Preparing for an appointment

You're likely to start by seeing your primary care doctor. Here's some information to help you get ready, and what to expect from your doctor.

What you can do

To get ready for your appointment:

• Consider your smoking triggers. List the circumstances when you're most likely to reach for a cigarette. In what situations has smoking become a ritual?
• Make note of any symptoms that may be related to smoking. Include the length of time you've had each one.
• Make a list of your medications. Include any vitamins, herbs or other supplements.
• Invite a family member or friend along. Sometimes it can be difficult to soak up all the information provided during an appointment.

What to expect from your doctor

Being ready to answer questions your doctor may ask reserves time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Some questions your doctor may ask include:

• How many cigarettes do you smoke each day? How soon after waking do you smoke?
• Have you previously tried to stop smoking? If so, what happened? What worked? What didn't work?
• What is motivating you to stop smoking now?
• Do you have any physical health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes, which you suspect are related to smoking?
• Has smoking caused any problems at work or in your relationships?