Support for those quitting smoking

Vélo

I don't know if this has been mentioned before but do you know Allen Carr died of Lung Cancer, even though he stopped smoking over 20 years before

Nyum Nyum

28 days completed - Yay me

session savage

I took those Zyban drugs... BEST THING EVER.

I tried cold turkey... failed
I tried patches....... failed
I tried gum and failed

I took Zyban and didnt even need to try..

I love not smoking.:cool:

controller

Hi, new to this thread. I'm off the cigs nine months now & am delighted with myself. Definitely have way more energy. However I have put on loads of weight as a result I really never realised they were such an appetite suppressant. I have gained 1.5st, so am busy trying to lose it in the gym at the moment. Anyone else suffer similarly & what did you find helped?

Captain Slow IRL

I added a notch to my belt as well - went a bit crazy with sweets after I quit them (13 weeks today, wahoo!)

Trying to watch what I eat now:(

trek climber

Hi all,

I was atwenty a day smoker and had tried all the usual methods over the last number of years. By the way I have been a smoker for the last twenty years. Last August I went to see the smoking cessation nurse in my local hospital and shee recommended a product called Champix. I had to get a subscription from my GP to get them from my chemist. Basically there come in tablet form and you take one each mornigna dn one last thing at night.
I am now proud to say that I have been a non-smoker for seven months and havent used the tablets for the last three months.

gimmick

Been off the smokes for almost 8 years. Just went cold turkey. Got it into my head that smoking was shameful, and if i smoked again it was a complete waste of time for the last 3 days, 1 week, 3 weeks etc. Thats how i stopped. Told my buddy it as well and he has not smoked in well over a year.

Smoking = Shame

fixernixer

Nyum Nyum wrote: »

28 days completed - Yay me

Good work! Theres no looking back now!
I am off them nearly 3 months now and it does get easier.
Not smoking ->

ZENER

Well done guys !!! It's easy from here on in.

Just don't let yourself be fooled by "false" pressure !
Nicotine is NOT the answer !!

ZEN

Nyum Nyum

fixernixer wrote: »

Good work! Theres no looking back now!
I am off them nearly 3 months now and it does get easier.
Not smoking ->

Cheers

Up to day 54 now and going well :cool:

ambro25

Off them since early Feb 08, after about 18 years on them @ 20/day (-ish) and 2 earlier failed attempts (lasted about a month or so each time).

First time I've used patches (24 hours model), used patches for 3 weeks, 2weeks on the strong grams and 1 week on the medium grams. Then forgot to buy pacthes... but I was OK, so stuck with it.

It feels different this time, I don't hanker after them at all... which feels kinda weird. I'd have been so tempted by now, as to have at least a cigar, or a sneaky one ("worst" opportunities to do that recently, an evening out with a best friend whom I hadn't seen in years, and who's still on them).

I just got fed up with them. Literally. I was having one by the kitchen window (as usual) on a Friday night, then I thought "f*ck it, I don't want that, I'm ready to quit". No external pressure, no promises pried out of me on new Years Eve, not mounting societal conventions. Just got fed up - so I quit.

suesuss

Hi all, i am a non somker for the last 19 days still cannot believe i have got this far sad i know. I simply made a decision to give up and stuck to it nobody had an ounce of faith in me so that in itself helped me continue. I use the nicorette inhalers and have to say they are brilliant, i knew i,d miss the actual holding the fag so for that alone they have been great i use only one cartridge a day and am slowly but surely forgetting i ever smoked. It,s great to see others are going through the same process and are doing well i can be pretty hard, i did my driving test the week after i quit ( did this on purpose ) and i passed with flying colours so i guess if i managed that i,ll manage anything.

Good luck to everyone quitting.:D:D:D:D:D

ciakee

Hi all!!Congrats to everyone whose become a non-smoker! Its the best feeling ever! I can't rate Allan Carr's book highly enough. It's a different take on the smoking thing, but it definately works!

One thing that really helped me is so obvious I can't believe I didn't realise it sooner......that is that I didn't enjoy smoking, it was such a chore. I always thought I did, and when people would ask if I intended quitting, i'd say "oh yeah, some day, but I don't want to now, I like smoking". How ridiculous it sounds now!! Once you realise when you get that feeling that you want a smoke you actually don't at all, all it is is your body thinking it needs nicotine and hey once you get past the first coupla weeks you wn't even notice it anymore!

Mabelicious

I'm 32 and have been smoking 20ish a day for about 10 years. Like Ciakee I thought I liked smoking. I didn't. I'm only off them 3 weeks but I can't ever imagine myself starting again. I'm now one of those dreaded ex-smokers who tut-tuts in her head at other smokers. The smell makes me ill.

How I gave up? A severe chest infection. I couldn't smoke because I couldn't breathe and seemigly detoxed without me even knowing it. When I was better, after 7 days in bed, I just didn't want a cigarette. The feeling of gasping for breathe and coughing uncontrolably also terrified me. At least this time I knew I was going to get better. In a few years I cold be struggling for breathe with no hope of recovering.

So that's my story. 3 weeks today and I feel wonderful. The number of people that have commented on how good my skin looks is a bit weird but nice. Also being able to walk up to my office on the 3rd floor without needing an oxygen tank waiting for me is a novelty that will never wear off.

Fionn

congrats to everyone thats kicked or is kicking the habit!!!

I went cold turkey midnight 11 May 2003 / got hold of a hypnosis cd that i played continuously each night on my PC as i slept for about two weeks.
I've never looked back and i love love being a non-smoker, still get the odd crave but it's quickly extinguished by a couple of seconds deep breathing (remember smokers are pretty good at deep breathing) oh and i have loads of money nowadays sincce i dont have to spend it on cigs!!!

siobhan.murphy

trek climber wrote: »

Hi all,

I was atwenty a day smoker and had tried all the usual methods over the last number of years. By the way I have been a smoker for the last twenty years. Last August I went to see the smoking cessation nurse in my local hospital and shee recommended a product called Champix. I had to get a subscription from my GP to get them from my chemist. Basically there come in tablet form and you take one each mornigna dn one last thing at night.
I am now proud to say that I have been a non-smoker for seven months and havent used the tablets for the last three months.

Did u turn into a nutter or get depressd while on champix?

davido

Champix nearly killed me last year. I have tried a lot of things and these were by far the worst. I went to my doctor feeling terribly depressed and she was about to prescribe me with an anti-depressant until I told her I was taking Champix. She took the pack of pills off me and threw them in the bin (I managed to get them without a prescription) and told me I was better off smoking than taking these. I believe there's an article in today's IT about the negative side effects of Champix.

dublinmayflower

Allen Carr really worked for me. I went a bit crazy going cold turkey. Its amazing how much the addiction to nicotine will make your mind think of hundreds of reasons to just give in and have the one cigarette or quit when its easier in the future. Allen Carr takes those doubts and the general panic and black moods out of the equation. The rest is up to you, it may not be as easy for everyone but is a hell of alot easier than cold turkey. Please try it if you have given up hope and are resigned to being a reluctant smoker for life.

Bob N Along

I smoked for over 10/12 years. It varied over the years but maybe 10/20 per day, both rollin' tobacco and cigarettes. I had tried the patches unsuccessfully the year before. Then I heard of the nicoteene substitute pills that were available and bought a pack of the high dosage nicoteine pills. These were mint flavoured and you suck them for about 1/2 an hour when you feel like a smoke. THey give you the fix of nicoteine you need and sucking the mint for 1/2 an hours helps mentally. Anyway I only took those for a few days and didn't bother buying them any more but instead I started buying 2 packs of XXX extra strong mints and started eating them like a maniac for the next month or so which worked. I kept eating mints for a few months as something to do instead of smoking and now i don't smoke at all any more. Initially the hardest part is the first week. Once you get over that hurdle the physical craving is gone from your system and its all just a mental thing after that which you need to try and do something else instead of smoking. If you take up a sport or something you may find that you won't want to smoke at all anyway.

Nyum Nyum

100 days

Daithi31

Congrats Nyum - keep it going.... this is my 1st day

Cato

been of them since sept and ive no cravings at all i can safly say cold turkey is the best! and tastiest option!

slick31

Hey, does anyone know where I can get an acupuncture staple put in my ear (for quitting smoking). I've had it done before in Stillorgan but the place is gone? I can't find anywhere else that does it. If anyone knows of anywhere let me know please!!!!!!;)

Evil-p

After smoking at least 20 a day for the last 12 years i've stopped starting yesterday. I've tried once or twice but never got past 1 day. I'm using patches - i wonder is there anyone out there who has quit successfully using patches because there seems to be a lot of negitivity about if they work or not? I'm finding the patches are keeping the cravings at bay though i feel a bit anxious. Also my boyfriend smokes, does anyone have any suggestions about living with a smoker when your trying to quit?

The reasons i want to quit:

Better Health
More money
No smoky smell
No staining on teeth
More incentive to get fit when you don't feel your destrpying it with every smoke!

Anyone else out there in the early stages of quitting??:)

ratface62

Gave up fags last Tuesday, after taking Champix for a week. Honestly I have no cravings, I dont miss them, and I cannot bear to near a lighting cigarette. Smoked 20 a day for 20 years. Am over the moon about the results. However....:rolleyes:.. I'm a bit concerned about these Champix though. I am definitely more narky, and am dreaming mad dreams. I am supposed to take 2 a day, but I am only taking one. I'm planning to go to 1 every second day next week. Anyone else at this stage?? or did anyone not follow the prescribed course??


best of luck to all thinking of quitting cos, Its really worth it:D:D

colliew

I used champix and im off them 6 months now and cannot believe it.i tried everything ,patches ,gum ,zyban etc ...and only champix worked.They are great apart from the scary dreams!!!!!:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Champix worked for me too. Did experience some side effects like vivid dreams for a couple of weeks, sleep disturbance and nausea (doesn't happen if taken with food) but they worked. I only took one 1mg a day instead of two but that worked for me. Would also recommend tapering off at the end e.g. 1 a day to 1/2 a day to 1/2 every two days. Off them 3 1/2 months now - have more energy when playing sport, skin is healthier looking and best of all - not controlled by nicotine anymore!

WithCheesePlease

colliew wrote: »

great apart from the scary dreams!!!!!:rolleyes::rolleyes:

glasso wrote: »

some side effects like vivid dreams for a couple of weeks

I'm intrigued... I'd nearly give them a lash myself for the craic!!...

gearoid_healy

gearoid_healy wrote: »

I'm intrigued... I'd nearly give them a lash myself for the craic!!...

I don't think that it alters your dreams - it's just that for the first couple of weeks the drug disturbs your sleep in a way that you experience them (dreams) more...

colliew

I know when you give up smoking you will experience wierd dreams anyway ,but i was F****n' terrified of the dreams I was havin'.It was like imagine the worst possible situation ever that can happin' to you then multiply x 10.This only lasted 2 weeks then the dreams were alot MILDER!!!.But im' off the ciggies now so it was all worth it:D:D