Giving up

Congrats and Good luck!

 

In most people, nicotine withdrawal is what makes people freak out. Even though tobacco is considered a "habit", so are cocaine, meth and pain pills. In simple terms, your brain is screaming like a spoiled child who just found his trust fund of nicotine has run dry.

I have been chewing nicotine gun off and on for the past twenty years. Remember: Nicotine, while what addicts people to tobacco, has few (if any) major health risks, much like caffeine. It is the smoke, tar, formalahyde and other nasty s**t that gums up your lungs and increases the risks of cancer, heart attack and stroke.

If your smoking is largely triggered by stress or anxiety (as mine was), the gum or e-cigs are both worth a try.

Stay away from Chantix. I tried if for a week and was nauseated the entire time (not to mention the bad dreams that made "Helter Skelter" sound and feel like a Winnie-The-Pooh book. :drool).

Good luck with whatever methods work for you. :clap

 

Good luck! Hope you kick the habit!

 

Hey Kes good on you for making the decision to try to quit. That is the most important part of the process.

October 24, 2013 was my quit date after almost 35 years of 2 pack a day and 5 years of 1 pack a day smoking.
Tried the gum several years ago and that was a no winner.
Tried the e-cig (Blue) and that was a little better but did not give the satisfaction of a real drag off a cigarette so also a no go.
Tried the chantix for 3 months. 2 months as I cut down from 1/2 pack a day to 5 a day and then 1 month of no smoking. That did the trick.
But - and this is/was the real trick for me - I had to break the little trigger habits that indicate a cigarette was needed. Had to vary my schedule as much as I could, stay away from smoking areas and people and no drinking alcohol.
I had none of the nausea and dream/sleep problems that others have had as side effects. It would seem to vary with each person's biochemistry so you won't know til you try it.

Please do try to give quitting a fair trial if at all possible. There are support groups available (at least in the US) so use those resources.

Good Luck.

 

Hey Kes, I quit when they went from 34c a pack to 36c because I wanted to buy my first house. That was 37 years ago (I finally quit at 22). I used to smoke two packs a day of Rothmans unfiltered or Camel unfiltered. The hardest thing for me was standing at the bar having a beer with the boys and glass in one hand and fag in the other (oops fag has another meaning these days LOL). My strategy was to go to bistros or lounges where you can sit as I tended not to smoke when I was sitting and not holding a beer. I only had one lapse for a few months but I'm glad I stuck it out and beat the habit. Luckily I had only been smoking for 6 years so going cold turkey wasn't too bad most of the time. The only time I would absolutely kill for a smoke was when I was at the pub with a beer in my hand otherwise the craving wasn't too bad. rolleyes
The best thing about giving up is you can smell and taste things so much better and if you get a minor cold you aren't left gasping for breath after a coughing fit.
My advice is if your habit is really strong consider nicotine patches to ease the craving caused by addiction. My youngest brother is an Approach Air Traffic Controller and he has smoked 2 packs of 20 (now 2 packs of 30) a day all his life and the closest he came to giving up was when he was on the patches. He is only 52 and already he is having health issues caused by smoking and his doctors have been telling him to stop for the last 10 years.
Good luck and stay positive:-D:cool

 

Good for you! I was a smoker 31 years ago in my 20s. I'm glad I quit. Go for it. Maybe try to use a nicotine patch or gum if you find the cravings get too strong

 

Two years ago at age 71 after smoking since I was a preteen I got lung cancer, so I quit using a group called Lazer Ray. That worked for about eight months, then the Chemo blues got to me not knowing if I would be hanging around or not. My other half nearly crucified me for going back on the butts, I smoked up until about six weeks ago then just could not stand it anymore. My breathing was getting bad, I stunk of smoke and burned holes in my clothing also food had less taste. I went to a hypnotist cost me two bills but so far so good, I feel it was a bit easier this time. I have more stamina, food tastes good again and I don't stink of smoke. I was only smoking one pack a day but with the cost over ten bucks I have saves a bundle and could if I wish buy a new car and not miss the monthly $$$$$!

P.S. My mood is not that bad a little jumpy yes but tolerable!

Phil

 

Gee that's bad news about your dad. I hope he is OK. My uncle died of lung cancer 8 years ago due to his constant heavy smoking and also my aunty, who has never smoked herself, has lung cancer from all the years of passive smoking caused by my uncle smoking inside the house.
Go for it Kes and the kick a$$ willpower is the most important part of the equation :-D
Again good luck because I know you have a difficult path ahead :cool

 

Don't give up no matter how rough it gets. Remember, quitters never win.

 

Kes, congrats, glad to see you try.

You have to want to quit to do it.

As a former smoker for 20 years, it is not easy. But, it is not as hard as you think it will be. I quit cold turkey. Not sure how you plan on doing it.

Pulling for you Kes! If I can help in any way shape or fashion, send me a PM.

:major

 

Good for you, Kestrel13!

I smoked for 26 years. I tried to quit a few times but was never successful . . . because I was trying when other people wanted me to, not myself. It was only when I decided to quit that I was able to. You are halfway there already in that you are making the decision. Trust me, if I can do it, you can. I was like a monkey on a cupcake when it came to cigarettes. It's the best decision I ever made. I'm sorry to hear of your father's situation.

Not going to lie, it's not an easy thing to do at all. I had to use nicotine gum or I think I might have failed in the long run. But I put the cigs down in Dec of 2002, and never picked them up again. I used the gum for a while, and gradually got off that as well. I've been nicotine free since early 2004.

Something I had not thought of before were the physical actions of smoking. One of my big problems was not having anything to do with my hands. The nicotine cravings can be taken care of with gum, patches, etc. . . . but I believe the physical actions involved with smoking are at least half of the overall habit you have to break.

What I feel helped me over the hump was taking a white bic pen barrel and cutting it down to the exact length of a cigarette. I know it sounds stupid, but it really did help me to have this placebo cigarette in my pocket I could take out and hold whenever the cravings hit me, or when I was just nervous/bored/upset. After a few months I stopped carrying it around and just used the gum, but I truly believe it helped me break the physical habits involved with smoking.

You can do this . . . we are all rooting for you to succeed.

P.S. Oh, one more thing that worked for me . . . when the cravings would get really bad, I'd go outside and take three or four deep breaths. I'm talking as much air as you can fit in your lungs. That would usually make the urge vanish or at least more managable.

 

Way to go. Just remember that there is no such thing as failure. There is only the choice to either give up or keep trying until you succeed. Whatever the outcome, if you don't give up, you will eventually succeed. ...... If you don't already know about it (and there are other related programs available out there, usually in your local community), there is a Nicotine Anonymous program that you might find helpful.

 

So give it up how are you DOING!!!

 

Do it Kes.
Ton of good advice posted above.
When Wifey quit there were times she need the support of another. She always found it. If you feel weak, get up and talk to someone.

 

It ain't easy, but when you are ready to quit, I think you will do just fine. Cold turkey is the way to go IMHO. No patch, no drugs, just one week of holy hell. :-D

It is worth it to me, I love being a non-smoker. I do enjoy a nice cigar 2 or 3 times a year.

 

One thing that helped me before I went cold turkey was smoking whenever I wanted, but writing down the time. I was amazed at how often I thought it had been 30 mins since my last smoke, and it was only 10 mins or so. Once you start dropping the smoking down to one an hour or less, you will really feel the nicotine addiction. When I did that, I was dizzy when I smoked, wanting a cig other times, never really happy.

Again, you can do it! :major

 

Since you have received so excellent advice there is not much that I can add to it.

Whenever the urge to smoke hits, such as after dinner etc., do something else instead - for instance go for a walk. Avoid stressful events if that causes you to lit a ciggie, don't grab a ciggie when talking on the phone etc.

Wishing you lots of strength and determination E!! You can do it!

 

You can doo eeeet!!

 

:-d:-d

 

How's it going, lady?

Don't let any relapses discourage you. I know you are planning to quit cold turkey, and more power to you in that decision. I couldn't quit cold turkey. . . I just didn't have the grit. I did try to limit my gum usage, but found having the nicotine helped me over some really rough patches. Quitting smoking is an ongoing fight. It isn't easy, and it isn't fun. I had countless defeats, and I had countless victories. But it's worth it. Plus, you have more cash for beer! (Well, that was a big incentive for me, anyway :-D)

Hang in there, lady. As my Great Grandfather once said about a hard fight; "It isn't easy, and there aren't any parades when you win. But . . . you won, and that's worth any number of parades."

 

Am I late to the party?:cool

Smoked on and off for over a decade, quit last Christmas and haven't had one since.

Don't use E cigs they don't work, I tried one for a month then got bored and just started smoking again, use the strongest patches first and follow the program and finish it.

Quit alcohol also until you're off the patches or you'll smoke when drunk. Cut your caffeine back to just regular tea or herbal tea/ caffeine free as caffeine combines with nicotine in the body to create a different long lasting nicotinycaffeiny type drug is the technical term which is why they go so well together. Don't hang around anyone that smokes. Start exercising or doing something that gets you out of breath, this worked for me as it made me realise how unfit I was. Create fitness goals, again this is what worked for me as my fitness goals and smoking clashed, I tried running for the first time in a decade last January and felt a massive pain in my chest and nearly died lol.

Don't smoke while on the patches.

Talk to your Doctor and have a full health workup, bloods, kidney,liver, ECG, cardio vascular health,lung capacity ect.ect. Why not we get it for free :-D You can also get the pathes for free off the doctor and help and support quitting.And be honest about your health and fitness. This motivated me greatly also knowing I had a plan and my doctor was helping. Don't under estimate how hard of a challenge your about to under take and make sure every fiber of your being wants it.

Buy yourself some 70-85% cocoa chocolate I like green and blacks organic from ASDA, after meal drink your hot drink, make sure it's microwaved hot and have a few bricks of chocolate as your treat instead of a cig.

Good luck Emma,

 

Like you, my father had a laryngectomy from cancer along with a radical neck dissection. He died less than 2 years later from metastases. He was a great man.

I smoked 2+ packs a day from age 20 to 50 (mostly at night when waiting to deliver babies and from boredom). Tried to quit many times. Loved smoking.
Really loved it.

Tried a psychiatrist friend's hypnosis routine of self-hypnosis. Didn't work for stopping smoking, but I can go to sleep on a dime in a hurricane.

Finally began showing signs of emphysema and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Went through a nasty divorce and stress and decided to try to live longer than my dad (he died at 62).

Long story short...... a California hypnosis group came to Houston monthly and held sessions for smoking cessation and obesity. I went. One hour later one evening I threw a gold Dunhill lighter out the window on the freeway and have never touched another cigarette. Group hypnosis. Inexpensive. Their number then was 1-800-4habits. Don't know if they are still doing it, but it worked for me. And that was 24 years ago.

Best of luck with your quest. You deserve the best.

 

I meant to say earlier, Emms - Good deal on giving up the fags. It aint as easy as some people think, for a number of reasons. Gook luck with that, my friend.

 

Don't beat up on yourself over this. Yep. Smoking is very hard to kick. Take pride in the fact that you're now able to cut down a bit. You're on the right track. Little by little, you'll get there.

 

Keep going Kes you can do it

Don't end up like my younger brother whom I mentioned earlier in the thread. Yesterday he got some bad news, his xrays are showing a growth and a shadow in one lung and now they want to do a biopsy to work out how malignant it is. His doctors have been telling him to stop smoking for at least 10 years. My brother is only 52 and otherwise quite fit although recently has at odd times had difficulty breathing due to a pain in the chest and now we know why. The pains in his chest were the only reason he was getting things checked out because in his own words, "I couldn't be sick because they would pick it up in my annual Air Traffic Control full medical checkup!" In this case they had been overlooking it because he could still pass the exercises and the run on the treadmill so they didn't mention it for the last few years as they said that was his own doctor's responsibility

I am sending you positive thoughts of you can do it Kes........ dunno if it helps but surely it can't hurt
Best wishes to you and your dad too :cool

 

Just keep with it Kestrel. I think it took me 3 tries to actually quit. Deciding you need to quit is the first step!

 

Good on you Kes just take little steps and keep going forward :cool

Yeah the biopsy has to happen because the specialists have to decide whether they will give chemotherapy only or chemotherapy plus radiation treatment or quite possibly surgery plus all of the above. He goes in next week. We have been expecting something like this for a quite a while now His doctors warned about the likelihood of this scenario 10 years ago but he refused to listen because his friend's mother smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish and she is 97 years old and still quite healthy so he believes it is OK and smoking just has bad PR rolleyes

Thanks for the kind thoughts :-D

 

It depends on you I guess, if you can drink coffee without reaching for a smoke have at it, if you can't might be worth considering cutting caffeine back first.

Also if you don't cut caffeine back you'll end up being anxious due to the way thew two drugs interact, which will make you want a smoke more.

http://www.killthecan.org/additional-resources/the-caffeine-nicotine-interaction/

EDIT when I was quitting I cut back to one or two 'literally' cups of tetley tea just enough to stop caffeine withdrawal but no coffee, if I'd have had coffee I would have wanted a smoke.

Just saying:-D

 

I have the solution for you, Kes, just have someone kidnap you and lock you in a basement for a month. When they finally let you, you'll have squashed those cravings. :-D :-D

All joking aside, I don't smoke but my sister does and I've watched her struggle on the stop smoking merry go round. It's not easy but it's worth it. You can do girl!

 

E., here's an (American) link that may help you to stop smoking. Lots of tips.

http://smokefree.gov/

I did quit successfully for 2 years and went back to it after a severe stress event. My hubby smokes so these ciggies were/are always available. I have been and am using nicorette inhaler but still have abt 3 ciggies daily which I know is not advisable to use both. Every day I promise myself to quit but really doing it is the crunch.

Wishing you the best of luck hon!

 

On my end so far so good! I quit when I got cancer, had the operation/chemo and made it eight moths then fell back into the smoke pit! Life is a bioch!!! Seven weeks ago did the hypnotist thing so far so good, I had to quit again because I could hardly breath in the AM. Girl you do not want to go through the drill I went through!! I am now stopping to say a prayer that you beat it also!

Phil

 

Come on Kes, doesn't that motivate you to be a quitter. :-D:-D

Keep on trying, you can do it.

 

Remember Kes you are a mother now........ think about Misty

Seriously though, keep going Kes and if you need some more motivation why not print out some cancer throat surgery pics or cancer lung surgery pics and put them where you can regularly see them ........ and when you see them, just think that those pics could be me in a few short years

 

I used 3 different vapor/e-cig products since Dec2013. Actually smoked for only 1 week since then. Flavored cigarillos my usual. After 1 week I went back to vapor. Don't even want smokes. My sense of smell and taste returned in about 4 days. I couldn't believe how good food smelled when it's cooking. And now cigerrettes smell awful. Good Luck!!