Asok Mitra, 80, used to smoke almost 100 cigarettes a day. He has been smoke-free for 40 years, but tobacco has taken its toll. He tells us why and how he quit.
1. Please tell us a bit about your condition.
I am prone to chest infections and pneumonia. My lungs are impaired and do not work at optimum capacity. Years ago, I was told that my lungs were working at 70% of their capacity.
2. How long have you been suffering from this?
This has been the situation for at least 40 years, and I have had four serious episodes of chest infection since 2008. I was hospitalised twice, once with septicaemia from pneumonia. If I catch even a slight cold, I get congestion, which can turn serious. I have also had episodes of asthma, which are now under control.
3. Do you have any other health conditions?
I had 2 heart attacks when I was in my 40s. Last year I had a stent inserted in my heart.
4. Can you tell us a bit about your lifestyle?
I was very fit as a young man. I played many sports in school in Dehradun and college in the UK. But since the age of 22, I smoked. For more than 20 years, I smoked 80-100 cigarettes a day.
5. When and how did you give up smoking?
I stopped smoking after my heart attacks. I was then in my 40s. I had supraventricular tachycardia. This is when the heart’s electrical system doesn’t work properly causing the heart to beat very fast – from 100 to even 300 beats. I was hospitalised twice.
My doctor advised me to give up smoking if I wanted to live. I gave it up and was smoke-free for 9 months. Then someone offered me a cigarette and I started smoking again. This carried on for three years, when I had another attack.
My doctor was upset with me and said that if I could not quit smoking on my own, I should see a counsellor. I went cold turkey the next day and haven’t smoked in the last 40 years.
6. How did you go from 80 cigarettes to zero in a day? Did you feel any side effects?
I told myself ‘I’ll stay off come what may’. I have heard people say that they suffer from many side effects, but I was ok. The craving was intense, but I managed.
6. What medication are you on?
For my breathing problem, I take 2 inhalers daily (Combitide and Duolin). I also take Calaptin 80 for my pulse rate and medication for cholesterol control. I have also taken anti-flu and anti-pneumonia vaccines.
7. How do you feel now?
After my recent bout of chest infection this year, it took me a long time to recover. I was in hospital and then confined to my home for three months. I feel slightly breathless now after climbing stairs. I have cut down on my activities and try to take it easy.
