Advice to quit smoking please?
Replies
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1. A number of states have a no cost quit line. These quit lines are exceptional. You work over the phone with wonderful coaches who take you through a great program. Some of the quit lines even include no cost over-the-counter quit aids.
Do a Google search with " 'the name of your state' + quit line" and see if one is available to you!
2. If your state does not have a quit line - use these resources from the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/quit-smoking/
3. Please tell your primary care provider your intentions the next time you are in the clinic. They can be a good resource too. [And, your clinic may have an on-site quitting class.]
As you know - the more support you have (just like with weight loss), the better chance for success!0 -
mind over matter what matters. I tried for years to quit the only way that worked is quitting cold turkey. I also chewed on raw licorice root which helps with the craving.0
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There is an e-cig call Blu - had the best "pull" in my opinion. You can get them at Walgreens. I also recommend reading a book by Allan Carr - the Easy Way to Quit Smoking - or something like that . It has been in publication for over 20years. The guy who wrote the book smoked like 4 packs a day! Its an easy read - I highly recommend it.
The problem with blu, and I used those at one time, is they don't have very long battery life (especially if you were a three pack a day smoker like I was), and the cartridges are poly filled so if they dry, they burn. Plus the cartridges are relatively speaking expensive. You can get much more effective devices and cartridges and juices for way less in price, depending on your needs.0 -
You have to want it more than you want the cigarette. I quit ten months ago and I haven't really thought about it since. I had become so disgusted by the habit and the cost that I just decided I was done. Never looked back.
After 24 hours, the addiction is all in your head. Keep yourself busy. Think of yourself as a non smoker, just as right now you consider yourself a smoker. You will be a new person.
Good luck.
Cold turkey really is the best way to go. Why quit smoking if your just going to replace the toxins with a patch or a gum or a fake cigarette?
I will call BS on the addiction being all in your head after 24 hours. There is a heck of alot more than nicotine in cigarettes and a heck of alot more to the addiction than the nicotine as well. My RLS dramatically worsened after quitting cigarettes, even with nicotine replacement therapies, and it has never improved since.
As for why quit smoking if you are just replacing, it is about harm reduction. My blood pressure is down, my cholesterol is down, my breathing is better, and I no longer require Advair or albuterol. I am not saying ecigs are for everyone, but if cold turkey isn't an effective strategy for someone, harm reduction is a viable option.0 -
You have to want it more than you want the cigarette. I quit ten months ago and I haven't really thought about it since. I had become so disgusted by the habit and the cost that I just decided I was done. Never looked back.
After 24 hours, the addiction is all in your head. Keep yourself busy. Think of yourself as a non smoker, just as right now you consider yourself a smoker. You will be a new person.
Good luck.
Cold turkey really is the best way to go. Why quit smoking if your just going to replace the toxins with a patch or a gum or a fake cigarette?
The only "toxin" in an ecig is the nicotine.....which btw, isn't as bad as you may think.
You "quite or die" people need to realize not all people want, or will quite the habit totally. I've used a ecig for over a year now and my lung capacity has improved as well as my health.
Actually, nicotine by itself is relatively speaking no more harmful than caffeine, and there is some interesting research being done on disorders it is actually helpful for, like Parkinson's. The problem with cigarettes is all the other things PLUS the products of combustion, breathing smoke, no matter what it is from is generally not a great idea for health.0 -
What's wrong with sugarless gum for a while, if it helps you quit smoking? I quit a 3 pack a day habit (many years ago) by throwing away my smokes and lighters and ashtrays. I didn't use any nicotine replacements because, guess what, nicotine leaves your system after 3 days so the physical part of your addiction is OVER. Then you just deal with the mental part and the figgety-ness of having nothing for your hands to do.
I chewed gum and I made a gum chain out of the wrappers while talking on the phone. The gum chain got to be about 8 feet long. Then I was done and never smoked again.
Use positive reinforcement-- look at smokers and think about how bad they smell and how stupid they look and how they're killing themselves and wasting lots of money doing it. DON'T think, I am deprived, poor me, I wish I could have one little puff, etc.
Those are my suggestions. They worked for me.0 -
Congratulations for deciding to quit! I quit smoking 5 months ago and it feels great. I used Nicorette gum the first couple of days along with an e-cigarette. After a month I had stopped using the e-cig and once the nicotine is completely out of your body the only cravings you have are mental. When I had a craving I would workout. For me I couldn't think about a cigarette when I was sweating my butt off trying to breathe while running, doing insanity, or any other workout dvd. Being in the car was the worst but I would call a non smoking friend and chat and that helped. The cravings pass and then you won't have them at all. I like the livestrong app too. You can log a craving and the posts from people who are going through the same thing you are is motivating and encouraging. I liked it because it distracted my mind and hands. You can do this!!!! Also drink ice water in small sips instead of eating something.0
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I have been smoke free for over two years now, and it was hard to do - but oh so worth it. I love not smoking so much more than I ever loved smoking. I have a certain freedom now that I didn't have while still smoking. I am not a slave to cigarettes. I can have a drink in an airport. I can go on a long flight. I can go out with friends without having to run outside. I don't smell. My clothes stay cleaner for longer. My dry-cleaning bills are less. I have way more money in my wallet now. I can walk up a flight of stairs much more easily now (very important for those of us that use the NYC subways).
Did I gain weight when I quit? YES I DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A friend of mine quit a month after I did and he too gained quite a bit of weight, which he has since taken off. He said to me (while we were both quite chubby from the quitting), "You can lose the weight that you've gained, but you can't grow a new lung". Now I need to stop using the quitting smoking as an excuse and start focusing on my diet and exercise.
This is something that you have to really be ready to do. Nobody can tell you to do it. Just know that there will be certain changes in your body and mind, and the bad changes can be temporary. The good changes will be permanent.
BTW, to get to where I am today (smoke free for over two years and hopefully for the rest of my life) I had to quit at least 10 times, probablyy more. NEVER beat yourself up if you didn't succeed the last time, there WILL be a time that it sticks, and hopefully this will be that time!0 -
The bottom line it: Either you want it or you don't. Whining about it, putting it off, making excuses and replacing it with other bad habits (like chewing gum and eating candy and using patches, etc) is only going to make it harder on you.0
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I quit 3 years ago. I did it by logging the time i smoked cigarettes. For the next two days, i smoked only at those times that i had logged. The 4th day I started eliminating one of the smoking times/cigarettes. Instead of a cigarette, i chewed gum or licorice or a straw. I did this until i was down to 5 cigarette times a day, and by then most of the nicotine had left my body, so i was able to just walk away from it.
Once I quit, i was surprised at how bad people that smoked smelled
I couldn't believe I or my home ever smelled like that but my non smoking friends assured me that i did smell like smoke and so did my house.
It also helps to have something in your hands until you learn to live without a cigarette. I tried to remember what i did before i was a smoker.0 -
I quit 3 years ago, switched to E-cigarettes.It has nicotine, which is very similar to caffiene, but none of the tar, arsenic, or additives that you get in cigarettes. Essentially they work exactly like children's nebulizers, the "medicine" (in this case, nicotine) *rides* vaporized glycerin and it looks and smokes like the real thing.
They've been using glycerin and vaporizers/nebulizers for almost 70 years now, yes it's safe.
I get my hardware here --->
http://www.litecigusa.net/Joye_Ego_T_electronic_cigarette_starter_kit_p/egot-bblkkit.htm
and my juice here
http://freedomsmokeusa.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=189
The strawberry is the best tasting juice I have ever found, and I've tried hundreds of flavors. I'm also a huge fan of watermelon. tastes like those flavors from a jolly rancher.0 -
Smoked for 15 yrs. I started cutting back and then when I was down to 1 cig a day I cut it out. But it is just like being hungry if you exercise even a tiny bit it will make the craving go away. If you start craving a cig then do 10 jumping jacks or run in place. If you are at a restaurant go in the restroom and do it. Or in a mall- walk faster. Or drink water. Anything to get you through the first month. But ONLY you can do it. You are going to have to make a decision and only for you!0
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My thoughts:
1) teach yourself relaxation techniques (deep breathing, stretching, whatever releases tension for you)
2) change your routine. I always smoked in the car at work so I started walking instead
3) remember a craving only lasts a minute or two- that was my mantra
4) lots of sleep, water, and healthy food - energy will be low for first few days0 -
My best advice: Don't replace cigarettes with something else. Just quit cold turkey without any crutches. The physical addiction is gone in 3 days. After that, it's all in your head and you can control that.
My more realistic advice: If you have to "use" something, get one of those plastic cups with a screw on lid and a straw and drink water instead of smoking. Drinking water with a straw is my new smoking! Good for you and you can do it anywhere you want! Really helps when driving--that's walywas the toughest one for me when I have quit in the past.
I'm one month in and I can tell I finally got it this time! So good luck to you, you can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :drinker:0 -
go cold turkey, wrap a pack with duct tape and throw them in the back of the freezer. this helps with the mental game. your brain knows you have cigarettes if you really want one so no panicky feeling, but its such a pain in the "butt" to get one it gives you a chance to get past the initial craving. good luck. I chewed gum, gum and more gum. Trident peppermint was my choice. you made a great decision to quit.
I love that straw in the water idea.0 -
Thank you everyone for the tips and advice. I have been kicking the idea around for a while now and I know that I NEED to do it. Your words are all very encouraging and motivating. I will likely attempt another cold turkey routine because I have fairly good will power. When I found out I was pregnant it was easy because I knew someone else was living inside my body and I just couldnt put them through that as well. I have developed an oral fixation from smoking (hence the reason for the candy, gum, and food last time) so I will defiantly be taking advantage of the healthy snack ideas like sunflower seeds and carrot sticks. The sipping ice water, even through, a straw idea and the exercising seems like it may help alot as well. I'm not too sure if the e-smokes are for me, I've tried them and I cough my fool head off, but if I find myself struggling with the cold turkey plan, I'll look into that option as well. My weak points will likely be driving and doing my school work, (where I tend to smoke the most) as well as after meals. I just need to stay vigilant. Anyway, thank you ALL for the encouragement and the wishes of good luck with it.0
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Hi everyone,
I've gone cold turkey in the past (as soon as I found out I was pregnant) and I wound up replacing that bad habit with hard candy, gum, and food. Like a moron, I started smoking again 6 months after my son was born. My kiddo is now 2 and I'd really like to quit again because I felt so much healthier and want to be around for a long time for him but I'm worried that I'll cave into the same "replacement habits" as I did before. So, my question is, does anyone have any tips on how to go about kickin the butts while not resorting to food as replacement? I figure sugar free candies can be a fall back but all that fake sugar isnt healthy either. Any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated :flowerforyou: Thanks!
Buy a 32 oz sport bottle and fill it with filtered water and lemon slices and drink it all day.... the lemon makes it taste like a treat. Exercise when you feel cravings. Make sure you are never hungry (eat regular meals). Finally, a lot of hospitals in the USA (don't know where you live) have free stop-smoking programs. You could enroll and get some extra support. Best of luck! I quit over 20 years ago... the first 4 months were tough, but after that I felt fine. You can do it, too!!0 -
Cold turkey worked for me 9 years ago, it's hard the first week but honestly after that ever week gets a little easier to get through. My hardest part was driving home from work and not stopping to buy cigs.0
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you what I did when my son was 2 after starting to smoke again in order to quit.... got preggers again.
Lol, I actually joke around about having another just so I would have to quit. It would surely light a fire under my butt and make me stop lighting one at the end of a ciggy :drinker:0 -
It sounds like you are ready to quit. I hit my 5 year non-smoking goal in March. I understand where you are. I was always quitting for 4 years, until one day, I just had enough and made the quit for real. But I knew, for me, going cold turkey was not my path to success. I tried the patch--burnt my skin and made me feel super jittery. Hated the gum. So, I tried Chantix. I was done with cigs 5 weeks into the Chantix program, and never looked back. Chantix isn't for everyone and has to be prescribed by your doctor. Since I quit, more smokeless electronic options have emerged. You need to find the right approach for you.
In addition to finding the right approach, its best to determine why you smoke and when you smoke. Like rekite2000 suggested, you need to change your routine. For me, when I quit, I had to figure out how to deal with stress differently. It certainly was a journey to realize I had covered up dealing with my stress by smoking. Leaving your desk, going outside, lighting a cigerette are behaviors that redirect your attention from addressing the stress.
You can quit. LIke weight loss, quitting takes determination to change your lifestyle. You can do this. You will feel better about yourself, not only physically, but also emotionally. Beating yourself up that you are not quit is just as unhealthy as saying you can't lose the weight. You can. And you will.
Be the momentum you want to be.0 -
first time i quit i did cold turkey.. lasted for about 2-3 years,
This time i used herbal cigs when I got the really bad cravings. Have not touched a smoke in 3 years now. good luck. the first month, and third month were the worse for me, but it gets better0 -
The only "toxin" in an ecig is the nicotine.....which btw, isn't as bad as you may think.
You "quite or die" people need to realize not all people want, or will quite the habit totally. I've used a ecig for over a year now and my lung capacity has improved as well as my health.
Yeah, I switched to snus. From an individual risk perspective - nicotine is only marginally worse than caffeine.
OP, whatever you do - stop smoking. An addiction to ecigs, patches, gum, nicotine lozenges, etc is still WAY better for you and the people around you than smoking.0 -
I quit with zero cravings and 0 desire to habitually smoke with Champix/Chantix. I was a pack a day smoker for 20 years and a big "habitual" smoker.
The Champix made quitting easy and I haven't looked back. I have 3 family members (one that was a pack-2 pack a day smoker for 40 years) who also quit with Champix/Chantix and it was the same for them, no cravings - they simply did not smoke anymore
It may be an option for you 0 -
Imagine your kid at your funeral.
That did it for me.
I should have had kids sooner.0 -
Zyban. But make sure your MD knows how to ween you off. It can make one a bit edgy quitting Zyban cold turkey. However, you wont crave any smokes.
Tattoed hipster idiot at convenience store- "You don't have any of the Lucky 13's? Can you look in the ba..."
Me- "SHUT THE *kitten* UP AND PAY FOR YOUR **** ALREADY! There are 7 other people here and we don't have time to wait on your dumb *kitten* to buy a losing lottery ticket. So..., HURRY THE F*&% UP!!
Others in line with me- *fearfully nodding in agreement*0 -
Just stop. You will when you're really ready. Until then, you're not. Just like weight loss, there's no excuses, if you want something badly enough, you go get it.0
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I used to keep carrots in my purse constantly! I would buy a bag and chop them up in ziplock baggies. Carrots are my favorite and the mental accomplishment of replacing something bad with something heathy really helped me. I also did not go out and socialize my first two weeks of cold turkey. Drinking was my trigger so I waited till I felt strong enough to be around all my girlfriends for a night out to say no to the cigs! I'm 5 years smoke free!0
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Zyban. But make sure your MD knows how to ween you off. It can make one a bit edgy quitting Zyban cold turkey. However, you wont crave any smokes.
Tattoed hipster idiot at convenience store- "You don't have any of the Lucky 13's? Can you look in the ba..."
Me- "SHUT THE *kitten* UP AND PAY FOR YOUR **** ALREADY! There are 7 other people here and we don't have time to wait on your dumb *kitten* to buy a losing lottery ticket. So..., HURRY THE F*&% UP!!
Others in line with me- *fearfully nodding in agreement*
lol awesome..I want to say this although I'm not experiencing Zyban withdrawl!0 -
I quit cold turkey 7 years ago after smoking for 14 years! I don't know how else I would have done it. My husband still smokes and I can't get him to stop either. You have to be ready and just have will power I guess. Good luck!0
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I tried Chantix many times. It always worked until I was done with the pills, then I went right back to smoking again. In March I bought the book "The EasyWay to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr. It changes your way of thinking when it comes to smoking and quitting. The book says not to use any other supplements when quitting but I again paired it with the Chantix and have had much more success this time. I quit on March 7th. Good luck to you! :flowerforyou:0
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