I quit....

WilliamM2

NotaSuv wrote: »

William I dont know ya but man its so important to quit, and really quit..
you will feel 1000% better in time..great to hear about the recovery...
as hard as it is...just stop...it will add years and saved $$ on the back end plus you will see and feel the benefits sooner than later......hope all keeps going well recovery wise..best wishes

You are right about the $. I can no longer afford to smoke, that's why I bought so much before the tax hike last year. My plan was to quit when it ran out anyways. But this surgery on my neck came up, and I need to quit immediatly, or it may not fuse correctly. Failure rates for non-smokers are about 8%, for smokers, it's about 40%.

maggior

I have quit 3 times.

The first time I quit, it was for somebody else, so once that person wasn't around any more (we broke up), I started again. However, I smoked a lot less at this point.

The second time I quit was because I got tired of it. I eased off them over time. What made it hard was I could to a full week and be fine, but the second week brought the cravings back! Getting past the 2 week mark with no smokes was the key for me. And to stay off, I substituted exercise for smokes. I took that to an extreme to where I was doing 100 mile bike rides and lost 50 or 60 lbs.

After a few years of that, I fell off the wagon due to boredom. Realizing I could still be in shape and smoke was REALLY bad! This time, I smoked even less than previously. I would go days without a smoke, but the 2 week barrier reared its ugly head again. This time around, I wasn't happy with myself that I started again. When I met my wife (8 years ago now), I quit for good. And I'm glad I did - they are friggin' expensive now!!

To those of you trying to quite - good luck! It's hard, but it's worth it.

hearingimpared

It's not expensive for me at $12 a carton, I think that is one of the reasons it's so easy to keep this habit up as well as the fact that the nicotene content is triple that of regular cigs. Excuses, excuses eh?

bobman1235

Joe, considering your myriad of health problems, I would think quitting smoking would be pretty high on your priorities list.

Systems

bobman1235 wrote: »

Joe, considering your myriad of health problems, I would think quitting smoking would be pretty high on your priorities list.

+1 on that!!!

bruss

jfail.. good for you. I was a smoker for 15 years and it doesnt matter how you do just get it done. I have been ciggy free for over a year now and will never light another up.

hearingimpared

bobman1235 wrote: »

Joe, considering your myriad of health problems, I would think quitting smoking would be pretty high on your priorities list.

Sing it me brother, sing it!!! :o:o

It's probably what's causing these excrutiating headaches. As I said before this friggin addiction is so strong that it makes the pain worse when I'm puffing away but I'm puffing away anyway. It's disgusting.

jflail2

bruss wrote: »

jfail.. good for you. I was a smoker for 15 years and it doesnt matter how you do just get it done. I have been ciggy free for over a year now and will never light another up.

Thanks Bruss and amen to that. I am still putting away my coins in hopes of getting down to Costa Rica by year end. And you are exactly right, it's not how you motivate yourself, but that you stick to your plan once you start down the path!

I hear ya Joe. Nothing like having a horrible head cold for example, and still smoking away like you're fit and trim. I remember smoking during a horrible cold this winter and wondering (with each drag no less) why I was smoking when I was that sick. Stick with quitting,regardless the short-term pain.

WilliamM2

Ricardo wrote: »

I think your problem is that you don't want to quit. Deep inside you have not made the decision. Once you do that, it is actually not that difficult.

Best of luck.

I agree, I didn't want to quit. I have to quit, a 40% failure rate from this surgery is too high for me. Fear is probably what kept me off them for 2 weeks, and then once I had no pain, the fear fades...

Now that I have been back to work for a week, there is a little pain by the end of the day, which is totally normal when returning to normal activity. It's not bad enough for pain pills or anything, but it is enough to bring back the fear again, and that's probably what is causing my current anxiety. High anxiety sure doesn't help you quit! It doesn't help that more than 50% of the employee's where I work smoke either. Mostly the production workers, you can't walk between our three buildings without seeing at least one or two of them outside sneaking a quick smoke.:mad:

JPSmario

congatulations to all who quit the smokes! hardest thing I ever did, but worth it! it was late fall when I quit; that spring I smelled an alfalfa field and couldn't remember smelling anything so good. After all the times I quit, I had to accept that I could never have just 1.

Good luck- you're going to have a lot of extra cash:D

Huck344

Hey William and jflail2, I was just wondering how the quiting is going? I quit on April 2 as a birthday present to myself. Got the e-cigs and haven't looked back. Anyway, just curious.

wayne3burk

I smoked for 16 yrs and was up to 2 1/2 to 3 packs a day -- when one day i went to the emergency room with A-Fib and was hospitalized 3 times in 2 months with it. Cardiologist told me to quit smoking, drinking, caffeine, etc. 3 months later I smoked my last pack down to the last one remaining cigarette, which i put in a test tube as an emergency smoke. (which I never touched). When I quit cold turkey you could still smoke in offices, so every time i wanted a cigarette i just took a break room sized ashtray full of about 40 butts and sniffed it -- clockwork orange fashion --

Anyways, hang in there -- once you've gone 3 weeks without a cigarette all the nicotine is out of your body. and once you've 6 months without a cigarette all the red blood cells that have permanently bonded with carbon monoxide have been replaced with good red blood cells. Once you've gone 10 yrs without any smoking your lungs are back to their original condition.

cheers - wayne

shoelace

My favorite things, Syclones (hope to own one, one day) and Muay Thai (11 years with 3 of them teaching.) I also love tobacco products, cigars, cigarettes and my pipe. In moderation gentlemen, in moderation.

TECHNOKID

Huck344 wrote: »

One of the side effects of Zyban is that it will make you happier... Doctor prescribed it to me a few years ago to help quit smoking. It curbed my smoking urge, but not to the point that I stopped smoking. But I don't think I had honestly decided I wanted to quit. Even if it's not as powerful, I would take Zyban over Chantix any day. I'd rather have to use a little will power and be happy, than have no urge whatsoever and want to whack myself!

Zyban is actually an anti depressant thus the reason to feel somewhat happier. I tried both Zyban and Chantix and in my case, I felt better with Chantinx (less side effects)

Keiko wrote: »

I tried Zyban and had mild hallucinations.

hearingimpared wrote: »

I thought that was your normal state of mind!:D:p

Just what I tought and was to reply, you beat me to it and coming from you I then tend to think I was right

I've tried every year for so many years unsuccessfully. Yet, I've tried the electronic cigarette with much greater success. I started e-puffer in December with success. In Jan my new stock came in late and bought cigarette and tought I was doomed but once my new stock arrived I didn't crave the cigarette any longer (or at least it was bareable).

In mid Jan I beleive I was sick, couldn't eat any longer and didn't care for smoking or e-puffing. I was 4-5 weeks in Hospital and never had the urge for smoking (they offewred me the patch and I refused). I've been out of the Hospital and on sick leave for close to 2 months now and I tought this would be the big test and was worried I would go back to smoking. During those last 2 months I cheated about 4 times (4 cigarette) but in most cases I can manage to get by with my e-puffer (however, I don't use it that often). I never bought any cirette packs since January, if I crave I ask someone to give me one but I pay 1$ for every cigarette I smoke (some sort of fine). IE: Yesterday at the corner store I dind't want to buy a pack so I asked the young lady that was working there to sell me one). I reward my self and put some money aside when I do not smoke (loonies and twonies) and yet, I must have close to 300$??? I put that money in a big water jug, I really wonder I much will actually fit in there, how heavy the jug will get and how long it will take me to fill it out?????? Anyway, no promise but I sure hope I'll never smoke again.

By the way, for people having a hard time to quit maybe you should consider electronic cigarette. Maybe it will work for some of you, I personally tought I would barely quit for a week or so as usual but I am pleasantly surprised of the turn out.

WilliamM2 wrote: »

You are right about the $. I can no longer afford to smoke, that's why I bought so much before the tax hike last year. My plan was to quit when it ran out anyways. But this surgery on my neck came up, and I need to quit immediatly, or it may not fuse correctly. Failure rates for non-smokers are about 8%, for smokers, it's about 40%.

As a Canuck e-puffing is even cheaper than the actual cigarette smoking since a cart of cigs is about 70$ and I was smoking one pack and a half every day :eek:

bobman1235 wrote: »

Joe, considering your myriad of health problems, I would think quitting smoking would be pretty high on your priorities list.

Main reason for not wanting to go back to smoking. Had surgery likely and have enough health issues and sure can afford some clean lungs (even if my quitting was recent, it made a big difference when I woke-up after surgery).

hearingimpared wrote: »

Sing it me brother, sing it!!! :o:o

It's probably what's causing these excrutiating headaches. As I said before this friggin addiction is so strong that it makes the pain worse when I'm puffing away but I'm puffing away anyway. It's disgusting.

Yes, if you quit for as long as you mentioned you know even better than I do how much better you feel when not smoking. Maybe you should give the electronic cig a try??



Cheers and good luck to everyone trying to kick the habit :cool:

TK

WilliamM2

Huck344 wrote: »

Hey William and jflail2, I was just wondering how the quiting is going? I quit on April 2 as a birthday present to myself. Got the e-cigs and haven't looked back. Anyway, just curious.

I quit on March 28th as planned, it will be four weeks Sunday without a smoke. It finally seemed to get a bit easier this week. I am having sleep issues, I wake up after 5 hours every night, and can't get back to sleep. I'm not sure if it's the Zyban, or my neck waking me because I have moved into an uncomfortable position. The Valium didn't do squat for sleeping, and since it's habit forming, I quit taking it.

I managed to sell all my tobacco too. I think it helps knowing that I no longer have $1 a pack smokes to fall back on.

vc69

Just signed up for the "quit program" here in Mississippi. Appt. next Wednesday with a quit target of 10 days following commencement of Chantix. It worked for me once before, but I relapsed after a year of smokeless bliss. Started dating a smoker

Here's wishing us all the best.

Huck344

Congrats William. I know you were having a tough time at it and that the patch or e-cigs weren't an option. I sometimes have dreams that I'm smoking and wake up in the middle of the night craving a cigarette.

woodhead 2

Good luck. Been 20 years for me. Just take the cig money, put it away for audio equipment. You will be surprised how fast it will add up.

jflail2

Huck: Still off the smokes. Haven't had one since March 1st, so I feel like I'm pretty well done at this point. I added BJJ to the MT classes I was taking, so I've got something going on pretty much every week night, which helps to keep me busy and motivated to stay off the smokes.

Like a lot of other people have said, I think the key to staying quit is that you REALLY have to want to. If you're not 110% committed, I personally don't see the point in trying to quit. It won't be nearly that hard when you are truly ready to quit.

I still crave them when I smell them, but that's about it.

hearingimpared

You guys are doing great. Keep it up and remember (because I forgot after 3 years smoke free) all it takes is ONE!!! and you are off to the races again.

I'm on my way as the doc gave me the order this past Friday that I need to quit.

Huck344

Great information jflail. I can't imagine you are suffering the weight gain from quiting with all the martial arts you are doing. Your plan should be called the "Quit smoking and kick some **** technique!"

I am committed to quitting, which is why I'm almost at a month. Some days are worse than others. Watching movies with smokers in it, gives me the urge. I had a dream the other night that I was smoking. . . And I only smoked less than a pack a day.

Huck344

hearingimpared wrote: »

I'm on my way as the doc gave me the order this past Friday that I need to quit.

Try the e-cig. It helps a lot.

hearingimpared

Huck344 wrote: »

Try the e-cig. It helps a lot.

How much to they sell for? I spend $12 per cartoon on what I smoke now.

bobman1235

Twelve dollars a carton? What do you smoke, dog **** wrapped in socks? A pack of cigarettes around here costs 8 dollars, I can't imagine getting 10 packs for less than double that.

concealer404

hearingimpared wrote: »

How much to they sell for? I spend $12 per cartoon on what I smoke now.

Joe. Look, i'm a young pup that shouldn't be giving you advice.

But really? You're worried about whether or not the e-cig is cheaper than the crap that you're smoking now? Come on man....

If i misinterpreted that post at all, i apologize ahead of time. But only because you're cool. If you weren't cool, all bets would be off.

hearingimpared

bobman1235 wrote: »

Twelve dollars a carton? What do you smoke, dog **** wrapped in socks? A pack of cigarettes around here costs 8 dollars, I can't imagine getting 10 packs for less than double that.

LOL! Close! They are the worst thing for you. They are filtered little cigars the size of a 100s smoke. My wife just found a similar product for $10 a cartoon. You have to remember Bob I live in the home of the tax fee state.

Seriously though, I'm gonna do it just like I did before, blah, blah, blah, I know I've said it before, but the doc never oredered me to do it before so I gotta do it one way or other.

Huck344

You are going to spend more than $12 a carton. . . Especially at the beginning when you get the starter pack. The brand I used is eluma http://www.elumacigs.com . I think the starter pack I got was around $80. Their equivalent to a carton is $25. Of course, there are the liquid refills that eluma and other companies sell which are cheaper, but I haven't considered them yet as I don't want to go through the trouble of trying to fill a cartridge.

jflail2

Huck344 wrote: »

Great information jflail. I can't imagine you are suffering the weight gain from quiting with all the martial arts you are doing. Your plan should be called the "Quit smoking and kick some **** technique!"

I am committed to quitting, which is why I'm almost at a month. Some days are worse than others. Watching movies with smokers in it, gives me the urge. I had a dream the other night that I was smoking. . . And I only smoked less than a pack a day.

Hah, I have been hoping to put some weight on actually. I am still the skinniest dude in either class. That's ok. I figure I'll build natural, core strength and be happy with not hacking up a lung if I exercise more than 10 minutes. The more I take, the more I realize I am light years from kicking ****

And I hear you on the movies! They can make something nasty look absolutely divine. I was watching the Pacific the other night and had the same thought.

hearingimpared

concealer404 wrote: »

Joe. Look, i'm a young pup that shouldn't be giving you advice.

But really? You're worried about whether or not the e-cig is cheaper than the crap that you're smoking now? Come on man....

If i misinterpreted that post at all, i apologize ahead of time. But only because you're cool. If you weren't cool, all bets would be off.

No you have it wrong my friend but I appreciate your concern!:) BTW I'm open to any advice even from my 13 year old, NEVER dismiss the observations of another due to age, one may miss something that can change your life.

hearingimpared

Huck344 wrote: »

You are going to spend more than $12 a carton. . . Especially at the beginning when you get the starter pack. The brand I used is eluma http://www.elumacigs.com . I think the starter pack I got was around $80. Their equivalent to a carton is $25. Of course, there are the liquid refills that eluma and other companies sell which are cheaper, but I haven't considered them yet as I don't want to go through the trouble of trying to fill a cartridge.

Thanks Huck for the info. I'm going to cold turkey first. That's how I did it the last time and I was sucessful for three years.

I'm on my last pack of my cartoon and intend to start as soon as it is done. If I fail then I'm going to try the e-cigs as I've tried all the other methods including hypnosis; they just don't work for me. The only problem is and I mean this literally is lack of funds. When you are on a fixed income and paid at the beginning of the month for the entire month, the end of the month is a scramble especially when overcome with medical bills.:(