Tobacco allergy?

Listen, I dealt with a tobacco allergy for about four or five years back in the day—it eventually cleared up on its own. About a year ago, I started smoking again, though my usage was pretty inconsistent. Well, more than two weeks ago, the allergy came roaring back—I can tell by the cough. I quit immediately after that and have been avoiding smoke entirely, but now I’m dealing with a nasty throat infection, knocking back antibiotics, and living on tea. So, here is what I want to know: how long is this going to take to clear out? When can I actually light up again or hang out in smoky rooms without everything going south?

Huh? 😕

Were you allergic since you were four, or did this start four or five years ago? Why push for something that clearly isn't working. 🤷 Honestly, be glad you're allergic to it.

I was dealing with allergies from the age of four or five—and why on earth would anyone be happy about that? -.-

So how exactly did you figure out you were allergic at four years old? Did someone decide to give a toddler a cigarette to smoke? 😕

Look, just be glad. You aren't going to wreck your lungs with smoking. Honestly, anyone dealing with life-threatening drug allergies or food sensitivities would trade places with you in a heartbeat. Screw tobacco; you aren't going to die if you don't smoke. In fact, you'll probably live longer.

Man, I can't even hang out in a room where someone's smoking. I think that’s what he meant before. It’s not even a full-blown allergy or anything, but I start coughing like crazy and feel like throwing up. Luckily, my small circle of friends doesn't smoke, and most bars have banned it anyway, but if someone lights up just twenty feet away—or if a buddy steps outside for a smoke and comes back in—it hits me instantly. Same old story.🤷

melloworca6 said:So how exactly did you figure out you were allergic at four years old? Did someone decide to give a toddler a cigarette to smoke? 😕

Look, just be glad. You aren't going to wreck your lungs with smoking. Honestly, anyone dealing with life-threatening drug allergies or food sensitivities would trade places with you in a heartbeat. Screw tobacco; you aren't going to die if you don't smoke. In fact, you'll probably live longer.

Maybe his parents were smokers?😉

Michael Palmer23 said:Listen, I dealt with a tobacco allergy for about four or five years back in the day—it eventually cleared up on its own. About a year ago, I started smoking again, though my usage was pretty inconsistent. Well, more than two weeks ago, the allergy came roaring back—I can tell by the cough. I quit immediately after that and have been avoiding smoke entirely, but now I’m dealing with a nasty throat infection, knocking back antibiotics, and living on tea. So, here is what I want to know: how long is this going to take to clear out? When can I actually light up again or hang out in smoky rooms without everything going south?

So, how bad is this "allergy" really? And did you actually get an official allergy test done at a clinic to confirm it?
Look, it doesn't even matter if you're technically allergic or not—the damage from smoking is damage, period.

MM is dealing with something pretty similar... he was a smoker for a few years—though he never actually bought his own packs, he’d just "borrow" a couple here and there from me or my mother-in-law—and then suddenly, about two years ago, it started hitting him hard. He’d be woken up in the middle of the night by coughing fits, and in the mornings, it felt like he was coughing up his actual lungs. So, he quit. But every now and then when we go out with friends on the weekend, he'll light up JUST one cigarette, and the second we get home and lie down, he's practically suffocating from coughing and intense snoring (which isn't normal for him). Then, by morning, he’s hacking up a ton of sinus congestion. He doesn't have any allergies—he's actually been tested—and there's nothing showing up for obstructive diseases, so it seems strictly tied to the tobacco. But how? No clue. Is this some kind of allergy that standard tests just can't pick up?

Jamie Wells83 said:MM is dealing with something pretty similar... he was a smoker for a few years—though he never actually bought his own packs, he’d just "borrow" a couple here and there from me or my mother-in-law—and then suddenly, about two years ago, it started hitting him hard. He’d be woken up in the middle of the night by coughing fits, and in the mornings, it felt like he was coughing up his actual lungs. So, he quit. But every now and then when we go out with friends on the weekend, he'll light up JUST one cigarette, and the second we get home and lie down, he's practically suffocating from coughing and intense snoring (which isn't normal for him). Then, by morning, he’s hacking up a ton of sinus congestion. He doesn't have any allergies—he's actually been tested—and there's nothing showing up for obstructive diseases, so it seems strictly tied to the tobacco. But how? No clue. Is this some kind of allergy that standard tests just can't pick up?

Look, regardless of the specifics, he needs to stop smoking entirely. Period.
I don't know how old he is, but from what you're describing, this sounds like the textbook onset of COPD.

vividsailor7 said:Look, regardless of the specifics, he needs to stop smoking entirely. Period.
I don't know how old he is, but from what you're describing, this sounds like the textbook onset of COPD.

He's 29... and I already told him not to mess around with this stuff. I told him if it's such a problem, just don't light up that one cigarette, but you know how it goes—he always thinks one won't hurt him. Then, wouldn't you know it, he proves himself wrong by the very same night...

I’ve officially lost the craving for nicotine—I haven't touched a cigarette in over a month now...
The smell of tobacco still hits me pretty hard, though. I make it a point to stay away from smoky rooms and just avoid secondhand smoke altogether...

Jamie Wells83 said:He's 29... and I already told him not to mess around with this stuff. I told him if it's such a problem, just don't light up that one cigarette, but you know how it goes—he always thinks one won't hurt him. Then, wouldn't you know it, he proves himself wrong by the very same night...

Given his age, IBM is almost certainly out of the running.
But seriously, he needs to kick the habit.