Thread: Anyone here quit smoking successfully?

Originally Posted by kalerolf

...SNIP...
So if you can STOP.

It's not IF you can stop, it's a matter of if you want to stop bad enough to stop for good.

I smoked for 10 years before quitting. I was in the Army at the time. I was never physically addicted (and I suspect most smokers are not), but was hooked on the routines that surrounded smoking. For example, wake up, have a cup of coffee and a smoke. After running PT. When surrounded by other smokers. When drinking alcohol. After a meal. I knew I had to have extra resolve during those moments. So without telling anyone I was quitting (if others knew, that would talk about it, thus constantly reminding me about smoking), I threw away my last pack of Marlboros. I did not drink for 3 months because I knew I'd get weak. The last cig was July 4, 1987. Ain't had one since and don't want one.
The reason I say most smokers are not addicted is I've seen too many folks get a health scare and quit....no withdrawel or drama involved. They simply got disgusted with themselves and the stupid habit. You can quit, millions of folks have. Everyone quits eventually.....make it the easy way, not the hard way!

Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings

I have an doctor appointment this week to explore quitting smoking. I am going to ask about Chantix(not sure of spelling). I would appreciate advice or experiences from members regarding smoking cessation.

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!

Originally Posted by Natz

It's not IF you can stop, it's a matter of if you want to stop bad enough to stop for good.

Your right its your own choice that remains a yes or no story , but why wait until the stop is necessary? regarding your health or your environment.

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 Martin103

Started smoking at age 13, stealing Pall Mall's from dad, 30 plus years later still smoking, about 10 years ago i was thinking about quitting when the price of cigarettes went way up, made no sense to me to spend all that money on smoking. So i started rolling my own, a lot cheaper and a lot more fun since you get to try all different kinds of tobacco from all over the world.

I did try Chantix, but stopped really quick, after just a few days and still smoking i was going a little crazy, then i read the side effects and that was my experienced with chantix.

This. Martin, you're dead on the money about Chantix.

Leatherstockiings, I would try to steer yourself away from Chantix... there are WAY too many folks who have had severe psychotic breaks using the stuff. But don't just take my word for it... Google "Chantix, Crazy" or "Chantix side effects". That sh** will scare you. In fact, here's a small excerpt from a story on nymag.com about the author's experience with Chantix. He's just begun talking to his boss about it:

"You know, I saw something about Chantix,” my boss said, sounding vaguely concerned. He tracked down the story on a CBS Website. It was a sensational report on Carter Albrecht, a Dallas musician formerly with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. Albrecht had started taking Chantix with his fiancée, with seemingly dramatic side effects. She claimed he had had bizarre hallucinations that worsened when he drank. One evening, he attacked her, something he’d never done before. He then ran to his neighbor’s house and kicked at the door, screaming incomprehensibly. The neighbor was so panicked he wound up shooting Albrecht through the door, killing him.

As for me, I quit smoking cigarettes in 2008 after starting at age 11 (I'm 30 now) and working my way up to a pack and a half per day. I instead switched to an electronic cigarette. It works like a charm and I've had no negative effects to my health. Far cheaper too. I'll still have the odd cigarette now and then (maybe one or two a year) whilst drinking heavily, but each time, I'm reminded why I quit.

Am I still addicted to nicotine? Yep. But, it would certainly be easier for me to quit due to the type of nicotine used in e-liquid (it's particulate nicotine... freebase nicotine is what they add to cigarette tobacco and is leaps and bounds more addictive), and it would be better than weening myself off of tobacco since there is no health detriment there.

The bottom line is if you want to quit, find what works the best for you... if one method doesn't work, there's plenty out there that you can try until you find one that will.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

I gave up - cold turkey - for about 25+ years. Just threw my fags and lighter out the car window.

Fast forward and I was suffering from bad back trouble, after dithering about the doc sent me for blood tests. When we discussed the results, he told me I had irreparable liver damage and 6 months to a year left.

I thought b*gg*r, went out and bought a bottle of champers and a box of havannas - might as well enjoy nyself.

Turns out my tw*t doc had been giving me medication that provokes false liver readings. Gave up the medication for a month, had another blood test, got the all-clear.

Been all downhill since then. Backache, smoke like a trooper, drink like a fish.

There's no justice in this world, believe me.

Regards,
Neil

Good Lord! What a nightmare! Chantix's side effects have nothing on your doctor lol!!

Originally Posted by 10Pups

I have said it before.......Humans are a self destructing bunch. It's the negative side of free will.

I am not 100% sure that addiction and free will have anything to do with one an other... but then I might just be a softy.

All those people here who advocate to not use anything but to just go ahead and quit cold turkey are hero's... truly. But dudes, I'll take anything and have taken just about everything to aid in quitting. And that's what they were - aids, not crutches. At least that's how I view it. I can't imagine telling anyone to just get over it without help if they think they could use it. That's like telling a soldier with ptsd to just suck it up... Or advising your buddy to represent himself in a divorce lol... at least to me.

We all function differently I guess - I needed aids, and I tell you what - it still sucked. It sucked HUGE chunks really lol. It was harder than sin really - but I did it and yes it does ease and it helps to be stubborn. But it certainly wasn't easy lol - get help if you can or need it I say.

The gum worked for me.

I gave up cigarettes about a decade ago.

I'm convinced anyone can quit, it is simply a matter of motivation.
I started smoking as a 15 year old, and stopped at the age of about 35, smoking about 20 a day.

I found my motivation after walking my dogs one morning up a steep hill close to home.
My phone rang just as I reached the top, and I felt really bad having to talk to a client in such a state after climbing that lttle hill.

On my way home that morning I took out my Zippo and my pack of Prince of blend's and tossed it in the bin.
To this day, I have never tried a single puff ever again.

Congrats on wanting to quit! I was a pack a day smoker for 15 years, and I haven't had one in 3 months. I used the e-cig method. It's known as Vaping. What I did was equate the vaping to match up with what I smoked, and after a month, lowered the nicotine content. A month after that, I lowered it again and so on, until I am at the lowest nicotine level and I hardly ever use it but a few times a week. Being around friends that smoke doesn't bother me anymore, I feel better and I can drink without feeling like a need a smoke. It worked for me, and I've tried EVERYTHING.

You definitely have to WANT to quit.

Smoked/chewed for 21+ years, most of that was in the infantry; nicotine and caffeine seem to simply be the way of life.

New Years Eve 2009, I decided I had enough...no longer enjoyed smoking, hated spending hard earned $$ on a habit that left me feeling dirty and smelly. As I've tried pretty near all the methods out there:
- Copenhagen
- Cutting down
- Switching to a 'lighter' brand
- Nicorette
- Zyban
- Patch

I finally gave it a go going cold turkey.

No where near as difficult as I thought it was going to be!

Had a few 'cheat' moments (drinking with the boys), and while I DO enjoy my cigars I've been cigarette free for the better part of 3 years.