Question
So, okay.. I NEED to quit smoking. I finally accepted that as a fact. But in the interim, until I can accomplish this goal, I have to deal with the effects of smoking. I think I have asthma (my family has strong history of it, my kids have it).. and I got a inhaler Primatene. It helps to clear the mess. My qestion is this.. The inhaler has ephedrine in it. Would that show up on a random drug test?
You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free... but first it will make you miserable!
Skates
Answer
Used as directed it should not be an issue.
Is this something that was prescribed by a physician? If so, get him to write something for you to that effect and have him indicate it will not affect your ability to drive.
Epehedrine in large doses CAN trigger a false amphetamine positive on the initial testing but confirmation testing should rule it out unless you are waaayyyyy overdosing yourself on it.
Good luck with quitting smoking.
Keeping you safe, healthy and on the road.
Visit us at
_________________
Keeping you safe, healthy and on the road.
Visit us at
Answer
But no, it was not Rx'd by a dr. I have a hard time finding time to see a dr. Bad excuse, huh? I will however get by to see one and get an Rx for this. I don't overuse it, just maybe 1 to 3 times a day. It works pretty good.
When I was in Maryland about 4 times in a row, I tried to get into the t/s to see you but there was no parking avail, and then a couple of times it was wayyyy too late 2-3 am... But one of these days im gonna get a chance to get in there to see ya!
You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free... but first it will make you miserable!
Skates
Answer
Never mind parking there (at the truckstop). Just 1/4 mile South on Rt. 1 is the Three 9's Restaurant. Truck parking, little family run hotel, great food and cold beer.
Wheel in there, gimme a call. We'll get ya in to see the Doc.
Even if ya don't need to see the Doc, gimme a hollar.
Trust me, yewl like this little place.
-->
Keeping you safe, healthy and on the road.
Visit us at
_________________
Keeping you safe, healthy and on the road.
Visit us at
Answer
lightfoot:
If you are interested in quitting smoking, look at my post below ("I'm a quitter....."). You can quit too. We can either keep this post going so others can participate or we can communicate privately by e-mail.
I also posted this post to another driving site, www.pumpkindriver.com, a site for Schneider drivers, where I got some interesting and lvely responses.
The link is:
http://www.pumpkindriver.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=001209;p=1
I believe that quitting smoking is as hard to do as quitting dope or alcohol. It ain't easy, and most people need all the help they can get.
Charles Cox
Answer
Lightfoot,
Here is some of what I had posted before, but it's directed specically to you, since you are unquestionably motivated to quit smoking.
I smoked cigarettes pretty heavily for 40 years. Last April (on my grandson’s birthday), I quit. I wish I could say it has been easy, but it hasn’t. There’s a ton of information available on how to quit. But personally going through the process (agony?) of quitting, I learned that much of the stuff out there amounts to no more than a list of simplistic tips (chewing on something—a toothpick, for example). If there is one valuable thing I learned in all this, it is was that all smokers aren’t equally addicted: (1) some smokers are addicted to the nicotine alone (chemical addiction), (2) some are addicted to the physical act of smoking, and (3) some are addicted to the way smoking fills a void in physical and/or mental activity (boredom). Some peoples’ dependence on smoking has elements of all three.
Therefore, if there is this whole complex of issues related to why people smoke in the first place, it stands to reason that quitting smoking is at least as complex as why people do it. Some people (very few) can quit cold-turkey. Others have to "quit" several times before they can really quit. Others have to have the help of a doctor. That’s what I did.
There is an anti-smoking pill called Zyban my doctor recommended for me. It works like an antidepressant. It eases the cravings for cigarettes until you can get past a point where the craving no longer controls your entire life. But there was much more to it than that.
The Zyban tablets came with a "starter kit" of helpful instructions and tips on quitting. For example, you don’t go cold-turkey with Zyban. They recommend you taper off until you reach a lower limit of say, two or three cigarettes a day. Once you decide to quit, you set a target date to quit altogether.
In my case, for example, I was smoking a pack and a half a day before I decided to quit. I decided to taper off for two months. The first week I smoked no more than 25 cigarettes a day. The second week I smoked no more than 20 a day. The third week I dropped to 15, the fourth week to 10. I stayed at a half a pack for two weeks. The seventh week, I limited myself to five a day. The eighth week, I would smoke two or three a day. Then on "D" day, I didn’t smoke any more. Remember, I was on the Zyban the whole time. It helped tremendously.
Also, according to the psychology of quitting, you should make your target date something memorable and important to you, a birthday, anniversary, whatever will make you remember why you want to quit. Because our grandson lived with my wife and me (and still does), I decided to make his 3rd birthday, April 7, 2001, my target date. I remained on the Zyban for I believe six weeks, then tapered off of it.
Some people say the "patch" helped them. It is an individual thing. But if I can convince you of anything it would be to see your doctor, and together you work out a plan that will work for you.
This is very important: If you have never tried to quit before, you might have fits and starts. You might quit for four months and then something will trigger an irresistible urge for a smoke. You will give in, and before you know it you’re right back on the old dependence treadmill. That is so common.
I went through that. I’ve tried to cut down (usually once a year) and would be successful for a few months. But eventually I would find myself not keeping track anymore and going back to my original number.
I’ve rambled on enough. If you need any other information either post questions here or e-mail me. I’ll be more than happy to help if I can. I will also be glad to be your "quitting buddy." My wife quit at the same time I did, and it helped to be able to yell at someone, "God! I wish I had a cigarette right now." The Buddy System helps.
Good luck! You are about to embark on a difficult journey, but one you can feel a tremendous sense of pride from when that final quitting day happens. Just don’t get discouraged even when you fall off the wagon. Just realize it happens and that you’ll try harder the next time.
Charles Cox