IBS AND EVERYDAY POISONS: STOPPING SMOKING – GOING ‘COLD TURKEY’ OR CUTTING DOWN SLOWLY? & SMOKING AND CAFFEINE
Going ‘Cold Turkey’ or Cutting Down Slowly?It is worth noting that if you cut down by any more than a third of the daily amount of cigarettes you could have a full-blown withdrawal syndrome even though you are still smoking. Maybe this is why total abstinence is usually encouraged. On the other hand if you could gradually cut down without lapsing when you had a night out or a bad day, and look after your diet and so on, it could make the final bid easier. It is to be hoped that you will take heart from these stories and remember at the time these people gave up they knew nothing about diet or supplements – you are going to find it much easier!Smoking and CaffeineThe British Medical Journal published some material which shows that caffeine metabolism slows down within days of giving up smoking. Smokers often tend to be quite heavy coffee drinkers, possibly because they metabolize caffeine faster. If they continue with the same amount after the caffeine metabolism slows down, their blood levels of caffeine may go up by 250 per cent. This can continue for several months after stopping smoking. It would seem sensible to change to decaffeinated coffee and even to cut down on that before stopping smoking. Caffeine poisoning could be a large part of the unpleasantness of withdrawal for some people.*44\326\8*
