Going to quit smoking after 10 years....(Day 6)

[Lucky]

Bought a week's worth of the patch today (equate brand, 21 mg/day). Im sick of paying $100/month to smoke. I'm sick of the 3AM runs to the gas station because I suddenly realized Im out and I cant do without them. ` Im sick of the craving, although I know that will never leave me, only diminish with time. I'm sick of the continous bronchitus Im sick of the phlegm. I'm sick of the bad breath, the smelly clothes, and that nasty after-smell when you smoke a cigarette outside in the winter. I'm sick of how you are looked down upon and chastized, and how many women wont bother with you if you smoke. Im sick of supporting bad government which thinks sin taxes are the way to balance a budget.

And I'm scared of continuing to smoke for another 15+ years and causing myself permanant health damage just because I was too pussy to quit when I was younger. (Im 23).

So...Im going to try and quit seriously for the first time in 4 years. It's hard for me to get motivated but I need to do it. Thanks for listening. I'm going to try and update this thread every day with my progress and hopefully you guys can help me stay with it. I've got 8 cigarettes left.




day 6...went off the patch 2 days ago, have experienced virtually no cravings since then. My lungs feel better, my throat doesnt hurt, and I'm not hacking stuff up in the morning. Craving's were initially bad but even after going off the patch I havent had too much trouble...I've found its mostly mental. Just hard not to want to do something you've been accustomed to doing for so long.

for anyone else who tries to quit...and finds out they have an oral fixation try eating tic tacs, lots of gum, and beef jerkey.

 

[snow patrol]

Good for you. Be strong - it's worth it!

Good luck

 

[Migroo]

Good luck Luckster!

 

[geekender]

Congratulations.

<me=quit for 3 years>

 

[Nemesis77]

Good for you, I hope you make it

 

[Lucky]

Originally posted by: Nemesis77
Good for you, I hope you make it

The irony of you posting in this thread is killing me!

 

[Nemesis77]

Originally posted by: Lucky

Originally posted by: Nemesis77
Good for you, I hope you make it

The irony of posting in this thread is killing me!

yep. If you don't stop smoking, I'll have to kick your ass if you smoke near me . if not that, I'll just bitch and whine online

 

[TallBill]

man.. where do you live.. you take one puff and i'll come kick yer ass.. stay off... but most importantly.. try not to have yer replacement fix be something bad... let it be sex or something

 

[Lucky]

i'll see if I cant convince my ex to increase the frequency of the booty calls.

seven left.

 

[Squisher]

Sounds like a very sound arguement for quitting. Good Luck.

 

[GermyBoy]

Originally posted by: Lucky
i'll see if I cant convince my ex to increase the frequency of the booty calls.

seven left.

Probably the real way to go would be to relieve yourself, and "accidentally" drop the cigarettes into the toilet. You know you're addicted if you dive in after them. Otherwise flush it, and don't go near smokers, and be strong. Same with me and leaving caffeine. For 3 weeks straight I'd sleep 14-18 hours a day, depending on if I worked that day or not. I was a danger to myself when I drove, so I started to carpool (more sleeping time) and finally not, I am completely fine without it. I save money by not drinking a 12 pack of Diet Pepsi a day, and I think my teeth have stopped dissolving.

Best wishes.

Peace,
GermyBoy

 

[tcsenter]

So...Im going to try and quit seriously for the first time in 4 years. It's hard for me to get motivated but I need to do it. Thanks for listening. I'm going to try and update this thread every day with my progress and hopefully you guys can help me stay with it. I've got 8 cigarettes left.

Good luck to you. My father used the patch and said it really helped him quit. Of course, he was diagnosed with Stage III non-small cell carcinoma of the lung a year later...but then what can you expect after smoking for 40 years.

You've got to find some productive and healthy things to redirect your craving energy into. Just stay busy, even if you decide to mow the lawn, or scrub the shower, vacuum the house, wax your car, run in place for 10 minutes, anything that you can do that will keep your mind and body occupied. The thing about cravings, if you can find something to keep you busy for 5 or 10 minutes, they will pass quickly.

Be careful that you don't replace one oral reward with another - food. Watch what you're stuffing into your mouth or your waist size will balloon in no time. Also, for the first few weeks, avoid activities that potentiate an urge to smoke, until your confidence is back. For many people, social drinking potentiates the urge to smoke.

Don't dread it, keep a positive attitude.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: Lucky
Bought a week's worth of the patch today (equate brand, 21 mg/day). Im sick of paying $100/month to smoke. I'm sick of the 3AM runs to the gas station because I suddenly realized Im out and I cant do without them. ` Im sick of the craving, although I know that will never leave me, only diminish with time. I'm sick of the continous bronchitus Im sick of the phlegm. I'm sick of the bad breath, the smelly clothes, and that nasty after-smell when you smoke a cigarette outside in the winter. I'm sick of how you are looked down upon and chastized, and how many women wont bother with you if you smoke. Im sick of supporting bad government which thinks sin taxes are the way to balance a budget.

And I'm scared of continuing to smoke for another 15+ years and causing myself permanant health damage just because I was too pussy to quit when I was younger. (Im 23).

So...Im going to try and quit seriously for the first time in 4 years. It's hard for me to get motivated but I need to do it. Thanks for listening. I'm going to try and update this thread every day with my progress and hopefully you guys can help me stay with it. I've got 8 cigarettes left.

A week is'nt gonna cut it as you probably know. I think it's more like a 16 week regimen they call for. Why not quit cold-turkey? Every single sucess story I've heard of does so. Combined with wanting to be smoke free, exercise, and chewing gum when the cravings get to be too much. Be a MAN

 

[Lucky]

A week is'nt gonna cut it as you probably know. I think it's more like a 16 week regimen they call for. Why not quit cold-turkey? Every single sucess story I've heard of does so. Combined with wanting to be smoke free, exercise, and chewing gum when the cravings get to be too much. Be a MAN

Oh, I realize that. I plan on continuing with the patch regimen for a while. I might even see if I can get some zyban but I dont have insurance and thus seeing a doctor plus getting the pills would be expensive.

I'm not going to quit cold turkey. Studies have shown you have the best chances of permanantly quitting by weaning yourself via patches.

as for the food intake, I'm keenly aware of that. I'm thinking of a fun and accessible way for me to exercise to keep my mind off that.

 

[Jarwa]

Good Luck! Hope you prevail over demon nicotene.

I quit back in October, but then I started back in February after a trip so San Francisco. I just made up my mind to quit, and then I did it. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. All I used to quit was three of the Nicotrol inhalers over the course of about a week. Those three times were my weakest points when trying to quit. I felt like I was cheating when I used them, though. They did help at that moment it time, however.

Now I've just got to quit again. For good this time. I just haven't made up my mind to do it, yet.

Anyway, good luck.

 

[Jarwa]

Originally posted by: Lucky

A week is'nt gonna cut it as you probably know. I think it's more like a 16 week regimen they call for. Why not quit cold-turkey? Every single sucess story I've heard of does so. Combined with wanting to be smoke free, exercise, and chewing gum when the cravings get to be too much. Be a MAN

Oh, I realize that. I plan on continuing with the patch regimen for a while. I might even see if I can get some zyban but I dont have insurance and thus seeing a doctor plus getting the pills would be expensive.

I'm not going to quit cold turkey. Studies have shown you have the best chances of permanantly quitting by weaning yourself via patches.

as for the food intake, I'm keenly aware of that. I'm thinking of a fun and accessible way for me to exercise to keep my mind off that.

Ah, the food intake thing. Yes, yes. I did eat more when I quit. I may have gained a couple of pounds. If I had time to exercise I could shed em off, though. I just don't have time right now.

I chewed a boat load of gum while I was quit, too. I felt like almost helpless without a pack of gum handy. Almost the helpless feeling of when you don't have a pack of smokes around. I would chew two pieces at a time, and not telling how many pieces a day, especially at work. Mmmmmmm... Extra - Bubble Gum flavored chewing gum!!!!!!!

I thought that I had read somewhere that said your best chances of permanently quitting was by quitting cold turkey. On the other hand, people that quit cold turkey had to make several tries at it. Something like that, anyway.

 

[cricky]

Good luck with the quitting smoking. I have been trying on and off for the last couple years. It doesn't always stick, but stick with it. My GF smokes and doesn't seem ready to quit, so it's hard. The last couple times I've quit for 3-6 months at a time with the patch. Just don't build a dependance on the patch, it can happen.

I quit for a year and a half with the combination of the patch and Zyban. It really works, and I might try it again. Only reason I picked it up again is because I met my GF who smokes. I lived in a house full of smokers, but that didn't really phase me.

It's hard. It really is. I'm going to try again in a couple weeks. I'm sick of smoking and don't enjoy it in the least. It's merely a habit.

(btw - Zyban IS spendy if you don't have insurance. It's like $75 a month or so...)

--Christopher

 

[Lucky]

(btw - Zyban IS spendy if you don't have insurance. It's like $75 a month or so...)

blah, that sucks. I'll call my dad and see if he cant swing paying for it.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: Lucky

A week is'nt gonna cut it as you probably know. I think it's more like a 16 week regimen they call for. Why not quit cold-turkey? Every single sucess story I've heard of does so. Combined with wanting to be smoke free, exercise, and chewing gum when the cravings get to be too much. Be a MAN

Oh, I realize that. I plan on continuing with the patch regimen for a while. I might even see if I can get some zyban but I dont have insurance and thus seeing a doctor plus getting the pills would be expensive.

I'm not going to quit cold turkey. Studies have shown you have the best chances of permanantly quitting by weaning yourself via patches.

as for the food intake, I'm keenly aware of that. I'm thinking of a fun and accessible way for me to exercise to keep my mind off that.

Zyban is'nt covered by even the best insurances so don't let that stop you, also it has mixed results from taking with my brother a pharmacist who sees people buying it and ar'nt satisfied with the results.

Here is what my friend did.
-everytime a craving would start he'd stop whatever he was doing and either drop and do 50 pushups or a 15 minute run. Quite funny actually. At work we called him zippy cause right in the middle of conversation he'd either run to the lockeroom and chage for his run or start doing pushups in his office. LOL


I think you studies biased from the patch makers, becuase EVERY guy that I've seen quit does so cold-turkey. But my sample is'nt representative so I could be wrong.

 

[Stifko]

Good move Luckey, I hope that you preservere through the withdrawl period and do this. The physical cleansing process takes only about a week or two and after that it is all psychological. I gotta quit too, and just paid $7.50 for a pack of butts. These things are killing me literally. The good thing about you is that you are quitting at a relatively young age and your body will heal more quickley. Your metabolism hasn't slowed down like it does to someone in their mid 30s.

BTW the generic equivalent to Zyban is Welbutrin, I think. It is way cheaper and usually covered by HMOs/insurance companies.

Good Luck !!!!

 

[Lucky]

Thanks Stifko for the wellbutrin tip, I actually knew that but forgot. My ex-GF's mother takes it so maybe I can get her to give me a refill.


7.50/pack-I presume you live in NYC? Bastards. :disgust:

 

[NetworkDad]

Good luck ! - Hope you make it.

 

[yakko]

Nobody likes a quitter.

 

[amdskip]

Congrats and good luck to you

Budget that $100 towards computers parts now

 

[Pabster]

Congratulations, and the best of luck to you. You've more willpower than I have. I'm trying to cut back, but I just haven't hit the "I Want To Do This" stage I guess. I enjoy my cigarettes and until I decide to quit for myself...