and strength does not fade and like a muscle gets stronger and stronger with use. Congratulations M'Life, you have a splendid quit and I am so happy you are reaping rewards of your work. You Rock. S

Be SURE to keep rewarding yourself every time you beat a crave ! Replace smokey thoughts immediately by looking at something pretty like that light on that leaf or something/someone you love. Your quit is young, protect it with your life and don't forget to have fun. You Quit Smoking. End Of.

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