Tobacco Use

[Jenn2005]

Does anyone know if cigarettes and smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco or snuff) contain gluten? My husband gave it up because we weren't sure if it contained gluten and he didn't want to take a chance but now the withdrawls are starting to over take him and I can't find this information anywhere. I've looked online and tried finding phone numbers but these places don't want to talk about ingredients. Has anyone else had to give up tobacco use. I wish for obvious reasons besides Celiac that he could give it up. I did order him a herbal alternative that is recommended by Mayo Clinic and I was able to verify that its gluten free but it won't be here until Monday. He seems to think this will help him get by but he's now really wanting to know if there is gluten in it. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jennifer

[tarnalberry]

There shouldn't be, but you'd want to check with the manufacturers. Does it help him at all to know that it's just four days until Monday? Four days, in the grand scheme of his life, that can be a big part of breaking a lift-shortening habit... Good luck, to both of you, on his attempt to quit!

[Jenn2005]

Tiffany - Thanks for the reply. I keep telling him that he can do it that he can make it until Monday. He really wants to quit but that crap is so addicting. I was really hoping it was full of gluten because then he'd never put it back in his mouth. I tried telling him it had gluten in it and that's why he gave it up but now he's looking for proof. Hopefully he can make it until Monday. Thanks for the reply.

Jennifer

[elonwy]

I have been researching tobacco papers, and I have found that most paper is processed with wheat, so though the tobacco itself may be gluten-free it is very likely the paper is not. I have experienced bloating sensations after smoking, ( I have the occasional roll-your-own) and have ceased because of the gluten-ish symptoms I was getting and have yet to find tobacco paper that can be determined as definitly gluten-free. I understand, as I fought off a 15 year two pack a day habit a couple years ago, and theres no reasoning or sense involved in those cravings. Your body tries to tell you you're going to die if you don't have it, and you go slightly insane. I quit by going to bed for three days. If you can make it past day three, then its all mental, and willpower. For the first three, its all about withdrawals. Good luck.

Elonwy

[Jenn2005]

Hi elonwy - Thanks for the reply. I will tell him what you said about feeling like you are going insane. He said he feels like he's going crazy & about to loose his mind. His mother is a smoker (he uses the smokeless tobacco) and she is quitting also for moral support. I think what he is going to have the problem with is the habbit & will power portion so hopefully the herbal stuff I ordered will help with that issue. Thanks so much for the comments I think they will help.

Jennifer

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

I can't stand smoking during the week...blech!

However, I love to smoke when I have a few drinks...its so bad for you, but it just compliments scotch and/or vodka so well......

[tarnalberry]

My MIL described the period when my FIL stopped smoking (when she was pregnant with their first), and they both pretty much said that he was a nasty son-of-a-you-know-what for a month or so. He felt like crap, and acted like it to. But he got through it, and hasn't smoked since. Perhaps checking a smoking cessation online support group would help him realize that the feeling of going through withdrawl is normal?

[christa]

Does anyone here smoke and not have a problem with it? From the gluten point of view, I mean.

Matilda

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I definitely haave a reaction to tobacco and actually wanted to write in about that today. I get really bloated when I have a cigarette and then I stay bloated all day. I wasn't sure if it was because of hidden gluten or if I was getting indigestion from iit. I would also like to know if anyone else has problems llike this.

Christa

[Rachel--24]

I'm curious now.

I smoked for 14 yrs. but decided to quit so I could be healthy in the long run (I had no health problems at the time). The same month that I quit is when I started having symptoms and got sick. I would like to be able to smoke once in a great while but my body REALLY reacts to cigarettes now.

My symptoms flare up after smoking and it really had me confused since I smoked half my life and never felt bad. I'm sensitive to chemicals so I just figured cigarettes have chemicals in them and thats causing me to react. Could there really be gluten in the cigarettes??

[Jenn2005]

I'm curious now. 

Could there really be gluten in the cigarettes?? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I tried finding a phone number to check on the ingredients and I couldn't even find a company that would let you contact them by email. I guess they really don't want anybody to contact them regarding ingredients. I would love to know if anyone has actually ever been able to verify this (even though everybody should give it up anyway ).

Jennifer

[ravenwoodglass]

Does anyone here smoke and not have a problem with it? From the gluten point of view, I mean.

Matilda

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am a smoker and have been for a very, very long time and am extremely sensitive to gluten. I do not react, gluten wise, to cigs unless I use rolling papers. I also have not found a safe paper.

[bluelotus]

I used to smoke too. When I quit, my abdominal (umm...bathroom) symptoms picked up.

I used to have 1 cig a year after quitting, just for old times, but after I went gluten-free, cigs were never the same. I got intense headaches and bloating. I think elonwy is right - the paper is a likely culprit, even in the natural, organic, additive free smokes (which I reacted to as well). I did talk with Marlboro at one point, and they add rum to theirs......I have no idea what rum is made out of (stick to wine myself), so that may be a potential culprit. You can download Marlboro's ingrediants online.

[Jnkmnky]

I haven't smoked in 18 years. I still have cravings when I'm under extreme stress. Quitting isn't easy. Maybe a reality check will help your husband cope with the struggle to not smoke. There's no magic cure for cravings, and quitting isn't easy.

[lilliexx]

I haven't smoked in 18 years.  I still have cravings when I'm under extreme stress.  Quitting isn't easy.  Maybe a reality check will help your husband cope with the struggle to not smoke.  There's no magic cure for cravings, and quitting isn't easy.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you still get cravings after 18 years? that is scary. i have been smoking 15+ years and i really would like to quit but the thought of not smoking is the worst feeling in the world.

i tried the patch once and got really sick after about 2 hours, it was horrifying!! does anyone know if that has gluten in it? i would really like to try that again. but i'm scared that i'll get sick.

[astyanax]

RIZLA rolling papers are gluten-free (i got them in europe, where everyone rolls cigs) i'm not sure if they're sold anywhere in the us though but maybe a tobacco shop would have them. i e-mailed the company and being from europe they are more familiar with celiac/gluten/etc and assured me all the papers are gluten-free

[Jnkmnky]

you still get cravings after 18 years? that is scary. i have been smoking 15+ years and i really would like to quit but the thought of not smoking is the worst feeling in the world.

i tried the patch once and got really sick after about 2 hours, it was horrifying!!  does anyone know if that has gluten in it?  i would really like to try that again. but i'm scared that i'll get sick.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm going to be abrupt sounding with you...cause that's my personality. Take no offense! If you want to quit.. Quit. Stop looking for a way to do it. You know who put that idea in your head??? The companies marketing various "help you quit methods". You don't need ANY of them to quit. NONE. NOT ONE. You just need yourself to quit. It's personal strength/willpower. Pray if you want to. That's free. But quitting smoking or anything..over-eating/drinking/drugs... all require YOU to do it. If you think it requires "The Right Patch" to quit, or "The Right Program".... You're a perfectly brainwashed consumer in America. Quitting is difficult. I enjoyed smoking. I was addicted. It wasn't easy to not smoke again. SOME really bad days I still want to smoke. I hope you quit. My mother's husband died of lung cancer at 47 Damn that's young.

[Rachel--24]

JnkMnky is right. If you truelly want to quit you can. I quit after smoking a pack a day for 14 yrs. I just quit cold turkey 3 years ago and that was that...I didnt use a patch or anything else. I had tried unsuccessfully to quit several times before that but I didn't *really* quit until I really *wanted* to quit.

[elonwy]

Thanks for the advice on Rizla's I'll see if I can find em. I picked up the habit from my dad ( he was from ireland). Its a very occassional habit, but every now and then after a drink its the best thing ever.

Elonwy

[quantumsugar]

This is something I never would have thought of, but...

I have been sooo careful the past few months, and was finally getting away from getting glutened. I've gotten glutened three times since Halloween (none of the times has been severe). Today was time three, and I was trying to figure out what had changed. I was looking at everything, couldn't find anything that would have consistently had gluten (I could understand one or two of the products having CC issues, but 3Xs??).

About an hour ago I realized that the only constant since HW has been me smoking again (occassionally). And every gluten-episode seems to follow a day where I'm out and smoking several cigarettes. Craazy, but I think that must be it. Guess it's an excuse to finally quit for good.

[Franbeanie]

I just called R J Reynolds. They told me none of their products contain gluten. I even mentioned the paper and glue. At first they put me on hold to look up who would have to reply to me by mail, but when she came back on the line, she said she could answer my question right away - no gluten. I smoke Pall Malls, and I was sort of hoping they'd have gluten...Motivation to quit ya know... But it's gonna be harder now. I actually experience alleviation of symptoms when I smoke. SO hard to quit...makes my mother crazy...

[psawyer]

Please be aware that this topic is more than seven years old. Most of the participants are long gone.