I CAN'T BELIEVE my doctor!

[ladysolitary85]

I think it's a CA thing. In MN, every visit to the doctor, I got begged to quit smoking...they prescribed patches and zyban and gave tons of encouragement. When I came to CA, the doctors didn't say a word about quitting, and when I asked for Zyban and Chantix, they said no. It's like they want you to smoke here to keep them in business. I got my chantix online and said I was depressed and got Wellbutrin, and spent hundreds on patches and gum and they all had terrible side effects and I kept on frying my lungs. The ecig has kept me smoke-free for over a year........

All the more reasons why I want to move out of CA and in NV.... but then again, if I go to NV I'll ve really challenged with quitting in the sense of living in the smoker city.

I believe what she was saying was that the cost to maintain an e-cig habbit is a bit too much for her at the moment, and was hoping her doctor would give her some prescription for an NRT so she could be off nic for good. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have a pretty good memory and I haven't read the original post in over a day lol)

Anyway.. I also strongly advocate not going back to this doctor. I don't know the situation, if she's just the closest or someone who was recommended or what.. but.. I mean.. really? My dentist, for instance.. I've been seeing him for 18 years. I look forward to going there, and seeing how he is, and he's always happy to see me and ask about my family, etc. - THAT's what a doctor's visit should be, IMO. You should look forward to it, it should be comforting.

My issue is I absolutely LOVE vaping and I plan on continuing that path, but lets just say my job is giving me 2 hrs a week as of now, so that puts me in a very tight spot. I've been needing to get my hands on some 24mg liquid because I don't think 16 (or 18 mg? think its 16) liquid isn't cutting it for me. I went to my doctor to kinda test waters with her to see if she could recommend me to a place that could help me. As far as your dentist, that's exactly how I feel, doctors should make you WANT to go back to them because you feel comfortable, you feel your in good hands (no, not trying to copy that car insurance commercial thingy lol), because you trust them and care about you. I don't feel that support from my doctor, so yes I don't plan on ever returning to her again.

[WillyB]

Insurance companies usually won't cover medications that are available OTC unless one needs a stronger strength. They should cover Chantix, Zyban or Wellbutrin though.

You don't want to be prescribed Wellbutrin to quit smoking. It is an antidepressant medication, used to treat major depressive disorder. Anyone in the future reviewing your medical records, which is almost anybody these days, will assume you have a history of mental problems.

[tims]

Ask for some nerve pills for a few weeks, most DR's will give them to you if your stop smoking, it's what they give most people in rehab coming down off of stuff.

[W Axl Rose]

Lady sol., have you tried stonewall? They are cheap.

[JRWReich]

On a positive note... I vaped in my doctor's examination room today

They asked all kinds of questions and looked like they were going to research it and suggest it to others.

[ladysolitary85]

On a positive note... I vaped in my doctor's examination room today

They asked all kinds of questions and looked like they were going to research it and suggest it to others.

that is awesome news JRW!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cocky0]

I didn't read the whole thread, but if it has not been mentioned yet, you can try to get Wellbutrin for smoking cessation. I managed to get a 3 month supply for nothing a few years back when I was coming home from a deployment. It worked great for me up until I ran out of pills, of course.....Anyways if the military was willing to prescribe and pay for them, perhaps your doctor/insurance company would do the same.

[speedinggt]

If you still want some one to help you quit.
The # for the free program which usually mails you free patches and
advice in California is 1-800-662-8887.
They close at 1 pm today but will be open Monday at 7am.

Most States have this program set up from the money they got
from the Tobacco Settlement.
I know a lot of people that have used it in Arkansas and its just
a few questions on the phone and they sent them enough patches for 10 weeks.

Good luck

[bobtow]

that is awesome news JRW!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a cheapie syggestion. If the juice you are using is not strong enough, try directing the vapor under your tonque. If it works for you, it won't have cost you a dime. The reason prescriptions for nitro- glicerine prescribe that method, is because it get to the blood in the quickest way. You may find your juice more than adequate.

[Mammal]

You don't want to be prescribed Wellbutrin to quit smoking. It is an antidepressant medication, used to treat major depressive disorder. Anyone in the future reviewing your medical records, which is almost anybody these days, will assume you have a history of mental problems.

I have a bit of depression and I take umbrage with that from a few angles.

First off, I have the impression that the majority of prescriptions are probably for smoking - every MD certainly knows it's used for smoking cessation. If you were that worried about stigma, you could opt to pay the premium for the Zyban brand name, which is the it's-exactly-the-same-thing-but-marketed-for-smoking branding. (Perhaps they can write for 'Zyban or generic' and save you the cash.) It's not even that commonly prescribed for depression, because the SSRIs test out about as effective and doctors are leery of the seizure risk (bigger problem before they developed the time-release). [So yeah, some of the people who do get it for depression have big problems and were unresponsive to SSRIs - but as many just asked for it because they knew about the smoking link - me, or because their doctors were enlightened enough to want to spare them the SSRI side effects.]

Next, here in the USA, half of everyone you meet is probably on something psychoactive, whether they need to be or not. And near everyone else is using the OTC options - nicotine, caffeine, ethanol...

It took me a while to realize, but:

• Nobody's looking (need proof? just look at the news);
• If your doctor is going to react (or is reacting) to it in a way you don't trust, it's time to find a different doctor;
• If you somehow get into a situation where it actually matters, you'll be getting an independent evaluation (or, chances are, have the right to request one);
• Life's too short not to do what works.

As I already wrote elsewhere [maybe I should put this in my profile, heh], it cut my smoking in half, made the *AAAAAGH* discomfort of the cravings manageable... and probably does something to keep depression at bay, too. With insurance a month of it is running me less than a quarter of what a carton of smokes costs here, so... if you think it's going to work for you, don't let paranoia keep you from it - paranoia is in the DSM-IV, too.



(Yeah, three posts in and 2 are about bupropion... I've been lurking for a while, and reading from folks who are still in over 2 packs a day is reinforcing how effective it's been for me; I still 'like' smoking but I can't imagine finding time in the day to actually do that and not keel over!)