My quitting thread...

[Domski]

Well after 15 years I've finally bitten the bullet and decided to quit smoking

I've had a couple of halfhearted attempts before but this time I'm going to a stop smoking group and have today started taking Champix (interesting side effects I believe).

Hopefully the drugs will work but I wondered if anyone had any good suggestions for alleviating the urge to spark up.

I'm still puffing away for another week until the tablets take effect so the hard part really starts next week

Dom

[NBVC]

I have never been a smoker so I know it is not easy...

.. both my parents were able to quit cold turkey... although my mom restarted after my younger sister passed on and hasn't kicked the habit again...

I don't really know anyone that has used aids to stop smoking.. so can't offer any more.

Good Luck. Wanting to quit is the first step!

[zbor]

I'm not a smoker, but as I see from people around me: lot of them quit temporary trying and using lot of stuff - but most of them start smoking again.

On the other hand I know lot of people that just... quit. From now on. And didn't smoke ever after.

So smoking is just mental adict.
If you decide to quit you can do that without any help.
If you don't want to quit, just hoping that something else will do that for you, then no aid will help you.

[Ron Coderre]

Two stories:
1) My Father
For many years, my father smoked 3 packs per day of Pall Mall unfiltered.
He would get up in the middle of the night to go buy more cigarettes.
In 1963, when I was only 8, I remember him reading in the newspaper that smoking
was dangerous to health. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and put it out. That
was the last cigarette he ever smoked. The next 3 months were sheer hell for the family. The man
was truly physically addicted. Every day until the end of his life, he won his battle against smoking.
I'm so proud of him. Because of his example, not a one of his 5 children smoke.

2) My In-Laws
He smoked a fair amount, but not a lot. She smoked like a chimney.
She passed from lung cancer several years ago...wasted away to nothing...then died.
He was diagnosed with lung cancer the next year. The last weeks of his life were spent
gasping for breath. He died in panicked agony, drowning in his own blood.

If I were you...I'd take quitting very seriously.

[romperstomper]

I quit about 4 years ago (after smoking for over 20 years) and the best advice I can give you early on is... (you won't like this)... DON'T DRINK!

[Domski]

So smoking is just mental adict

Not quite true. I would say it is 25% physical addiction and 75% mental addiction/habit.

Whilst just stopping and going cold turkey obviously works for some people it hasn't for me in the past. I'm happy to accept whatever help is on offer if it might make a difference.

Dom

[sweep]

Good luck Domski.

I quit cigarettes 4 years ago, and substituted them with dried apricots (I don't like gum)

Remember this: 20 minutes after your last cigarette, you'll crave another one. 1 hour after your last cigarette you'll crave another one, but you won't crave one more than you did at the 20 minute mark. The cravings don't get worse.

Fingers crossed for you.

Dave

[Domski]

I quit about 4 years ago (after smoking for over 20 years) and the best advice I can give you early on is... (you won't like this)... DON'T DRINK!

I don't have a cigarette until I finish work in general and that's usually on my way to the neaby bar for a couple of post work pints. This is one of the habits I have and I have already decided to give the after work beer a miss for a few weeks at least.

My wallet isn't going to know what's going on at this rate.

Dom

[romperstomper]

It's funny - I was expecting to have a lot more money when I quit (since I used to smoke 20-40 a day) but somehow it all just disappeared elsewhere! I can't help but think that my wife may have diverted it somehow...

[pixifaery]

Good Luck Domski and thanks for all the fab posts!

I was a smoker, managed to give up when I split from my ex, using nictotine replacement therapy (and lots of encouragement from my little boy). It's worked a treat, I no longer smoke and wouldn't smoke it you gave me one.

It's back fired tho, I'm still addicted to the NRT which costs me more than smoking ever did!! So please let me know how you get on with the Champix!

I'm into complementary therapies and EFT (tapping) is effective ....don't know if you'd be into that but it's definitely good for the hands! I've got no excuse really, with the knowledge I've got, just lacking will power!

Good Luck!

[zbor]

Not quite true. I would say it is 25% physical addiction and 75% mental addiction/habit.

Well, if that delusion make you stop smoking then go ahead

[ratcat]

All I can say is Good Luck !!!

We know you can achieve your goal.

Cheers

RC

[oldchippy]

I quit in 1977 probably before you were born, went to work one day stopped at the shop to get my usual packet of cigs and realised I’ve left my wallet at home. From that day on I never smoked again. So try leaving your wallet at home!

[Domski]

Cheers for all the encouragement.

I'm not sure if the Champix has started to work as yet but I'm definitely feeling less of an urge to spark up. It's a bit odd having started the process but still having to smoke but it's only until next week.

pixifaery - I know someone who did exactly the same thing. They bought one of those electric cigarettes off the internet and now smokes on that far more than he ever did cigarettes, at least it's not harmful (apparently). I'll keep you posted on the tablets as they might help you. They stop the production of the endorphins that the nicotine causes which you will still get from the NRT.

Anyway, off to go and buy some carrots.

Dom

[martindwilson]

i've tried loads of times but the urge is there, and the 20 min thing doesn't hold true, it gets worse and worse as time goes on! longest i lasted was a week (well i was in hospital and was too ill to smoke).
good luck on giving up tho, i'm going to try again next week(but i'll probably only last a day)

[Domski]

It's my last day of smoking today. Champix must be working as when I'm having a cigarette the 'enjoyment' just isn't there as much. I'm still reaching for the cigs when I get out of work, just not as quickly or as often.

Dom

[NBVC]

Maybe also your brain is already in the "I want to quit mode" so you are losing interest subliminally...

BTW.. Good Luck and congratulations...

[DonkeyOte]

Dom,

I gave up around 7 years ago having smoked for around 10 years - initially a habitual smoker (drinking, on the PC etc) I ended up with close to a 20 a day habit - not helped by me working from home (ie "no smoking in the workplace" not an issue!)

Why I gave up...

My wife does not smoke and I always vowed I would give up for her sake - as I said to her - I wouldn't have tolerated it the other way around so more thanks to her.

My mother died of cancer when I was around 18 years old having been a long time smoker herself providing yet further incentive on my part were it needed.
(though this was not the sole cause of her illness I should add)

The catalyst was that I was ill (cold) and coughed up something the colour of which made me wonder/hope that it was the result of the cranberry juice I'd been drinking and not something more sinister...
However, the fact that I even had to think about it was sufficient for me to decide there and then that I would be giving up from that point forth.

I wouldn't say I've not smoked since because that would be a lie - I have had the odd relapse - ie the odd cigarette when I've been out on the town and the odd cigar at a wedding (yes I'm one of those people I'm afraid).

I've always felt based on my own personality that looking at the issue in a "I'm not allowed" sense would prove counter productive long term - better on my part to think of it along the lines of "I choose not to".
Denying myself anything generally leads to me coveting it more so than before.

Regardless of how you choose to approach your own challenge physically / mentally I wish you all the best and leave you with the clear and simple fact:

you will notice the difference in yourself (physically)

... persevere, it's worth it.

D.O

[Paul]

you will notice the difference in yourself (physically)

This includes your "scent." I'm not a smoker myself, but my wife did for the first 9 years of our relationship and even though she never smoked in the house it's amazing the difference. Your clothes, car, furniture, etc. will no longer smell like stale smoke, and your breath should improve. (I don't care how much minty gum a smoker chews, smoke-breath is still there.)

My wife is going on 4 years without a cigarette, after going through a few months of using the patch (like NicoDerm CQ, but not that brand I believe). Every week or so the nicotine level in the patch got smaller.

Good luck!

[pixifaery]

Hi Dom

Hope it's going ok? Meant to mention that vitamin C is good for cravings, you can have up to 5g a day (I know label will say less but that's cos it's got tons of aspartame and other cr*p in unless you get a good one) as it's water soluble and you'll pee it out. It's also a good antioxidant so will help to clear out the gug from your bod and lungs.

Keep Going!

[Domski]

Not bad today to be honest. I've even been out for an evening of beer and curry and not felt the need. Had a couple of moment today when I caught myself patting my pocket to see where my cig packet was but that's all.

Got a draw full of soluble Vit C tablets that I started taking a while back in the mornings so maybe they help.

Off to Alton Towers tomorrow so if I get too stressed I'll just strangle a screaming brat

Dom

[Domski]

Nearly 3 weeks on and it's going well. I've been a little fractious at times and the cravings have definitely been there when I've had more than a few beers. All in all though it's going really well.

Have booked myself a week away in July in a villa which is a bit beyond the usual budget but telling myself with what I'm saving I deserve it.

Dom

[NBVC]

Congratulations Dom.

Well done! Where there is a will there is a way

[martindwilson]

i'm just searching for my fag papers!
but good luck to you mate

[oldchippy]

Congratulations Dom.

Well done! Where there is a will there is a way

You mean where there's a Will there's a relative.

[Domski]

NBVC - Cheers, reckon I've got through the worst now.

Martin - I've probably got some king size lying around if you need any

oldchippy - Off down to visit my mum in Hartlebury tomorrow. I assume you know where that is.

Laters,

Dom

[oldchippy]

oldchippy - Off down to visit my mum in Hartlebury tomorrow. I assume you know where that is.

Laters,

Dom

That's about 10 miles up the road from me

[zbor]

According to Wiki: Hartlebury is a village in Worcestershire, England. It is a few miles south of Kidderminster and is in Wychavon district. The village registered a population of 2,549 in the Census 2001.

The railway station is about half a mile to the east of the village.

[Domski]

It has 1 church, 1 castle/museum (Bishop of Worcester lives there), 2 pubs, 2 schools (1 primary, 1 privately owned), 2 village stores, 1 hairdresser, 1 railway station (2 trains a day), 1 petrol station with mini-mart, a village green/football pitch, an industrial estate (not very industrial these days) and lots of fields.

Nice place to live but a little bit quiet for me hence why I moved to Leeds.

Lucky me I'm off to the village hall tonight for a curry & quiz night (in aid of a new roof for it I think). I'm sure it will be a riot

Dom

[teylyn]

Dom, don't make me jealous. That sounds very much like NY City compared to rural NZ!

[Domski]

Strangely enough it was a young female relative of the Bishop of Worcester who introduced me to my first ever cigarette.

She's got a lot to answer for!!!

[Domski]

Dom, don't make me jealous. That sounds very much like NY City compared to rural NZ!

I had a blast some of the little places I stopped at when travelling through New Zealand. It would be different once you've lived there for a while but none the less lovely.

Dom

[Sliced]

how about this link:
www.smokeanywhere.com

.......... has anyone tried this and if yes, how effective this could be ? please tell me too because I want to quit smoking too and everytime I decide the will power stays on for a few days and then back to the point where I started

[Sliced]

Also please check this too:
www.champixruinedmylife.com

[Sliced]

and this too:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varenicline

[Domski]

Hi Sliced,

Will power is the main thing. You won't quit if you don't really want to and the easiest thing in the past for me was just to have one or two cigs and think it wouldn't make a difference but believe me it does.

Champix is not for everyone and it does have side effects. I have found if I take the full dose I have been having some pretty mad dreams and it was effecting my sleep so I have cut down from two tablets morning and night to one at lunchtime. It has also made me a little bad tempered as I'm normally a very placid individual who doesn't really argue or get easily annoyed but this last weekend we were down in London and me and my lass who is also on them argued quite a lot and got wound up by the most irrational things. I'm due to take it for another 5 weeks but am seriously thinking about knocking it on the head shortly. All that being said I have been amazed how little I have wanted to smoke and I haven't altered my lifestyle to avoid the normal triggers like drinking or being with people that smoke.

There are a lot of other options out there like nazal spray, patches, inhalaters, gum etc and if you aren't happy with the idea of Champix then maybe try one of those.

I don't know where you live but in the UK the NHS offers stop smoking 'classes' and I found the weekly support that this gave me helped a great deal.

Anyway, hope you have more success next time you try to give up. I'm determined to make this the time that it works for me.

Dom