Quitting cigarettes. Oh dear God kill me now!!!!

[randman]

I am entering day three of a cigarette-free existence. My flesh is crawling, and I'm going crazy. Have any of you quit smoking before? If so, do you have any suggestions on making this easier? Keep in mind I have smoked at a rate of a least one pack a day since 1971. :hang:

It's a nasty and very addictive habit. If you don't smoke, don't start. If you're young and haven't been smoking long, quit now before it becomes harder to quit. That's an order by the way. ;)

[Vie]

try the patches they will help

[. - .... .- -. ....]

Do what my mother did:

1. Buy a 1978 Ford Escort

2. Wait for a suitably icy day, and drive as fast as you can in the direction of the school

3. Find a bend in the road with the thickest walls within a ten mile radius, and against all your instincts and intelligence, hit the accelerator instead of the brake.

4. Hit said wall at maximum speed, break most of your bones and put yourself into a coma.

5. Wake up a month later, no cravings, no skin crawling, no sneaking off for a cigarette, nothing :)

If she can do it, anyone can....

[randman]

As much as I'd like to use the patches, or gum, go into a coma, or even own a 1978 Escort ;) :D , my budget is very tight. One of the main reasons I'm quitting is I can't afford it any longer. Are there any other secrets? Probably not. I'll just have to cold turkey it. :igor:

[Vie]

I'm gona run and hide now ethan_h is scaring me

[. - .... .- -. ....]

I never have smoked, so I can't talk from personal experience. I do know a lot of people that have though, including my parents. The patches to ease the cravings, but unless you're really prepared to go more or less cold turkey, then it's not going to be an easy ride.

Is there anyone else that you know giving up, or planning to? A lot of the time its easier if you give up with someone else - you at least have support. Also, don't put yourself in situations where you usually would smoke, for example, in the pub, coffee breaks, etc. Stay away from all that for a while.

[Lucid DM]

Chew on a pencil.
I don't smoke, so I don' know if this actually works. But it's suposed to make you think you've got a ciggarette in your mouth. Or something.

[. - .... .- -. ....]

from nicotine poisoning to lead poisoning..... ;)

[Xerxes]

I hear these (http://www.theonion.com/onion3325/nicarest.html) are an effective way to stop smoking...

[Merlin]

I quit last year, but then I was only 18. My girlfriend at the time provided the willpower, I provided the nicorette (the nicorette stick is crap, just use the patches). Those are the only two things I needed - willpower being the key.

[Montana]

if you think trying to quit cigarettes are bad, try laying of the dirt (it's called SNUS in sweden), that's a pain in the ass

[Rocker]

my cousin says eat the patches....it'll taste like crap but make you feel better :D

at least lick the patches on your arm....you know you wanna

[ElChevelle]

Dude, I am a seasonal smoker.
I smoke infrequently during the winter months. Even then, it's very rare.
In the summer when I'm much more active, I never smoke.

Best tip I can offer is avoid situations that make you want to smoke:
Smoky bars
Having children
Other smokers
Snorting crank

These are only a few:p :igor: :weird:

[Rob Weee!]

Iquit one time for a few months.I gained 40 pounds and
vowed to nver quit again. So for me it smoke up!

[Bilbo Baggins]

Didn't your mother tell you that messing with fags would get you into trouble Randman ;)

[missyob]

Randman,

If you can do 3 days, you can do it for longer hon. I envy the willpower that you have had so far.

For the younger crowd in here:

Dont start smoking. It really sucks. It is not cool, It does not make you cool.

I have smoked since I was 16. I started because it was the cool thing to do. Now I cant quit. My boys tell me all the time I should quit, but it is not that easy.

~ Missy

[randman]

Originally posted by Bilbo Baggins
Didn't your mother tell you that messing with fags would get you into trouble Randman ;)

No she didn't sweetums. ;)

Originally posted by missyob
If you can do 3 days, you can do it for longer hon. I envy the willpower that you have had so far.

Thanks for the support Missy (and everyone else). :)

[prem1er]

Its tough but if I can do it so can you. I've only quit for a little over 2 weeks. I started by cutting back gradually each day and when I got down to about 10 a day I stopped all together. You might feel more comfortable using the patch and there's a lot more aids available. Do nottake the pill called zyban it causes heart problems, but maybe talking with your doctor will help. Anyways I hope I hope that was encouraging, good luck

Prem1er

[PhotoFx]

ah the onion :) how i love it. And contrats randman, i'm glad you're doing it. Just think, after all this, you can say "mua ha ha, look at me, i did it cold" in a suitably menacing voice. :)

[Cleanup]

Yes, most patches and stop-smoking gum packages are to be used with willpower. Your mental-power is what really makes you quit. The aids just help you.

Just cold-turkeyin' it won't help. When you've been smoking for that long, and you're addicted, not smoking will break your concentration and just make you feel worse, so...

Don't put yourself under pressure, people smoke because they need to relax...

Don't stick around with other smokers.

Those commercials advertising stop-smoking products are just trying to get money. The products won't work for everyone, it's a ratio of one out of ten people I heard, will be helped by the products.

That's really all the advice I can give. I've never smoked before, never will, but this is from watching hours upon hours of documentaries and TV.

[Cleanup]

Originally posted by Xerxes
I hear these (http://www.theonion.com/onion3325/nicarest.html) are an effective way to stop smoking...

I notice they have different flavours and are "legal for minors." What does this tell us? That they're trying to get money, of course.

And I quote,

"Fills lungs with rich, satisfying smoke, curbing desire for cigarettes."

You'll just get addicted to these sticks instead of real cigarettes.

Quote, "Nicarest is made of processed tobacco by-products and medicated with carefully calculated doses of nicotine and antibiotic 'tar.'"

What the hell? Tar? Sounds fishy. Tar is exactly what they put in cigarettes as filler.

Looks like they're telling the truth, except about the "antibiotic" part.

PS: I found an article about Nicarest on a JOKE site. That tells us something too.

[PhotoFx]

it's the onion... have you ever read the onion? you should :)

www.theonion.com

heh, my favorite local paper.

[Cleanup]

Quote from a forum:

In Reply to: ?This is well worth a read - it will make you laugh at least posted by Mags on January 22, 19102 at 18:18:17:

http://www.theonion.com/onion3325/nicarest.html
i don't know how you found this but it is hilarious! thanks! lmao! tee hee. nicarest. what a scam!

[randman]

Originally posted by Xerxes
I hear these (http://www.theonion.com/onion3325/nicarest.html) are an effective way to stop smoking...

Yeah, those are what I need. ;) Make mine menthol. :D

[prem1er]

getting more exercise helps release endorphines, that helps with cravings. Pick up a big bag of smarties or skittles or even sun flower seeds. Ok I'm goin to the store now:D

[DIMMERS]

i think the computor is the worst thing to be using when trying to give up smoking. i started smoking when i was 15 and steadily used more and more as the years went on, got a computor last year and went from 20 a day to an average of around 35.:(

bloody winamp skins:D

[lil vixen]

it worked for me the 3 times i was pregnant -
i quit smoking 3 times and like a jerk i went back bleh. not its hard to quit again

but anyway go to store for 79 cents you can buy a huge box of straws
chew on them
it is cheap and safe :)

Good luck Randman

[_Blackdog_]

try not to do things that you associate with smoking. for example, my grandma used to drink her coffee and smoke a cigeratte every morning. when she quit smoking, she quit drinking coffee too.

[Cleanup]

True. Everything that has to do with you smoking will most likely disappear or get less frequent/pressuring when you quit.

[Ian the Korean]

Good to hear that your quitting smoking. The only thing I can think of is to keep your mind off it and maybe start a hobby or something. Just keep us updated on how your doing, because we are all really interested. Just think of the advantages, more money and a longer life! You can do it, just keep it up!:D

The Onion rocks!:D

[Bilbo Baggins]

I am glad I gave up smoking before it took a hold of me. I am also glad that i managed to get my girlfriend to stop.

Randy, why don't you chop your fingers off, that way you cannot hold those naughy ciggies?

(Why am i the only one to make a fag joke so far? :eek:)

[John M]

becuase your a brit :p

[Ra1nMaker]

I have too much respect for my mental health to quit!! :p

[rm']

Pretty much the only reason I never picked up smoking is because of the expense.

/me will wait till the day he wins control of Rothmans in a hostile takeover before he starts puffing on cigars :)

[SNYder]

I have been smoking for 4 years and don't have the willpower to quit. Cigarets are like my little buddy.

I hope you have more willpower then me.

Hey... If you can quite after 40 years, mabey that'll give me a bit more confidence :) hell yeah. DO IT FOR ME RAND! :)

[Xerxes]

Originally posted by Radioactive Man
Pretty much the only reason I never picked up smoking is because of the expense.


Phillip Morris shares continue to outform my entire portfolio - obviously the price is just right :p Every pack smoked is a twentieth of a cent in dividends, so smoke up people ... :p j/k

[ReDVsion]

It's funny to me how NOBODY I know smokes cigarettes aside from the fact that they're addicts... except maybe me. I've got a once-a-month habbit with 'em. :D

[prem1er]

I'm sure you all know how bad smoking is. Just looking out for ya!

Smoking Risks

Smoking is about as bad as it could get. Smoking is one of the most important causes of disease and is responsible for at least one out of every five deaths in the United States. Compared to nonsmokers, smokers have 10 times the risk of getting lung cancer -- and twice the risk of dying from heart disease. Smoking also causes chronic lung disease -- chronic bronchitis and emphysema -- which can be fatal. But that's not all. As research continues, the list of diseases associated with smoking keeps growing longer. That list now includes stroke, peptic ulcer, osteoporosis, and cataracts, as well as cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, bladder, uterus, cervix -- and possibly also leukemia and cancer of the breast, prostate, and colon. In addition, diabetics who smoke increase their risk of kidney disease. Smoking can interfere with the healing of wounds and fractures. And it increases facial wrinkling, making a person look older than he or she really is.

Prem1er

[ReDVsion]

ummm... drugs are bad, mmm'kay?

so don't be bad...

by doin' drugs...

mmm'kay...

[PhotoFx]

hey! no parodies :)

[natasha1]

Hi,What are the effects of smoking during pregnancy?

[Mathew.joselin]

Hi natasha1,
Woman who smoke during pregnancy face lot consequences such as sudden infant death syndrome, still birth, low birth weight of the baby, placenta abruption, premature birth, miscarriage, infertility, colic and respiratory infection that affects new born babies. Visit:www.pleasehelpmesmokemorelikefourtofivepacksaday.com,it provides much information about the above issue.

[Widdykats]

They now make a drug called Chantrix!(covered by all insurance even medicaid) Sure, some of The V.A. are sueing the makers for Vets that attempted suicide( and one murder) on this drug, but, hey, it works!:confused:

[gaekwad2]

against spambots?

[Widdykats]

I guess that med could make spambots kill themselves!
My friend was recently on it. He stopped after five days. He said he started to Hallucinate!:D

[ElChevelle]

http://elchevelle.homestead.com/files/InstallCancer.gif

[fc*uk]

OMG. Guess which two users have the exact same IP?

You're both banned for being asshats.

On a side note, I quit smoking by doing just that. Cold turkey is the way to go. Things that ween you off it only make you want it more. The body clears itself of nicotine after three days. Anything past that is nothing more than oral fixation.

[Widdykats]

Very Clever!:D


I'm screwed! :(

[fc*uk]

Nah, to each his (or her) own. That is what worked for me, may not work for others. I'm a black and white type of a person, which has a lot to do with it. I either want something, or I don't. Not much middle ground. I tried for a few years to cut back slowly and always went right back at it after a few months. After a while I figured if I just stopped then it would be over and done with.

[swingdjted]

Cold turkey is the only thing I have seen work permanently with friends. Personally I have never had more than 5 tobacco products in a given year, usually just puffing a cigar with a friend that had a major life milestone. These past two years, nothing since I live over a thousand miles from everyone now. I actually miss occasions that call for a cigar.

[S-uper_T-oast]

Snus are actually pretty nice. They also really don't seem to be addicting to me. I can have a pack or two then be fine. (granted a pack or two isn't really a habit, but they don't seem to be excessively hassle forming for me)

Haven't had one in months and had no trouble not.

[ElChevelle]

A friend brought me back some Cuban cigars from his recent trip to Mexico. Wasn't I worried when they popped a random drug test on me:blah:

[mike-db]

I quit once...

[swingdjted]

My brother used to say, "been smoking a couple times a night for the past 15 years and never picked up the habit"

He always also said "Quitting is easy - I quit smoking a few times a night."

[rockouthippie]

Originally posted by prem1er
stroke, peptic ulcer, osteoporosis, and cataracts, as well as cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, bladder, uterus, cervix -- and possibly also leukemia and cancer of the breast, prostate, and colon.
Prem1er

Don't forget bad breath :rolleyes:

One thing is certain "Life is a terminal disease". My great uncle was a smoker who died of lung cancer last year. At 82! My smoking grandfather died of COPD at 79! My other non-smoking grandfather died at 55 of a stroke... too fat!

Let's get real. Smoking isn't good for you, but getting rid of it isn't a panacea.

[Paul_Bags]

Leukemia of the breast? Really? There's bone marrow in there? O_o
I have a pack of mini cigars here, has a picture of 'tongue cancer'. Looks like the guy has 2 tongues :p. Also says "cigars are not a safe alternative to cigarettes".
Yeah, for awhile half the reason I smoked was for the funny anti-smoking advertising. I even considered collecting them, like trading cards.
When I quit, it was 'hmm, I can't be fucked going down to the store to buy more, and it's kind of a shit habit, Meh, cold turkey'. I do still on occasion buy some cigars, but it's not as invasive as the 'part of my routine' habit. Besides, if I'm going to flirt with addiction it may as well be a tasty flirt, none of this cheap rolled in rice and stuffed with felt crap.


Forgot the 'c', maths is delicious through

[devnty06]

how about eating candy's and chewing pepper mint gum when you feel the craving??
or else if you find it more difficult to quit smoking cigarette then go for E-cigarette, which gives you the same feeling as the cigarette there by making you to stop smoking cigarette.

[mike-db]

I quit every time I put a cigarette out.

[Widdykats]

^ That gets an Amen
Use Crest Whitestrips and Altoids for clean minty breath and no I not quitting thankyouverymuch. :D
http://forums.winamp.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=48229&stc=1&d=1293658127<me

[Jedi Gemstone]

Would distraction methods work?

Distract yourself from the cravings perhaps?

[QOAL]

My friends father died from cancer this summer; he smoked all his life and was diagnosed with lung cancer in october last year. It was apparently small cell cancer and they couldn't get rid of it completely, but he seemed to be responding to treatment until he had a rapid decline in health, the cancer had spread and he died within a few days of being admitted to hospital.

You can laugh at all the things you can say about quitting but until effects you personally you won't have grip on what you're doing to yourself; unless you compulsively lie to yourself , in which case everything will be A-okay!

I wonder, if you took all the tar from the lungs of people that die each year from smoking related illnesses, how far you could lay a road surface? (probably not too far, but still!)

But congratulations on being addicted to nicotine!
(My dad is trying to quit right now and is using one of those plastic cigarette-a-like things that just has a nicotine thing in.)

[Widdykats]

I hate being an addict. I mean I really hate it...but I am.

[rockouthippie]

I read some place that if you quit smoking, in ten years, you'll have not much more risk than someone who never smoked. It probably would be worth quitting. Smoking is something I wish I never started.

[swingdjted]

I've had to walk some of my students through quitting, and sadly it's only successful about one third of the time. I guess I don't know what it's like to be addicted, but those I know who smoke have tried many times to quit with few exceptions.

My dad quit when I was a teenager (cold turkey) and it drove all of us crazy. He chewed Doublemint gum when he wanted tobacco, but then save it if he got tired of chewing - he'd stick it on the dashboard of his van or on his end table or the ear of his reading glasses if he wasn't using them and they were on a table. Every once in a while we'd get stuck with gum in a bad place. He finally got rid of the gum habit too luckily, but as bad as this sounds, it worked for him.

[fc*uk]

I read some place that if you quit smoking, in ten years, you'll have not much more risk than someone who never smoked. It probably would be worth quitting. Smoking is something I wish I never started.

That's very true, but not entirely. Even after quitting, someone who has still retains an elevated risk level of somewhere around 10-20% when compared to someone who has never smoked. Dunno what the error margin was in that study I read though.

See, here is the thing, which I know I stated earlier. Nicotine clears the body in three days; 78 hours; that's it. Any craving past that simply is not real.

As for the occasional smoke. Sure, go ahead I say. Sometimes I do (maybe once a year) when out with friends that still smoke. See, it takes three weeks to form an addiction. So, sure, start smoking again, just cut it out after two weeks to be safe and you are good.

Can't tell you what I did to kick it. Tried the gum and it never worked for me. Come to think of it, I believe it was when I worked for a major *******eutical company that allowed no smoking on company property in order to lower insurance premiums. The company was surrounded by busy expressways and highways. Smoking was not going to kill me; getting hit by a car to cross the street to smoke was. And there it went ... Thanks Abbott!

edit, spar filter eats *******???
******* --- yep, sure does. Can we tell it not to assume the word ending in "y"?

[swingdjted]

heh, for some reason, the page loaded in an odd way:

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/5827/screenshotbd.jpg (http://img534.imageshack.us/i/screenshotbd.jpg/)

[rockouthippie]

As for the occasional smoke. Sure, go ahead I say. Sometimes I do (maybe once a year) when out with friends that still smoke. See, it takes three weeks to form an addiction. So, sure, start smoking again, just cut it out after two weeks to be safe and you are good.

It's got to be an addiction. An addition is when you have an uncontrolled urge to do something that screws you up. If you only smoke once a year, I'd imagine you'd get a hell of a sickening buzz off it. Remember your first smoke? Isn't that enough to turn you green? It's been that way when I've quit for a few months at a time. Still something will keep it in your head that this is a good thing. In a week, you'll be back to a pack a day. It's not to play with.

If you have not become an addict, then don't risk becoming one. If a smoke doesn't make you sick, you're an addict. If it makes you sick, what possesses you to do it?

It's like booze. I think everybody has gotten dog sick from drinking. What is the predilection for self punishment? Your first smoke and your first shot of whiskey probably weren't very tasty to you. What made you drink and smoke ever again? You blew your head off with your first hangover. You prayed to Jesus on the porcelain telephone and you burned your bed with a smoke and spilled the bongwater. I got this buddy who almost never drinks, but New Years Eve made him look green for a week.

What makes a rational person do this stuff?

[Widdykats]

^*puff* *puff* *puff* You cynic, you!:p

[rockouthippie]

I was smoking when I wrote it. :)

[Widdykats]

*wipes nicotine of screen* Me as well...*sigh*

[rockouthippie]

I'm really sorry for anyone who gets addicted to smoking.

They say nicotine is very, very addictive. :(

OK, so what do you do that slowly kills you? Nobody is immune. Most of my non-smoking friends are a bunch of lard butts that tell me to quit smoking. Nearly all of them would lose to me in a mile footrace, a ten mile bike ride or chopping wood. I'm 48. They are younger. This would include my non-smoking siblings. I could probably outrun them while smoking, after drinking a 6 pack..... too many desk jobs.... flabby.. flabby... I don't know who will live longer, but I'm not gonna lay money on the fact that it won't be me.

Smoking isn't all of health.

[rockouthippie]

*wipes nicotine of screen* Me as well...*sigh*

4hSnAxvRdmY

I just pretend my monitor is a new Sanyo CIGOTRON. It adds yellow too. It's something you just can't see with 3 color technology! Has to have just the right amount of ashes in the keyboard.

[Widdykats]

^AHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA...Well, unforunately for me, I love my Samsung(which I clean like an Italian Housewife.) :D

[rockouthippie]

Well, here's one hint. Your case fans in a smoking house will start to look like crap and start making noise. Cigarette smoke will weld itself to your fans. Take them out. There is usually a plastic seal called a dust trap over the center of the back of the fan motor. Break it out with your finger nail. It's usually just a label.

Put them in the dishwasher with NO HEAT DRY. Let them dry out for a couple days or if you are in a hurry, shake them out, plug them in and let them blow themselves dry for ten minutes. You should take care that they will not fling water on the computer. Cover the old dust hole with a piece of scotch tape. Your fan is good until smoke or dust makes it noisy again. That's pretty indefinitely. The come out whistle clean and you didn't fluorocarbon anything.

In the old days, when keyboards were really expensive, we used to do this to terminal keyboards. I think I'm gonna try a modern one, let it air dry for a week and see if it's still a keyboard.

[Too-DAMN-Much]

Put them in the dishwasher with NO HEAT DRY. Let them dry out for a couple days or if you are in a hurry, shake them out, plug them in and let them blow themselves dry for ten minutes. You should take care that they will not fling water on the computer.

personally i subscribe to the once monthly pull all the (main) power cords and hit the fans with the shop vac method, works remarkably and quicker, just open the doors first.

as far as on the topic posting in here goes:

i used to use one of those e-cig things and it does pretty much satisfy the cravings for a stoge, until you miss-step, i'd do fine and have a camel cause it tasted better after some weed and suddenly it's much harder to be happy with the electric thingies.

also, i did develop a smallish lump in my mouth under my tongue which is the main reason i've switched to buying top tobbaco over the e-cig (cleared right up after i nixed the electric one too), it tastes a hell of a lot better and instead of $250 a month (camels) i can get by with like probably $100 a month (top) it's a trade off for sure since the cartridges were like $10 a carton or so for the electric one usually around $40ish a month for that total.

[rockouthippie]

Electric cigarettes? Using top. No thanks. At least a Pall Mall. I usually buy marbs or camels though. Top is nasty.

[Too-DAMN-Much]

pall malls? you kidding me? i'd rather chug raw sewage for eternity.

camel is the only brand i really like at all, marlboros are tolerable... to a point, even then with camels it's got to be the wides if i'm going to pay a full pack price for them, kings have holes in the filters, next, 99s are the worst, next, wides i can get a nice strong drag off of though, same with top, i just got to spit out tobbaco if i make one end too hairy.

sides.... i don't want to quit, i just want to quit paying so much for them, top is a good middle ground is all.

[mike-db]

du Maurier is a great brand, my personal favorite. But then again, you guys probably don't know said brand.

As for quitting, I don't want to quit. I quite enjoy the taste, smell, and feel-goodness that I get from it. (I know it's all in my head, fuck off)

I have had family died from smoking, and I know for a fact that they would want me to do what I feel is best. My whole family in fact smokes, the discussion of quitting is a very odd one indeed.

I personally feel that some of the smoking laws now a day's are bullshit, smoking is almost completely out-lawed. Can't smoke within three meters of any entrance, no smoking with children in the car under the age of 16, no smoking in bar's. It's rather ridiculous, the laws do make sense, but at times it's almost like smoking discrimination! :p

[Widdykats]

I know du Maurier. Ya' ever have these? http://threetimestheshopping.blogspot.com/2009/04/bn-sobranie-of-london-cocktail.html They used to be all the rave at parties. Way fun! And those French ones... Gauloises. The unfiltered ones? They could make ya' cough up a lung. :D
BTWrh2wST3eLBg<♥