Surgery - smoking, vaping and giving up nicotine

[Bristoluser]

OK so I have to have surgery in 2 weeks. I've smoked all my adult life apart from using patches when I was pregnant and moving to vaping last year.

I've moved onto 0% nicotine vapes. I'm literally climbing the wall with craving but please tell me this is enough? I don't need to give the 0% vapes up too? I don't think I'd be able to. I thought I was doing really well - 48 hours in (my husband said even the 0% vapes aren't enough).

0% vapes are definitely enough - there is no nicotine in them - good luck on your journey, you are in fact going cold turkey and it can be done. Hope it goes well for you

Thank you @Daffodill1 . That means a lot to me. I guess whatever is in the vapes besides nicotine isn't good either. I'm just praying it doesn't affect surgery like nicotine does, I don't think it does...

0% is fine
I had a massive operation while I was vaping with nicotine and no issues at all and a very quick recovery

My surgeon said I had to stop all nicotine so I have but it's so bloody hard and saying the 0% vapes aren't enough (my DH) has really stressed me. I'm already on edge and very stressed by giving up nicotine and the prospect of surgery.

I had hypnotherapy to stop smoking 5 years ago, it works if you want it to.
I can send you details of the therapist I saw, in North London - I so recommend it. It's expensive ( was over £200) but I've saved at least 5k by giving up.

No, in terms of surgery it's the nicotine (not only the tar) so definitely no lozenges etc

Thank you but I've tried hypnotherapy etc. Tried everything. That's why I'm effectively doing "cold turkey ' but I just want to know if 0% nicotine vapes are OK for surgery

Try some breathwork techniques, or techniques to xalm the vagus nerve. Type it in on YouTube... breathwork, walking, change of scenery helps me. Im trying to quit too. Its super hard but you got this.

I smoked for 30 years, I gave up using Allen Carr's book give up smoking the easy way. Available from the library. It's not for everyone, but I thought it was great.

You have.

Look at Alan Carr. Your addiction is psychological, and that book really helps with that.

I thought the 0% vaping was a pretty big achievement

As @Mrsjayy said, it's not the nicotine that's damaging but all the shit in the cigarette smoke and potentially the vape vapour (no-one really knows yet). The nicotine is the addictive substance though, hence you are finding it hard. Why does your surgery require you to go nicotine-free?

No, I thought it was smoking that was bad, not nicotine too. But that is not right. It's the nicotine that is dangerous to surgery.

You have to be nicotine free because it's 16 times more likely to fail if there's nicotine in your body

I think firstly, calm down. People have been having surgery for years while still being smokers. They tell you to stop smoking for everything now. It does raise certain risks, I'm not denying that, but it doesn't mean anything will definitely go wrong. It's just advice at the end of the day.

The 0% vaping is fine. You've done really well to not smoke.

Smoking obviously worse for many things but nicotine is the danger for at least some surgery (whether vapes, patches or gum etc).

Op do something to take your mind off it

Every day without nicotine the cravings will lessen, hold tight right for now, tomorrow will be better.

There's no nicotine in them so puff away!
I was given patches when I went in for surgery, but I was smoking about 10 a day at the time.
You've done really well to quit nicotine. No need to put pressure on yourself to quit the nicotine free vape. You'll be doing it less if you're in hospital anyway as it's a faff to go outside and back usually.

https://www.who.int/news/item/20-01-2020-smoking-greatly-increases-risk-of-complications-after-surgery
Well done for cutting out the cigarettes and switching to 0% nicotine vapes.
It sounds like this is hard going for you. So I’d concentrate on sticking to the 0% nicotine and worry about trying to cut out vaping completely once those cravings have gone. Your surgeon asked you to stop nicotine and you’re doing it. Take the huge decrease in risk of surgical complications over trying to stop the 0%vape if you think you’re likely to cave and go back to cigarettes without it.

I just googled the Nicotine thing sorry you are right. When I smoked and had an operation the surgeon suggested I had Nicotine gum which I did.

You are in the hardest big op. Hold on!

Yup. I asked about patches and gum etc. He said he wouldn't do the surgery if I had any nicotine in me, he said vapes, patches, cigarettes and gum were all equally bad for the surgery. So as far as I'm concerned I'm free of nicotine but obviously I know the 0% vapes are bad in other ways but I think ok for surgery.