Quitting smoking

[BNB]

Lung cancer made my grandma quit.

 

[run and shoot]

Another thing I did was work out. Then go jump into the steam room. Steam really helps to clean ones lungs. I felt great after the steam.

After a steam, when I would try to smoke, I could feel the carcinogens and filth re-entering my lungs & body. I knew I had to stop. Another thing to do is staying away from other ppl. who smoke.

Plus....as I look at the cost of cigs today, there's NO way I'm paying $14-15+ on a pack.

 

[airtime143]

When I quit I had to wind up going with the patch.
Zyban gave me crazy insomnia. Couldn't even think about sleeping.
Chantix worked as advertised...took the loading week and by the end of the week smoking was blah- tested bad and did nothing for me.

However...about week 3 I all of a sudden became intolerant of the pills. Even though the dose was light, I would immediately feel as though I was gonna puke. One day it was fine, the next it made me violently ill.

A couple stops and starts later the patch did the trick.

 

[run and shoot]

When I quit I had to wind up going with the patch.
Zyban gave me crazy insomnia. Couldn't even think about sleeping.
Chantix worked as advertised...took the loading week and by the end of the week smoking was blah- tested bad and did nothing for me.

However...about week 3 I all of a sudden became intolerant of the pills. Even though the dose was light, I would immediately feel as though I was gonna puke. One day it was fine, the next it made me violently ill.

A couple stops and starts later the patch did the trick.

How long have u been off cigs?

 

[airtime143]

How long have u been off cigs?

About 5 or 6 years.
My whole family smoked like chimneys...never had lung cancer in the family. Never really worried about the health risk as a result... my mom has been smoking for 50 years and has zero grief with it.
My gramps smoked from 18 (probably younger) to his death by liver failure at 87. Just never seemed to be an issue with my family.

Went through some stress in the personal life one winter and my smoking got out of hand- work didn't help because I can smoke at any time.
That spring I started getting in summer shape and I was gasping for breath on my regular run route.

It was the first real sign of damage and I figured why waste the cash and pay the price. Spent much of that spring and summer working at quitting.

Someone said earlier "it starts in the mind"... it does sound simple but it is also one of the biggest parts of it.

I dont think I set my mind to it the first couple tries- I would sneak a smoke here or there thinking it was no big deal...only to find the pack was empty way too quick and I was back at square one.

I used a crap ton of techniques to curb smoking while I was quitting. Shit like leaving the smokes in the bin of my truck at work... because driving made me habitually reach for the cigs.

Working around the house I kept em in the garage (detached) and that helped when I was watching TV or whatnot.

The final step was getting rid of the safety net. No secret pack hidden "just in case". Many times I would have grabbed one if they had been around.
I even went so far as to not carry cash or credit cards with me at work in case I caved.
I carried a gas card and that was it.
There were several times I would have stopped for some if I had cash on me.

It really was mostly mental preparedness that made the difference. I had to commit to not giving myself an out.

 

[run and shoot]

About 5 or 6 years.
My whole family smoked like chimneys...never had lung cancer in the family. Never really worried about the health risk as a result... my mom has been smoking for 50 years and has zero grief with it.
My gramps smoked from 18 (probably younger) to his death by liver failure at 87. Just never seemed to be an issue with my family.

Went through some stress in the personal life one winter and my smoking got out of hand- work didn't help because I can smoke at any time.
That spring I started getting in summer shape and I was gasping for breath on my regular run route.

It was the first real sign of damage and I figured why waste the cash and pay the price. Spent much of that spring and summer working at quitting.

Someone said earlier "it starts in the mind"... it does sound simple but it is also one of the biggest parts of it.

I dont think I set my mind to it the first couple tries- I would sneak a smoke here or there thinking it was no big deal...only to find the pack was empty way too quick and I was back at square one.

I used a crap ton of techniques to curb smoking while I was quitting. Shit like leaving the smokes in the bin of my truck at work... because driving made me habitually reach for the cigs.

Working around the house I kept em in the garage (detached) and that helped when I was watching TV or whatnot.

The final step was getting rid of the safety net. No secret pack hidden "just in case". Many times I would have grabbed one if they had been around.
I even went so far as to not carry cash or credit cards with me at work in case I caved.
I carried a gas card and that was it.
There were several times I would have stopped for some if I had cash on me.

It really was mostly mental preparedness that made the difference. I had to commit to not giving myself an out.

Someone said earlier "it starts in the mind"... it does sound simple but it is also one of the biggest parts of it.

lol......that was me.
I knew patches, pills, gum wouldn't help. I knew if a had a drink, I'd want a cig. But
if a persons not ready mentally to quit, it won't happen...regardless of patches, pills, gum etc.

That spring I started getting in summer shape and I was gasping for breath on my regular run route.

Yep...when ur gasping for breath....that's your lungs asking u to make a choice. I know the feeling. I'll bet you feel a lot better now. ?

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

lol......that was me.
I knew patches, pills, gum wouldn't help. I knew if a had a drink, I'd want a cig. But
if a persons not ready mentally to quit, it won't happen...regardless of patches, pills, gum etc.




Yep...when ur gasping for breath....that's your lungs asking u to make a choice. I know the feeling. I'll bet you feel a lot better now. ?

Good point with the alcohol. I quit drinking while I was trying to quit smoking. Helped big time

 

[KoreanBear]

I gave up drinking for a year to quit smoking.
No matter how much I tried could not stop smoking when I drank. So I gave up drinking and it really helped to quit smoking. Now I can drink and don't have the urge to smoke.

 

[Tater]

Good point with the alcohol. I quit drinking while I was trying to quit smoking. Helped big time

Man, it would be tough quitting both at once!

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

Best way to quit is to never start ?

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

Man, it would be tough quitting both at once!

It was hard. I pretty much avoided my friends and never went out lol. But I’m 13 years clean so it was worth it

 

[KoreanBear]

It was hard. I pretty much avoided my friends and never went out lol. But I’m 13 years clean so it was worth it

This was basically how I did it, too lol.
It's been about 10 years for me now. For about 5-7 years the craving was still there and it felt like it'll never go away, but now it's all gone. I'm just glad i quit before the prices went crazy.

 

[run and shoot]

Good point with the alcohol. I quit drinking while I was trying to quit smoking. Helped big time

Hats off 2u for quitting both!

Well I'll still have a drink.

However.........

Here's whats interesting. On my road to quitting, I went a few "checkpoints".
1) Not craving a cig after a meal
2) Not craving a cig after coffee
3)Not craving a cig when I woke up in morning
4) And finally.....Not craving a cig after a drink******

I knew I was home-free if I could have a drink and not smoke afterwards.**
Plus, the year I quit...that following Jan. was when "the no smoking in bars law" was enacted. So me quitting cigs ( 6mos. earlier b4 that law) couldn't have come at a better time. ?

 

[airtime143]

One of my favorite things to do was to sit on the patio in the morning with coffee and a smoke while the dogs ran around outside. that was by far the hardest to get over.

 

[KadChelly]

Vape? then wean of that by stepping down nic mgs..... or just take it on as your new habit,.

lata jyalls.... life be is guud..

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

Hats off 2u for quitting both!

Well I'll still have a drink.

However.........

Here's whats interesting. On my road to quitting, I went a few "checkpoints".
1) Not craving a cig after a meal
2) Not craving a cig after coffee
3)Not craving a cig when I woke up in morning
4) And finally.....Not craving a cig after a drink******

I knew I was home-free if I could have a drink and not smoke afterwards.**
Plus, the year I quit...that following Jan. was when "the no smoking in bars law" was enacted. So me quitting cigs ( 6mos. earlier b4 that law) couldn't have come at a better time. ?

I still drink now I just quit while i was trying to kick the habit lol

I see allot of similarities to my quitting to yours. I really have to emphasize get a workout routine going while quitting. The stress eating f me up big time lol. Took a long time to lose those pounds and look normal again.

My favorite times to smoke was after drinking, after eating, while taking a shit, while driving, and after fucking.

 

[dabears70]

I tried the patch last year and made it about 3 weeks before I folder. I also tried getting a vape (assuming I would do that for 6 months or so to taper off and wanted a decent one), and 120 bucks later I hated it. Stopped using it after a couple weeks and ended up trashing it.

New goal is like everyone said above. Just go cold turkey, maybe a patch the first couple days to ease out of it. Patches after the first week start making me feel nauseous all day and don't allow me to get over the nicotine withdrawal.

After getting sober almost 3 years ago I just haven't been able to quit yet. Been really hard to give up that vice on top of the others. After that's gone I don't have anything else to kill myself with

You should feel good about yourself for getting sober, from whatever it was you were doing, which many can't do. Congratulations on that.

 

[Sculpt]

I'm looking into using Zyban, or getting a Vuse or Juul. Anyone have any recommendations?

Lot's of good advice here.

Basically, you decide you're not a smoker. It's not who you are. When you want to smoke you say, "I've already decided this. I don't smoke." If you have a routine of smoking, replace it with good things. Going outside is a great smoking routine, you just go for a walk instead, which is great.

Also, I understand identifying the feeling of wanting to smoke helps. When you feel it... feel it out at length, say, ah ha, I feel that, that's what it feels like to want to smoke, or nicotine desire, fascinating, I got it. You identify, you decide.

 

[run and shoot]

Lot's of good advice here.

Basically, you decide you're not a smoker. It's not who you are. When you want to smoke you say, "I've already decided this. I don't smoke." If you have a routine of smoking, replace it with good things. Going outside is a great smoking routine, you just go for a walk instead, which is great.

Also, I understand identifying the feeling of wanting to smoke helps. When you feel it... feel it out at length, say, ah ha, I feel that, that's what it feels like to want to smoke, or nicotine desire, fascinating, I got it. You identify, you decide.

So are you a ex-smoker?

 

[run and shoot]

I still drink now I just quit while i was trying to kick the habit lol

I see allot of similarities to my quitting to yours. I really have to emphasize get a workout routine going while quitting. The stress eating f me up big time lol. Took a long time to lose those pounds and look normal again.

My favorite times to smoke was after drinking, after eating, while taking a shit, while driving, and after fucking.

oops....I forgot about that one. lol.

I really have to emphasize get a workout

just to add......If a person can combine a workout with sitting in a steam room. IMO, the
steam one of the best things a person can do for the lungs. Don't know if anyone here
likes steam.

Another thing to take advantage of...is if one has a cold and looses the sense of taste.....that's a great time to quit ( that was a part of my process as well).

What kind of withdrawals did u go through?