Question:
CAN THE DOCTOR TELL IF YOUR A SMOKER?
I KNOW SMOKING IS BAD, VERY VERY BAD, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I DO IT! I AM PLANNING ON QUITTING BEFORE MY SURGERY (WHICH HAS NOT BEEN SET YET) BUT ON ALL OF MY EXAMS AND DOCTORS VISITS SO FAR I HAVE KINDA FIBBED AND SAID I DONT SMOKE ANYMORE AND THAT I QUIT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. LETS JUST SAY I DO QUIT A FEW WEEKS BEFORE SURGERY, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT THE SURGEON CAN TELL? LIKE, IS THER ANY KIND OF TEST THEY CAN RUN OR XRAYS TO DETECT SMOKE?? — samantha S. (posted on August 7, 2002)
August 6, 2002
You really need to quit, and you need to do it now. Your lungs need a
chance to heal, and it will make your recovery easier. I wont go into all
the bad things smoking does, I know you already know this.
As for someone knowing you still smoke, I would have to say yes, smokers
have a stink about them, there clothes , hair, skin, breath. If you going
to give yourself this wonderful gift of this surgery, give yourself another
one and STOP SMOKING !!!
— domestic G.
August 6, 2002
Definately, they can tell!!!! First off, when a smoker approaches a non
smoker the smell is so bad the non smoker wants to be sick, but they can
also tell by listening to your lungs, and by doing blood gases and/or
checking your oxygen level.
— [Deactivated Member]
August 6, 2002
I'm not going to lecture you or anything (NOT) but you're only fooling
yourself. When I quit smoking the first thing I found was that smokers
smell like cigarette smoke. I smoked for 12 years and NEVER realized how
the smell clings to you. Odds are, your doctor KNOWS you haven't quit
smoking -- he's smelled the smoke on your clothes and in your hair (the two
places where it seems to cling the most). I'm sure there are many tests
your doctor COULD run to determine if you smoke or not but I doubt most
doctors would bother. You are an adult and he's taking your word that
you've quit. True story -- I quit smoking about 3 months before abdominal
surgery in 1994. My recovery was hampered by the fact that my lungs got
congested in just the few days I was in bed in the hospital. Getting up
and walking helped but, to be quite honest, coughing was a nightmare and I
was coughing a LOT. I had open RNY 12/28/01 after being a non-smoker for a
number of years. I didn't have ANY respiratory related problems AT ALL.
It made a HUGE difference for me. Okay, lecture is over :) Please, don't
put yourself through this surgery to try and regain your health and then
ruin it by smoking. Take Care.
— Pam S.
August 6, 2002
You are doing your self a disjustice by not telling your doctor that you
are currnetly a smoker. Anesthesia is a big insult to your body, but
especially to your lungs. IF your doctors do not "guess" that you
are a smoker, and you go to surgery and are not treated like a smoker, you
could have significant post op complications. And guess who's fault it
would be?? You got it...it would be yours!! Also, quiting a few weeks
before surgery is a good thing...but you will still have smokers lungs. And
still need to be closely monitored. I do not know how long you have been
smoking, but you need to realize that the damage that you have done to your
lungs is permenant. They will improve, but if you have been smoking for
10-15 years or more, you will always have damage to your lungs, no matter
how long you have quit. Please do not let that stop you from quiting, the
damage is cumulative and related to the length of time you have smoked.
— Vicki L.
August 6, 2002
You've GOT to be kidding! A non-smoker can SMELL a smoker across the room!!
I smoked for 4 years, went cold turkey the day I found out I was pregnant
with my first child, 17 years ago, never had the desire to pick that nasty
and deadly habit up again. But, I never realized until I quit how BAD I
smelled. Smokers do not smell themselves and they cannot smell other
smokers. The smoking "deadens" your sense of smell in that
respect. Believe me - your doctor, assuming he is a non-smoker, KNOWS
you've been smoking!!!!
— Cathy J.
August 6, 2002
A doctor can tell you are a smoker just by listening to your lungs. Also,
they can tell from a chest xray too because the lungs will show the results
of smoking. I, too, was a smoker and was told to quit by my surgeon before
I had the surgery. However, it was VERY hard. My last cigarette was the
night before surgery and I haven't smoked since but my mind was distracted
because of the surgery and I didn't miss it. It's been 4 months and now
when I'm around people that are smoking, it's hard to resist but I do
resist. I don't want that habit again.
— Peggy D.
August 6, 2002
YOUR QUESTION IS NOT A WASTE OF TIME!!!!!! THERE ARE NO
STUPID QUESTIONS. ONLY STUPID PEOPLE THINK QUESTIONS ARE
A WASTE OF TIME. YOU ARE ONLY FOOLING YOURSELF IF YOU THINK
YOUR DOCTOR CANNOT TELL IF YOU HAVE BEEN SMOKING. YOU ARE
ALSO ONLY HURTING YOURSELF. YOUR ANESTHESIOLOGIST MUST KNOW
ABOUT YOUR SMOKING, PAST AND PRESENT. HE/SHE MUST ADJUST THE
MEDS ACCORDINGLY. YOU ARE ENDANGERING YOURSELF IF YOU CONTINUE
TO SMOKE PRE-OP. I KNOW!!!!! I SMOKED FROM AGE 12 TO AGE 53.
I QUIT 3 MOS BEFORE MY SURGERY AND I DON'T THINK THAT WAS
SOON ENOUGH. MY LUNGS HURT POST OP FOR A FEW MONTHS. I HAD
TROUBLE BREATHING TOO. I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD THE DESIRE FOR
A SMOKE SINCE SURGERY. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO QUIT AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE. I KNOW, EX-SMOKERS ARE THE WORST CRITICS!!!!
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT! THE COST OF THE CIGARETTES ALONE SHOULD
DISCOURAGE SMOKING NOWADAYS!!! WOW!!!! I NEVER THOUGHT I
WOULD SEE THEM COST SOOOOO MUCH. GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND PLEASE,
SERIOUSLY, CONSIDER YOUR HEALTH AND YOU LIFE. YOU ARE HAVING
THIS LIFE SAVING SURGERY TO BETTER YOUR LIFE SO WHY ENDANGER
YOUR LIFE WITH SMOKING!!!!!
— RODEO CLOWNS S.
August 6, 2002
My, my, people on this site are certainly judegemental towards smokers
(Angie B?)...That's all I really want to say...except I for one sympathize
with the poster of this question and I wish her luck - do be sure to tell
your Dr. you are a smoker though. He probably can tell, and after all
these responses, I am sure you are prepared for any harshness he might dish
out. Good luck!
— rebeccamayhew
August 6, 2002
They can do a test called a carboxy hemoglobin test to determine if you've
been smoking. So, yes, they can run a test that tells them. Good luck!
Please quit!
— NicoleG
August 6, 2002
One of the things I love about this site is the non-judgmental qualities
everyone exhibits. Normally. Anyway: Girl, I'm going through the same
thing. My doctor won't send my info to my surgeon until I quit. I've been
smoking for 15 years. So yesterday morning I threw all my smokes away, hid
the ashtrays, and stuck a patch on myself. Its been a little over 24
hours, and I've cheated once, but so far, so good. Look, I love smoking.
But I want to be healthy. So I'm going to do this. You can too. The
doctors will be able to tell...and more importantly, as everyone has
pointed out, they NEED to know. So suck it up. (No pun intended). You
can do it, I promise.
— Tamara K.
August 7, 2002
Well, I apologize if my little post got anyone upset but I hardly think I
should be called stupid! It just upset me because there was one day, after
surgery that I was really having problems. I tried to post a question and
it never got posted. I guess it just upset me that they would post a
question like this. I mean you know you need to quit, the sooner the
better and lying to doctors about quitting? You are just hurting yourself.
And yes, I hate smoking and being around smoking. I've seen many people
get lung cancer and never smoked a cigarette. And even myself, never
having drank any alcohol I just found out today after having a liver biopsy
that I'm having some type of "changes" in my liver. So I guess
you damned if you do and damned if you don't. I can't understand why
people want to put poison in their bodies in the first place? Oh and
working in the life insurance field I do know that nicotine can be detected
in urine. Once again, sorry if anyone was offended.
— Angie B.
August 7, 2002
Thank you for your apology, Angie B.; your response (and that of others)
was a bit harsh. I am sorry a question that was important to you wasn't
posted, but, while that can be frustrating, next time take issue with the
moderators, not someone innocently posting a question, you know? (Also,
and this has nothing to do with the smoking issue, but re your liver
troubles, be sure to get tested for hepatitis C...my mother recently died
from this. Anyone who has had a blood transfusion is at risk, since they
only started testing for it in the past couple of years. I wish you luck
on this.) With regard to the smoking issue, yes, any smoker out there
knows they need to quit, but I don't think they need to be villified, told
they stink, whatever, for engaging in what is - last time I checked - still
a legal activity in the USA. Being extremely harsh with a smoker (who has
a fierce addiction, whether you want to believe it or not) is tantamount
to berating someone who is MO, in my mind, at least...
— rebeccamayhew
August 7, 2002
Hope this isn't a repeat (there are ALOT of responses to this question!).
My dr. said that he would know if a person was still smoking even when they
said they quit. He said that a smoker had a very very high chance of
catching(?) pneumonia after surgery - which of course is life threatening.
Hang in there, I am about 1 1/2 mos smoke free (no surgery date set tho)!
I took zyban (wellbutrin) to take the edge off and only had to buy 1 pkg of
orange nicorette. I had used the zyban to quit in the past which REALLY
helps to cut back/down on cravings. But, I also found that I could go on
forever smoking 4 cigs a day! Eventually I did have to just stop and the
nicorette helped with the mouth part (zyban helped with the brain part!).
GOOD LUCK - YOU CAN DO IT!!! P.S. Most insurance cos. cover Wellbutrin,
which is the SAME thing as Zyban - it might be cheaper for your dr. to
prescribe Wellbutrin.
— Anne F.
August 7, 2002
GIRL I HAVE FIRST HAND EXPERIANCE ON THIS SUBJUCT I LOST MY SURGERY DATE
BECOUSE THEY DID A CARBON HEBOGLOBIN TEST WHICH CAN DETECT SMOKE FOR I DONT
KNOW HOW LONG AT LEAST 10 DAYS I THOUGHT I COULD FOOL THEM AND NOW AND
SUFFERING THE CONSIQUENSES. I LOOKED ON THIS SIGHT AND PEOPLE SAID THEY
SMOKED TILL THE NIGHT BEFORE MORE POWER TO YA BUT IT DID NOT WORK FOR ME SO
NOW HERE I GO AGAIN, GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND PLEASE KNOW IF THEY ARE TESTING
YOU WILL FAIL IF YOU DONT STOP.
— D S.
August 7, 2002
I have been smoke-free since April 1st. I had LAP RNY on July 3rd. On the
same day I quit smoking, one of my dearest friends passed away. Then one
week before my surgery, our beloved dog Spunki suddenly died. Not smoking
those 3 months before my surgery was the hardest thing I have ever gone
through! I was able to do it, I believe, because the morbid obesity and its
related health problems had taken its toll on me -- I was ready to wage
war. Weight Loss Surgery is war on morbid obesity! But I really do
sympathize with anyone and everyone who has to quit smoking. It is indeed a
terrible addiction. Just like the compulsive eating that led to being
morbidly obese. We should all sympathize and support one another. Or at the
very least -- not judge. Smokers, please quit AT LEAST 2 months prior to
surgery. And if it helps, think of it as your first test of strength in
being able to handle the changes that will come as a post-op. Now as a
postie, I don't even like the smell of cigarettes (I still did like it til
the day I went into surgery though LOL). Even if your surgeon doesn't test
or pick up on the fact that you're still smoking, please don't take the
chance! (((HUGS))) - Anna LAP RNY 7/3/02 -45lbs.
— Anna L.
August 7, 2002
Good luck with your journey. It hasn't been promised to be an easy one,
but you can do it one step at a time. The most important part of quitting
is being determined mentally.
<p>
I was a 2 pack a day smoker for 17 yrs and never really had any trouble. I
loved smoking and didn't want to quit. I developed double pneumonia
October, 2000 and was rushed to the ER by rescue because I couldn't
breathe. My pulmonary function tests showed I also had Asthma and COPD
(Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). At that moment, I told my family
I quit smoking right then. I asked them to throw away all my cigerettes
and ashtrays and lighters, etc as I was officially a non-smoker right then.
They did and I haven't smoked one cigarette since then, however it wasn't
always easy to stay true to that. I had to hold straws and pencils in my
fingers for weeks to give me something to do with my hands. The sad thing
is my inhaler also gave me something to hold too :(
<p>
I know to this day if I ever pick up a cigarette again I will become a
smoker as if I never stopped, so I won't ever try it again. I have to say
though, to this day, when anybody asks me if I smoke (a doctor or an
application), I am proud to say "Non-smoker". It was quite an
accomplishment for me and it will be for you too, just do it soon please.
Take care, and best of luck to you!
— thumpiez
August 7, 2002
There are urine and blood tests available to your doctor to measure
nicotine, also blood gas studies, the texture of the skin around your mouth
and fingers, and the color of your gums. Smoking is hard to disguise to a
non smoker, the only ones smokers fool are themselves.For the best success
of surgery and recuperation, you are much safer quitting now, waiting a few
weeks before surgery will not help you through surgery or recovery. Try the
nicotine patch, or hypnotist, or ask your PCP for some medication to help
you quit.
Good luck! I wish you the best in quitting if you are able, and good luck
beginning your journey to start your life over
— mc H.
August 8, 2002
I told the doctors I quit smoking 6 weeks prior to surgery. I really smoked
my last cigarette on the way to the hospital. However I never picked up
after that. I am now 9 weeks post-op and 9 weeks nicotine free and 40 some
pounds lighter. Best of luck.
— jewelsemt
Click Here to Return