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Old 03-16-2009, 12:13 PM
 
Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland
2,030 posts, read 4,527,514 times
Reputation: 3080

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I smoked my last cigarette about 3-1/2 hours ago. I've been wanting to quit for awhile. I just got my house painted this weekend and decided that was one more reason to quit (I've always smoked in the house).

So far, I don't feel like I'm having any craving for nicotine or any physical withdrawal symptoms. I'm just feeling fidgety. Of course, I'm at work where I had to take breaks to smoke (3 a day). My concern is when I get home and can't have a cig every 20 minutes (yep, smoked alot).

Anyone have any advice from their own experiences? Is it really as hard as people say? I've never made any serious attempt at quitting (almost 30 years of smoking!).
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Old 03-16-2009, 12:24 PM
 
Location: Connecticut
1,461 posts, read 4,852,900 times
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Default Advice for not smoking anymore

First of all GOOD FOR YOU!! You made a great decision. Let me tell you what happened to me and perhaps it will help you.

I had tried to quit smoking a total of 5 times. My first attempt was not too bad, I lasted 6 months then we had a death in the family an I started smoking again. All the other times only lasted a few months each. I knew I wanted badly to stop. I am now 61 and had smoked since I was 18...long time. One day, I was sitting at my desk here at home..no one here but me and I got up and said out loud, "I am going to friggin explode"..I had been smoking at my desk, I am overweight, being treated for High Blood pressure...a wreck. So, I had seen this ad for Chantix on tv and asked my doctor about it. She wrote up the prescription even before I asked for it...I said to her "Well, I guess I am going to quit".

Long story short, the Chantix worked but the dreams were WILD...in color and insane..not scary but more screwey. That fall, here I am Queen of the world because I am not smoking and I go for my physical..all happy because I am 4 months with no smokes. My doctor says, "are you having chest pains"...I say no. Then she asks me "Are you having problems breathing"...again I say no. She then orders a chest x-ray for me and I am thinking right away..uh oh..lung cancer. I get a phone call ONE DAY later...I have an upper aortic aneurysm that is measuring 4.8 to 5.6 centimeters and need to see a cardiologist immediately.

So.....I have had open heart surgery to fix the aneurysm and have also had valve replacement. Did the smoking cause any of this...not the aneurysm, that is hereditary but it could have caused the leaking valve at the root of my aorta. Surgery was 7 hours at Yale. They shut my heart down totally and ran a line thru my femoral artery to a machine to recycle my blood and keep me alive during surgery. I have some nerve damage to my left leg.

Will I ever smoke again....NO WAY. How do I feel? Incredible. My hair and clothes don't stink, my house smells amazing now, my teeth are whiter, breath is fresher and my lungs are CLEAN. If you feel the urge to smoke, go online and look up how many chemicals are in cigarettes...there are over 500 of them one being ARSENIC. Tape the list of chemicals somewhere where you can see them every day. Remind yourself that this is a good thing you are doing for YOU and do NOT come down hard on yourself if you backsllide...you are human first. Good Luck and if you need to talk further, send me a private message. I would love to help you.
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Old 03-16-2009, 12:59 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
2,868 posts, read 9,528,438 times
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Good for you! You can do this...I learned in school that the average craving for a cig lasts about 13 seconds...So if you can get through that 13 seconds, you beat the craving!
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Old 03-16-2009, 05:59 PM
 
Location: Oregon
1,532 posts, read 2,641,424 times
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Not many people know this about me, but I smoked for about 7 years when I was very young. I quit over 20 years ago. Lucky for me it wasn't that hard. I just decided to and did it. But I know for alot of people it isn't quite that easy. One piece of advice I can give is to start chewing sugarless gum, it kind of helps occupy you during those "I need a cigarette moments". It also helps for food cravings! If you can get through it, you'll be so glad you did! Good luck!
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Old 03-18-2009, 01:16 AM
 
Location: Somewhere out there
18,287 posts, read 23,122,629 times
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kjg1963 it has been 2 days so how are you doing?
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Old 03-18-2009, 09:52 PM
 
Location: Some place very cold
5,501 posts, read 22,394,777 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaxson View Post
kjg1963 it has been 2 days so how are you doing?


Anyone who boasts about having stopped for 3.5 hours after smoking 30 years.... makes me wonder...
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Old 03-19-2009, 12:35 AM
 
Location: Somewhere out there
18,287 posts, read 23,122,629 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Woof Woof Woof! View Post
Anyone who boasts about having stopped for 3.5 hours after smoking 30 years.... makes me wonder...
Quitting is tough no matter how long you have smoked. I was just wondering how they were doing I hope they are successful. To start a thread about it then not follow up on it makes for wonder.
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Old 03-19-2009, 02:05 AM
 
12,669 posts, read 20,388,965 times
Reputation: 3050
Chew gum, keep your fingers and hands busy with something. Pencils work well. Try not to do things that trigger wanting to smoke. Change it up out of the routine.
Oh and if you have to have a cig don't inhale. Just puff on it you can draw it into your mouth and hold it just no lung draw.

Good Luck.

I quit about 12 yrs ago now. Stick with it because it is so worth it. You smell better you breath better you don't stink anymore.
If you find your self wanting to eat. Try crunchy stuff like celery, carrots, apples they keep your mouth busy.
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Old 03-19-2009, 12:37 PM
 
Location: Neither here nor there
14,810 posts, read 16,154,550 times
Reputation: 33001
I just celebrated my 40th anniversary two days ago of no smoking. I had such severe upper respiratory infections--one right after the other--that I knew I had to quit or have COPD at an early age. Oddly enough, I wasn't bothered a lot by cravings (my lungs were too full of junk for me to inhale, anyway) but I avoided "smoking situations" as much as possible so I wouldn't be so tempted. I had no alcohol for over a year (an alcoholic drink and a cigarette went hand-in-hand for me). I didn't play card games like I once did. (Always smoked a lot when playing cards.) If you engage in activities that require a lot of concentration and that will focus your attention on something other than smoking, this will help. Maybe reading, crossword puzzles, building models, hiking, gardening, maybe things like that.

Good luck and the one piece of advice I will offer is: Don't ever think you can "have just one" after you have been smoke-free for months or years. People who do this almost always go back to smoking if they make this mistake.
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Old 03-20-2009, 12:12 AM
 
Location: Big Island- Hawaii, AK, WA where the whales are!
1,490 posts, read 4,164,749 times
Reputation: 796
Connecticut Pam congrads hope all is still going well...

I was looking at getting the Chantix - I have heard mostly good about it -a couple of people told me they got depressed and slept allot on it... Over 25 years of smoking here - gum makes me sick - can't get off the patch- did that one for 5 months - Wellbutrine makes me feel hungover... tried cold turkey but even I couldn't stand myself or the potatoes I was trying to cut!

yes tons of excuses - I don't need the hand to mouth thing - get over it right away but the nicotine I am sooooo addicted to - I realllllllly want to quit and made a promise I would. I watched my father die of lung cancer (never smoked a day in life) and dooooooo not want to to that.

Was thinking of painting the house - I have set the date for smoking only outside again - Monday (smoked only outside for 3 yrs and blew that) anyone tried the hyptnosis (sp?) or acupunture? I know it is a mind over matter thing but my mind blows it everytime I quit! Even bought cars to replace the $$ spent on cigs - still went back because I turn into a complete basket case even if I make it past the 3 month mark - it is a constant always on my mind thing?

I want/need to quit in the next month - so any ideas I haven't tried?
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