Smoking after Pleurodesis

Hi Dano, Thanks for posting, 

I also had VATS pleurodesis on both lungs (around the same time as you acctually) and am also a smoker, I used to smoke around 15 a day before the first problems emerged. 

After the ops, I didn't touch a single cig for 6 months and felt pretty healthy at this stage but soon fell back into my old habits. I've been smoking for about 8 months again. I felt fine for 6 of those but over the last 4-6 weeks it has become quite sore again, undoubtedly as a result of smoking. (You should be aware im only smoking 6-8 a day, plus the odd joint - tsk tsk I know)

As much as I HATE the thought of giving up again it's beginning to feel like I don't have much choice as the discomfort can be severe at times.... but to answer you're question, one or two smokes won't cause any dramatic harm then and there, but can you really resist the urge once you start again to keep it at one or two on a night out? - I know I failed in this respect

I have also invested in one of those E-Liquid based E-cigs - This is probably still not advisable from a medical standpoint but I found that they caused less irritation that traditional cigs. - (If you decide to try e-cigs, don't buy the ones that acctually look like cigs).

Not everyone gets on with them but I would recommend trying those first if you haven't already. 

I hope that helps somewhat, let me know if you have any more questions :D

Cheers, Jake

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Dan, My left lung collapsed 7×, and 2× on the right. Dr told me it was because I was too thin, I put on weight, still happened. That I was a runner, stopped running, aerobics, then to low impact. It happened no matter what. Sorry...So, I do have that occasional cigarette...but only that once in awhile. I did that for a bit, but led me to smoke. Then, I decided to just stop drinking so I didn't have that craving. Now I'm good, smoke doesn't bother me unless it's directly in my face. Which that bothered me before as well.

I am a 59 year old female. My right lung collapsed once in 1993. Was a smoker then. I'm not sure what procedure was done but I left the cigs alone for 14 years. I picked them back up in 2007 and smoked another 7 years about a pack a day as before. Same lung partial collapsed twice in one month. I tried to smoke only ecigs and then one regular cig when the second one happened that month. I've had a pleurodesis done and the pain from that will stay with me forever. I will NEVER pick up another cig. I go out of my way to avoid all smoke in all enviroments. The pleurodesis hurt worse than any pain I've ever felt. Don't know if you have decided to smoke but it's not worth it at any cost. On a daily basis I miss smoking and it's a daily battle with the reminder of the pain to stay off of them.  I miss my other activities too but I value my life now more than ever.

Steph

Hi.

I too have had both my lungs collapse back in 2010 twice, I've had a double ballectomy (I think that's how it's spelt) and a double pleurodesis. I've gone 7 years with a single roll up, but recently had quiet a bad situation with my partner of two years (we are still together). But I got that worked up I went and bought so fags an smoked nearly the whole pack in a day (20 pack) but new I could do some damage. But I just got the taste for it again I'm not smoking a lot just a couple of puffs when ever my other half has one. But chest hasn't been right for the past few days and it scares me as I have two beautiful children. And the first time this happened my daughter was only 3months old so I missed out on the 1st year of her life. And my son is only 16months. I don't know weather I would be okay with an e-cig or would it be just as dangerous? I keep saying I'm going to stop although it is only a couple of puffs about 4 times a day. But I also suffer with anxiety so don't know weather this strange feeling in chest and the pains could just be my anxiety cause I know I shouldn't be doing it. I have seen a doctor and he's had a listen to my chest and said it sounds fine. But I have also made an appointment for the 21st just to double check and to seek help to stop again I know it's going to be hard as my partner smokes too....

Hello everybody 

i did have a lung collapse x3 in a short time , cuz of smoking , as much as i tried to quit always i come back to it , 

cigarettes isn't an addict at all , its just a rotten that we usually love to do , like when i enjoy the talks , drinking coffee or alcohol ... etc .

so i started to stop everything lead me to smoke and am clean now for month , i breath better i smell better and i look better .

1 cigarette its will lead to more smoking than u was before , so IMO 1-2 cigarettes can hurt u more than anything else .

Thanks for asking this question, I was so hoping to read a bunch of replies saying that it was ok to smoke after this procedure. I was 20 when my lung first collapsed. The second time I was 22 and needed a pleurodesis. I'll never forget the pain of them pulling that tube out of my lung. That will stay with me forever and the scars still give me jip.

When I got home from hospital I decided I never wanted to smoke again. It was so hard coz all my friends smoked allot. That was in 2012 and over the last 10 years I have found most of my friends dont smoke or dont smoke around me which has helped. I 3- 6 roll ups a day and copious amounts of weed is what I smoked from age 15 to 22.

I kept smoking weed on and off. Currently its like 1 joint a month but as others have said it always makes my lungs ache. I have completely cut out tobacco but even herbal blends in zoots still hurt my lungs. its been a decade and I'm still struggling to accept that I just cant smoke any more.

Seems like we all get pain when we do... I remember the doctor saying something like "if you smoke after this operation it will reverse the procedure." I'm sure he said something like that as i was being wheeled into the theatre (kings hospital in Camberwell...)

Reading these replies I ripped up my last joint and through it away.

The temptation will always be there and that is hard but I think we all need to adjust.

Thanks for giving me the last push to accept and let it go.