Yes, folks, Caleb lost fifty pounds, resembles a Greek god, just had an interview for a great IT job that I'm 99% positive was made just for him, and oh yeah... I had my last cigarette at 5:00 central standard time on May 31st.
Enter withdrawalvision, elements of which are mentioned above.
For the first 7 days I didn't understand what the big deal was. Why do people find it so hard to quit smoking? I just placed that activity in my past.
The odd thing is I don't want to smoke. I can't stand the smell anymore. I can't stand the cost. I can't stand the thought of giving in to a bunch of leaves. It's not really even a temptation for me.
But I'm really uncomfortable now because my tongue is covered with blisters and I've lost about 50% of my tasting capacity--this strikes me as really counterintuitive--so everything tastes like paste. Initially I thought my tongue had 'rug burn' (don't ask) but earlier today I found one line somewhere on the internet that said in rare cases new exsmokers experience these same symptoms. And the only other thing it had to say about it was that if the symptoms persisted longer than 10 days, you should see a doctor.
I'm 10 days out and my tongue hurts. And everything tastes like paste.
HELP!
Posted by Richard Berg (Member # 133) on :
GSADYFT
Posted by JohnKeats (Member # 1261) on :
Also apparently the lack of Nicotine causes Richard Berg's posts to appear as if they were written in another language.
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
Go See A Doctor You Frequin' Tool?
Failed Taster? Freedom Trailblazer? Former Tobaccite? Faulty Tongue?
I really don't know the last two letters....
Great decision (imhyesco) to quit, and glad that many other things are going your way. I trust this (the medical issue, not the good things)shall pass, and all will be well. But I'll probably pray anyway, if that's ok.
--Pop
Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :
I'm guessing the first four letters are "Go See A Doctor," but I can't for the life of me figure out the rest.
Posted by cochick (Member # 6167) on :
Congrats on quitting and not piling on the pounds too. Best wishes for the job fingers x'd.
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
I have other guesses for both letters, but I don't like them, so I'll assume they aren't what Richard was intending.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
It's a term first seen frequently on Richard's other board, Ars Technica. And it means Go See a Doctor, You F* Tool. It's R-rated. You'd be surprised how many geeks post all sorts of gruesome symptoms to a web board and then ask if it means they should see a doctor.
It's a close cousin to another Ars term, JAHOYFT, Just Ask Her/Him Out, You F* Tool.
-Bok
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Good luck with the interview, congratulations on the 50 lbs and be strong with the smoking.
That's a heck of a lot of change for one week! No wonder you're irritated.
This pamphlet looked interesting. It suggested drinking a lot of cold water/juice. The sites I've read seem to vary on the duration of withdrawl symptoms. I've seen 2-3 days to 2-3 weeks. Hang in there!
Give yourself a treat for being so good!
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
How can he give himself a treat? It sounds like he's given up all his vices.
Dagonee *Good going, by the way. Congratulations!
Posted by JohnKeats (Member # 1261) on :
Thanks everybody.
I plan on seeing a Doctor if my symptoms don't change over the weekend. I'm interested in finding home remedies for tongue sores, that's all. Doctors are great but they do have other more serious issues to deal with, especially if I can take care of this myself.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
I think drinking lots of water should be your first step. Since you've been dieting AND stopped smoking dehydration is a good bet.
Stress also tends to produce some infections like that. I had a friend who would get a weird cold sore on her mouth when she was overly stressed. So pamper yourself a bit in other ways!
Brushing your teeth a bit more and/or otherwise watching your dental hygeine is a good bet anyways.
It could be some sort of bacterial infection, though, so if it doesn't go away, do get it looked at. That is unlikely to go away on its own or with home-remedies.
Edit: Geez, I must be feeling hormonal tonight. My mothering instinct is in full swing!
[ June 10, 2004, 09:02 PM: Message edited by: Christy ]
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
Congrats on losing weight and quitting smoking. I hope you get the job.
Posted by Jalapenoman (Member # 6575) on :
My son loved eating the paste when he was in Kindergarten! This did not start after he quit smoking, however (I believe he was still a two pack a day man back then).
Posted by Olivetta (Member # 6456) on :
Try Lysene as a dietary supplement. I dunno if it helps or if it was just the placebo effect, but it helped me with the sores I got when I had braces.
Actually, a good multi vitamin with minerals is never a bad idea. And DO drink water. It's good for you.
Oh, and post a pic somewhere! (not of your tongue-- I wanna see the new, Greek God Caleb)
Posted by punwit (Member # 6388) on :
J/K, I just quit using tobacco about 3 months ago. I also experienced soreness on my tongue. It lasted about a week or week and half but everything is fine now. I still crave nicotine but I tried one chew about a week ago and it made me ill. I guess I am truly on the road to recovery. Now if the Dr's could only figure out what is going on with my abdomen I'd be peachy keen.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Congrats to any and all that have had the fortitude to quit smoking. That is a huge hurdle to cross.
FG
Posted by JohnKeats (Member # 1261) on :
The soreness has lessened in intensity, but it actually kinda comes and goes. By the end of the day after having used it so much it feels pretty raw.
My major concern is with my tastebuds. I mean, I'm already irritated and wanting to stuff my face with food to make up for the cigarette shortfall, but I can't taste anything! I just had an orange juice and I could only taste the orangeness of it in the aftertaste. Unpleasant.
I lost the weight over a long long period of time. When I started my current job in Feb '03 I weighed about 225-230 pounds. Today I weigh 175. But I still hate pictures of myself.
Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)