The Quitting Smoking Thread

[Tigermoth]

I've read a couple suggestions for starting a thread on this, so here goes.

I've smoked for 11 years off and on. It's time I give up for good.

Haven't had a cigarette for 30 hours. I have a cold at the moment, so if the cravings have kicked in, I haven't felt them yet.

I've tried cold turkey and the patch. I don't chew gum, so that's not an option.

Please post if you're quitting smoking or have already quit smoking and have some tips for the rest of us trying to lead a healthier lifestyle.

[Thanir]

Longest I quit for was like 8 months. Only way I was able to quit was using the patch. the Patch really worked for me while I was on it...I never cheated. It's the fact that I have a weak will that started me back up 8 months later, but the patch really helped me.

[Tristessa]

Good for you! 30 hours is a long time!

Next time I quit smoking, I'm going to try to use that inhaler...Although it scares me a little because I could sit at my desk and use it. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I've seen some friends quit using Zyban, or similar drugs.

[Jamougha]

Quiting is easy. I've done it dozens of times.

[daveT]

I quit when I was 22, and I already had 8 years under my belt. I thought I would die if I quit. I made a post in the other thread that hinges in the following...

Your saliva has the tobacco flavor in it, and it serves as a constant reminder of the cigarette you are not having.

I quit in two steps. The first was every time I lit up the cigarette, I told myself I don't want this. I did this for every cigarette for about four months. One morning, I woke up and ten hours later, I had a nagging suspicion that something wasn't right that day. Now, when I quit, I was smoking two packs of Newports a day, so the physical effect was very bad. I had serious chest pains, a cough, dizziness, and of coarse the very very bad head ache. This all lasted exactly one week. I was also a bike messenger at the time, so perhaps that helped my body clean up a bit.

Now for the cravings, they never ever leave. Yes, there will be a six month stretch were you will not think of it.

For the first week, I also chewed Orbit and Dentyne Ice. This helped with not having something in my mouth, and with the constant taste in my mouth..

I quit for three years, after that, I've had my lapses, but they didn't last long. It gets easier and easier to quit every time you start again. As for quitting for the rest of your life. Well, that is all about your own strength.f

I did meet someone who had quit for 30 years, he told me that if you can make 6 months there no good reason you can't go for the rest of your life.

[chrisyt]

To quit, stop smoking
or if you believe the goverenment hype funded by the phamacutical industry, its impossable to stop and you NEED patches and especially the nicotine gum, of which i know of some people thats been addicted to for 10 years.
try out www.forces.org

if you really really want to quit the suggestion one is to cease placeing them on your mouth. the only 'drug' i've ever found to help is lobila (which the goverenment rapidly took off the market) it's herb but basically your brain 'thinks' its nicotine. so no withdrawal, and none either if you stop taking lobila.
chris (a smoker and in this current environment and d*mb well int gonna to either

[casey_brick]

I have been a smoker on and off for the last 12 years. The longest I've "quit" for in that stretch has been 4 months.

During the first week when I quit, I did something kind of strange. Every time I had the urge for a cigarette, and couldn't shake it, I would drop and do 20 push ups. It would wear me out a little, and the craving would go away. Since I couldn't do mind over matter I tried body over mind.

It never fails though months or weeks down the line I'll lite up a smoke for whatever reason, and the vicious cycle starts all over again.

Good luck.

[Austiger]

The key for me was between two and six weeks. There is this craving you get that is really depressing. The best way I can describe it is it feels like you aren't chemically dependent on them anymore, but you still REALLY want one and that is depressing because you think you will always feel that way. You rationalize it like this: "This is really going to suck to REALLY want a cigarette every time I finish playing poker or having sex or when I drink. If I'm going to eventually break down, I might as well break down now and not put myself through this anymore because I'm not going to be able to deal with this on a long-term basis..."

But if you can make it to the two month point you'll realize that those cravings do indeed go away too. Just have faith that eventually you won't even think about it anymore. It is incredibly hard, but after about 10 tries I did it so you can too. It's been almost a year now since I smoked and it's a cakewalk at this point.

[daveT]

So true, it does get easier at about the one year mark. For some reason, it gets harder as the years go by. Don't ask me why.

[Runkmud]

I've been a smoker for 20yrs, sometimes up to 3 packs a day. While I still smoke now, I tried a method that would have worked had it not been for some other habits.

http://www.smokingshot.com/redirect.aspx

This is a shot that they give you that is an anti-cannaboid. It basically shuts down your physical craving for cigarettes. It works, I went five days without a cigarette which is the longest I've ever gone. Unfortunately I'm a drinker, and I went out and drank after five days which blew my resistance. While it really does nix your physical cravings, your mental cravings are still strong, but bearable.

If you're not a drinker I would recommend the shot. As I recall it ran about $375 and if it doesn't take they give you a free one.

Best of luck, in however you choose!