Giving up

Been thinking about you. I'm not gonna give advise 'cause you've gotten enough already.
I'll just say that the further away I would get from the last cigarette, the easier it would get.

But, addiction is sneaky and tricky.
It will sneak up on you and punch you with a craving just when you're feeling peaceful or when you're irritable and vulnerable.
You have to prepare for that in advance.
Know that it is coming and decide how you are going to deal with it when it hits you.
Just ride it out and know that it will pass.
Each time you blow it off, it gets a little weaker and you get a little stronger, humble, grateful and confident.

This article is old, but I found it to be very helpful.
Having the knowledge and insight into how it works and knowing what's happening, removes some of the dark mystery and kind of deflates the demon.

Addicted: Why Do People Get Hooked?
Mounting evidence points to a powerful brain chemical called dopamine

 

Advice on quitting drugs:
1 step at a time

it is likely you will compensate for the reduced stimulus to your Dopamine receptor by increasing your caloric intake, thus stimulating that receptors.
I would recommend:
exercise
a hobby
a goal(reaching goals helps stimulate DA but also might cause you to replase and have a smoke, as smoking is both stimulating and relaxing)
eat
gum/patch/chantix

Quitting smoking is not going to happen because you really want it,but it will happen when you figure out what you will give up for quitting smoking.
Long term, quitting smoking is going to do your life wonders.
Work Hard!

 

Emma, I'm going to try and get on your bandwagon. Going the E cigarette route, patches, gums and black magic if need be! Don't have the guts to quit cold turkey.
Cheers..

 

I don't want to be harsh on you ladies. I hope you both become quitters!

I quit when I was unemployed and only had $100 left to my name.

It is 3 days of suck. Woman up! :-D

 

I see no reports as of late, I am still doing well the hypnotist did the trick. I still get an occasional urge but get passed it pretty easy, the guy gave me a word to say when I feel it coming on I say it and the urge goes away.

 

In my experience, the urges will get less intense, and will happen less often. After several years of not smoking, I still want one all along. Watch yourself! :major

 

I suspect you are just not quite ready to quit. Keep quitting in your mind, and when the time is right, you will do it.

I wanted to quit for a few years before I actually stepped up and did it. Keep your head up, am pulling for you!

 

Well, I will admit a few beers, the interweb, and my debit card have combined for me to buy some stuff I probably should have waited on getting. :-D

 

Hey, it happens. I had more than one failed attempt, and it is a very very had thing to do. You'll get there

 

You will do it when you're ready.

 

Hey,
I saw your post.. and will make this short. The VA gave me Wellbutrin. It's supposed to be a anti-depressant.. and yet it's also a stop smoking drug. It's the ONLY A-D that doesn't have miserable side effects. Read about it! Increased energy, increased libido, weight loss.. hey, I said give it to me for the SIDE EFFECTS!! Well I stopped smoking a pack a day, pretty easy!

So then I stopped taking it.. and now with a new computer (a old one my dad left me.. and a post reply here to "Please Delete" with no explanation), I'm back to smoking. I'm sure a non-XP would be a plus, and maybe cheaper than the cigarettes.. but check into Wellbutrin! Sure worked while I was taking it.. (and with less stress at the time)! Good luck!
Jerry

 

Kestral..
The "Please Delete" was just a mix up.. no problem there. Malware told me the scans were clean.. but it's still doing weird stuff. I need a better hobby!

Anyway.. lol.. Wellbutrin (actually Bupropion HCL 100 mg 12 hr SA, meaning slow release) was what I was taking. I still have 4 bottles full! Well, it was never tested for long term use.. but the VA said it shouldn't cause problems.

At the end of last year a blood test showed I was going into renal failure.. with an alarming increase in creatinine levels, and gfr (I think) equally OFF from where it should be. Looked back at the records, and it was a straight line increase over several years. They had me on several different drugs. I looked them up.. and just about everything will piss off your kidneys! So I stopped taking ALL of them with that indicator! My dad died last year of (totally unrelated) renal failure. And 8 years of dialysis is never confused with vacation time off... I was.. let's say.. alarmed!

The REAL kidney killer however was 1000-2000 mg of Naproxen (Alieve) I was eating every day. It's great at relieving arthritis pain.. but in a eventually terminal way, which was not an acceptable alternative. I now take a non-narcotic pain reliever called Tramadol.. or damnitall or something like that! Works great!

So.. THAT'S why I stopped (all of them..). And BTW, my kidneys are pretty much back to where they were 2+ years ago, doing fine now.

But stress in general is up.. and smoking (again) is not good.. so, as some of your friends posts have said.. I think I'll hit the bottle. (of wellbutrin.. not the other kind!). And the whole "snack thing" to help quit?? A extra 25 lbs is not good either. Ask me how I know about that one! I've seriously revised my diet, almost no carbs, no sugar, no junk, no soda, no sex.. hey, wait!!

So.. tomorrow morning, I'm going back on the pill...? Seriously, it's a really good thing to stop! One good friend (ex-smoker) carries a oxygen bottle, but is usually on the couch with his advanced COPD. Really sad!! And my smoke-stack grand-pappy died of emphysema. There are much better ways to do yourself, or myself in.. than smoking.

If like me, you can smoke while taking Wellbutrin, but you won't want to! Start cutting back. Take a few hits, put it out. Find a tedious snack like sun-flower seeds, or frozen grapes are really good too.. and tell yourself ya got to stop! Two weeks! Refuse to smoke until you get nuts, then just a hit or two, put it out. You'll get there!
Smiles!! Jerry

 

I should mention a few other things.

I was taking one of these when I'd get up, and a second one around noon. I really did have more energy.. and so you don't want to take them too late in the day. Didn't keep me awake, but might someone else.

And they help reduce stress, which goes a long ways towards not smoking.

And.. if I DID get really stressed over something, I'd end up buying a pack.. and by the time I'd have smoked em, the stressor was usually past, or resolved, or whatever.. and I'd stop! If I bought 2 packs, well, then it was more difficult to put them down. But I used to freak out my friends when I's smoke a pack and quit again.. for maybe months! Well.. quitting at all.. or even smoking less, is better than smoking the same as you were.

And I didn't read how long you've been a smoker.. the urges will go away. But I think the desire to smoke is always there.. so it's really best, if you do quit, to avoid them if at all possible. If your friends smoke.. ask them to cut back when you are around.. cause that can be really difficult if others are there.. and the smokes are there.. and the lighter is right there.. well you get the picture.

You've got a whole bunch of folks thinking good thoughts for you and your health. So don't give up quitting. I think it true, that if you chastize yourself (a bit) each time you light up.. that you develop a contra habit. And you will eventually have it, being stronger than the smoking.. and that's when folks can just say, "I'm done.. no more".. and they just... STOP!

And that's what I should do!! I need some sleep! Best wishes!
Jerry

 

Kestrel,
What you have described.. are, by and large... depression symptoms! It can sap your attitude, your energy, your focus, your SMILE!! And what do Geeks do best?? They scan the system, clean out the junk.. and put new good stuff to work. How could that better describe taking a anti-depressant.. WHICH helps you stop smoking, increases your energy, reduces stress, and lifts your spirits?? I could add.. most A-Ds adversely affect.. ah.. your hard drive!! This one doesn't!! LOL

While I'm not a super advocate of taking hands full of pills, there are times when they can make an immense difference. (I took mine this morning!). Most anti-depressants really mess with a number of things. I took Prozac once. Before I did, my doctor asked if I was depressed? I said no, but didn't want to be either (facing a divorce). So then I asked him, if I'd want to go out and kill someone, by taking the stuff. He just laughed and said those stories were about people.. who wanted to kill someone 'all along'.. but by taking Prozac they felt GOOD ENOUGH to go out and do it!!! I thought it was funny.. but will hope none of us have those tendencies.

But seriously.. I consider Wellbutrin to be a VERY helpful prescription. The 25 lbs I mentioned?? Well I lost that! And that alone can give a person a lot more energy. My revised diet was MAJOR!! I spend my time now in the produce section.. LOTS of veggies, lots of fresh fruit.. nothing out of a box. Cut the carbs to nearly zero! And I rarely stop for anything "fast food". I starting losing weight right away.. and pretty quickly. Think about going to the gym.. in part to get out, and the exercise is really good for you in lots of ways. Like MG.. it's a multi-pronged approach to solving the problem!

The best thing I found to reduce the blues (as far as activities??) Ah.. ok.. not THAT.. but 2nd best? Contra-dancing! It started in the 1600s, is VERY social, it's very active (great exercise).. and almost every decent sized town has a group who dance every week. NO wallflowers at a contra-dance. (It's not good etiquette to dance with the same partner twice in a row, or to refuse someone who asks you to dance!).. and even IN the dance.. you end up dancing with everyone in the same line. It's a bit like square dance.. sounds TOTALLY dorky.. and yet it might be the best fun I've ever had.. (well.. with my clothes on!) It's just good energy. EVERYONE there.. is having a great time.. and you can meet some really friendly folks. We always go out for a drink and conversations afterwards!

Do something.. to get yourself out of the house. Go for a walk.. sit on your porch with your coffee or gin.. or steal the neighbors newspaper just for fun. Just find something that lifts your spirits.. it will make a world of difference if you give it a chance..

Keep your chin up!
Jerry

 

Well that NFL player is suspended, maybe he is looking for a new career.

I tried the Welbutrin before I just stopped. It does help a pretty good bit with stress and such, but I am not a big fan of taking a lot of medicine. And I was concerned about getting hooked on the pills after I quit smoking. But, it is worth asking your doc about.

 

Just a reply to Fred..
I took Wellbutrin for longer than is normally recommended. And in a lower post, you'll see why I stopped (which actually had nothing to do with the Wellbutrin. My kidney functions had decreased.. scared the piss out of me.. uh.. pun intended?? But later realized the high dose of Naproxen was what caused my kidney problems, not the other drugs I was taking. I'll never use Alieve again!! Or more correctly.. over a long period of time!)

Anyway.. that was, going from every day use (just taking one a day at that time).. to NONE the next day, up until now. That was back in December. I felt no adverse effects, no withdrawals, nor being let down, depressed or sluggish! Nor did I want to smoke either! It's not like taking Methadone, or using nicotine patches, to which addictions can occur. Not sure if it was "designed" as a stop smoking drug, or anti-depressant.. but I never felt "hooked", nor having any problems to just stop taking it.. or any withdrawal symptoms either.

I'm going to be taking it again now, because of new stress in my life.. and making some major changes. Once past that, I'll probably stop taking them this time, because of not being needed any longer.

 

Everyone that quit has a 'theory' of what 'worked' for them. I decided to not use drugs when I quit. Just me personally, I don't like taking drugs unless really needed.

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/wellbutrin-side-effects.html Bold mine, for easier reading.

But, if it works for you or others, go for it!

Hhhmmm... having extreme distrust of people maybe I got a permanent side effect. :-D

 

Actually..
if you look up almost ANY prescription drug you will see the same listing of adverse side effects, as being "possible"! That list is for problem indications, as is noted.. "Contact your doctor". If you look at the up side effects.. those included increased energy, improved attitude, reduced stress, actually improves libido, will help with weight loss.

I never had any of the problems listed in your list. Doses can go way higher than mine, without risks.

And besides that.. it didn't cause me to want to move to the south! So that's always good!

Not here to argue with anyone.. was just trying to share good information with Kestrel.
Best wishes

 

Not trying to argue either. But, I do live in the South, what is wrong with that?

Kes, I hope you quit using Wellbutrin, will power, a fruit bat kept in the kitchen, whatever works for YOU!

Ellen, which of us is still smoking? Just asking. No offense meant in any way.

 

I've had 3 cigarettes today.. I will have none tomorrow.

I started on Wellbutrin when a very close and dear friend killed herself. Kinda leaves one with EVERY POSSIBLE EMOTION, all at once!! But in taking the Wellbutrin, I could then stop smoking.. and was stopped for about 3 years. Other factors more recently have caused stress. But the whole reason to post this, was not about whether I smoke, or not.. it's that Kestrel is trying to quit.. and she apparently hasn't tried Wellbutrin or Zyban (same thing).

So.. I'm gonna drop out of this conversation.
Best Wishes

 

Its not fair on the rest of the people in the south.

:-D

 

That is unfair, they are blessed to have me. :-D

@Ellen, was not trying to be rude, wish you the best in quiting, however you choose to do it! Just trying to give Kes my experience. It is a whole lot easier to quit Wellbutrin than nicotine for sure. Just does not seem logical to me to use a drug to handle stress when quiting smoking. I have a friend that has been trying to quit for years. He keeps on waiting for the perfect period when he will have no 'stress'. I keep telling him life is stressful.

Awesome! You can do it! :cool

Not trying to derail your thread Kes, keep on trying to quit!

 

Walk over one day, let your eyes twitch a bit, explain you are trying to quit smoking, might not be responsible for your actions...

 

Regarding Wellbutrin/Bupropion, Zyban was the brand name used for marketing as a smoking cessation aid.
Based on what I've heard, nervousness and anxiety were the side effects that most commonly caused people to stop taking the drug.
It was supposedly a Dopamine enhancer, unlike other anti-depressants. We talked about the role of dopamine before.

 

Ahh, the good old neighbors. I got super sweet revenge on some neighbors upstairs years ago. Ahh, the good old days. :-D

 

Yes. (plz excuse the necro)
I'm one week menthol ciggie-free using 6MG nicotine vaping liquid, smoked a pack a day for 20+ years. :-D
My family & friends said I could never do this, having supported many past attempts of mine, so this success is as sweet as the stuff that goes in the vaping thingy.

Warning: you may become a vaping geek who bores the undies off others with details of their apparatus.

Good luck!

 

Good luck with it! Sometimes being a quitter is a good thing. :-D

 

I attempted the Welbutrin before I recently ceased. It does help a really decent bit with anxiety and such, however I am not a huge devotee of taking a ton of prescription.

 

Here's another option.
I've been smoking for 34 years. 20 years ago I changed to a slightly lighter brand, and I cut down from 20 to 10 a day.

"Eat, drink, and smoke as much as you like to. You'll look a total prat lying in bed at the age of 90... dying from buggerall." :tired Unknown, but probably dead.

 

I tried that when I smoked, just took longer and more frequent drags to get my nicotine fix. But if it helps you, good stuff! :cool

 

Advice on giving up? how about a photograph of scar tissue where they opened my chest for a triple bypass :-D

 

Haven't smoked in 4 days!! No craving or side effects. Went the e- cig route. My smokers cough is next to non existent as is the slight wheez I was developing. Will have to try some different e-liquid, not to keen on the current one.
Over 30 yrs of smoking gone in a jiffy. Kes, give it a shot.

Cheers..

 

Congrats! The first week was the hardest for me. :celebrate

Kes, like I told you, you have to really want to. I kinda wanted to quit a few times and did not make it. One day I said screw it, I am going to quit. You will get there one day.:major

 

I inadvertently quit. LOL I caught the plague, and over a week went by before I noticed I hadn't had one. Not sure it'll take since it wasn't a plan, but I'm gonna go with it for as long as it'll last.

 

Thanks Fred.
Yes Laura, the cough is gone.:hyper

Cheers..