Ex-smokers?

Trad78

Been smoke free for 3 weeks. But now, I'm craving one...real bad! Being at home sick isn't really helping either. Any tips?

NicholePotato

I switched to an e-cig for now and hadn't smoked a real cig for 3 weeks until yesterday and it tasted so bad in comparison (my ecig tastes like peaches!) that I haven't touched the rest of the pack I bought. So I'm not completely nicotine free but my lungs are happier so far.

MsTT80

I quit using an e cig 2 years ago last week. My biggest tip is keep busy, go for a walk when the craving comes visiting. Good luck, it is worth the pain and I promise it gets easier.

Mama_Jag

Congrats on your three weeks! At this point, the craving is mental and not physical. YOU DON'T WANT TO START OVER!!
Do you really want to reset your quit clock??

No other tips, unfortunately, just a lot of strength and will. You are so much better than cigarettes. Good luck!


My quit clock hit 5 years on 2/5.

BreeJaxon

I am almost 3 years now, I smoked an e cig for a year and a half. Best investment EVER!! Not the kind you get at 7-11. Go to a vape shop spend the money buy the e juice something you like with a cartridge to fill with the nicotine and slowly ween yourself down. You still get a draw of nicotine, just not the cancer. Than you can wittle yourself down on the nicotine levels eventually to nothing! Good luck buddy, living is good choice

WhiteRabbit1313

Been smoke free for 3 weeks. But now, I'm craving one...real bad! Being at home sick isn't really helping either. Any tips?

I quit smoking about 5 or 6 years ago. It only took me 5x, but I finally kicked the habit. Lol!

After 3 days, the physical addiction should have subsided. The mental aspect is what's triggering the obsession, now. For this, I would do breathing exercises that mimicked smoking. I even put my fingers to my mouth like I was holding a cigarette. Usually, this took about 10 good "drags," and the anxiety subsided.

That's another thing. If the obsession is a problem, I highly recommend light anti-anxiety meds. Many of us, imo, start smoking/continue smoking as a coping mechanism for stress. So, when you stop smoking, you're left without one of your tools for coping. Anxiety meds help as do cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.

In the end, remember 2 things: 1. this too shall pass and 2. you don't have to smoke just because you want to. (AAism's, but they work here, too!)

You got this! Good luck!

nellyett

I just passed my one year anniversary last month. My strategy was to just be stubborn about it and never put one to my lips again. Period. N.O.P.E. = Not One Puff Ever.

I was a pack per day smoker for over two decades. Then just quit cold turkey. Was I a zombie for the first 3 days? YES! Was I craving one desperately for a few weeks? YES! What you are experiencing is part of the 3's. The worst days for cravings (apparently) are the 3rd day, 3rd week and 3rd month. Weird, but it's what I've heard.

You have already eliminated the nicotine from your system. Don't introduce it back in. What you're experiencing now is the mental habit which is incredibly difficult to break but you will. Just know that everytime you have a craving, it WILL pass. It's uncomfortable while you're in it, but it goes away. Take deep breaths.....that always helped me.

You CAN do this! You ARE doing this!! YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE IT!!! You are there!!

The only reason I don't go back to it (aside from health, money,etc.) is that I never want to put my family through me quitting again. I was a freakin monster to be around!! But they are grateful that I've quit, and I am grateful for their support.

Keep at it! It gets better, I promise :):)

eddiesmith1

Been smoke free for 3 weeks. But now, I'm craving one...real bad! Being at home sick isn't really helping either. Any tips?

Drink a glass of water every time you crave one. I went Cold turkey (4th or 5th quit attempt in 40 years first cold turkey try) July 28th last year. there were days i would have happily murdered for one. I drank a ton of water. (I put on a solid 25 pounds too - which in conjunction with prior weight gain has me here)

It's not easy but every day gets easier. Don't know how much you smoked but think what you can do with the money you have saved (I smoked a pack a day, cheapest pack in Toronto was $7.25 that's $2646.25 a year. My birthday is July 15th and I plan on buying a bespoke suit and a few made to measure shirts with the saving (and for the hopefully at my target weight consistent me) . It's one day at a time just like dieting - but don't give in to the craving nicotine is far more evil than sugar

beachgod

Congrats on 3 weeks! I quit 5 years, 8 months and 4 days ago. I used patches to help, the Equate ones from Wally World.

One tip some people think is funny but it works for me is I remember exactly when and where I quit and I reflect on it every day at that time. I'm glad and grateful every day to have gone another 24 hours without smoking.

archgirl99

I'm at just over 7 months after smoking for 20+ years. The three week mark is really difficult! My advice is to kind of do a self-talk thing and accept that you are craving and then actively do something to take your mind off of it. I walked all the time! It is really hard to want a smoke when you are already huffing and puffing. After about 2 or so months I started to see differences like I magically ran across the street without being winded and that was amazing! Now I lift heavy and just started swimming. I'm one of the better endurance swimmers in the class! Take that cigarette-riddled lungs! Congrats on quitting it is the best and hardest thing you will ever do for yourself!

calebwilrycx

Dude what you are craving is a lie, straight up. You know in your heart the cigarette gives you nothing, doesn't calm you down, doesn't help you focus, does relax you, doesn't relieve stress. Dont fight the craving, just know its there, be aware of it, and feel it dissipate. I'm right there with you, and you got double the time I have....

calebwilrycx

Brilliant.

GiddyupTim

You don't want to start over. Sick or not sick -- go for a walk. It is the only thing mindless enough to keep you away from it and to give yourself just a bit of distraction.
Cravings do go away if you give them a bit of time.

MB2MN

Ex smoker here! And you are too!

Just remember, from a scientific standpoint the half-life of nicotine in your body is only 2 hours! Which means like 99.9999% of it is gone within 36 hours. You have already withdrawn physically, it is all mental from here. What you are craving is the habit, not the smoke. YOU CAN DO IT!

NzBuilt

I quit 2011 was my new years smoke free start and to thid day still not smoking I smoked for 20years aswell,now I cant stand the smell of them and feel so much better etc......

KristinaB83

I quit about a month ago. I use the patch so the cravings aren't so bad. I'm still struggling with it myself, but what I do is hop on the MFP forums and start reading stuff about being healthy and what not... Usually re-motivates me and takes my mind off of the ciggs.

Trad78

Thanks everyone, drank a ton of water today, even tried that mimicking thing(which actually seemed to work). No smoke for me! Being cooped up in the house is terrible. Need to get outside.

jeneferphillips89

Well I'm only 1 week into being a quitter but I'm using an e-cig.....perhaps I'm a cheater since I'm still getting the nicotine and feeding the habit. But I 2nd what most of the others have said, do you really want to give up the progress you have made in the last 3. Weeks? You've done great so far, just remember why you quit in the first place and keep on truckin :-)

rduhlir

Ride it out. The craving will go away. Just remind yourself that it is just a craving. Do something that will occupy your mind and take your mind off of it.

manderson27

I searched this topic because I needed to hear from other ex smokers.

I am in my 5th week of cold turkey. I had the most awful chest infection I have never felt so ill. Hardly able to walk across the room, wheezing and gasping for air. The doctor said my oxygen levels were so low she didn't know how I was still standing up.

Even without the infection I would cough a lot and when I lay down at night I would wheeze. I have tried quitting before, once even lasting 2years then my dad died and I immediately went back on them again.

But now my lungs are clear, my oxygen levels are at a non smokers level of normal. I only clear my throat instead of hacking up crap, I can breath freely and easily at night. One odd thing and this may be to much information so sorry for that but my bowel movements have become more consistent and regular.

I am struggling though and have put on around 7 pounds so far. It is so hard. I wish all of us quitters the strength and endurance to keep away from the devils weed.

kbmnurse

Don't do it. You will smell, UGGGGGGGGGGG.

tomcornhole

Read this book:

http://tinyurl.com/ks4nlgs

Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking

I was a skeptic, but I haven't smoked since Jan 9 and don't want to.

Tom

GreenIceFloes

Smoked for five years, a pack a day at least. I've been 7 months clean now :happy:
Kinda got addicted to nicotine gum, but it's better than being a chain smoker. And I've almost weaned myself off the gum as well. It's mostly a psychological thing, I'm happy with just two pieces a day, used to be the whole strip initially. Hopefully another couple of weeks and I'll be done with nicotine altogether.
And did I mention I can jog up flights of stairs without panting like a *kitten* now? And exercise so much better :drinker:

Chezzie84

Me and my fella have been cigarette free since May 2012.
My tip for the cravings is sugar free lollies. That's what we used, it tricks your brain and keeps your hands and mouth busy.

Remember what ever your reasons are to quit.
It will be a struggle and you will have your will power tested but trust me 12 months from now, you will not even bother about it.

eddiesmith1

Thanks everyone, drank a ton of water today, even tried that mimicking thing(which actually seemed to work). No smoke for me! Being cooped up in the house is terrible. Need to get outside.

Good Job keep it up - The first week i quit I used an e cig (just a plain Vapour one no Nicotine no fancy Flavours - Called Blu I think - only ever used the one took a couple of weeks to wear it out just used it as a psychological crutch.
If you are an Addictive Personality (I am and I have a number of friends who became Junkies) - All of whom said quitting junk was a piece of cake compared to quitting smoking so don't feel bad when the cravings continue beyond the true physical addiction (it's 3 days to clear the Nicotine from your system a lot longer to clear all the habits and cues

PickleJuice9484

I quit a few years ago while dieting and it was HARDDD!!! =( I used an e-cig, but didn't feel that it helped much. I ran to the store and bought some nicorette gum and that REALLY helped for emergencies. I got the lowest strength and only used half a piece, i didn't use it as much as the directions said, only as needed and it did the job.

Good luck!!

mrsjones2point0

I quit four years ago when I divorced my husband (who was a smoker).

One of the most brilliant drivers for me was the quote from the movie Dead Again: "You're either a smoker or a non-smoker, decide which one you are and be that"

I decided I was a non-smoker. Period.

And really, once you are over the hump and a smoker walks by you and you realize how bad it smells, Oy you don't want to go back to that. You really don't realize how bad it smells until you stop.

And the amount of money you spend to feed this habit is crazy. Cigarettes cost almost $10 a pack here, and it shocks me that people pay that much. Pack a day? You are spending $300 a month, that's just crazy to me.

_MG_

I quit cold turkey back in 1998 after smoking and dipping for 15 years.

I still routinely get an an urge to smoke. For me it wasn't the nicotine - it was the act of smoking. I chew a ton o toothpicks still to this day.

I just try to remember why I quit: health and $$ and that keeps me straight.

And chewing on toothpicks.