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quitnet repost: "quitulence" explained

 
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kevin
Site Admin


Quit Date:
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Posts: 9538
Location: cincinnati, oh

PostPosted: March 1, 2005 10:18 AM    Post subject: quitnet repost: "quitulence" explained Reply with quote

"chris the science geek" is a scientist (chemist) by trade, a writer by avocation, and a long-time "q-ster" (quitnet slang for a quitter or a member of quitnet). he wrote a series of articles on various quit phenomena, such as "crs (can't remember sh*t) syndrome", "quitzits", and "quitulence" (do i have to explain that?). here's another of those articles:

----

A recent correspondent asked me about what is commonly known as "quitulence" or excess *cough* farting *cough* during a Quit. Please sit back, get comfortable and sip a nice beverage and I'll try to explain it the best I can.

<cue science geek music soundtrack and spinning spiral...>

Although we all like to think of ourselves as very independent, especially since we are now certified Quitsters, the fact of the matter is we rely on other organisms to live. In fact, without some of these other organisms, we COULDN'T live. The biggest and most obvious example of this are the bacteria that live in and on our body. There are bacteria on your skin that help you to fight off unfriendly bacteria that try to infect you. There are bacteria around the openings into your body (nose, mouth, ears, etc...) that fight off the unfriendlies trying to infect those areas. Stuff like that.

One of the most important activities that friendly bacteria perform for us to live in our gut (stomach, intenstinal tract, places like that) and help us to break down and digest our food. Without those friendly "bugs", we have >>major<< problems which is why you often experience -uh- gastric "distress" when you are on antibiotics: the drugs actually kill off many of these good bugs along with the malevolent ones that are trying to make you sick.

Well, when you invade your system with nicotine, it plays hell with your whole body and causes a shift in the types of bacteria that can survive in this polluted environment. Then, one day, you go and quit and suddenly the chemical environment shifts dramatically. It takes a while for your gut to respond and for the population of bacteria to recover and readjust itself to this new situation. During that time, you will find you don't digest your food so well. When food gets past your stomach and is digested in the intestines and other unspeakable areas (this happens with beans a lot for many people), a great deal of gas gets liberated "down there". When this happens, you can't just give a discreet little belch to let it out, it has to go the ...um... other way if you get my meaning. And LOTS of it goes "the other way". A WHOLE LOT in some cases. Like maybe you need to go outside now whole lot. Like even the dog gets up and leaves when you're around whole lot.

Eventually, the microbial equilibrium in your body is reestablished and things return to normal (which for men is usually indistinguishable from this hyper-gassy state that we've just described.) In the meantime, you might try upping how much yogurt you eat and focus on eating easy-to-digest foods so that less gas gets produced "down there". Also, keep in mind that many of the snacks that Quitsters use to get them through the initial days and weeks are high in fiber and fat (carrots, sunflower seeds, Cheetos, etc.) These can make things worse and, if it gets real bad, you might consider avoiding them. Otherwise, just be patient. Eventually you'll get back to normal.

Now, please, would ya light a match or something?! Sheesh!
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kevin

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Seabrez



Quit Date:
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Posts: 4458
Location: Gulf Coast

PostPosted: March 1, 2005 11:04 AM    Post subject: Reply with quote

So just how hard can I laugh?! I am busting a gut laughing right now. This even rates the rolling on the floor laughing. Oh My Goodness!!
Laughing Laughing Laughing Shocked Shocked Laughing Laughing Laughing Wink

Thanks for the explaination of this "extra" aroma that now lingers now and then. And yeah, the dog part does happen! Rolling Eyes

Lots of Giggles
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Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corn 5:17 NASB
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Cowgirl UP!



Quit Date:
July 26, 2004

Posts: 5029
Location: Ala

PostPosted: March 3, 2005 12:31 AM    Post subject: Reply with quote

Now this is just too funny..... Laughing Laughing Laughing I knew it was Mindy's fault....she kept talking about sunflower seeds in my early quit so I tried to follow in her footsteps....no wonder I was miserable....I thought I would either explode or go up like a helium balloon Laughing Laughing
Kay
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kjsblue



Quit Date:
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Posts: 756
Location: Nebraska

PostPosted: March 3, 2005 9:42 AM    Post subject: Reply with quote

Laughing Laughing

Quote:
Like even the dog gets up and leaves when you're around whole lot.


That's pretty bad, because our pug has some horrible gas!! Laughing Laughing

Kris
Six months, three weeks, two days, 7 hours, 4 minutes and 23 seconds. 4145 cigarettes not smoked, saving $829.34. Life saved: 2 weeks, 9 hours, 25 minutes.
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Q.D. August 8th, 2004
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2BFree



Quit Date:
October 3, 2005

Posts: 51
Location: Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: March 3, 2005 9:58 AM    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well..that explains it then! We're starting to have contests here with hubby, 2 teens and myself. Smile I'm just glad that we can laugh about it!
Hope it doesn' t last too much longer!

Colleen
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eliandrobyn



Quit Date:
January 15, 2009

Posts: 163
Location: Alberta, Canada

PostPosted: March 3, 2005 10:03 PM    Post subject: Reply with quote

So that explains it!!!! I have been snacking on sunflower seeds AND carrots. Too funny. Poor Eli has said he was going to sleep on the couch. Wow, hope it does not last too much longer. I am sure he will get his revenge.



Eli and Robyn Laughing
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Barbara K.



Quit Date:
December 23, 2004

Posts: 5977

PostPosted: March 5, 2005 5:44 AM    Post subject: Reply with quote

I never heard the explanation for the gas quitters get before. And it is funny about the dog going out. Laughing

Blessings,
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Lisie



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Posts: 59
Location: Ontario

PostPosted: March 6, 2005 12:58 PM    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh I needed a good laugh today and that one fits the bill!!! Laughing It all makes sence now and thanks for the great explanation. lol
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Fightn4life



Quit Date:
October 23, 2003

Posts: 1573
Location: Loysburg, PA

PostPosted: March 9, 2005 8:19 AM    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you for explaining this...I thought all this time something died and...OMG...it was bad.

At work I think the comment of the year was said by one of my male co-workers, "if I did that I would fess up, good grief, that was a winner in my book."

Needless to say I didn't fess up, but I almost died right then and there. I prayed they blamed it on a sewer back-up.

Sandyz
Free for 504 days
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marw



Quit Date:
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Posts: 3634
Location: Chicago, IL

PostPosted: March 17, 2005 9:35 PM    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, Kevin, how long does this take?

The problem just got ten-fold worse!! Rolling Eyes It is the fault of all this good nutrition then? I didn't start a Nutrition program right away, just started it last week, and these veggies seem be creating a lot of "extra" in lower regions! Shocked I can't eat Yogart or anything that germinates, due to my
"tyramine free" diet for Migraine. My doc recommended a pill called CharcoCaps. It's homeopathic, and does seem to help. But after quitting smoking I was not happy to eat charcoal? Shocked Laughing
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Simone



Quit Date:
April 28, 2005

Posts: 953
Location: Australia

PostPosted: November 12, 2005 10:07 AM    Post subject: Reply with quote

So could this be the reason my gut is FULL of gas & crampy?? & not some deadly disease as the GP is sending me to the gastroenterologist about Confused when I quit I ate 2 carrots every day (still do) & heaps of nuts & grain, I saw a Naturopath & he said cut out fibre for a while as I have OD'd on it without knowing (he's an Iradologist too) & that's why I am about to take off from bloatedness.

Ohhhhh the crampy gut is horrible Confused Confused Sad Sad
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Guest



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PostPosted: February 21, 2007 6:05 PM    Post subject: Poo!!! Reply with quote

This caused qite a stir on another board I used to frequent! Embarassed
Boy did I come in for some stick!! Laughing
Ask Shandawg - she was there!! Rolling Eyes
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shandawg



Quit Date:
November 1, 2006

Posts: 44
Location: Washington

PostPosted: February 21, 2007 6:46 PM    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes Spikey I was there!!! Wink
But it was all in good fun!! And we did have fun, didn't we??!!
Just remember..It's not healthy to repress natural bodily functions!!! Laughing Laughing
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