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Kevin Hideo posted:I am in a different boat than a lot of the people in this thread, but not really I guess. The way I see it is that you should stop completely. Even if you go through phases, the addiction will slowly progress, right? Clearly I'm biased though =)
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Jul 1, 2010 11:33
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Been lurking on this thread for awhile. One month today! Of course I gained 4 pounds. I'll work on that next.
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Jul 1, 2010 12:39
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The Dregs posted:Been lurking on this thread for awhile. One month today! Of course I gained 4 pounds. I'll work on that next. Oh how I wish I'd get that post quitting weight boost. Unfortunately, I am no more gluttonous than I was when I smoked. My BMI is under 18, so I would need to gain several pounds to reach a weight generally considered as normal. Also I need to speak against having outlets for smoking. Back in the day when I first tried to quit, I allowed myself to smoke while drinking. A veritably bad idea because I started to frequent bars a lot more often than I used to. I didn't even realize I was doing it to fool myself into thinking it would be okay to smoke. It just felt that suddenly and inexplicably I somehow liked drinking a whole lot more. After nearly 3 months since I quit cold turkey, I have no trouble at all drinking without smoking. It's pretty goddamn great. And I do it too much. At least it's an addiction with some chest hair.
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Jul 1, 2010 13:28
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Quitting cold turkey today , drat NY taxes are just too much. .Can't justify $10 for a pack of smokes 
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Jul 1, 2010 14:27
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Day one of not smoking. So far so good. I missed the cigarette with coffee this morning, but I am sick of everything else that comes with smoking. I've been sick with cold type symptoms for the last 6 months off and on. I am ready to be done with this. And the saving money should be nice. Going cold turkey. We'll see how that goes before I try gum, patch, pills or anything else like that.
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Jul 1, 2010 16:31
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I didn't realize until I saw this thread come up, but I'm now at 3 years and 1 day from a cold turkey quit. I barely even notice cigarettes anymore, and the thought of smoking has become non-existent to me. It's pretty cool. Good luck, quitters.
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Jul 1, 2010 16:43
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Two weeks in again via snus. Something always fucks it up. A couple more days of my lungs getting stronger and I'm going back to the gym.
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Jul 1, 2010 17:51
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Saturday will be 5 weeks for me, besides one cheater at a bar a week in. I quit cold turkey, and it was maddening for me. I'd tried quitting a few times before, going as long as a month before relapsing, but I felt much more committed this time, like I actually wanted to quit for me and not because other people told me I should. I still get cravings, but they have decreased significantly since I quit. Gradually it's getting so I don't feel like I'm forgetting something important when I get in my car to drive, or wake up, or after eating, or after basically everything else I do during the day. I smoked a pack a day or a little more for five years, and one of the hardest things for me is not smoking at work. One other guy at my office smokes, and we would go down about once an hour to smoke for about a year and a half. Before when I quit, I would feel guilty about leaving him out there alone, and he would pester me about being a quitter. Right before I quit this time though, I was sick for a couple days, and he seemed to believe me more when I told him I quit, and hasn't bothered me much since. I do miss the breaks, but I just try to distract myself with something else. The other thing I've found to be very helpful is that my bank account's online management has a button you can click to transfer a pre-set amount to your savings account. I've set it to $5, the price I paid for a pack of smokes, and every day I don't smoke, I click it to reward myself. I think having a quantifiable way of measuring your progress like that is helpful, and it gives you something to shoot for like a new gadget or whatever else you'd like to buy, but can't afford to right now.
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Jul 1, 2010 17:59
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My biggest problem is ADD meds. Stimulants makes you want to SMOKE. I've actually cut down on them by 2/3. I tried dropping them completely and I lost a couple hundred dollars worth of tools at work sites over the course of a week. So now I just resign myself to jonesing hard for a couple of hours a day. A month in and it isn't getting any easier. But no harder either. Hope it starts to ease up soon.
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Jul 2, 2010 02:31
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What an idiot. I quit for five years (after smoking 1-1.5 packs/day on sober days for 12, not counting the 4 random early tween-teen years) and started up again almost exactly on my five year quit anniversary. So I've been smoking only 3-4 months now. Already up to almost a pack a day again. It is unbelievable how quickly this poo poo got ahold of me again. Those of you who think you can be an occasional smoker, you can't. Anyway I asked my doc for help as though I've been smoking again for years. Start Wellbutrin on Monday, and quit with the patch a week after that. It's completely overkill, but I'm not dicking around with this again, jeez.
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Jul 2, 2010 02:56
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Wellbutrin didn't help me but everyone's body is different. What is horrible for me may be a Godsend for you! I tried the gum, the patches, cold turkey, blah blah blah for 10 years I smoked 1 to 1 1/2 packs a day. Anyways... 2 weeks on Champix (Chantix) and I just stopped buying them. I know it's a double edged sword but focusing on how much of the dependency is in your head can result in finding some inner strength you never knew you had. It's been 4 months now and I haven't had a cigarette, nor a patch, nor gum. I took the Champix for 2 weeks out of the 12 I was supposed to and just felt like I could say 'gently caress it, this is a stupid waste of money and nothing more.' I've pretty much got the willpower of Jack Black in Tropic Thunder, so if I can do it, you can too. Sometimes believing in yourself and your ability to achieve are more important than any pill or patch, so if you stumble, just pick the bike up off the concrete and try again.
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Jul 2, 2010 09:22
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scunish posted:Those of you who think you can be an occasional smoker, you can't. Objection your honor. For several years I've been smoking around 3 cigarettes a day. One with my early morning cup 'o coffee, afternoon break and after dinner. And so far it works out well.
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Jul 2, 2010 09:27
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13 months off smoke and 4 months off snus. )
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Jul 2, 2010 09:30
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Why am I so loving tired! I didn't quit nicotine, I've been snusing instead of smoking cigs for two weeks and I keep falling asleep. I quit the "other" smoke a week ago after heavy habitual use for the previous month, does that have something to do with it? This is very annoying and my lungs still hurt in the morning/during deep breaths.
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Jul 3, 2010 00:27
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All of you go read the electronic cigarette thread right now. I smoked for ten years and tried unsuccessfully to quit three times before I saw that thread. When my first package came in the mail, I took one hit off of it and threw my cigarettes in the garbage. That was last September and I haven't had a craving for a cigarette since. I feel healthier than I have in ten years, I have more energy, I smell better, and can use it anywhere, and the e-cig stuff is about a tenth of the price of cigarettes (I was spending $200 a month on a pack of Camels a day.) I'm still addicted to nicotine, but if I wanted to ween myself off of this thing, then it would be much easier to do so than cigarettes, as I can control the nicotine dosage. Let me know if any of you want a quick and easy recommendation for where to start, I can save you a bit of cash. Seriously, easy as pie with e-cigs. Spiderjelly fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Jul 3, 2010 |
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Jul 3, 2010 00:48
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HighClassSwankyTime posted:Objection your honor. For several years I've been smoking around 3 cigarettes a day. One with my early morning cup 'o coffee, afternoon break and after dinner. And so far it works out well. At any point in your life, were you ever a regular pack-a-day smoker? If not, his point still stands.
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Jul 3, 2010 01:38
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Here's something for you and anyone you know that is quitting to consider. Blood sugar plummets in many people when first quitting. The most common side effects felt during the first three days can often be traced back to blood sugar issues. Symptoms such as headache, inability to concentrate, dizziness, time perception distortions, and the ubiquitous sweet tooth encountered by many, are often associated with this blood sugar drop. The symptoms of low blood sugar are basically the same symptoms as not having enough oxygen, similar to reactions experienced at high altitudes. The reason being the inadequate supply of sugar and/or oxygen means the brain is getting an incomplete fuel. If you have plenty of one and not enough of the other, your brain cannot function at any form of optimal level. When you quit smoking, oxygen levels are often better than they have been in years, but with a limited supply of sugar it can't properly fuel your brain. It is not that cigarettes put sugar into your blood stream; it is more of a drug interaction of the stimulant effect of nicotine that affects the blood sugar levels. Cigarettes cause the body to release its own stores of sugar and fat by a drug type of interaction. That is how it basically operated as an appetite suppressant, affecting the satiety centers of your hypothalamus. As far as for the sugar levels, nicotine in fact works much more efficiently than food. If you use food to elevate blood sugar levels, it literally takes up to 20 minutes from the time you chew and swallow the food before it is released to the blood, and thus the brain, for its desired effect of fueling your brain. Cigarettes, by working through a drug interaction cause the body to release its own stores of sugar, but not in 20 minutes but usually in a matter of seconds. In a sense, your body has not had to release sugar on its own in years, you have done it by using nicotine's drug effect! This is why many people really gorge themselves on food upon cessation. They start to experience a drop in blood sugar and instinctively reach for something sweet. Upon finishing the food, they still feel symptomatic. Of course they do, it takes them a minute or two to eat, but the blood sugar isn't boosted for another 18 minutes. Since they are not feeling immediately better, they eat a little more. They continue to consume more and more food, minute after minute until they finally they start to feel better. Again if they are waiting for the blood sugar to go up we are talking about 20 minutes after the first swallow. People can eat a lot of food in 20 minutes. But they begin to believe that this was the amount needed before feeling better. This can be repeated numerous times throughout the day thus causing a lot of calories being consumed and causing weight gain to become a real risk. When you abruptly quit smoking, the body is in kind of a state of loss, not knowing how to work normally since it has not worked normally in such a long time. Usually by the third day, though, your body will readjust and release sugar as it is needed. Without eating any more your body will just figure out how to regulate blood sugar more efficiently.
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Jul 3, 2010 01:43
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One of the reasons the Champix worked so easily for me and I felt I only needed to take it for a week or two was that I spent 2-3 months before that tapering down, from 1.5-2 packs a day down to less than a pack a day. Tapering can work but you have to also give yourself a deadline and stick with it.
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Jul 3, 2010 04:07
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Can I toxx clause myself in this thread? I'm quitting cold turkey after I smoke my last cigarette this afternoon. If I smoke a single cigarette between July 4th and August 4th, I will make a $200 donation to an anti-smoking organization (feel free to suggest one) in the name of my late grandfather who died due to smoking. If it isn't ok to do this in this thread, I'll bundle it in with stepping up my jogging routine in the toxx clause thread in WW.
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Jul 3, 2010 19:20
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fyo posted:Can I toxx clause myself in this thread? I have full faith in you my friend, but unless you know what nicotine withdrawals are actually like it kind of seems not worth it to toxx yourself. Nicotine is as addictive as heroin and it's not really just a game or a regimen you can accomplish if you stick with a calendar plan, like losing weight or whatever. Cigarette addiction manifests itself in so many ways and nicotine can be the sneakiest motherfucker and you'll find yourself with a cigarette in your mouth or a pack in your hand without knowing how it got to that point again. If you really want to do it then do it! I hope you can follow through because it will be an inspiration to all of us. But I see one of three things happening: 1) You lose $200 to Smoke-Free America or something, 2) You get banned, 3) You smoke a pack on August 5th. Either way, if you can avoid those outcomes you'll be a real trooper. Although we can't really tell if you're following through with your toxx clause because it's not like W&W where you can post a log with pictures. Either way I would just try your best and reward yourself with the benefits of health improvement, not a punishment of money. Because honestly, if you don't complete your goal, you lost more money to cancer sticks and $200, which blows either way. And the main thing you should be focusing on when quitting is how much money you're saving, and how much better you feel. Your choice and either way this thread is here for your support!
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Jul 3, 2010 23:07
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XK posted:At any point in your life, were you ever a regular pack-a-day smoker? If not, his point still stands. As a matter of fact, yes. When I started several years ago - started to smoke rather late in life due to severe back problems, chronic pain, not having a job because of that, etc - I was burning through a pack of 20 a day or half a pouch of rolling tobacco (also around 20 cigarettes). When my back got better and was able to find a job, I didn't entirely kick the habit but went down to 3 cigarettes a day. Works perfectly for me.
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Jul 4, 2010 08:03
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Now I'm more interested in why you started smoking in the first place. Why did you start smoking because of back problems?
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Jul 4, 2010 08:33
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XK posted:Now I'm more interested in why you started smoking in the first place. Why did you start smoking because of back problems? I thought they were kinda neat, so I bought one of those boxes for 4 euros and tried my first cigarette. I think it has something to do with psychology of going through a lot of pain every day. When I got my first nicotine rush it was the first time in months I didn't feel any pain, albeit for a few minutes though. In hindsight it was nothing but the worst placebo you can think of, but oh well, it got me through long days of hanging around in my chair watching TV. Eventually when I began to feel better - after another 6 months or so - I started to smoke less. I know I should quit altogether but three cigarettes a day, who cares. I'm in full control of the habit so no harm done.
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Jul 4, 2010 09:07
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I just bought a pack of nicorette chewing gum (again!) to try and get rid of his loving habit once and for all. Wish me luck! 
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Jul 4, 2010 10:25
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It's been just over one month since posting that I quit cold turkey. So far so good. I haven't cheated at all. No cigs, e-cigs, patches, or gum. The first week was really hard. No nicotine made me feel like crying, literally. Smoking was my best friend. I got through that and got a gym membership to get my lungs in tiptop shape. They come back really fast. Also I dont want to get fat. I guess that happens when you quit. There was a post a page or so back about dreaming about smoking. Last night I had a dream about turning down a smoke that was offered to me. Booyah! I think this is the time that quitting is going to work. Good luck everyone. Stay strong.
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Jul 4, 2010 11:13
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XK posted:At any point in your life, were you ever a regular pack-a-day smoker? If not, his point still stands. I smoked for 3 years. Last summer I was smoking a pack a day, maybe a pack and a half for a couple months. I didn't really try to get off them but just kept smoking less and less and two months ago just...stopped. I actually didn't intend to, theres a half pack in my drawer, but I kind of forgot to I guess. I was busy and I didn't think to light up. No cravings, no problems. Still, I'd say I'm in a tiny minority, as most people find it hell to quit.
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Jul 4, 2010 22:18
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Nedsmaster posted:I have full faith in you my friend, but unless you know what nicotine withdrawals are actually like it kind of seems not worth it to toxx yourself. Nicotine is as addictive as heroin and it's not really just a game or a regimen you can accomplish if you stick with a calendar plan, like losing weight or whatever. Cigarette addiction manifests itself in so many ways and nicotine can be the sneakiest motherfucker and you'll find yourself with a cigarette in your mouth or a pack in your hand without knowing how it got to that point again. Thanks for you support. I agree completely that nicotine is a sneaky bastard--I've "quit" more times than I can count, but never make it more than a week. I think it's mainly because I don't put enough checks in place to act as external motivators to get past that period when for whatever reason I'm convincing myself that it'd be a good idea to buy a pack. Hopefully this will help with that, and even if it doesn't, at least SOMEONE will benefit.
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Jul 5, 2010 17:56
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I'm sorry if someone has suggested this already, but if you haven't, you should get a "quit counter". it'll tell you how many cigaretts you haven't smoked, how much money you've saved. It really helped me put things in perspective when I was quitting. http://whyquit.com/whyquit/linksdmeters.html
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Jul 5, 2010 18:09
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It's sad to see a lot of quitting motivators being attributed to cash when a pack only costs one dollar here  Anyway, I am jumping aboard from today too. Gonna be hitting the gum and the gym and trying like mad to minimise alcohol, which has always been the killer on past quitting attempts. Here we go!
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Jul 7, 2010 03:52
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Holding strong at just over a month of nonsmoking. No gum or patches or anything, just willpower. last time i quit i went a year, hoping to stay quit.
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Jul 7, 2010 10:22
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What hosed it up after a year?
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Jul 7, 2010 16:10
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Getting awful headaches a few weeks into quitting, any suggestions?
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Jul 7, 2010 17:44
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HopefullyWild posted:Getting awful headaches a few weeks into quitting, any suggestions? Is this like a dizzy, confused, angry kind of headache, or just a straight up "ow, my head hurts"?
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Jul 7, 2010 17:49
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I'm quitting. This time it's for good. This time it isn't because someone I'm dating wants me to quit. This time I'm not quitting with anyone else, it's just me. This time I can't urge the person I'm quitting with into smoking so when they fail I don't have to feel as bad about my own failure. This time, it's for good. I had my last cigarette last night around 8:30. So far it really hasn't been quite as bad as my previous attempts. I have these times where I feel like, "This is the point I would normally have a cigarette" But it's easy enough to just move on after acknowledging it. I can't even really pinpoint why I decided to quit, I hope that won't be my downfall. I think it all came about because I was tired of my apartment smelling like an ashtray so I was going to start making myself smoke outside. After smoking a couple in the 90 degree heat, I just decided it wasn't worth all that and it was time for a change. So I went inside, threw away all of my ashtrays and the last 1/2 pack of cigarettes and just started cleaning like crazy. I was a pack a day smoker when sober and usually 1.5-2 packs a day if I was drinking. I'd been smoking for about the last 5 years. I'm going to make it this time, I can feel it.
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Jul 7, 2010 18:47
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Jul 8, 2010 22:44
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^^ Thank you for this post. I just realized I can add a quit counter widget on my Android phone. Hooray for science, woo!
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Jul 8, 2010 23:07
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Well, after a month or so of gradually cutting down my intake, I smoked my last cigarette on Wednesday evening. It's now Friday soon, and it will be almost 48 hours since I quit tobacco soon. What was the biggest "help" factor that made me finally stop? Pairing up with a buddy that also is determined to quit. Also, I stopped hanging out with my douchey self-centered smoker friends that are like "oh you're trying to quit, cool I've thought about it" *lights cigarette* It's like thanks, nicotine is as addictive as heroin and you can't help but smoke around me whenever you get the chance? I'm not trying to sound like a rude nonsmoker already, but sometimes I feel that smokers PURPOSELY smoke around people trying to quit so that they fall off the bandwagon, bum a cig, start smoking again, and the smoker that caused it doesn't feel so bad about his/her own addiction. It sounds ridiculous but I think if you can completely avoid smokers for the first week, you'll be good. I went out drinking last night and had three beers. First time I've drank without smoking probably since high school. And you know what? Being around other people that have a great time without cigarettes made me realize I could have a great time too, and I didn't smoke any cigs. The most I'll do now is have a few drags off my electronic cigarette with low nicotine and I feel great. Last tip I have, although it might not work for everyone: if you smoke  already, try using it when you want a cig. It's great because you get to inhale something that's not tobacco and you'll often get so high that you forget you want a cigarette (or anything but two bags of Doritos for that matter).Good luck everyone, we can do this!
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Jul 9, 2010 22:29
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Going on record. Today was my last one. That was over twelve hours ago and I dont feel withdrawals. Im on day 10 of champix. I just kind of stopped giving a crap about them. Side effects are worth it. Kind of wierd like my body thinks Im depressed but my mind is not. Was never a heavy heavy smoker unless I drank. But it was enough to affect my sports performance etc. And oh god the hangovers! Me and Joe Camel are divorcing. It was an abusive relationship. Gonna blitz it with the Alan Carr book too for good measure. I Edit: Remember Mouthpiece, Not even one drag. One drag = 1000 cigarettes. Treat it like heroin. Mouthpiece fucked around with this message at 15:59 on Jul 12, 2010 |
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Jul 12, 2010 15:54
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Mouthpiece posted:Going on record. Today was my last one. That was over twelve hours ago and I dont feel withdrawals. Im on day 10 of champix. I just kind of stopped giving a crap about them. Side effects are worth it. Kind of wierd like my body thinks Im depressed but my mind is not. Was never a heavy heavy smoker unless I drank. But it was enough to affect my sports performance etc. And oh god the hangovers! Me and Joe Camel are divorcing. It was an abusive relationship. Gonna blitz it with the Alan Carr book too for good measure. I Good luck. I am on day 7 myself. I used snus to take the edge off of cravings for the first 3 days, and then quit using snus after that. Still want one now and again especially when sitting at the computer. It passes after a few seconds. Upsides, I'm more energetic, sleep is better. I don't feel like I ran through a burning building the day before. My eyes aren't crusted over as much. Still isn't perfect. Sex drive has gone from high to overdrive. Problem: I drove everyone away during the depression/burnout that the cigarettes were a visible symptom. Mouthpiece, just remember, no matter how good one may sound, they aren't doing anything good for you other then a short term feel.
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Jul 12, 2010 16:07
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Three days in with the use of nicotine gums. Wish me luck!
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Jul 12, 2010 16:24
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