Not sure where to post this....E-Cig

arw060310
arw060310 Posts: 256 Member
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok. So I've been trying to quit smoking for a long time now. And it's seriously the hardest darn thing I've ever done in my life. My friend recommended getting an electronic cigarette. And even though they are kinda pricey, the refills are still WAY cheaper than actual cigarettes.

So could anyone recommend a good brand of e-cigarettes from personal experience?
-or-
Could somebody please give me legitimate advice on just plain quitting? I really WANT to quit. But the addiction part is (literally) killing me.
«13

Replies

  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    The best advice I've heard is to just stop buying the stuff. Just one day has to come where you say 'no more' and stop smoking at all. The addiction wanes, it will be tough the first week or 3, but after that, it is just a slight urge to smoke casually with friends and not so much addiction creeping in on you.

    Try and think of saving money, and becoming healthier each time you want a cigarette? I have never been a smoker but I sell them and it hurts to see people so addicted :( I can only relay what I've heard from my customers. I wish you the best of luck.

    Stay strong and smoke-free!
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    I just quit cold turkey. patch failed me.
    I see stuff at the Dr. they can perscibe like cantix, that makes you quit instantly.
  • cantjustcant
    cantjustcant Posts: 1,027 Member
    OMG! I just posted about wanting to quit last night! I have an e-cig...it's called pure smoke...go to puresmokeonline.com for information. It looks and feels like a real cigarette. I used it for a bit then got lazy. There's a couple of us that are shooting for Sept 1 to quit! I think I am ready this time. If I apply my determination to lose weight to quitting smoking then I think I will succeed!

    You can add me for support if you like!
  • houzkat
    houzkat Posts: 78
    I did "cold turkey" but my husband is using the e-cig and he's doing really well. I think he's using a V2 or something like that. I'll get more info from him on what he thinks is a good deal.
  • arw060310
    arw060310 Posts: 256 Member
    Cantix made me violently ill! I was sooo sick so I had to stop taking it. I've been using the nicotine mints, but those haven't worked.

    I guess I've always been afraid to quit cold turkey... How long did it take you to not crave anymore by quitting cold turkey?
  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 583 Member
    1. Want it more than life itself.
    2. Have an NRT crutch be it e-cig or nicotine lozenge etc to hand for when it gets too much.
    3. Do it.
    4. If you crack, stick with it, dont "start again tomorrow"

    Im currently smoking, planning on quitting, again. Have managed to quit for years at a time following the above. Simple fact is #1 though, you have to really, really want it or it wont happen.
  • Dtho5159
    Dtho5159 Posts: 1,054 Member
    Imma be no help lol. I quit cold turkey. Woke up July 24th 2009 and said NO more of my money is going to cigs. I WILL regain my health back and never smoked another.
  • I got a prescription for Champix (I think its called Chantrix in the US) and it seemed to be helping with the addiction part, but for me it's the physical action that I can't beat. I know it's totally in my head, because if I stay at home for 2 days straight I don't need to smoke but if I drive anywhere, go to work, or talk on the phone, I gotta smoke. So I'd really like to try the e-cigs too and am hoping you get some good responses with what people recommend. Good luck!
  • arw060310
    arw060310 Posts: 256 Member
    I think that's my problem. A few months ago I didn't smoke for about 5 days. I caved and had 1. And then after that 1 I said "screw it, I'll just not smoke after today". And then I never quit again. It's a frustrating process
  • azlady7
    azlady7 Posts: 471 Member
    my husband sells e-cigs and he likes using them. I read up on them and it made me nervous to use them (like actual smoking is better lol) so i am still trying to quit and your right....its the hardest thing i have ever tried to do. I roll my own cigarettes since i know its full of less chemicals (gives me a false sense of security anyways lol) and I bought a snuffer to snuff it out after a few drags (i dont smoke as much this way). I figure eventually i will find the will and determination with smoking like I have with weight loss. I pray all the time about it. It is extremely frustrating and I wish you luck!
  • jennyonthespot
    jennyonthespot Posts: 98 Member
    Well I've never tried the e cigarrettes before, but I have successfully quit smoking. It is all about the determination. Something has to click where enough is enough. Even then, sometimes you're tempted to fall off the wagon, but don't. One cigarrette turns into 3 and before you know it, you're buying a pack from the store. I chewed the Dentine Ice gum because it's very minty so when you breathe in, you get that icy feeling in your throat and nose. It helps. LOTS of gum. Your jaws will be exhausted. Also, set a goal that you wouldn't be able to achieve as easily if you kept smoking. I started running and doing spinning classes and I couldn't preform as well if I was smoking. Oh, and lots of water to prevent weight gain. I pretty much replaced smoking with water and gum. It gets easier, but don't let your guard down. Remember the domino effect. Good luck! :smile:
  • arw060310
    arw060310 Posts: 256 Member
    I got a prescription for Champix (I think its called Chantrix in the US) and it seemed to be helping with the addiction part, but for me it's the physical action that I can't beat. I know it's totally in my head, because if I stay at home for 2 days straight I don't need to smoke but if I drive anywhere, go to work, or talk on the phone, I gotta smoke. So I'd really like to try the e-cigs too and am hoping you get some good responses with what people recommend. Good luck!

    I'm the opposite! There's no smoking in either of the cars. At all. No exceptions. And I used to smoke all over the house, but now I've made 1 spare room the smoking room.
  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 583 Member
    recently tried champix. It makes you get no satisfaction from smoking, or anything else. I had to come off them, would not recommend.

    Wanting it is the key, its a lot like weight loss, you just have to be determined enough to push through it all.
  • MOMSHOME
    MOMSHOME Posts: 72
    Glad to see someone else using these to quit. Although the actual site (E-Cigaretts) are expensive, they sell them in the tobacco stores. Or at least they do in Arkansas where I live. I have not used them but my husband works with people that have gone to them after he started using them and they think they are great. They are all about the same. Just different name brands. The strengths are about the same no matter what company you go with. They have regular and flavored one too. Also, to save money my hubby changes out the filters himself. All he did was get cotton pads that you use to remove nail polish and put that in the butts as filters. They work great.

    I would recomend this as a way for anyone who wants to quit. I was in the same boat you are in, That was the hardest things to quit. I have not smoked since May 26 and am down to only using the electric cig a couple of times a day. (my husband still uses it a lot more but that is ok - I can live with that more then I can his smoking regular cigs). I wish you the best of luck in the world with it. I think it is the best!!!!
  • MOMSHOME
    MOMSHOME Posts: 72
    Just keep in mind that you will still go through some days of withdraws while you get used to the electric ones, but give it time. Tehy really do work. and you can smoke a few cigs a day while you change over. I quit reg cigs as soon as we got electric ones in, my husband smoked to finish out the regular ones we had at the house.
  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
    Just go cold turkey right now while you are going through this weight loss transition. Make eating healthy and exercise your priority. If you wait til you are thinner you will be frightened you will gain weight back and then you just wont stop. when you have the cravings exercise or have a healthy snack, soon your cravings will go away and you will be a completely new you. :)
  • mrivera713
    mrivera713 Posts: 232 Member
    I quit "cold-turkey". I was smoking Newports from the age of 18 until the age of 34. I had tried quitting several times, however, when I REALLY wanted to quit, I just did it.

    You are the only one who can make that choice, but once you do, you can count me in to help keep you motivated. If you'd like support, feel free to add me.

    And maybe this might help: I think you should decide to change your focus when you want a cig and see if that helps. For example: if you THINK about wanting a cigarette, do push ups! It doesn't have to be on the floor. You can do it against a desk, a wall or get down on the floor. Or do sit-ups... (UGH just thinking of doing a sit-up would help me quit)... you know what I mean?

    I made a deal with my son. If I quit smoking, he promises that he will NEVER touch any type of illegal drug. It motivated me to do my part and every now and then, I'll remind him of our promise to eachother. (He is in his last year of Junior High School).
  • arw060310
    arw060310 Posts: 256 Member
    Just go cold turkey right now while you are going through this weight loss transition. Make eating healthy and exercise your priority. If you wait til you are thinner you will be frightened you will gain weight back and then you just wont stop. when you have the cravings exercise or have a healthy snack, soon your cravings will go away and you will be a completely new you. :)

    I think I might try the cold turkey deal. I'm not sure yet. i have a few more packs left though. I'm actually not afraid of weight gain. I've worked WAY to hard to lose what I have and I refuse to gain it lol. Although I've heard that quitting slows your metabolism??? Is this a myth?
  • ncrissey460
    ncrissey460 Posts: 97 Member
    all this talk about quitting is making me want to have a cigarette right now....ill be back in 5. I only got enought willpower for one thing at a time! lol
  • Quitting anything is hard. But just like food, there will always be a temptation and maybe at first you mess up sometimes and eat something wild...but you stick with it anyway and regain your composer and keep trying. After a while you dont have quit so many crazy cravings and sometimes when you mess up later on you dont even fee good afterward. Try the same thing. QUIT and then if you slip and have one, re gain your composer think of the reasons why you quit, and start again, if you slip again, have a self talk again. Slip ups dont mean failure. after a while they will taste different--and your ability to breath better and knowing how much your helping yourself will win
  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 583 Member
    processing nictotine takes about 200 cals a day i have been told. there is no reason why you would gain on a good diet with exercise.
  • SiltyPigeon
    SiltyPigeon Posts: 920 Member
    I quit cold turkey 7 years ago and never looked back. Best thing I ever did.

    It's not as difficult as its made out to be. It's all about marketing. Cigarette companies and Stop-Smoking companies have pounded into smoker's heads that it is so difficult and impossible for so long that everyone believes it. This way people keep buying their cigarettes, gum, patches, pills, and etc. I mean think about it... if the patch (for example) really helped you quit smoking... you wouldn't need their product anymore and they'd lose a customer.

    The only REAL way to quit, is to quit. You just do it. It's not as difficult as it's made out to be.
  • Quitting cold turkey's not bad. I've done it three times in the last twenty years. So long as there is no one within murdering distance for the first 2-3 weeks, you're golden...

    Plan on picking up some e-cigs tonight, so funny to see this thread. Good luck to all.
  • thegymbunny
    thegymbunny Posts: 602 Member
    cold turkey...
    I know of a great support site.


    <
    two months quit so far
  • It's not as difficult as its made out to be. It's all about marketing. <bunch of other nonsense>

    Whatever, it's hard as hell. Glad it was a breeze for you.
  • kklindsey
    kklindsey Posts: 382 Member
    I have them but they have not helped me quit BUT I am not sufficiently motivated to quit yet. I highly recommend Vapor4Life and my biggest recommendation is that you get a manual one, not automatic. The manual one has a button you hold down so that you get more of a "hit" of vapor and feels more like real smoking. You can start out at differnt levels of nicotine and work your way down to no nictoine.
  • cantjustcant
    cantjustcant Posts: 1,027 Member
    It's not as difficult as its made out to be. It's all about marketing. <bunch of other nonsense>

    Whatever, it's hard as hell. Glad it was a breeze for you.

    It's the same as any other habit...it's different for everybody. I personally am finding it hard as hell also! Makes me want to kick babies!
  • thegymbunny
    thegymbunny Posts: 602 Member
    It's not as difficult as its made out to be. It's all about marketing. <bunch of other nonsense>

    Whatever, it's hard as hell. Glad it was a breeze for you.

    It's the same as any other habit...it's different for everybody. I personally am finding it hard as hell also! Makes me want to kick babies!
    I was the worlds biggest see you next tuesday for a few weeks.
    I STILL have rough days.
  • NiciS72
    NiciS72 Posts: 1,043 Member
    Quitting cold turkey's not bad. I've done it three times in the last twenty years. So long as there is no one within murdering distance for the first 2-3 weeks, you're golden...

    Plan on picking up some e-cigs tonight, so funny to see this thread. Good luck to all.

    Having been within murdering distance the 3 times I'd say DON'T GO COLD TURKEY!!!!! It was not a fun experience for either of us.
  • l3ugjuice
    l3ugjuice Posts: 233
    Quit cold turkey on April 1 2009, havent looked back since. Man (or woman, whatever) up and quit. No more excuses.

    No, it's not any fun. I'm not going to lie to you. I actually rented a hotel room and stayed in it for 3 nights, because I did not want to be around my wife and daughter (actually, I'd have LOVED to be around them....I didnt want them around ME). After 3 days, the nicotine is out of your system and the physical withdrawal is largely over. I say largely because your brain chemistry isnt quite back to normal at that point: you are still going to have some physical withdrawal symptoms (like insomnia, or the opposite, fatigue, etc) for a couple more weeks...but it's largely in your head after three days. Suck it up and hang with it.

    I feel for you. I've been there. It sucks. But the only way you are going to quit is by stopping. That's it. So, here's my advice for people on MFP who want to quit smoking.

    1) STOP SMOKING

    2) take a break from your diet for a couple of weeks. I dont care if you pack on 20 pounds in that time, it's worth the weight to quit...and you really are going to have to put something in your mouth to get over the psychological impact of giving up the HABIT of smoking.

    3) STOP FREAKING SMOKING

    4) Make a list of reasons why you want to quit. Write them down. Carry it with you everywhere you go.

    5) Have I mentioned you need to just STOP smoking?

    6) This is the odd one....buy a new pack of cigarettes. Just dont open it. Carry it with you. This is the only way it worked for me, because it was the only way I could actually reduce quitting to a minute by minute problem rather than an OH MY GOD I CAN NEVER HAVE A CIGARETTE AGAIN EVER FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE! problem. I CHOSE to not smoke, one cigarette at a time, 100's of times per day. For months. I still have that pack, by the way...and it's still unopened.

    7) Just. stop. now. right. this. second.

    There is no fun way to quit smoking. There is no easy way to quit smoking. There is no magic pill. There is no magic button. There is no stop smoking fairy. It's work. It's hard. You just have to do it.
This discussion has been closed.