Quitting Smoking

BrookeRachelleH

Day 3 of being a non-smoker.
I have researched it quite a bit but I would like to know if anyone else who has quit smoking has any good tips for me? What withdrawal symptoms did you have? I am doing okay so far. My head and back is killing me. And I feel kind of out of it. But that is pretty much it. I fear that the worst is yet to come!!!

Koldnomore

Great work!! It's a huge step to take

The worst thing for me was the non stop coughing up bits while my lungs were trying to get rid of all the crud caked in them from 28 years of smoking..That lasted for a few months and started about 1 month after I quit - Get into the habit of carrying Kleenex with you!

I had cut back quite drastically before I actually quit so my cravings weren't too bad. Make sure you have lots of crunchy veggies around to snack on to avoid the weight gain usually associated with quitting and drink lots of water.

I'd also suggest giving all your clothes a good wash - especially things you have in 'storage' because you will not believe how smelly smoke is and opening a box of 'summer clothes' after having been a non-smoker for almost a year was enough to make me almost puke.

Good luck!

thebuz

Congrats on your quit!!! Day 3 for most people usually consists of the worst cravings so get through today and it will get easier!!! I am quitting this week however could not go the cold turkey route as my boyfriend is a heavy smoker. I am doing Champix and should be quit today or tomorrow. When I quit last time (which I wish I had stuck with) I would buy grapes and put them in the freezer. They are great mindless snacking that satisfy the hand to mouth addiction from smoking.

theseus82

I quit successfully with the nicotine patch. I know that cold-turkey quitters like the idea of a fast purge of nicotine from their system. I also hear that day 3 is the most difficult.

If you make it for 3 more days, you'll only be dealing with the psychological addiction to cigarettes.

The patch is less effective if you start it several days after quitting or skip a day or two.

But if you are tempted to smoke and thinking of giving in, go buy yourself a box of Step 3 patches. Step 3 will have the equivalent of 5 cigarettes a day. Since you're approaching 72 hours smoke free, starting the Step 3 patch will give you an opportunity to deal with your habit and oral fixation until you're ready to give up the nicotine part of smoking.

I found it easy to quit with the patch, because I didn't have to deal with nicotine withdrawal until I had already broken my smoking habit and reduced my associations of smoking and certain activities.

In short, stick with the cold turkey method for now. But if you lose your resolve, don't light a cigarette, simply go buy yourself the Step 3 patch system.

BrookeRachelleH

Thanks everyone!
I actually had cut down to only smoking 2 - 3 cigarettes a day. Then Sunday morning, I woke up and I didn't have any and I said to myself, "I am not buying anymore cigarettes. If I can deal with only smoking 2 cigarettes a day then I can deal with not smoking any cigarettes."
So far, my cravings are managable and not bad at all. My biggest problem is this headache that won't go away and my back is starting to hurt. Also, it feels like I have cotton in my throat and my nose is starting to run. But if this is as bad as it is going to get, then I most definitely can do this!

This cracked me up so I wanted to share
http://www.cracked.com/article_19030_quitting-smoking-6-things-you-notice-about-stupid-world.html

thebuz

Nice work. Keep on going. There's nothing better you could do for your mind, body and spirit!!! Will be trying to follow in your footsteps!

bachoat

YAY for you!!! I quit smoking 9 months ago after smoking for 20 something years!!! My mom quit 3 years ago after smoking for 43 yrs!!! If you have a smart phone check out some of the quit smoking apps

rompers16

There's an app called quit now that shows you how much money you've saved, when the nicotine is out of your system, when your respiratory improves, etc. It's a great motivator.

TaterTotz777

I've been an ex-smoker since August 18th of this year. Best thing i ever did...My biggest tip for you is you need to be ready to quit. I was ready so I had no problems at all. I was actually suprised at how easy it was. Good luck!!

diligentjosh

I do have to say that in my experience, 4 things have to happen:

1. You have to despise cigarettes. You have to feel incredibly guilty every time you light up, and it eats at you as you are taking each puff. If you do not, you are not ready to quit.
2. You have to want to quit for you. If you quit for someone else, even your closest kin or loved one, you are setting yourself up for failure. I quit because what I want is a healthy life and becaus I also want a hot wife. A hot wife stays hotter if she does not smoke, and her sexual libido lasts longer in life, years beyond a smoker's. I also do not want my future kids to grow up in a smoking household. But it is what I want.
3. If you are not in a low stress situation, the deck is stacked against you. Money issues, family issues, Just lost job and dealing with the EDD....be in a low stress situation, and you will eliminate half the triggers that make you smoke
4. Lastly, you have to be okay with gaining weight for a bit. You will eat more to counter the motion of smoking. Since you will eat more, you will gain weight. If you are not okay with that, or use that as an excuse, you will fail.

I am 35 days or so smoke free, and I gained 10 lbs in the first week, week 1/2. I can say today that I have lost it all back. I now do not even think about smoking with my coffee. It is a great feeling to not even THINK about smoking. I also went out to the theatres to celebrate my 31st day. It is the longest time since I was 13 that I had not had a cigarette. It was the first time I had been to the theatres in about 2 years. Just went by myself. It was nice.

Good luck to you! May you beat the wrath of Phillip Morris!

valnewb

I stopped smoking from 40 a day to none in july this year two things have helped me, learning breathing techniques to help me chill when i am stressed and eating oranges when the craving got really bad. I have also put the cash i saved into a jar which wil pay for new clothes, when i have lost my weight.

You're doing brilliantly
Well done

Lrdoflamancha

Keep on going. You are doing great, cold turkey the third day is always the worst. By day 6 it will be a lot easier. Hang in there
You will do fine.

kenazfehu

If you were the type who would take a break to go smoke a cigarette, continue taking breaks, but do something else instead - like brew a nice cup of tea or do some yoga stretches or at least slow and deep breathing exercises.

I guess nicotine wasn't all that addicting for me. I smoked on and off for about 25 years, up to 2 packs per day from time to time, but when I quit, the only withdrawal I remember is feeling irritable when other people (like my husband) would be smoking. I didn't quite know what to do with myself instead of lighting up, but I figured it out.

theseus82

watch this video! It will keep you motivated!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yskYG-EVlBY

and then this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBJANtZq0cw

beansnsprouts

Congrats! You sound like you are in the right head space. I quit smoking about 7 months ago (after trying for 1.5 yrs) and I feel great! Withdrawal symptoms vary a lot. My worst symptom was I felt like I had a cold/fever for the first week. Non-stop sneezing and a foggy brain... really not that bad when you think about it. Take each day as it comes and you'll be free before you know it!

One thing that really helped me in quitting was I decided to start the C25K training at the same time. The further I made it in the training, the more proud I felt and also the less I wanted to sabotage my jogging progress by having ''just that one cigarette''. The other advantage was that with C25K, I now had 3 days a week where I had excercise calories so I didn't have to feel guilty about indulging a tiny bit when the cravings hit hard. I think any type of cardio excercise plan where you have set weekly goals would have the same effect. Plus I think it helped my lungs clear out faster, but that may just be in my head.

The last three things that also helped a bit for me were Allan Carr's ''Easyway to quit smoking'' (I absolutely hated reading that book, but somehow it helped), not going to parties and get-togethers with my smoker friends for the first month (smoking friends and alcohol were my triggers) and getting back on the horse the next day if I failed without judging myself or letting myself feel too guilty.

Anyways, just wanted to leave you some tips if you find you need any and also wanted to let you know that you've got this

jenilla1

My husband quit cold turkey by using lollipops (temporarily for a couple of months) and chewing gum (he still does) when he got the cravings. Instead of lighting up, you chew gum or grab a lollipop. Even now, 12 years later, I can tell when he's feeling stressed (times when a typical smoker lights up) because he pops in a piece of gum. He carries a pack of gum around like a smoker carries a pack of cigarettes! He used to get pneumonia and bronchitis a lot, and he had an inhaler for his asthma - major reasons he decided to stop smoking. He has hardly been sick at all since he quit and the inhaler is a thing of the past. Good luck -I know you can do it! :flowerforyou:

thebuz

How's your quit going? Day 2 here.....

microwoman999

I quit smoking April 2010 and it was not easy! But you made it 3 days and that is awesome! Only way from here is to keep going! When I craved one I ate a hard candy and I ate them all day long! When I was able to I went for a fast walk just to keep my mind off of it! I still lost 30lbs after quitting smoking so don't let that discourage you! Keep it up after 3 days its all mental from there!

sarbar71

I will have quit smoking 9 years this February. It only takes about a week to rid your body of your physical cravings, so the good news is that you are practically there. For me, the mental aspect of quitting was the worst - create new healthier habits of dealing with stress as quickly as possible. I found drinking a really big glass of very cold water helped get rid of a cigarette craving - so did deep breathing (although this could be considered a little creepy if you're not alone - so save it for when no one's around! :laugh: ). I chewed an insane amount of gum too.

Very soon you will start to feel better physically. I stopped coughing constantly, started sleeping much better, etc and this happened pretty quickly. This is great incentive to stick with it. For a month or two, try to avoid the bar scene and hanging out with your heavy smoker friends. It sucks, but it is where most people fall of the wagon, and you'll be glad you did.

Good luck!! It's worth it - in a year you'll have no clue why you ever smoked to begin with.