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12 days in. It's been very easy since I'm on spring break and have only really been driving to the gym and can't justify smoking in the car to/from there. However, I'm going to a concert on Saturday with friends who are all heavy smokers. We know the bassist, too, so it'll be pretty hard to escape going outside and hanging with the band and having a smoke. I'll be the one standing around awkwardly with her hands in her pockets 
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Mar 15, 2012 08:03
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I'm kind of stressing because my doctor hasn't been clear about whether or not I'll be getting another step down on the patch. I started with a 21 mg patch, moved to a 14 mg patch after 4 weeks, makes sense there should be a 7 mg patch, right? The lady I talked to at the doc's wasn't sure. She said they'd call the pharmacy and give me a call back but then I never got the call, so I dunno what to do. I've got like two patches left but I'm not looking forward to going off the patch at all.
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Mar 15, 2012 22:31
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Look Under The Rock posted:I'm kind of stressing because my doctor hasn't been clear about whether or not I'll be getting another step down on the patch. I started with a 21 mg patch, moved to a 14 mg patch after 4 weeks, makes sense there should be a 7 mg patch, right? The lady I talked to at the doc's wasn't sure. She said they'd call the pharmacy and give me a call back but then I never got the call, so I dunno what to do. I always got mine from Walgreen's, they had both Nicorette and store brand patches in 21, 14, and 7 mg. They were kept behind the cash register and to my knowledge you can just get them from any drug store no prescription required, unless there's something I'm missing here? Edit: Forgot to add, for both name brand and generic patches the 7mg ones were the "Step 3" boxes. Goblin fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Mar 15, 2012 |
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Mar 15, 2012 22:39
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After realizing I spend over $200 a month on cigarettes, I have decided it is time to quit. I know its a gross habit, doesnt get me high or buzzed, makes me stink and is seriously loving my health up. I would rather spend that $200 a month on building a nice tequila and scotch collection. Its going to be difficult because I work at a bar that allows smoking indoors, and I am working tonight, but I will make it, even if I am a grumpy rear end in a top hat about it. I'll update the thread too!
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Mar 16, 2012 00:38
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Goblin posted:I always got mine from Walgreen's, they had both Nicorette and store brand patches in 21, 14, and 7 mg. They were kept behind the cash register and to my knowledge you can just get them from any drug store no prescription required, unless there's something I'm missing here? This morning the doc's office called and said they'd called in a prescription for it, I know you can get them over the counter but if I get them prescribed they're free 
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Mar 16, 2012 18:10
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Look Under The Rock posted:This morning the doc's office called and said they'd called in a prescription for it, I know you can get them over the counter but if I get them prescribed they're free Ohhh, that makes total sense now! Good luck with the 7mg patches, about halfway through them was when I began forgetting to put a patch on occasionally and realized I was just about home free from nicotine cravings!
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Mar 16, 2012 19:30
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Look Under The Rock posted:
Try what I did. Stop using the patch and don't smoke. But realize that if you need patches, Walgreens/Rite Aid is never far away. I've gone an entire week, have not smoked and have not used a patch and I never thought I could ever do this. I am so done with smoking.
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Mar 16, 2012 20:26
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Douchebag posted:Try what I did. Stop using the patch and don't smoke. But realize that if you need patches, Walgreens/Rite Aid is never far away. I've gone an entire week, have not smoked and have not used a patch and I never thought I could ever do this. I am so done with smoking. This is how I did it, too. I was so set on buying patches to help me ease off but on Tuesday just as I got to work I finished my last cigarette and haven't bought any since then. I've wanted one so badly this week but if you keep telling yourself you not only smell better but feel better you can just forget about it for a while.
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Mar 16, 2012 20:32
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I've taken the plunge. I've tried to quit cold turkey in the past, but have never made it more than a couple weeks. This time I'm going with the patch. I bought a small pack of the gum for today, and I'll be starting on the patch tomorrow. I've had a couple intense cravings, and the gum has helped tremendously with those. It's not the willpower thing of thinking about nothing but smoking, it actually satisfies the craving and lets me think about something else. Which is nice. I've been smoking for 8 years, but 8 years is all it gets. 4 hours since my last smoke: 3/16/12 at about 3 PM. The tough part is coming.
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Mar 17, 2012 00:02
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Aafter posted:Snus for three days. Not a single cigarette. Found a flavor that (mostly) doesn't taste like poo poo. snus works well, I remember last year when I used to smoke fairly heavily I ordered some snus online (It's illegal to sell over the counter in the UK apparently), after a couple of days they made me realise how disgusting a drug nicotine is, I remember after a week of having one snus a day I had a drag off a friends cigarette and nearly vomited. Though the obvious flipside is that you could potentially end up more addicted to nicotine than before, it get's you out of the habit atleast.
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Mar 17, 2012 00:38
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I have had one cigarette since yesterday. I'm not having another one.
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Mar 17, 2012 04:37
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gently caress it, I don't want to kill myself anymore and I also want to start running for real. It's definitely an eye opener when you get winded doing basic tasks that you used to do with no problems, i.e. walking up a loving staircase or something. Last time I went running around town I could definitely feel my lungs crying for air and afterwards I was coughing up a lung for an hour and a half. I dunno if I wanna have one last pack of my Lucky Strikes or just quit now. Probably the latter.
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Mar 18, 2012 13:15
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Just got through my first week without a smoke. so far it hasn't been nearly as bad as I thought.
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Mar 18, 2012 13:38
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I feel a bit odd in here but I am sort of quitting. I haven't smoked a cigarette since Monday. I have however smoked a few spliffs since that day, but I told myself that if it was a spliff (no one smokes straight joints in Europe) then it would be okay. Either way, I am happy that I am not smoking cigarettes anymore, despite having the occasional spliff. For me I never really god a big addiction to the nicotine, but I was very addicted to the social aspect of smoking. I would smoke a pack at a party just because it was an easy way to talk to people or to take a moment and just chill out for a bit. Been replacing cigarettes with a 5 minute breathers where I go outside.
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Mar 18, 2012 19:12
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Well I've decided to quit smoking for a number of reasons, but the most demanding of which is my direct family who is putting extreme pressure on me to stop. I've always wanted to quit and in the past managed to stop for around 6 months, but dealing with stress and what not I picked it back up. Now with the family breathing down my throat and getting in my business I've tried to stop, but their constant 'in your face' attitude has really been making the subject worse than I imagined. It might have spurned me onto attempting to quit again, but it's also making me want to smoke more due to the added stress and irritation. At any rate I'm more doing this for myself, my future health, and because I managed to quit cold-turkey in the past for some time. I've been occupying my time with games and reading in order to keep my mind off of it. Also lots of coffee at this point. Any other suggestions? PS. I loving hate everybody right now and I will until the hot-flashes are irritability passes in a few days.
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Mar 18, 2012 23:23
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onemanlan posted:PS. I loving hate everybody right now and I will until the hot-flashes are irritability passes in a few days. Oh god I was worried i was the only person having crazy hotness flashes. I'll sweat my rear end off for a few hours, then go back to a normal body temp. Is anyone else having problems with pressure on their eyes?
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Mar 19, 2012 13:29
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I'm at 6 days right now without a cigarette. Took a drag off a friend's cig after I ate a mighty fine dinner at a barbecue joint last night but that's it so far. Every day has been a battle but it's incredibly nice to not smell like smoke, throat doesn't need to be cleared out every few hours, and I can already notice my smell improving. This weekend was tough as about 50% of my friends smoke and the weather was awesome the whole time but I stuck with it. Good luck goons!
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Mar 19, 2012 16:21
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So I'm at week 4 cold turkeyish (occasional nicotene mint), and for some reason week 4 seemed to get really harry by the end. I'm not sure if it was maybe just the fact that this weekend was a huge party weekend or what, but I was using more nicotene mints over this weekend then I did in the entire week 1 and 2. Is it normal to get a weird spike in cravings at around a month smoke-free? I don't seem to remember this at all and it's tripping me up. I almost gave in, but luckily I still have some mints left if it gets too bad, but now I'm worried that maybe even the mints are making it worse. I'm not sure, I just know that without them I would have had a cigarette this weekend.
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Mar 19, 2012 17:39
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Old Man Pants posted:Oh god I was worried i was the only person having crazy hotness flashes. I'll sweat my rear end off for a few hours, then go back to a normal body temp. Is anyone else having problems with pressure on their eyes? The hot-flashes make sleeping the biggest bitch of it all IMO. I'm the kinda guy who always has to have the cold spot on the bed and pillow, but even with the window open and me constantly tossing an turning it loving sucks to try to sleep. Hope you guys are having a better time than me sleeping.
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Mar 19, 2012 18:15
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Celebrated 31 days with a nice bottle of Cava sparkling last night over dinner with my girl friend. Feel healthier than I have in a long time. Also, Bikram yoga helps a lot. Try it.
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Mar 22, 2012 18:08
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Chantix or Wellbutrin? I am really struggling and am going to go talk to my doctor, but wanted this threads input first
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Mar 22, 2012 18:30
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4 weeks and one day off the Marlboros. $170 odd dollars saved. Camel Frost Snus has been my friend, but I think I'm ready to switch to the patch.
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Mar 22, 2012 21:13
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JackRabbitStorm posted:Chantix or Wellbutrin? I am really struggling and am going to go talk to my doctor, but wanted this threads input first I've been on Zyban (Wellbutrin) for almost two weeks now, and I have not smoked a cigarette in one complete week tomorrow. I had also coupled 14mg nicotine patches for the first three days to help me cope with no smoking, and it really made a difference. Today is my first day missing a Zyban and I have actually craved a cigarette more today than any other in the past two weeks. I picked up an e-cigarette to at least assuage my feelings of want, but ultimately it will be a learned discipline to break from the routines I was always falling into when having a cigarette. I've heard a lot of anecdotal evidence that Chantix screws with hormones and emotional balance, but I've heard much of the same about Wellbutrin so YMMV.  Wish you the best of luck either way, I know Cold Turkey was never going to work for me, and after three failed attempts at quitting it was totally worth looking into medication for smoke-cessation.
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Mar 22, 2012 21:34
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Jake Blues posted:I've been on Zyban (Wellbutrin) for almost two weeks now, and I have not smoked a cigarette in one complete week tomorrow. I had also coupled 14mg nicotine patches for the first three days to help me cope with no smoking, and it really made a difference. Why bother posting my own story, you pretty much did it for me. Been on Wellbutrin for two weeks, haven't smoked a cigarette since day #3 since that is when I doubled my dose to the full amount, and my doctor pretty much said no smoking after that. I had 2 cravings the first night, which I defeated just by saying "gently caress you" literally to the box of camels on my desk. I haven't had a craving since then. The most interesting part of this was that I've tried in the past and failed miserably, always breaking down and running to a gas station for smokes. This time I had 2 fresh packs at home unopened. I finally gave them away to a friend last weekend as I knew I would never pick up another cigarette again. Also, a friend of mine did Chantix and had a psychotic episode. I opted to try Wellbutrin instead and I can't say I'm not pleased with the results. EDIT* Has the Wellbutrin messed with your appetite at all? Also your mood? I feel really mellow now all the time, but I can't tell if it's because I'm not stressed out with nicotine addiction and hating myself for smoking or if it's just the drugs... The way my doctor described it: Chantix has been medically documented to cause wild mood swings and mental instability, Wellbutrin has never been medically documented to cause this. Wellbutrin is just an anti-depressant that they found helped people quit smoking for whatever reason. nipple clumps fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Mar 22, 2012 |
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Mar 22, 2012 23:19
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Squared posted:The way my doctor described it: Chantix has been medically documented to cause wild mood swings and mental instability, Wellbutrin has never been medically documented to cause this. Wellbutrin is just an anti-depressant that they found helped people quit smoking for whatever reason. I'm not so sure Wellbutrin has never been documented to cause that. I ended up going into a severe mania from it that landed me in the hospital, but I also have a condition that has that type of response to pretty much any anti-depressant. Plus the amount of Wellbutrin they give you for smoking cessation is more than they normally give someone who is depressed, and I was using it for smoking cessation so I had something crazy like 300mg a day so I had a pretty severe reaction to it (rapid cycling mania). But on the other hand my mom and step dad used it very successfully with no side effects, so it's probably just hosed people with pre-existing conditions like me.
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Mar 22, 2012 23:42
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I was gonna say that Wellbutrin didn't help me quit smoking, but that's because I didn't quit until I'd been on it for a few months. Quitting was definitely easier than I thought it would be, maybe the Wellbutrin had something to do with that? YMMV
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Mar 23, 2012 13:50
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Look Under The Rock posted:I was gonna say that Wellbutrin didn't help me quit smoking, but that's because I didn't quit until I'd been on it for a few months. Quitting was definitely easier than I thought it would be, maybe the Wellbutrin had something to do with that? YMMV Yeah I sat down last night and really tried to evaluate what was different about this attempt to quit which could have contributed to my success. Really taking Wellbutrin is all I could come up with. The only other thing I did was read The Easy Way book by Allen Carr. Then again the book may have helped just as much, if not more than the drugs, since I finally realized that there is no such thing as one more cigarette. There's only a lifetime of smoking or not smoking. I think until a person realizes that and TRULY believes it, they're gonna be stuck in the loop of wanting to quit but failing. I think my attitude towards quitting this time was different as well, in that I tried to be positive about the experience and not allow myself to think of it as being deprived of my crutch. Once you start feeling deprived you've kind of lost the battle mentally. You're thinking of the cigarette as something you miss and something you liked. In reality you don't like paying for it, you don't like the smell or the taste, and you don't like being a social outcast in 99% of places. Every cigarette you smoke is in an attempt to get back to the calm place you were before you got addicted to something and relied on it 24/7. Either way, I'm so glad to be free.
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Mar 23, 2012 17:26
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I applaud all of your efforts. The general consensus is that no one likes it, no one wants to go back to it, and no one can stand the smell/taste/etc. How did any of us ever start in the first place? I smoked for twenty years on and off. I switched over to e-cigarettes for a while. Loved them. Taste the same, feel the same, no more smelling like smoke. But I was still getting bronchitis every few weeks. I finally just decided to put it all down. Now I haven't touched a cigarette (electronic or not) since October of 2011. And it's been surprisingly easy. Not sure how it turned out to be so easy but I've had no cravings or anything. I guess just the amount I don't want it in my life outweighs any other option, so I don't even think about it. Now I can hang with my friends who smoke, even stepping outside with them. And I can drink comfortably, and never miss it. I think part of it is changing my life habits though. I don't sit out back for hours at a time drinking anymore, which used to promote the habit. But boy it sure is nice to be smoke-free. Congrats on everyone who's made it work, and best of luck to those still trying.
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Mar 23, 2012 21:12
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On my fifth attempt, day 4 back on the patches again. I think this was a good time, too - I got hit with a nasty cold on day 2 and right now I wouldn't really want a cigarette. I'm not having the usual cravings, which is a plus anyway. I'm coughing enough. So let's see if I can make it back here with a success story some time down the line. Honestly I'm tired of spending the money and it's very mind blowing to think of how much I've blown over 18 years of this poo poo.
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Mar 23, 2012 21:38
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I tried to start last night on a whim, but after 5 hours of feeling woozy and really out of it, I caved. I figured I can spend my weekend sleeping and lounging around the house to get through the worst of it instead of biting coworkers heads off. I'm having my last 6 cigs tonight. I started the day with a total of 12 left in my pack, and by now I would've normally had about 12, so I'm running on about half of what I'm used to, and I actually feel not too bad. Probably won't help much tomorrow though. This will be my 4th attempt, and my first of going completely cold turkey. I've read through some of the pages of this thread, but haven't seen anybody who gets one of the symptoms I get. My head starts feeling really weird - I have a really hard time focusing on anything visually and I start to get a headache like what you experience when you get a new pair of glasses that aren't right. It's hard to explain, but it really screws me up. Has anybody else experienced this? I'd like to think I'm not the only one. I think my key is just keeping myself preoccupied and doing things to keep my mind off of it. Wish me luck.
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Mar 24, 2012 01:13
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JackRabbitStorm posted:Chantix or Wellbutrin? I am really struggling and am going to go talk to my doctor, but wanted this threads input first I'm on week 3 of my first course of Chantix. I have to say after 15 years of pack a day and trying literally everything else this is quit smoking on easy mode. I barely even think about cigarettes now and the smell and taste are absolutely disgusting.
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Mar 24, 2012 01:18
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Also I should note that the only side effects I've experienced are a mild case of constipation and MASSIVE ERUPTIVE SMELLY FARTS LIKE I HAVE NEVER BEFORE WITNESSED. Other than that though it's cool as can be.
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Mar 24, 2012 01:30
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Hi guys, I've been smoking for three years, and after many tries of trying to quit I finally have an indisputable reason to. Not only am I going clothes shopping at Sunday but I will be going to the gym again at April 2nd. The reason clothes shopping is even noted is since I don't want them to completely stink of nicotine. I will be up from now until the early hours of Saturday to finish some drafts of my uni assignments, and I will be allowing myself to smoke until then. However, apart from the fact that I know smoking will be a huge detriment for me at the gym, I cannot seem to put myself in a quitting mindset. Is there any advice you can give me that I can't dispute to myself to quit? I know this seems like an odd request but I really want this to be the time I finally am a Non-Smoker. Thanks.
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Mar 24, 2012 04:59
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Human Leaf Blower posted:However, apart from the fact that I know smoking will be a huge detriment for me at the gym, I cannot seem to put myself in a quitting mindset. Is there any advice you can give me that I can't dispute to myself to quit? Look at this picture:  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Centrilobular_emphysema_865_lores.jpgThat's a piece of lung. That's what happens when you smoke. A lot of that carbon you take in winds up in your lungs and stays there. It builds up over time until you have these visible black chunks. In your lungs. That scared me shitless and is part of why I quit. Something about seeing what emphysema really is got to me. I'm on day 2 of quitting. I did really well yesterday. I kept the cravings at bay pretty well. Today I was kind of upset about some poo poo and snapped and went to have a cigarette. Took one drag and nearly puked. The head rush sucked. The taste sucked. It was awful. And then I realized that I must be lucky that it only took a day for my body to reject it like that.
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Mar 26, 2012 00:50
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Gh0st_Preacher posted:Look at this picture:
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Mar 26, 2012 02:49
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Im 11 days in, and just wish I could stop coughing my lungs out all day. Starting smoking is the only thing thats sucked worse than quitting.
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Mar 27, 2012 11:30
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Four days in, after several hours of being at a computer utterly unable to concentrate I just bought a pack of cigarettes and smoked one. I have now resolved to get rid of the pack and give it away. Fucks sakes... seriously in terms of withdrawal symptoms the worst is just the scatter-brain feeling of being unable to concentrate and irritability.
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Mar 29, 2012 04:03
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I've been smoking less than 10 cigarettes a day, on and off, for about 8 years now. I haven't had a cigarette in six days, and I don't feel any better than when I did smoke. When is putting up with these maddening withdrawl symptoms going to start paying dividends? If I'm not going to feel any better why bother going through all of this?
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Apr 2, 2012 04:58
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Aziraphale posted:When is putting up with these maddening withdrawl symptoms going to start paying dividends? If I'm not going to feel any better why bother going through all of this? Do you really need to ask? Your body isn't a videogame. Stuff doesn't take effect overnight. Give it another week or two and focus on the long-term benefits of quitting (and poo poo consequences of smoking), even if you can't see or appreciate them right now.
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Apr 2, 2012 05:05
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I haven't had a cigarette in a week and I think it's mostly out of my system now. The first couple of days were horrible, I felt like a zombie and hated everything. I'm at the point where I can still go outside during work breaks with my smoker friends and not smoke with no problems, but compared to a lot of people here I didn't smoke for that long (two years). I'm already feeling a big difference when I go out running.
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Apr 2, 2012 05:39
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