Thread: Anyone here quit smoking successfully?

A word about side effects ....... A good friend of mine tried Zyban and it didn't remove his cravings, gave him unpleasant side effects, and he stopped taking them and continued to smoke. A year or two later he tried the generic form of Zyban, Wellbutrin and successfully quit smoking.

He encouraged me to try the Welbutrin and I've looked into the side effects of Zyban, Welbutrin and Chentrex, and read the horror stories. So I haven't gone to those helps. The last time I tried to quit was in February after a bout with pneumonia. I bought the gum.

Open the pack and the manufacturers furnish a long instruction sheet. The last thing it says, IIRC, is that you have to really want to quit. Not saying this to discourage you, but it is the real tip IME. I've talked to people who have used one or all of the above at one time or another, to successfully quit. So side effects or not, it can be done. IOW, don't let the possibility of side effects scare you off out of the gate.

A few years ago I quit for 28 days cold turkey. My method was to begin holding off from smoking the first pipe as long as I could. I usually smoke my first one with my morning coffee right off the bat. Within a few days of extending the time for my first one I didn't smoke at all. This particular attempt was like a gift. I had virtually no cravings and was happy as a pig in mud. I was a non smoker.

On day 29 I got such extreme cravings that I gave in and went back to it. It was like I never left. I don't think a day goes by that I don't think about quitting. Friends who've successfully quit with the pills encourage me to try them but I don't because as much as I want to quit, I want to smoke too.

My experience in my younger days, with substances that are considered far more addictive, was that when I wanted to stop more than I wanted to continue using them, I stopped. Not easy, and there is no avoiding the battle, but like a lot of things, if you want it bad enough you can do it.

Originally Posted by Phrank

I tried once using Zyban - you were supposed to take a pill a day, smoke normally, and then two weeks later stop. Drug was awesome, totally removed all cravings for a smoke.

After two weeks, realized I was having huge trouble sleeping, was going to bed at midnight and getting up at 6am and heading to the office for lack of anything to do. Slowly just descended into a zombie like state.

Finally checked out side-effects, and I was having them all, the being turned into a numb, brain dead zombie was the worst.

If you try one of the drugs, make sure you look into side-effects!

Good luck!

I had the same thing with Chantix, very strange and lucid dreams, and then alternate bouts of sleeplessness, felt like a zombie, I even had something akin to what I believe would be an LSD acid trip while driving one day. I had to pull over and for about 15 to 20 minutes I had to get my head together and plan every intersection and stop light on a well worn route home before I felt safe to drive again. The stuff should be illegal IMO.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

I had the same thing with Chantix, very strange and lucid dreams, and then alternate bouts of sleeplessness, felt like a zombie, I even had something akin to what I believe would be an LSD acid trip while driving one day. I had to pull over and for about 15 to 20 minutes I had to get my head together and plan every intersection and stop light on a well worn route home before I felt safe to drive again. The stuff should be illegal IMO.

That sounds like a nightmare!! I have heard that from more than a few people... more importantly, so has the medical profession. Their take: "The benefits it provides for most, outweighs the harm it does to a few."

I wonder what pharmaceutical lobby group paid the moneys needed to have that message pounded into the professions head lol? I mean when did medicine start thinking in the aggregate? LOL - what a joke.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

I had the same thing with Chantix, very strange and lucid dreams, and then alternate bouts of sleeplessness, felt like a zombie, I even had something akin to what I believe would be an LSD acid trip while driving one day. I had to pull over and for about 15 to 20 minutes I had to get my head together and plan every intersection and stop light on a well worn route home before I felt safe to drive again. The stuff should be illegal IMO.

That was my experienced as well, now years ago i would welcome that kind of feeling, but not so much today!

A brilliant man once said "Quitting is the easiest thing I've ever done, I must've done it a thousand times" -Mark Twain.

I agree with that statement quitting is easy, it's staying quit that's the problem.

I switched to Copenhagen.

Originally Posted by Sticky

Started smoking about 1968. Stopped in 2004, cold turkey. Was much easier than previous efforts using nicotine gum.

I allowed myself to put a cigarette in my mouth whenever I wanted; just didn't allow myself to do it with a lit one. Never really wanted one after about 3 or 4 weeks of that. Now the smell of burning tobacco is slightly nauseating.

What I want to know is how you cured the BHAD ?

Originally Posted by HNSB

I switched to Copenhagen.

I began that habit when I was 19 when a tin was $0.35 cents. Stopped and started over the years. When a single tin got up to just under $7.00 I had to give it up.

March 4, 1986, 430PM. I remember when, where and who was there. It was very difficult to do for me. I read the US Army Guide to Physical Fitness which helped a great deal. There was one entire chapter on how to quit.

Good Luck.

I quit a thousand times successfully, but the last successful time was using Chantix also. Now, what to do about the cigars is another story.....

Originally Posted by Lynn

I quit a thousand times successfully, but the last successful time was using Chantix also. Now, what to do about the cigars is another story.....

I hear you on that lol!! The way I see it is cigarettes are a destructive habit. They are created to be excessive. A cigar is meant to be savored, enjoyed... it's a blood pressure reducer . It's akin to drinking 12 Budweiser vs say One micro-brew.

And you know what - my doctor agrees ! She has no problem with me enjoying a good stick now and again. Moreover it must be ok because my health insurance premiums and my life insurance premiums didn't go up when I admitted I smoked a stick now and again.

That's good enough for me !! You?? lol!