Help with the Quit
 

I just quit smoking (today is day one) and was hoping to get some quit tips from any Ledgies who have done this. I am (was) a hardcore smoker for 20 years! This isn't my first attempt but dear God, hopefully it's my last. My husband and I are quitting at the same time- we're both on the patch. Help. Me. :(

Okay, I haven't had one since the sixth. What I did was, the night before, I drank and smoked about a pack in a 3-4 hour period or so. Whenever I do that, I rarely feel like having cigs the next day. This time was the same, I didn't feel like having any that day. And then I never did again. I think wellbutrin helped a lot, though - since I started taking it I had cut down significantly - like 2-4 cigs a day if I didn't drink. So maybe you should get some wellbutrin. From quitting in the past, I think cold turkey works the best, no nicotine replacement therapy. Because the nicotine is out of your system for good faster. Oh, another thing that helped me is that I woke up in november some time with these dark circles under my eyes, more than ever before, and they just stayed there. No matter how much sleep I got. I also noticed fine lines starting in the corner of my eyes. Vanity is huge. If you can up your vanity, it will be easier. Also, I wanted to lose weight (which I have - slow but still) and you simply can't exercise as much when you smoke.
Good luck! :xoxo:
Oh, also - I wouldn't drink or have coffee for awhile if I were you. I had coffee, but there was a bit of a craving there. And I only had a drink for the first time on the 23rd - a glass of wine.

I used that to my own advantage in my own particular case. I wasn't really hooked on nicotine, but I had been smoking for a couple of years throughout grad school. When I tried to jog, I just wasn't getting air. So that really helped me decide never to buy more cigarettes--I knew I needed to breathe when I ran.

I think that, with possibly a few exceptions, most people who need to quit find it easier if they start working out. The workouts occupy your mind & the feeling of euphoria & well-being flood your being instead of the constant preoccupation with When do I get my next cigarette?

If you don't feel like throwing weights around or jogging around the neighborhood, consider hatha yoga or tai chi. You can usually find your local Parks & Rec offices giving classes throughout the week for a small fee.

good luck w/ it :wavey: :nod: , the hubby & i are quitting for the new yr, i like you have smoked for 20 yrs, & the only other time i quit is when i was pregnant~ we don't smoke in the house or around our son, so our smoking has been cut back quite a bit, so i am hoping that will help w/ the transition~

Congrats to all...
 

who are quiting...Deb used to smoke heavily when we first were together, But she quit years ago cold turkey (Only relapse was last March due to obvious reasons)

Besides in Oklahoma a pack of cigs ill cost you almost $4 with the new tax rate added onto the cost per pack after the 2004 vote for the rate.

My parent's were very heavy smokers and both recently quit. they did that thing were you go and get your ear zapped. I don't know that much about it, I just know of ALOT of people that it has worked wonders for.

I only smoked for about 3 yrs then quit cold turkey. I went onto pot...did that for about 2 yrs...now i'm addicted to candy. It's an "oral fixation" combined with a nicotine addiction. You'll have to replace it with something else. Try gummy bears.

I'm with Amber on the Wellbutrin. It helps alot. It takes the edge off. My only problem was 2 months after I quit taking it I started back up. I'm weak.

When my sister quit, she smoked a cigarette every hour on the hour for 3 days, then 1 every 2 hours for three days, etc. etc. That worked for her.

The best of luck to you and your husband, Janet!

I'd like to hear some more about this. Never heard of it. What do they zap your ear with? I'd be willing to try, I think....:eek:

I remember hearing about some new pill thats supposed to come out the first part of next year. It's also supposed to shed off a few pounds. I'll be all over that one.:lol:

The exercise tip is a great one for the reasons given. Also, take out the CD that came with your patches and listen to it. There are great tips on it. Listen to it more than once if you are feeling like you need support.

If you do have a cigarette, its just one, there is no need to go and buy a pack and smoke your brains out. Just move on. Hehe.

I have heard that when you pair the patch with Wellbutrin the success rate is much higher than with one or the other. The patch worked for me but I only needed it for a few days. I was also a light smoker and on Wellbutrin which helped me as well. You just don't have to have one, you feel like it but you can tell yourself no.

Stay away from smokers for a little while and other triggers, alcohol and coffee as Amber said if they are triggers. Get some candy or straws or a worry stone for when you are driving to have something to do with your hands.

Admire how good you smell, then admire it again and again. That really helped me because it immediately gave me a self-esteem boost. I always felt so self-conscious about that awful smell!

Remember you are just taking it a moment at a time, you're not smoking right now, that's all you need to worry about.

Good luck and keep us posted. I know how hard it is to quit!

PS (If you and your husband start at each other, take a timeout, go back to your corners!)

I went to a smoking cessation class. Once a week, 1 hour, 5 weeks.

Week 1: Keep smoking as usual, but if you smoke full flaver, go to lights; lights, go to ultra lights, etc. If you smoke all through your home, make 1 room a smoking room and stick with it. Wait 30 minutes in the morning before having your first smoke. MAKE SMOKING INCONVIENENT.
Week 2: If you went to lights, go to ultra lights, if you went to ultralights, find something with less grams of nicotine. You're no longer allowed to smoke in your home, smoke in the garage. Get rid of ashtrays in your vehicle. Slowly start cutting back.
Week 3: Learn some relaxation techniques. Deep breathing. Try yoga. Start cutting back more. You're no longer allowed to smoke in the garage, smoke outside. Instead of sitting and smoking after dinner, get straight up and straighten the kitchen. This is the time to change routines. I personally started doing dinner earlier, cleaning up, and taking a walk afterwards. Try to stay away from smokers
Week 4: Continue the effort on relaxation techniques. Continue cutting back. Start preparing for your quit date one week from now. Remember to make it as inconvienent as possible.
Week 5: ON the first day of your 5th week is your last day to smoke. The night before, get rid of cigarettes, lighters, any leftover ashtrays.

In my opinion, it's all in changing your routine. First thing as a smoker I would do in the morning is get up and smoke. I changed my routine first by not smoking in my bedroom. The only place I could smoke that first week was in my livingroom. So, if I wanted to smoke first thing in the morning, I would have to go downstairs or, eventually, outside. It became a pain in the ass. I also had to listen to a 7 year old complain to me, or remind me not to smoke in the house. She's a great police officer! Anyhow, my quit date was September 8, 2005. The only time I've smoked since then is when I was really drunk. :o - oops! Good luck to all of you trying to quit, and sorry this post was so long winded!

That's cheap!

Pip

Congrats all, on quitting!! :)
I quit cold turkey 4 years ago and what helped me:
always having a waterbottle nearby or in hand if needed be, to take sips from;
power walks,
and LOTS of bubblebaths, long ones, that first week, sometimes two a day, the bath tub being a place I did not associate with smoking.

Sasja

You guys are awesome. We made it through the first day. I wish to hell I could do this without the patch, because I know cold turkey is usually the most successful, but there's no way. I'm craving and having difficulty on the patch! This picture pretty much sums up how I'm feeling right now:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...acigarette.jpg

Anyway, smell has been a big motivator for me. I can smell my shampoo, soap, perfume, anything but cigarettes all day; I have always hated the smell of cigarettes. I stopped at the store yesterday morning and bought coffee (sorry, never giving that up), but instead of buying cigarettes, I bought spearment gum and a bottle of water. I never drink water, so I know that will start making me feel better.

I'll keep you guys updated- thanks again for the support!

$4 is cheap.. Incredibly cheap in fact!! Us too... Cigs in Canada, very expensive... $10 - $12 is about right for in my part of the world, although I think they are cheaper in different provincesl..

Good luck to everyone quiting...

I thought people who used the patch were more successful at quitting. Personally I believe they do the 6 week thing to keep you buying them and 1 to 3 weeks will do it. Unless you were a pretty hardcore smoker (2+ packs a day).

Smell was a big one for me too, as I mentioned. The water is a great idea. You can compulsively drink it and feel good about it! :-D

Also, remember to keep your thoughts positive. "Wow, I didn't smoke for a whole day!" Seriously, that is huge for a smoker. Give yourself props. Also, after a few days or a week, whatever interval you think is good, get yourself a little gift like a lipstick or something. You can do this!

I'm not sure what to recommend for the physical part of quitting, but I can offer some advice for the mental part that may be of help.

If you have the urge to smoke, try to stop yourself by thinking of your kids or your loved ones and how your smoking habit might affect them.

I lost my mother to small cell lung cancer last year as a result of her smoking for 40 years. She died when she was only 61.

I don't want to be a big downer here, but I feel like I lost a good 15 years of my mom's life that was shaved off the end due to her smoking. I miss her terribly and nothing in my life is the same as it was before she died, it is really sad. If she had quit smoking along with my dad in the 70's I could have shared the holidays with her this year. But she is gone and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.

Good for you for trying to quit. I hope you succeed.


If not for me, then do it for yourself....

After I quit, and got my sense of smell back, I felt awful because I was sending Sara to school smelling like an ashtray. Now, when she comes home from my mom and dad's house, I have to wash everything, including her, because she stinks. Unfortunatley, I was exposed to heavy smoke while I was young because my folks have always smoked. So, in essence, I've smoked for 28 years. But, I only smoked for 13. :(

I'm so sorry you lost your mother. I dread that day with all of my being. She is a breast cancer survivor, that was so scary. But I no longer take her for granted at all. Again, I'm sorry, the holidays must have been hard. Also, being mad at someone who is gone must be hard. My cousin went through that a bit when her husband died suddenly of an apparent stroke at 44. She knew he hadn't taken care of himself. :(

I can really relate to this. My mom was admitted to the hospital last Christmas because she couldn't breathe. She has emphysema and COPD. She quit smoking and is doing really well, so I know I'm really lucky to still have her. I'm so sorry for you! :xoxo:

The health aspect, for me, is an initial motivator, but not one that sustains me. Unfortunately, I get this sense of invinsibility- that could NEVER happen to me. I just have to tell myself that I'm intelligent, and there is NO intelligent rerason to smoke. Plus, I don't want to stink anymore. I want to hug people and not be self-conscious about it.

I *can* do this. What pisses me off is that my husband is doing SO much better than I am. We really thought that he would be the angry, pissed-off one, and here I am all snarky and homicidal.

We went walking last night (you really have to know me to know how much I loathe any form of physical exercise) and are going to try it again tonight. I *may* even start jogging (:shudder:). I am 37 and my husband is about to turn 39. We are going to try and adopt a baby this year, and as "older" parents, we owe it to a child to be as healthy as we can.

Okay, I'm rambling- but see, I'm at work and this would be when I'd be out for a smoke break. So, thanks for listening.

Just focus on a new habit...

-crack
-pot
-LSD
-heroin

It's been over $5 a pack for a while now here. I'm glad I quit when I did. :o Cold turkey, 5&1/2 years ago.

Jannie - one thing to that will help is stop talking/thinking/reading about it. I'm sure this thread will give you great ideas & support at first. But I personally found that I wouldn't notice that I hadn't smoked in a few hours/days until someone else mentioned me quitting - THEN all I could think about was cigs & I wanted to smoke again.

If you feel the urge, keep busy doing something else to get your mind off of cigs & keep your hands occupied. Remember, most of the nicotine is out of your system physically within 72 hours, so after that it's mostly mental. Good luck! :)

You're right. Which is why I have shied away from online smoking cessation support. Once I get through this week, it will be a piece of cake. :)

Hey, Jannie - just so you know - I always had more cravings if I used the patch or gum.:shrug: I'm not saying you shouldn't use it, I just wanted to tell you it seems like that is normal. :)

I had the opposite experience! I guess that can be very different.

Yeah, guess so. Hey, did you guys see that new laser treatment on the news? So far it has a higher success rate then patch and stuff, but the stupid guy they were talking to was like "well, we need to use therapies that we have already studied and that we know work about 30% of the time!" but the laser thing had a 46% success rate after a year or something. :rolleyes:

Well, I have never smoked, but my mother quit cold turkey 2 years ago after having somked for 35+years when they found a blot clot near her heart. That scared all of us.