Buncha quitters ...

[viatroy]

Im under orders from my physician to quit smoking pronto. I did it once before, cold turkey and completely painless, but Im not sure I'm ready for that. Debating doing the patch ...

 

Pointers, vibes, success stories would be welcomed.

[c53x12]

If you were able to go cold turkey painlessly before, why not now?

 

My Mom fought her addiction to cigarettes for 5 decades. She died of cancer this week.

[Mr. Tony Margaritatime]

That's aweful. Sorry to hear about your loss, redshift.

I smoked for a good while. I did the patch and it worked wonders, but you also have to be in a positive mindset to continue to not smoke after you come off of the program. Good luck! Vibes!!!!!

[M. (hristine]

I quit 5 years ago. I used the patch, because I hated the fuzzy headed, can't think about anything but wanting a cigarette, mind set. I used each stage about half of the recommended amount of time, because I didn't like the feeling of that either.

 

Do it, Tracy. It is the most marvelous gift you can give to yourself. There was a long period time that I couldn't picture an enjoyable life without cigarettes, but you know what? I was totally wrong.

 

 

PS So sorry about your mom, redshift.

[watch me fall]

My mom did the gum. She said it was the nastiest thing ever but it worked, and she was a very heavy smoker since the age of 16. It's been about 15 years since she's quit.

[jimmyjimmy]

Years ago I tried the gum but hated it so I gave it up and went cold turkey and was free of cigarettes for about thirteen years. I understand [the gum] it's supposed to be better now, effectiveness and taste. Just recently fell off the wagon and will allow myself the indulgence for the time being.

 

Redshift, sincerely sorry to hear about your mom...I thinks that's the first double take I've ever done on someone's post here.

[owl]

I smoked heavily for 5 years and quit three years ago.

 

I tried numerous different methods, numerous different times, but the only way that worked for me was cold turkey.

 

The key, however, is in one tiny detail: you have to swear off smoking and tobacco of any kind, basically. No drags from anyone else's cigarettes, no cigarettes after three months. Nothing. Not for at least a few years.

 

You can do it, man. You just have to make a promise. My psychological reasoning was: If I can't keep a promise to myself, what good is my word to anyone else?

 

Good luck. Smoking isn't even worth the health issues that you suffer before things get worse.

 

[Lammycat]

"Isn't that something? I'm on to cigars now. I'm on to a five-year plan. I eliminated cigarettes, then I go to cigars, then I go to pipes, then I go to chewing tobacco, then I'm on to that nicotine gum."

 

The patch worked really well for me, as did a drug called Wellbutrin. I believe it's an anti-depressant but has been known to help in quitting smoking. Perscription only, though. I tried the gum years ago and it did nothing for me. It mmay be better these days. Also, I heard talk last spring of a pill in the works that supposedly has a high success rate amongst users in nipping the cravings in the bud. I'm not sure if it's available yet, though. Good luck.

 

My condolences to redshift and family, too.

[LouieB]

Certainly good luck on this. Quitting is hard work.

 

LouieB

[viatroy]

Im so sorry for your loss redshift.

 

 

 

 

Not sure where the inspiration came from to quit before, but it lasted 12 years. I just didn't need or want them anymore. Tossed em in the trash one morning and that was is it. I've always enjoyed smoking -- since I was 12 -- and enjoy the heavy duty cigs -- I've always got a pack of nonfilters lying around.

 

It's crazy and stupid I know. I'm just here for the ass-kickin'.

[Sir Stewart]

Sorry to hear about your mother, redshift.

viatroy - my grandmother smoked for 64 years until her doctor diagnosed her with emphysema, and told her she had to stop immediately. She stopped cold turkey, at age 80. Doctor's orders can be pretty powerful, I guess. Good luck and do your best.

[Atticus]

this may sound silly but it's true--a really good friend of mine who smoked 2 packs a day for years quit for good through accupuncture. I know that at one point he had some kind of pins in his ears. Anyone else heard of this being successful?

[Hodie]

I know I've told the story in a thousand I'm Quitting threads before, but in case it helps:

 

I smoked from the time I was 13 til the time I was 33, and smoked two packs a day for the last fifteen or so years of that. Quitting was the most difficult thing I've ever done, and absolutely the best thing I've ever done.

 

I quit before the patch existed, and I think it would've been easier if I'd had it -- I definitely had powerful nicotine withdrawal symptoms (muscle tension, weird visual stuff, and the powerful desire to kill everyone, including my loved ones, preferably with great violence). I quit by cutting down from 40 cigarettes a day to 10 (I gradually increased the time between cigarettes and knowing how many times I'd failed in the past, took an entire year to accomplish this), and then went cold turkey from there.

 

The impetus was pulmonary obstructive disease, which is the precursor of emphysema. Agh, scary. Nay, terrifying.

 

It's wonderful not to be addicted anymore, it's wonderful to not carry that stink around, it's wonderful not to wonder where I'm going to go have my next cigarette, it was wonderful to be able to bike around New Zealand and Italy, and food tastes one thousand times better than it used to.

 

Good luck!

[Mr. Heartbreak]

My condolences to redshift and family as well ...

 

Viatroy, I quit almost 17 years ago, and I'm another cold turkey guy. I had gotten up to 2 packs a day at age 24, and the only way I could do it was to just stop. I did it when I wasn't working full time, which helped, and I had a pretty unpleasant 3-4 days, but it got better rapidly after that. For me, the nasty withdrawal gave me a good incentive to stay stopped -- I didn't want to go through that crap again.

 

Just as important, I believe, was making other changes rapidly: no hanging around other smokers in "enclosed" spaces after that (for a long time, anyway); an immediate transition into a healthier lifestyle (first walking regularly, then got into running); and a better diet. Within weeks I felt much better, and now - at age 41 - I can run two miles with no problem, something 90% of the U.S. adult population cannot do ... and I'm proud of it, too!

 

You'll feel better, smell better, and almost certainly live a longer, better quality life. Congratulations on your decision to follow your doctor's advice.

[LouieB]

Redshift, sincerely sorry to hear about your mom...I thinks that's the first double take I've ever done on someone's post here.

Yea, I didn't catch this the first time through either.....really sorry.

 

LouieB

[mountain bed]

redshift,my thoughts are with you.

 

Although I generally have a very flippant attitude about such things,tobacco is just bad stuff..for some reason,in the back of your mind you're thinking 'it's not 'DRUG-drugs',but once you try quitting you realize it IS...I couldn't believe how short my fuse got..Mrs.MB was ready to strangle me (with good reason,i might add)

[embiggen]

I just quit cold turkey. got tired of feeling dizzy and guilty that I was doing something bad to myself.

[EL the Famous]

I wouldn't suggest the anti-depressents...they made me feel loopy as all hell, way worse than when I smoked. I took them for 3 days before I chucked them. Awful stuff.

 

I went cold-turkey for almost 2-3 months, but recently started again. I'm going to go at it again very soon. I've just come to grasp w/ that it will take me a few tries. I am down to only having 2-3 in a day, so I know I can do it.

 

Good luck!

[mountain bed]

I just quit cold turkey. got tired of feeling dizzy and guilty that I was doing something bad to myself.

Best of luck to you young lady really.

[MrRain422]

In my experience (both my own personal experience, and witnessing friends quitting), cold turkey seems to be the way to go. Probably not for everyone, but from what I've seen, gradually cutting back doesn't work at all, because each cigarette takes on a bigger meaning, as each puff is accompanied by thoughts of "Just 3 more of these left, and then no more ever." It attaches too much significance to each smoke and makes it impossible to really quit. Cold turkey worked for me on the second try, although I only smoked for between 2 and 2 and a half years.

 

No idea about the patch/gum/other aides. I don't know anyone who's tried any of those other than my dad, but those were all just throwing a bone to my mom and later my step-mom and his doctor. I don't think he ever had any real intentions of quitting until he had his heart attack, so I don't think his lack of success with those things is any real indication of their value.

[owl]

You just have to swear it off.

 

Cold turkey means that you can't have ANY, not even one drag from someone else's cigarette.

 

Otherwise, you'll just come cryin' back.

 

Mark my words.

[jenbobblehead]

i don't know anything about quitting things personally although i grew up in a household where one parent or another was always trying to quit something, but i will offer this: call me any time you want a cig and i'll tell you funny stories to keep you occupied til the urge passes. if i'm not available, caliber can recite things to you in latin or recount the punch lines to every stupid 90's and 2000 era movie ever made. He can't remember the pick up a cable splitter, but by cod, he can remember all the lines from Dodgeball!

 

x100

[embiggen]

Best of luck to you young lady really.

 

I quit almost 2 years ago.

[Lammycat]

I quit almost 2 years ago.

 

Nobody likes a quitter.

 

Quitters never win, and winners never quit.

[JUDE]

Now I'm a fellow with a heart of gold

And the ways of a gentleman I've been told

Kind-of-a-guy that wouldn't even harm a flea

 

But if me and a certain character met

The guy that invented that cigarette

I'd murder that son-of-a gun in the first degree

 

It ain't cuz I don't smoke 'em myself

and i don't reckon that it'll hinder your health

I smoked 'em all my life and I ain't dead yet

 

But nicotine slaves are all the same

at a pettin' party or a poker game

Everything gotta stop while they have a cigarette

 

Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette

Puff, puff, puff until you smoke yourself to death.

 

Tell St. Peter at the Golden Gate

That you hate to make him wait,

But you just gotta have another cigarette.

 

In a game of chance the other night

Old dame fortune was good and right

The kings and queens they kept on comin' around

 

Aw, I was hittin' em good and bettin' 'em high

But my bluff didn't work on a certain guy

He kept callin' and layin' his money down

 

See, he'd raise me then I'd raise him

and I'd say to him buddy ya gotta sink or swim

Finally called me but didn't raise the bet!

 

--Hmmph! I said Aces Full Pal -- I got you!

He said, "I'll pay up in a minute or two

But right now, i just gotta have another cigarette."

 

Now the other night I had a date

with the cutest little gal in any state

A high-bred, uptown, fancy little dame

 

She said she loved me and it seemd to me

That things were sorta like they oughtta be

So hand in hand we strolled down lovers lane

 

She was a long way from a chunk of ice

And our pettin' party was goin' real nice

And I got an idea I might have been there yet

 

So I give her a kiss and a little squeeze

Then she said, "Travis, Excuse me Please

But I just gotta have a cigarette."