Stopping Smoking
Nicotine is known to decrease sensitivity to insulin in Type II diabetics. Cigarette smoke also contains thousands of toxic compounds that exacerbate the free radical damage already accelerated in diabetes. Combining cigarette smoking with diabetes is an especially lethal recipe.
Smoking will result in an acceleration of the process that leads to blindness (retinopathy), chronic foot pain (neuropathy), kidney failure (nephropathy), atherosclerosis, and sudden death from heart attack and stroke. The foremost goal of any diabetic who smokes and wants to regain good health needs to be quitting smoking. For diabetics attempting to quit smoking, it is best to make the transition from smoker to non-smoker as quickly as possible, thus avoiding ongoing exposure to nicotine from other sources.
Clinical Studies: Smoking and Diabetes
A study undertaken at a medical school in Italy evaluated the effects of cigarette smoking on insulin sensitivity. Forty NIDDM subjects, of whom 28 were chronic smokers, were assessed and researchers concluded that chronic cigarette smoking aggravated insulin resistance. In California, a study of 20 smokers and 20 non-smokers led to the conclusion that smokers are more insulin resistant, hyperinsulinemic, and dyslipidemic than non-smokers. A Swedish study isolated nicotine in cigarette smoke as the major contributor to insulin resistance, concluding that the use of nicotine-containing chewing gum may have the same effects as cigarette smoke.
Strategies for Quitting Smoking
Mark Twain once said, “Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it a thousand times.” Maybe you’ve tried to quit, too. Nicotine is highly addictive – as addictive or more addictive than heroin or cocaine. Over time, the body becomes both physically and psychologically dependent on nicotine. Studies have shown that smokers must overcome both of these addictions to be successful at quitting and staying quit.
Quitting smoking is difficult but achievable – 40 million Americans quit in the 1990s, a remarkable accomplishment. Certainly, not everyone of these people quit for good on their first attempt. In fact, smokers usually need a number of attempts – sometimes as many as 10 – before they are able to quit for good. Don’t give up after one attempt if it is not successful. Learning from the experience and trying again has been the path to ultimate success for the majority.
Managing Withdrawal Symptoms
When smokers try to quit, the absence of nicotine in the blood leads to withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms are typically both physical and psychological. Physically, the body reacts to the absence of nicotine with dizziness, depression, irritability, sleep disturbances, trouble concentrating, restlessness, headaches, fatigue, and increased appetite. Psychologically, the smoker is faced with giving up a habit, which is often tied to many other common activities, such as talking on the phone, eating, or drinking coffee or alcohol. For many people stressful situations also increase their desire to smoke.
It is critical to be aware of these circumstances and to have a replacement habit at hand. Some examples of replacement habits include drinking a glass of water, chewing gum, lifting weights, or going for a walk. The important thing is to find a mix of replacement strategies that work for you. Some people even choose to avoid the behavior (such as drinking coffee or alcohol) that triggers the desire to smoke, at least for awhile.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
Most smokers say their only reason for not giving up cigarettes is the withdrawal symptoms. A nicotine substitute can reduce the number and severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) provides nicotine – in the form of gums, patches, sprays, inhalers or lozenges – without the other harmful chemicals in tobacco. It can help relieve some of the physical withdrawal symptoms so that you can concentrate more on the psychological aspects of quitting. The most effective time to start NRT is at the beginning of an attempt to quit.
With no plan or NRT program at all, only 5% succeed in quitting smoking and staying off cigarettes for 1 year. Nicotine replacement incrreases that to 15% to 25% (depending on the study); certainly not stellar results, but much better than 5%.
Other Strategies
Hypnosis treatments and acupuncture treatments have received positive and negative clinical trials of their effectiveness. Millions of people have used these techniques to quit smoking. In our opinion, you are most likely to succeed with hypnosis and acupuncture by doing a series of treatments on a regular basis during the first 3 months after quitting. It is also a good idea to find therapists in your area who specialize in using these techniques to treat addictions.
